Not sure if this has been a thread in its own right or whether it has been covered in other threads.

After John Manship's auctions I often take a look and if there's anything featured that I already own, then I'm showing it to the wife saying, "look how much that went for", I've got that, here, look!" ...Her reply is always the same............."sell it then and let's have the money"  Needless to say, she's not into northern soul and wouldn't have a clue what my collection is worth. In fact, I'm not sure I would know myself. There's all those £5 - £10 singles that I love, but in reality, would I really get that for them. Some of my late 60's and most of my 70's records were bought as new records, so apart from the ones that became popular and went up in value like Bettye Swann, Grover Mitchell, Lou Ragland, Martha Reeves, etc. most of them probably haven't increased in value in today's terms.

It often crosses my mind to sell, but I always seem to regret it, whenever I do. I like having that piece of history, that beautiful piece of vinyl in its original sleeve, even if it's only to look at. I don't collect to make money on them and I don't dj anymore, so it's just for pleasure.

Record dealers apart, as a collector, does rare soul vinyl value just keep pace with inflation, or can you be shrewd and make money. In terms of investment, would I have been better off putting my money into an ISA, stocks & shares, or even the building society, over time. I accept that interest rates aren't great at the moment, but, over the 47 years I've been collecting vinyl, would I for example, have been better off keeping Patrice Holloway - Love & Desire on UK Capitol.  I sold it for £40 in 1976, If I had put that money into the building society, would I now have considerably more than the current value of that same record?

Does the price of RSV only fluctuate with its popularity on the dance floor and if so, is that the best time to sell, when it's popular.

Are the current silly prices some records fetch, a spike or is it a trend ?

 

Kev

just as a postcript...

Gwen Owens -Just Say You're Wanted ( And Needed ) / Still True To You

John Manship (sold)                        2007                       2017                       Diff

Assume similar condition                   £3,516                   £4,250                   +£734

 

Savings account invest                   £3,516                   -

Savings account withdraw            -                              £4,589                   +£1,073

Standard & not adjusting for inflation

From 2007 to 2017 the average savings interest rate (crudely) would be 2.07%. It started 2007 at 5.5%  and by 2016 was 1.23%

I'd sooner have had the record for 10yrs OR i could have saved for 10yrs and bought it last week on JM, and still had change.

By comparison though;

1 Bit Coin                                             2009                       2017 (Sept)

                                                                £20                         £746,000 (yup...£746K)

 

Ken, where did you get the BitCoin value from? As of today, one BitCoin is $5.743

that is a good question Benji. and i don't now know. You are correct.

I do think it was about $5,000 in Sept 2017 [£3,800], ( although it did go up and down like a yo-yo in Sept 2017).

I can only think that my math got in the way and i multiplied it or something.  Either way... you get my drift. 1 BC =[$1] Feb 2011 – April 2011, could have been worth $6.180[£4,707) on 21st Oct 2017.

 

 

I don't know about buying vinyl as an investment, but it's left me bloody skint!      

I think that the bottom will fall out of the Northern Souk 45 market, just as it has in the Doo Wop market, as the old-time collectors reach very old age and die off.  On that "scene" only a few people are left, and most records that used to sell in the thousands of Dollars now go for just a couple hundred IF sellers can find a buyer.  Records that used to sell in the hundreds are now $5.  Maybe this effect will tale longer with Northern Soul because of the young foreign markets.  But it will happen eventually.

Presumably the question refers to buying records as a financial investment. Most of us probably regard the gathering of records as an entertainment investment, something to listen to for pleasure. If a record appreciates in value over time, so much the better, especially if it is no longer wanted and can be sold for a profit. Now, if several collectors decide to move discs on by selling for financial gain, the market becomes overloaded. Too many records are currently hitting the market at sky-high prices and not selling - expect prices for expensive items to fall in the months ahead as UK sellers cash in but in the face of growing competition.