I've just got hold of a copy of Manship's new Price Guide, the 6th Edition.

I'm told that the general release has been delayed by a few days due to a printers delivery glitch but will be sent out midweek - this next week.

My 5th edition has seen some action (can you believe it's been 4 years since that edition was printed!!) so it's nice to get my hands on a crisp and new price guide which looks both fresh and vibrant. The artwork on the front cover is similar in style to the 5th Edition but with a new array of rare Soul records to tempt you into locating.

There is around 70 or so extra pages yet it appears much more compact and portable than previous editions. Upon an anoraks measurement it is 1/2 inch less in depth (or 2.5cm if you're young enough to understand the metric system).

The pages feel like silk and shine like a brand new 45 and to be honest they feel just as tactile. The printer has obviously been told to spare no expense with the pages and it feels like a truly professional operation.

The scans of the original 45's (and also the repro's) are gone. Initially, I was disappointed with this as I had used these scans on numerous occasions to smoke out boots etc and felt this was a valuable resource. However, upon looking through the price guide, all of the information relating to matrix numbers, dead wax stamps and indicators of repro's is now located within the main listings pages. To be honest I suppose it's much easier than bookmarking the original page and trying to link this with the pics at the the end of the the book.

In summary, and in my mind, this edition is much more of a comprehensive guide than the 5th Edition. There is more detail and depth and, as far as I'm concerned, it is emerging as the truly definitive guide to rare Soul music and their prices.

Matrix numbers - listed, alternative takes - listed, vinyl or styrene press - listed. I'm enjoying this guide already and can safely pack the 5th Edition away safe in the knowledge that the 6th Edition moves us forward in the quest to discover, own and play that elusive but original rare Soul 45.

Quality.

Cheers, Jim

I will not be buying this one. I bought all the others. The last one was usefull for the bootleg info so I will keep that edition. Problem is that for the most part the majority of his prices are totally unrealistic. It's Fantasyland or Manshipland if you prefer. I'd love to get the prices he shows in his book for the records I sell. Waste of money at this point in my opinion especially when you can easily go to Popsike or Collectors Frenzy and get a more realistic view of a records value along with it's price trends (up or down). I can put my hard earned dollars to better use and go out and have a nice dinner or better yet buy a nice record.

very well said sir i totally agree .

Had this problem with my 5th edition. Cover been sellotaped back on so many times that it's more tape than cover.

i have had same problem 5th edition cover came apart had to sellotaped back on.

i have had same problem 5th edition cover came apart had to sellotaped back on.

mine just has the first few back pages torn out which i occasionally find under the couch

I think an electronic version would be very innovative, but could you get a way with charging people £30 for access to a web based database?

There are apps designed for people with communication difficulties so that they can work through symbols or text and multiple levels and have speech output that sell for £50 and even £100. It just depends on the needs of the market and the likely number of users I guess.

Tim mentions RKR above.

RKR is Roots Knotty Roots, a gigantic database of Jamaican, British, USA and Candian reggae releases dating back to the late 50's.

You can search by artist, label, producer, matrix number (vitally important on Jamaican records to identify blanks), even by rhythm (I refuse to say 'riddim'), you get info on both A & B side of the record.

This was originally available on a disc, for windows only, I've been using it for nearly 10 years and it's indispendable.

Last month, they put the entire database online, I have just paid $25 for a years subscription.

There are something like 70,000 releases dealt with.

So basically it certainly is possible to get something like this on line, RKR does not have prices, but there is of course the option to put prices on.

will rkr work on my mobile (nokia n8) pete

Yes I accept your collaboration/multi user access issues, locking etc.

Maybe Access wasnt a good example, but there must be

some simple to use database software with internet access protocols, without having

to go the full blown Oracle route. I've been out of the game for seven

years so i'm not that up to speed anymore I'm afraid.

Dont ISP's have standard client/server database interfaces ?

kegsy

Wouldn't Filemaker Pro deal with this? Cross platform, web enabled, and it has a free app (FilemakerGo) to use on an iPad so that you can access the contents of the database if that's hosted somewhere.

Only thing is I don't know how to create it or where you'd host it so that anyone with the password (so it could be a paid for service, or free if the creator of the main database was feeling generous!) could then get into it.

Long before the 'price guides', a DJ/Record dealer friend would put a huge priced 'wants' list out all over the US, I mean this was a book !!!. The UK 'big' record dealers of the time really f^ckin did one, I mean really did one - what had happened was, said person had pretty much blown open the NS pricing mystery of which discs were collectable, not just the obvious, many of the old guard of dealers went ape sh*t, as they had been 'stealing' these records for years, it had now been spoiled for them, however my friend got some absolutely amazing records over a period of years......the price guides are the revenge, turning it all on its head again....

Russ

That was a bit shifty wasn't it??

will rkr work on my mobile (nokia n8) pete

Can't really answer that Tim but you can use my user name and password to access it on your computer if you want to...

That was a bit shifty wasn't it??

are you making a reference to shifty's binder of wanted records with prices? people did earlier things. i found a letter in someone's basement dated some time in the mid-80s from rod shard with a priced list of rare chicago records he wanted to buy.

are you making a reference to shifty's binder of wanted records with prices? people did earlier things. i found a letter in someone's basement dated some time in the mid-80s from rod shard with a priced list of rare chicago records he wanted to buy.

Simon Soussan actually produced a price guide book based around Martin Koppell's wants list.

The book itself is now very collectable.

Simon Soussan actually produced a price guide book based around Martin Koppell's wants list.

The book itself is now very collectable.

I know I've seen some US dealers with tattered or even photocopied copies of it. Lots of motown records are expensive in the book, that's one thing that's changed a lot in the last decade or two.

are you making a reference to shifty's binder of wanted records with prices? people did earlier things. i found a letter in someone's basement dated some time in the mid-80s from rod shard with a priced list of rare chicago records he wanted to buy.

Yeah,just a tongue in cheek joke. Didn't mean anything by it.

Long before the 'price guides', a DJ/Record dealer friend would put a huge priced 'wants' list out all over the US, I mean this was a book !!!. The UK 'big' record dealers of the time really f^ckin did one, I mean really did one - what had happened was, said person had pretty much blown open the NS pricing mystery of which discs were collectable, not just the obvious, many of the old guard of dealers went ape sh*t, as they had been 'stealing' these records for years, it had now been spoiled for them, however my friend got some absolutely amazing records over a period of years......the price guides are the revenge, turning it all on its head again....

Russ

I remember Soussan complaining to me about UK collectors sending wants-lists to U.S. dealers because it was "spoiling it for everyone" LOL. Then, I heard in the late 70's/early 80's that he'd produced a wants-book which he then circulated in the U.S. I remember a lot of agro about that from people travelling to the U.S. and being confronted with Soussan's book when they got to certain dealers or shops. I guess the circle simply keeps turning doesn't it?

Exactly the same thing's happening happening in Africa for collectors of Afro Funk. Voodoo Frank's lists are circulated throughout Africa routinely.....

https://www.icrates.org/digging-africa-voodoofunk-djfrank/

Ian D

but then what would we talk about, life would be so so boring. this is quite interesting stuff...........probably the most talked about soul book release this week!!!!!! perfick.

Long before the 'price guides', a DJ/Record dealer friend would put a huge priced 'wants' list out all over the US, I mean this was a book !!!. The UK 'big' record dealers of the time really f^ckin did one, I mean really did one - what had happened was, said person had pretty much blown open the NS pricing mystery of which discs were collectable, not just the obvious, many of the old guard of dealers went ape sh*t, as they had been 'stealing' these records for years, it had now been spoiled for them, however my friend got some absolutely amazing records over a period of years......the price guides are the revenge, turning it all on its head again....

Russ

In the very early days of the internet long before many households had it over here

I worked in I.T. and would send large wants lists via e-mail to U.S. dealers.

I priced every thing between $5-$20 dollars. £50 record=$5 £100=$10 etc

Boy did I get some bargains.

The price guides then killed it for me.

I would also get lists e-mailed to me and would buy loads of stuff blind for $2-5 and

got some excellent stuff, price guides stopped this too as all U.S. dealers upped prices automatically

if your were buying from the U.K.

Kegsy

Edited November 14, 201212 yr by Kegsy

The price guides then killed it for me.

Kegsy

Not just for you, for everybody.

Well, almost everybody.

Not just for you, for everybody.

Well, almost everybody.

you should bring out your own price guide Pete, would make much better reading

you should bring out your own price guide Pete, would make much better reading

I did a British one once, back in 1993 I think it was.

Couldn't do a US one, I don't know half the records nowadays.

I still think there's an opportunity to do an internet based one with input from everyone though, like that RKR database I've mentioned before.

Didn't the Jeffries's get a price guide thing going a couple of years back? Was looking good from what I remember.

I think I still got that Pete. Was it an A4 stapled thingy with a dark blue loose cover?

In the very early days of the internet long before many households had it over here

I worked in I.T. and would send large wants lists via e-mail to U.S. dealers.

I priced every thing between $5-$20 dollars. £50 record=$5 £100=$10 etc

Boy did I get some bargains.

The price guides then killed it for me.

I would also get lists e-mailed to me and would buy loads of stuff blind for $2-5 and

got some excellent stuff, price guides stopped this too as all U.S. dealers upped prices automatically

if your were buying from the U.K.

Kegsy

This post makes me laugh, just because I'm not seeing US record dealers getting email in the early days of the internet (not saying you're lying, just saying it's funny). By the last issue of discoveries, people still had typewritten and hand written auction lists. Record dude Bob Miner in chicago still doesn't have a telephone.

I think I still got that Pete. Was it an A4 stapled thingy with a dark blue loose cover?

Well the first 20 or so had colour outer covers but it was so expensive I had to scrap that idea, but yes that's the one Pete.

Long before the 'price guides', a DJ/Record dealer friend would put a huge priced 'wants' list out all over the US, I mean this was a book !!!. The UK 'big' record dealers of the time really f^ckin did one, I mean really did one - what had happened was, said person had pretty much blown open the NS pricing mystery of which discs were collectable, not just the obvious, many of the old guard of dealers went ape sh*t, as they had been 'stealing' these records for years, it had now been spoiled for them, however my friend got some absolutely amazing records over a period of years......the price guides are the revenge, turning it all on its head again....

Russ

There was a handwritten list of records with prices that was being circulated in the mid 1980s here. There were three sections to it, I think, probably new additions. Based on the presentation it was probably started in the late 1970s and added on. Also, someone was publishing a want list in Goldmine, a full page, circa 1981. I don't remember if that was priced. I have two original Shifty binders, I think they included edition letter/numbers. One had a rather strange introduction page to NS that he wisely deleted from the later edition, assuming correctly that it would put people in the US off.....

This post makes me laugh, just because I'm not seeing US record dealers getting email in the early days of the internet (not saying you're lying, just saying it's funny). By the last issue of discoveries, people still had typewritten and hand written auction lists. Record dude Bob Miner in chicago still doesn't have a telephone.

Most of early places I contacted were oldies type stores, in smaller towns/cities, that

had not been visited by UK collectors.A few even had very basic websites with lists up on the net.

As you say though many would also just post paper lists or I would send a paper wants list.

What the internet allowed me to do was find these places.

I actually used John Manships/Tim Browns weekly lists to compose,

the wants lists which is ironic.

This was in the days before Paypal so paying for them was always a bit tricky unless they

took credit cards, but many would not take UK cards.

I remember one time when Greg Tormo walked into a place and asked to look at

a pile of records behind the counter, only to be told they were reserved for me.

His next e-mail to me was a bit prickly !.

In particular I was getting lots of newly discovered stuff, especially 70's stuff that

was starting to be played out more.

Some of the stores/dealers were;

Ace Music & Video

Village Music (California)

Thursdays

Dennis Brennan

Bob Lord

Wegotrecords

Plus loads of others.

Kegsy

I just randomly remembered this -- one listing that was in shifty's binder with a high price was the four vandals on boardwalk

Didn't the Jeffries's get a price guide thing going a couple of years back? Was looking good from what I remember.

Was that based on their selling prices?

Was that based on their selling prices?

no think it was directly from ebay results

A good way to get an idea of current+recent historical prices of a 45 is to type the artist,title,label and 'northern soul sale' into Google search. You generally get discs that are selling/were sold+prices on sites like Soulsource, Ebay,Northernsoulpriceguide,e.t.c. I've found this,on the whole, a helpful way to get an idea of price and condition of what my wants are fetching. Cheers, Carl.

A good way to get an idea of current+recent historical prices of a 45 is to type the artist,title,label and 'northern soul sale' into Google search. You generally get discs that are selling/were sold+prices on sites like Soulsource, Ebay,Northernsoulpriceguide,e.t.c. I've found this,on the whole, a helpful way to get an idea of price and condition of what my wants are fetching. Cheers, Carl.

so you're putting "northern soul sale" in quotes in your search?

Example of entry in Google search:- fiestas think smart oldtown northern soul sale

so you're putting "northern soul sale" in quotes in your search?

I would have thought a very basic guide could be done using Excel.

Data could be sorted by artist,label,price.

The find function could be used instead of scrolling thru.

kegsy

Or do the excel thing import to access and make a data base so you can use the search option on the data base

Just a thought

There's going to be a new book dealing with pressings / bootlegs only.

Each record gets a page to itself, colour scans of all variations.

Sounds good to me.

as some mentioned they would like to see a price guide online: tim`s guide has been online for quite some time now and its easy to access via https://www.raresoulvinyl.co.uk I also understand that his intention was to update here and there with new prices

Re JM latest edition: I bought it as I bought all the previous editions too. so far I must admit I havent found any benefit the latest edition has to offer in comparison to its forerunner. havent had time yet o compare prices in # 4 and # 5 so I cant comment on the aspect of price updates.

Wow, that's well cool, didn't know about this, quick & easy search, bookmarked.

Cheers ears.

Aid.

Simon Soussan actually produced a price guide book based around Martin Koppell's wants list.

The book itself is now very collectable.

Got one of these a few years ago. The underbidder emailed me to ask if I would photocopy it for him!

I replied he should have bid a bit more

Julian

Got one of these a few years ago. The underbidder emailed me to ask if I would photocopy it for him!

I replied he should have bid a bit more

Julian

I had 2, sold one for about £40 must be 10 years back, and there's still one in my garage going mouldy...great book for the fantastic information on Motown related labels and acetates

nb I would be happy to copy my book for £20

Edited November 16, 201212 yr by Pete S

I had 2, sold one for about £40 must be 10 years back, and there's still one in my garage going mouldy...great book for the fantastic information on Motown related labels and acetates

nb I would be happy to copy my book for £20

When you work out the cost of paper, ink, electricity, your time etc, I think £20 is a bargain