Are there any stories about terrible accidents which have resulted in the breakage or devaluation of a rare record?

I'm thinking of the all-time classic example of when Dave Withers (I think it was Dave but please correct me if I'm wrong) borrowed Richard Searling's copy of the Jades "I'm Where It's At" after months of begging (so he could tape it), only to stop at a chippie on the way home where he layed the record on top of the metal thingy which keeps the fish and chips warm and WARPED THE RECORD!!!

Cue one very pissed-off Richard the next day. I think it was the only copy at the time.....

Also I did hear an unfortunate story about the 2nd or 3rd copy of the Invitations which was found and was destroyed in a car accident on the way to a gig.

The worst for me was when my daughter stepped on my original Joe Mathews "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" and cracked it in half. Plus a Bobby Hutton on Phillips got totalled when I crashed the car coming back from Cleethorpes one morning.

But there must be other stories which are equally as horrific, so anybody got any?

Ian D

I left two 100 boxes of 12"s on a car park too, so easy to do - all the stuff I was using on my current playlist.

Work that out, prob 2ks worth but it's not the money really (altough that hurts), the ballache comes with having to build up a playlist again from a standing start.

The only feeling I can equate to it, is that one when yer first love at school dumps you - same pit of yer stomach stab.

Human error rears it's ugly head again! How could you leave 2 x 12"x12" 100 count boxes in a car park, I ask myself?

Were you as careless with your first love LOL......

Ian D

Human error rears it's ugly head again! How could you leave 2 x 12"x12" 100 count boxes in a car park, I ask myself?

Were you as careless with your first love LOL......

Ian D

Not really my fault Ian - it was my young second in command, Aaron, who used to work for me in the shop who bore the brunt of my ire.

Oh how I larfed.

Not really my fault Ian - it was my young second in command, Aaron, who used to work for me in the shop who bore the brunt of my ire.

Oh how I larfed.

That sounds suspiciously like a Dave Thorley excuse LOL! (see above in thread)

I always made sure, first and foremost, that my records - the tools of my trade at the time, were ALWAYS stowed away but there again I'm holier than thou LOL.....

Ian D

That sounds suspiciously like a Dave Thorley excuse LOL! (see above in thread)

I always made sure, first and foremost, that my records - the tools of my trade at the time, were ALWAYS stowed away but there again I'm holier than thou LOL.....

Ian D

You only do it once.

That sounds suspiciously like a Dave Thorley excuse LOL! (see above in thread)

I always made sure, first and foremost, that my records - the tools of my trade at the time, were ALWAYS stowed away but there again I'm holier than thou LOL.....

Ian D

You're right Ian, I've dumped clothes before now to get 45s in the suitcase, after all clothes are replaceable!!

Blake

You're right Ian, I've dumped clothes before now to get 45s in the suitcase, after all clothes are replaceable!!

Blake

Haha LOL. Me too Blake.

By the way, I don't suppose you could sort me out a good MP3 of Marva Hicks could ya? And maybe send it via YouSendIt. The last one wasn't that great and for some reason I could never get it into my Media Player. Bloody computers....never trust 'em.....not like good old vinyl LOL....

Cheers.

Ian D

Mark whiteley are you reading this ......poor old mark had a devil of a clanger with a certain gwen owens.......i'll contact him and ask him to place a photo...its makes you weep.......

many a time ive packed a few too many in my box and cracked one...unfortunatly there never the cheapies that crack.

Geeoooooooordie

Mark whiteley are you reading this ......poor old mark had a devil of a clanger with a certain gwen owens.......i'll contact him and ask him to place a photo...its makes you weep.......

Geeoooooooordie

Seem to remember he put a photo up of it quite a while back Ian in a similar sort of thread at the time....

Ouch! came to mind back then....

Mark whiteley are you reading this ......poor old mark had a devil of a clanger with a certain gwen owens.......i'll contact him and ask him to place a photo...its makes you weep.......

many a time ive packed a few too many in my box and cracked one...unfortunatly there never the cheapies that crack.

Geeoooooooordie

Yep, I think this one does qualify as a BAD Accident

Gwen now lives on the wall in the music room as a constant reminder - 250 dont fit a 200 box!

Was DJing at the winter frankfurt weekender some years back. Saturday night about 3/4 am - place is throbbing - time for my 2nd set - was going to kick off with Isonics. As it sat on the decks awaiting the previous DJ's last spin to end I thought Id give it a clean with my anti static cleaning cloth and during the process the record snapped in half - stood there with two halves of the record in shock whilst Molly was urging me to remember that there was no record on the deck in its place - gutted!!!

Moral of story - acquire x-ray eyes to see hairline cracks under labels - and treat vinyl with gentle tlc when cleaning

Believe me, the odd warped Jades and cracked Gwen Owens is nothing... compared to the damage 10" of water can do to your rare Soul records.

After hours of form filling and giving statements I'm still waiting for the insurance company to make me an actual offer BTW.

Believe me, the odd warped Jades and cracked Gwen Owens is nothing... compared to the damage 10" of water can do to your rare Soul records.

After hours of form filling and giving statements I'm still waiting for the insurance company to make me an actual offer BTW.

Is the Parliaments on Cabell in that lot then?

Is the Parliaments on Cabell in that lot then?

I sent it you for your birthday!

Didn't you recieve it?

Bugger.... more Bad Luck!

Yep, I think this one does qualify as a BAD Accident

Gwen now lives on the wall in the music room as a constant reminder - 250 dont fit a 200 box!

First white promo I've ever seen! Shame about the crack LOL.

Yep. That's right up there with the worst of 'em. My condolences Mark.

Ian D

Was DJing at the winter frankfurt weekender some years back. Saturday night about 3/4 am - place is throbbing - time for my 2nd set - was going to kick off with Isonics. As it sat on the decks awaiting the previous DJ's last spin to end I thought Id give it a clean with my anti static cleaning cloth and during the process the record snapped in half - stood there with two halves of the record in shock whilst Molly was urging me to remember that there was no record on the deck in its place - gutted!!!

Moral of story - acquire x-ray eyes to see hairline cracks under labels - and treat vinyl with gentle tlc when cleaning

Yep, never clean records when you're hyped-up for a set. I've been known to rip door handles off in my excitement to get to a gig and caused many a minor accident to myself when over-enthused. The could have been my old copy Steve.......another one bites the dust.......

Ian D

Believe me, the odd warped Jades and cracked Gwen Owens is nothing... compared to the damage 10" of water can do to your rare Soul records.

After hours of form filling and giving statements I'm still waiting for the insurance company to make me an actual offer BTW.

Now that is horrifying! I'd be interested to know what the insurance people say. Were they insured as rarities? And was it a basement?

Ian D

Be honest....I know we're all grown men/women here, but did any of you have a good cry when these accidents happened ? I'd be lying on the floor howling like a baby if I broke a ten quidder that I really loved.

Now that is horrifying! I'd be interested to know what the insurance people say. Were they insured as rarities? And was it a basement?

Ian D

Sean appears to have logged off Ian so I'll reply to you....

That is Sean's purpose built cellar/basement room that he uses for his vast, nay immense, record collection.... unfortunately it became a "victim" of the flooding we had here in Sheffield a few months back....

He posted a few more piccies on a "flood" thread at the time if I remember correctly....

Very, very sad to see....

Can't believe Sean's still waiting for the insurance to make an offer.... never mind not paid out yet ....

Be honest....I know we're all grown men/women here, but did any of you have a good cry when these accidents happened ? I'd be lying on the floor howling like a baby if I broke a ten quidder that I really loved.

I wasn't too happy when my Joe Mathews snapped. I HATE styrene presses.......

Ian D

Sean appears to have logged off Ian so I'll reply to you....

That is Sean's purpose built cellar/basement room that he uses for his vast, nay immense, record collection.... unfortunately it became a "victim" of the flooding we had here in Sheffield a few months back....

He posted a few more piccies on a "flood" thread at the time if I remember correctly....

Very, very sad to see....

Can't believe Sean's still waiting for the insurance to make an offer.... never mind not paid out yet ....

Always a risk with basements - water has a tendency to go downwards!

But I was wondering whether Sean had 'em insured for their true worth or just under a contents policy? It's notoriously difficult getting rarities insured - lotsa paperwork and lotas premiums etc.....

Ian D

Always a risk with basements - water has a tendency to go downwards!

But I was wondering whether Sean had 'em insured for their true worth or just under a contents policy? It's notoriously difficult getting rarities insured - lotsa paperwork and lotas premiums etc.....

Ian D

Not sure re "insured for worth".... would suspect so with him....

Any one have problems with playing styrene copies using post metric ali dome centres.Broke a Carstairs and alfie davidson using them...

I started collecting records when I was about 11, had a box of chart type stuff,thought I was the bees knees with a record box and little record player. Opened the box one day to find the records were welded together! One of my brothers had tipped a bottle of Benylin cough medicine into the box, shut it, and left it! Never found out which brother did it!

Sean appears to have logged off Ian so I'll reply to you....

That is Sean's purpose built cellar/basement room that he uses for his vast, nay immense, record collection.... unfortunately it became a "victim" of the flooding we had here in Sheffield a few months back....

He posted a few more piccies on a "flood" thread at the time if I remember correctly....

Very, very sad to see....

Can't believe Sean's still waiting for the insurance to make an offer.... never mind not paid out yet ....

................................................................................

.........................

Always a risk with basements - water has a tendency to go downwards!

But I was wondering whether Sean had 'em insured for their true worth or just under a contents policy? It's notoriously difficult getting rarities insured - lotsa paperwork and lotas premiums etc.....

Ian D

Thanks Mark,

You're right on all of the above.

It 'was' my dream Cellar of Soul. Was supposed to be water proofed and after 5 Winters, I believed that to be the case.

Until the floods this Summer!

Yes there's a seperate thread somewhere, but I thought I'd hop onto this one because it's relevant and to give an update.

It's a long drawn out thing (not forgetting though the huge number of householders with claims this summer) but only last Friday morning I had a 2 hour interview with the insurance company, who came to my office for me to give a statement in which I had to answer (amongst other things):-

How I came by these records?

How did I know how much they were worth?

Did I know how much they were worth when I bought them?

And had any of them appreciated in value, since i started collecting... in 1969?

Hey, but its no laughing matter.

I'm a few bob out of pocket but it needs to be sorted... properly.

As for the 'true worth' Ian, at the time I took out the policy (when me and my girl bought the house, 5 years ago) I added 50% to my previous contents insurance figure and then doubled the entire figure to cover all valuables including the records.

Have paid a HUGE premium (as I work for myself I spend over £2.5k per month on insurances anyway) but (after consulting the Manship bible) the cheeky bergers were concerned I might have 'deliberately undervalued' my record collection to try and save a few bob on the premium.

Anybody any idea what the average householder spends on Contents Insurance?

Trust me, I was well covered.

Any road up...I'm sure it will be sorted soon as I think the company 'finally realize what we're dealing with here... but we'll have to see. Plenty more water to flow under the Bridge yet....

Sean

Yep Know the feeling..Had my full pint of guiness elboed into my record box..

Yep Know the feeling..Had my full pint of guiness elboed into my record box..

Jeezus..... must have broke your heart....

... have you seen the price of Guiness these days?

I do hope the fella bought you another!

Thanks Mark,

You're right on all of the above.

It 'was' my dream Cellar of Soul. Was supposed to be water proofed and after 5 Winters, I believed that to be the case.

Until the floods this Summer!

Yes there's a seperate thread somewhere, but I thought I'd hop onto this one because it's relevant and to give an update.

It's a long drawn out thing (not forgetting though the huge number of householders with claims this summer) but only last Friday morning I had a 2 hour interview with the insurance company, who came to my office for me to give a statement in which I had to answer (amongst other things):-

How I came by these records?

How did I know how much they were worth?

Did I know how much they were worth when I bought them?

And had any of them appreciated in value, since i started collecting... in 1969?

Hey, but its no laughing matter.

I'm a few bob out of pocket but it needs to be sorted... properly.

As for the 'true worth' Ian, at the time I took out the policy (when me and my girl bought the house, 5 years ago) I added 50% to my previous contents insurance figure and then doubled the entire figure to cover all valuables including the records.

Have paid a HUGE premium (as I work for myself I spend over £2.5k per month on insurances anyway) but (after consulting the Manship bible) the cheeky bergers were concerned I might have 'deliberately undervalued' my record collection to try and save a few bob on the premium.

Anybody any idea what the average householder spends on Contents Insurance?

Trust me, I was well covered.

Any road up...I'm sure it will be sorted soon as I think the company 'finally realize what we're dealing with here... but we'll have to see. Plenty more water to flow under the Bridge yet....

Sean

Well it's not so much the financial compensation, it's more whether you'll able to replace some of them I guess. Were they all totalled or did you manage to rescue a load?

More to the point (and without making you feel worse), were there any real heart-wrenchers that will be a bitch to replace?

You obviously have my sympathy Sean - I wasn't imagining such a calamity when I started this thread.

Best,

Ian D

First white promo I've ever seen! Shame about the crack LOL.

Yep. That's right up there with the worst of 'em. My condolences Mark.

Ian D

Yes my worst 'accident' with records to date, remember the feeling when I pulled it out - in two pieces

However - does kinda pale into insignificance when compared to Seans dilema this summer, I lost one rarity, Seans must have run into Hundreds.

M.

Have put this tale of woe on before

A very good friend of mine, known to a few members on SS

Jimmy Sheard (Sheldon in Brum)

Had a lot of hard to find items in his beloved 100 box of vinyl

Came home one Friday very much worse for wear & feeling a bit cold put the lecci fire on

Then had the bright idea of playing a few tunes whilst sat in front of the fire with his box

Needless to say due to the intake of ale conssumed, he decided to shut his eyes

Only to wake a couple of hours later to find he had been protected from the heat by his box

60 out of the 100 were unplayable due to them being either melted or severly warped, he sold of the remainder & that was the end of his collecting days

I seen him only a few days after (This was over 15 years ago)

And to say he was devastated was an understament, he was a broken hearted man indeed

I sent it you for your birthday!

Didn't you recieve it?

Bugger.... more Bad Luck!

Sent it TNT did we?

Sent it TNT did we?

That's right mate.

I blame the Government!

Good to see you on Saturday night, in such fine form.

Cracking night all round!

That's right mate.

I blame the Government!

Good to see you on Saturday night, in such fine form.

Cracking night all round!

At least we didn't crack any records!

Yep, never clean records when you're hyped-up for a set. I've been known to rip door handles off in my excitement to get to a gig and caused many a minor accident to myself when over-enthused. The could have been my old copy Steve.......another one bites the dust.......

Ian D

Think you have a point there Ian. Did you sell your copy to Butch by any chance - thats whom I brought it from ...................for £35 at the Llandudno weekender that Dave Rimmer used to run. When I quizzed Mark about it in later years he never commented on my statement of a possible hairline crack under the label - lots more to this saga with regards the fella that claimed he could fix it by gluing it together and after I pursued him months later he insisted he had to ditch it coz he glued the thing together ......with the opposite sides you work that one out.

Cracking thread (pun very much intended)!

About 15 years ago, after much badgering, I relented and gave my mate a box of rare LPs for him to take home and listen to (Eleanore Mills, Gloria Scott etc). Next morning my telephone rings and it's him, almost in tears. I'd already guessed the worst! He had gone in a shop on the way home, came out, and his car had gone. Car was found a few days later in A1 condition, minus my LP box. Took me about 4 weeks before I spoke to him again. Time has eased my pain!

Cracking thread (pun very much intended)!

About 15 years ago, after much badgering, I relented and gave my mate a box of rare LPs for him to take home and listen to (Eleanore Mills, Gloria Scott etc). Next morning my telephone rings and it's him, almost in tears. I'd already guessed the worst! He had gone in a shop on the way home, came out, and his car had gone. Car was found a few days later in A1 condition, minus my LP box. Took me about 4 weeks before I spoke to him again. Time has eased my pain!

It's almost a golden rule with me - never lend records to your mates! And be careful who you leave with your records.

When I was living in Leeds in the late 70's, I had a younger girlfriend living with me who lost her job so she was hanging around my flat all day whilst I was working. Because the flat was small I had thousands of records everywhere and it was tough to know where everything was (I ran a record list at the time called Vinyl Junky which literally listed 1000's of stuff).

One day, on the way home from work, I stopped at a local back street record shop which was only a few streets away and started digging around and suddenly started finding all sorts of oddball goodies. The weird coincidence was that I had copies of everything myself.

Until the penny dropped. These were MY frigging records!!!

I asked the guy where he got them and he said, "Very weird. Some attractive young girl keeps coming in every couple of days or so and keeps selling me bunches of these american records"!

Cue one ex-girlfriend.

And yes I got all the records back including stuff that now routinely goes for £100's of pounds these days The Differences, The Chandeliers, Johnny Bartel, Si Hightower etc all spring to mind.

Close call though. Good job none of the other record hounds went in there at the time!

By the way does anyone know the definitive story about what happened to John Abbey's record collection when he ran off with Tamiko Jones and his wife sold his entire collection for 10p each? Now THAT is a horror story..........

Ian D

Think you have a point there Ian. Did you sell your copy to Butch by any chance - thats whom I brought it from ...................for £35 at the Llandudno weekender that Dave Rimmer used to run. When I quizzed Mark about it in later years he never commented on my statement of a possible hairline crack under the label - lots more to this saga with regards the fella that claimed he could fix it by gluing it together and after I pursued him months later he insisted he had to ditch it coz he glued the thing together ......with the opposite sides you work that one out.

There weren't that many Isonics knocking around when I had it, so who knows? But the gluing thing was never gonna be a goer was it LOL!

Ian D

I had a Joanne Courcey which I arranged to sell to Max so I said I'd bring it over, so instead of just chucking it under the dashboard or putting it on the seat, I thought I;d put it in a mailer with some card...put the record and card into the mailer, pushed down, and put my thumb through the edge of the record causing a 1" crack.

Then there was the legendary time I got a haul of 200 or so records, got fed up of manually cleaning them so put 20 of them in the dishwasher on rinse and melted the lot after forgetting they were in there.

THAT DID MAKE ME LAUGH>>>>>>>>> BUT I DIDNT WHEN MY SISTER SAT ON MAJOR LANCE U DONT WANT ME NO MORE AROUND 74 ish

I think this one suffered from over stuffing my box (ooh err missus! )

It even "bit" through the label!

Styrene needs a soft fluffy pillow to rest its weary grooves on!

Handled with a mink glove it still plays both sides almost perfect

Edited November 27, 200717 yr by Guest

I've think I've told this story on here before.

Came out of Top Of The World one morning, with my good mates Gary 'Slaphead' Colbourn and Dave 'His Imperial Dimness'. Put my 45 and lp case on pavement and said "I'll get the car, you stay with the records", Dim says "I don't want to be responsible for anything".

Jumped in car, drove round frount of the club, shouted "throw the records in the boot and jump in". Boot gets shut everyone loaded off we head to Stoke for an all dayer at the Roller Rink. Get breakfast on way and generally mess around until midday, get to club, open boot. One 45 box, no lp case, "where the fcuk is my lp case", Dim looks messy and says "well I told you I was a mess, I think there still on the pavement in Stafford".

Drove back to Stafford, no box, never saw it or any of the records again. What was in the box ?

The first copy of Flowers-For real- on a 10" acetate

10" acetate, version 3 alternate Jimmy Soul Clark-Sweet darling

Jobete-Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow lp

First Copy of Jesse Henderson-I did it again

Not a good day in Thorleyland

Reminds me of a Sunday afternoon after a 100 club allnighter - opening the front door to go get some lunch and seeing Ady's record box sitting there . Could have been disasterous!

Well as there say 'Quality always comes through'

What was the story with Wid' and the Greets now broken Del Larks, can't remember ???

I bought an original copy of Mel Britt - She'll come running back froma guy at the Blackpool Mecca for £25, a lot in those days. I took it out to my car for safety's sake and left it on the rear parcel shelf in a paper bag that i found? WHY? yeah, you can guess the rest. The next day was probably the hottest day of the year and when I came back out it was totally warped. I literally cried. Never had an original copy since.

I'm just talking on the scale of records (Lord knows a lot worse things can happen as we can see on other threads) but would you say it's haunted you ever since? I'm being serious here. I cried when my Joe Mathews snapped because I knew I'd probably never get another. And I haven't since.

But I couldn't keep the snapped one either. Too painful. I ended up taping it back together and ended up flogging it to Gary from Leeds...........

Ian D

Was that Gary Fields Ian? last time I saw him was at the Kim Weston gig at the 'HiFi' club in Leeds last year. Top gig BTW.

I'm just talking on the scale of records (Lord knows a lot worse things can happen as we can see on other threads) but would you say it's haunted you ever since? I'm being serious here. I cried when my Joe Mathews snapped because I knew I'd probably never get another. And I haven't since.

But I couldn't keep the snapped one either. Too painful. I ended up taping it back together and ended up flogging it to Gary from Leeds...........

Ian D

Was that Gary Fields Ian? last time I saw him was at the Kim Weston gig at the 'HiFi' club in Leeds last year. Top gig BTW.

Was that Gary Fields Ian? last time I saw him was at the Kim Weston gig at the 'HiFi' club in Leeds last year. Top gig BTW.

Hey The Screamer!

Yep, Gary Fields bought my cracked Joe Mathews bless him. Even though it played just fine it had a big wadge of masking tape holding it together. He bought it because of the history of the record and what it meant to him.......

Next time you see him can you let him know that I've been saving all my cracked records over the last 20 years specially for him LOL......

Ian D

There weren't that many Isonics knocking around when I had it, so who knows? But the gluing thing was never gonna be a goer was it LOL!

Ian D

Pure shock followed by hope mate overplayed now anyway

Here's Dave McCadden's story of how he managed to break the Jades record , from the pages of Soul Galore magazine , which Dave used to run .Dave sadly died a few years back , I've got to say he was one of the funniest blokes I've ever met , and a superb and funny writer on Soul music , no wonder he became a comedian in later life , RIP mate , Best ,Eddie

Don Gardner - Cheating Kind - Sedgrick & Australian Fed-Ex have bad memories for me.

But all is not lost, I'm going to frame all five pieces and hang it in the loo, where I'm sure there's some razor blades!

Don Gardner - Cheating Kind - Sedgrick & Australian Fed-Ex have bad memories for me.

But all is not lost, I'm going to frame all five pieces and hang it in the loo, where I'm sure there's some razor blades!

Sure I remember you saying you threw a record at someone, broke it and you've never seen it again - "City Skies"?

Sure I remember you saying you threw a record at someone, broke it and you've never seen it again - "City Skies"?

No, i did not!!

I slapped it on someone's forehead, saying "This is the only known copy in the world!!"

i think it still is....sorry, was..

No, i did not!!

I slapped it on someone's forehead, saying "This is the only known copy in the world!!"

i think it still is....sorry, was..

Have they still got an outline of the record middle on their forehead? "Hey whats that circle thing on your forehead, a birth mark"?