I have been monitoring a certain UK auction over the last year or so, and here's a list of some of the mad prices paid:

FORTSON & SCOTT - SWEET LOVER - PZAZZ £1608

DANA VALERY - YOU DON'T KNOW - COLUMBIA DEMO £405

WE THE PEOPLE - MAKING MY DAYDREAM REAL - LION 134

GENE MCDANIELS - WALK WITH A WIN - LIB AUSTRALIA £133

CHARISMA BAND - AIN'T NOTHING LIKE YOUR - BUDDAH £318

DEE DEE SHARP - WHAT KIND OF LADY - GAMBLE DEMO £202

VIRGINIA WOLVES - STAY - STATESIDE DEMO £61

JERRY NAYLOR - CITY LIGHTS - TOWER £310

CAROL AND GERRI - HOW CAN I EVER FIND - MGM ISSUE £580

PRINCE PHILIP MITCHELL - I'M SO HAPPY - ATLANTIC £537

HERMAN LEWIS - WHO'S KISSING YOU ? - STONE BLUE £1907

EULA COOPER - LET OUR LOVE GROW - SUPER SOUND £707

JASON KNIGHT - LOVE IS GETTING STRONGER - PYE DEMO £362

CONSTRUCTION - HEY LITTLE WAY OUT GIRL - SYNC 6 £257

RITA DA COSTA - BRING ME DOWN - MOHAWK DEMO £203

MIND & MATTER - I'M UNDER YOUR SPELL - M&M £670

CONTOURS - DO YOU LOVE ME - UK ORIOLE DEMO £66

PRESTON LOVE - CISSY POPCORN - HUDSON £286

SKIP MAHONEY - JANICE - SALSOUL DEMO £252

AL WILLIAMS - I AM NOTHING C/W - LA BEAT ISSUE £2563

DEE DEE SHARP - DEEP DARK SECRET C/W GOOD - CAMEO £353

SAM & KITTY - I'VE GOT SOMETHING - FOUR BROS DEMO £190

P.P. ARNOLD - EVERYTHING'S - FRENCH COLUMBIA EP £163

KENNY CARLTON - LOST AND FOUND - BLUE ROCK £346

MARVELETTES - I'LL KEEP ON HOLDING - TAMLA £98

BOBBY SHEEN - DOCTOR LOVE - UK CAPITOL TEST PRESS £131

NINO TEMPO & 5TH. AVE SAX - SISTER JAMES - A&M £104

BROWN SUGAR - THE GAME IS OVER - CAPITOL £163

J. J. BARNES - REAL HUMDINGER - AUTOGRAPHED DEMO £102

UNIQUE BLEND - YES I'M IN LOVE - EASTBOUND DEMO £389

MARGARET MANDOLF - SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL - DOT £500

STEVE MANCHA - FRIDAY NIGHT - GROOVESVILLE DEMO £275

MAGNIFICENTS - THERE CAN BE A BETTER WAY - DEMO £1504

MASQUERADERS - HOW - LA BEAT DEMO £1107

IRMA THOMAS - WHAT ARE YOU - UK LIBERTY DEMO £224

WIL COLLINS- ANYTHING I CAN DO - BAREBACK DEMO 464

TWO PEOPLE - STOP, LEAVE MY HEART - REVUE DEMO £180

SEVEN SOUL - I STILL LOVE YOU - OKEH £461

ART FREEMAN - SLIPPIN' AROUND - ITALIAN AT + PS £201

EDWIN STARR - MY WEAKNESS IS YOU - TAMLA MOTOWN £253

BOB AND FRED - I'LL BE ON MY WAY - BIG MACK 2045

DE-LITES - LOVER - CUPPY 1711

MICHEAL LIGGINS - LOADED TO THE GILLS - MIGHTY 181

ALEXANDER PATTON - A LIL LOVIN' SOMETIMES - CAPITOL 358

JIMMY REDD JR. - I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE - MERCURY 251

ANN SEXTON - YOU'VE BEEN GONE TOO LONG - IMPEL 457

THREE DEGREES - CONTACT - WB 74

GARNETT MIMMS - LOOKING - UNITED ARTISTS UK ISSIE 150

MATTHEW BARNETT - IF YOUR LOVE IS REAL - PUFF 419

FUTURES - PARTY TIME MAN - PHILADELPHIA INT 182

BILLY ARNELL AND THE SPARKLES - TOUGH GIRL - HOLLY 832

ERNIE WASHINGTON - LONESOME SHACK - CHATTAHO 258

HERB WARD - STRANGE CHANGE - ARGO 400

MARVELETTES - KNOCK ON MY DOOR - RCA ACETATE 932

STEMMONS EXPRESS - WOMAN, LOVE THIEF - WAND 356

JACKIE EDWARDS - I FEEL SO BAD - ISLAND 421

HERB WARD - HONEST TO GOODNESS - RCA 306

LARRY ALLEN - CAN'T WE TALK IT OVER - GREEN DOLPHIN 381

DARRELL BANKS - I'M THE ONE WHO - UK STAX DEMO 155

BELOYD - TODAY ALL DAY C/W GET INTO - 20TH. CENTURY 204

KELLY GARRET - LOVE'S THE ONLY ANSWER - SMASH 231

THE MIGHTY LOVERS - MIGHTY LOVER - BOO-GA-LOO 250

HERBERT HUNTER - I WAS BORN TO LOVE YOU - SPAR 250

DEAN COURTNEY - YOU JUST CAN'T WALK AWAY - MGM 255

ULTIMATES - GIRL I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL - BR-ROMA 426

DEE DEE WARWICK - WORTH EVERY TEAR I - MERCURY UK 207

DON VARNER - TEARSTAINED FACE - QUINVY 691

KENNY WELLS - ISN'T IT JUST A SHAME - NEW VOICE DEMO 543

OTHER ONES - THE TWO OF US - KNOLL 300

HERB JOHNSON - I'M SO GLAD (I FOUND YOU) - TOXAN 307

GLORIA JONES - TAINTED LOVE - CHAMPION DEMO 202

MAJESTICS - (I LOVE HER SO MUCH) IT HURTS ME - LINDA 519

OTIS SMITH LET HER GO ? PERCEPTION WD 240

SWISS MOVEMENT - I WISH OUR LOVE 204

RICHARD LACKY = LOVE SHOPPING 401

AL WILLIAMS I AM NOTHINGWD 1423

ARNOLD BLAIR TRYING TO GET NEXT TO YOU155

ARTHUR FREEMAN - YOU GOT ME UPTIGHT 650

BERNIE WILLIAMS EVER AGAIN ISSUE 2350

BLENDERS = LOVE HAS GOT ME DOWN 720

BOBBY HILL TELL ME YOU LOVE ME 308

BOBBY REED TIME BELL WD 608

BRICE COLEFIELD - AIN?T IT RIGHT 404

BROTHER GILMORE ? FEEL A SONG 998

BURNING BUSH 1025

CHANDLERS - YOU LOVE362

CHAPTER 5 - YOU CAN?T MEAN IT 480

COLLINS & COLLINS TOP OF THE STAIRS284

CORNEL GUNTER - LOVE IN MY HEART TOGETHER 425

DEAN COURTNEY 300

DRIZA BONE PRESSURE UK 175

EDDIE FOSTER = I NEVER KNEW 307

EXCUSE - TRICK BAG 406

FIRE ESCAPE FROM CUBA BAY TOWN FUNK 336

FOUR PERFECTION - IM NOT STRONG ENOUGH 405

GEORGE KIRBY -WHAT SHOULD I DO 209

HAMILTON MOVEMENT - SHE?S GONE 1250

IMAGINATIONS - STRANGE NEIGHTBOURHOOD ISSUE 438

JACK MONGOMERY DEAR BELOVED WD 275

JAMES BARNETT - - KEEP ON TALKING WD 273

JAMES PHELPS LOOK 453

JIMMY FRAZER - HOPES, DREAMS WD 420

JOANIE SUMMERS ? DON?T PITY MEWD 390

JOANNE CORCY - I GOT THE PWER1200

JOE VALANTIN - LOST THE ONLY LOVE463

KENNY - IS?T JUST A SHAME207

LITTLE RICHIE - JUST ANOTHER DEMO 957

BUDDY SMITH - WHEN YOU LOSE THE ONE - BRUTE 1200

DEAN BARLOW - THIRD WINDOW FROM THE RIGHT - LESCAY 416

PAMELA BEATY - TAKLING EYES - TIP 312

ROSE BATTISTE - I MISS MY BABY - REVILOT DEMO 306

DUKE BROWNER - CRYING OVER YOU C/W

LITTLE STANLEY OUT A SITE LOVIN 2300

MAJESTICS = LOVE HER SO MUCH DEMO 398

MAJOR LANCE UM UM UK EP 77

MANDRILL = TOO LATE CANADIAN ISSUE 97

MARION STEWART ? LOSING 316

METROS SINCE GERMAN EP 256

MOSES DILLARD = PICTURE 427

NARTURAL 4 HANGING OM A LIE 479

NIKKY NEWALKERS ?WOMAN 400

OTIS SMITH WD 240

PAUL SINBAD FRENCH EP 360

PEOPLES CHOICE SVING 1ST ISSUE 449

PRESTON LOVE CISY POPCORN HUDSON FUNK 250

PURPLE MUNDI (2ND ISSUE) 750

RAY POLLARD DRIFTER WD 350

RICHARD LACKY 401

RON HENDERSON GEMINI 446

RUBY = FEMININE 239

SAM FLETCHER - THINK 334

SEA SHELLS 257

SILKY HARGREAVED 265

SOUL COMMUNICATORS LONLY NIGHTS 375

SOUL TWINS = QUICK WD 210

STANLEY MITCHELL ISSUE 395

STEVE MANCH CALL 670

THELMA LINDSEY PREPARED 304

TIMI YURO OVER 450

VAN DYKES = SAVING ISSUE 210

VIRGINIA BLAKLEY LET NOBODY 703

YUM YUMS BOOT 150

JAY TRAYNOR = UP & OVERWD 255

SAMMY GAHA - THANK YOU 500

IMAGINATION STRANGE WD 355

GWEN DOUGLAS THE PICTURE MICHELLE 320

GARLAND GREEN - GIRL I LOVE YOU C/W 40 DAYS - GAMMA 350

DEE DEE SHARP - DEEP DARK SECRET - CAMEO DEMO 250

CAROL AND GERRI - HOW CAN I EVERFIND - MGM DEMO 379

ESSEX IV - MY REACTION TO YOU - WIND MILL 565

MAJOR HARRIS - CALL ME TOMORROW - EPIC 250

BROWN SUGAR - THE GAME IS OVER - CAPITOL DEMO 600

A BROTHER'S GUIDING - GETTING TOGETHER - DEMO 360

SUGAR AND THE SPICES - HAVE FAITH IN ME - SWAN DEMO 399

J.J.BARNES - PLEASE LET ME IN - RIC TIC DEMO 300

having been around so long and seeing quantities of certain titles over the years.

Err M.J if you've been around so long how come your only 39 years old ? ;-) XXX

like chalky says, common records that go for stupid money, in the words of John Powney who has had a lot through his hands,

''wouldnt sell it for more than £10 cos Ive had loads''

mind you he would say that about Lester Tipton as well if you know John.

janine, i did hear that there was a copy of larry atkins at prestyin for £150.00. off a certain welshman/leicesterman. dealers. now that's pushing the boat out too far. oh the label was highland issue. so the price has risen £145.00 since i had access to all those copys. i should have bought the lot. never mind i'm happy.

Mick - I paid £60 for mine, he had it up for £100, so was quite happy :-) But not as happy as I am right now after securing my Al Williams, collecting it next week :-))))))))))))

HI CHALKY

YEAH I THINK YOU MAY BE RIGHT, THE BOTTOM WILL FALL OUT OF THE NS MARKET EVENTUALLY. HOW MANY OFFSPRING NOWADAYS GET INTO THE NORTHERN THRU MUM & DAD? VERY FEW I SUSPECT SO MAYBE THE MARKET TO SELL TO WILL GET SMALLER TOO AND AS MANY OF US DECIDE TO 'CASH-IN' OUR COLLECTIONS WHO WILL BUY ? RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DROP IN PRICE FOR MANY HIGH 'VALUE' RECORDS OF TODAY. IT IS DEFINITELY A SELLERS MARKET AT THE MO, BUT HOW LONG IT CAN GO FOR, TIME WILL TELL.

P.S. CHALKY - FOUND THAT TAPE, WILL COPY TRACK OVER W/END AND SEND ONTO YOU

GRANT

i used to think the market would fall but the way i see it Northern Soul is expanding maybe not in the UK but 10 years ago who would have thought there would be such soul events as sweden Germany Australia Spain etc There's still only a limited amount of originals but the actual market is expanding at a terrific rate

DJ

Mick - I paid £60 for mine, he had it up for £100, so was quite happy :-)  But not as happy as I am right now after securing my Al Williams, collecting it next week :-))))))))))))

Paid a fiver for mine in about 1993 - was a regular on Bradys £5 each or five for £20 lists....

As was Soulful Twins on Sable - now £60+

Another one you always saw at every venue - Dottie & Millie - used to be a tenner - now £200+? sheer madness...

Cheers,

Joe.

Having missed out on Jerry Naylor by a fiver twice in the past couple of months (at £310 and $305) I think you've got to be a bit more realistic.

It doesn't matter a jot what any price guide or individual values a record at if it simply can't be found at that price.

If anyone would like to really prove them wrong and get me a copy for £150 I'll happily join you in ridiculing the people who outbid me.

BB

andybb@btopenworld.com

Was browsing through a certain dealer's website and saw that he's asking £300 for A.Alexander's Keep Her Guessing. Surely not!? I got one in '87 and it was £40.

Was browsing through a certain dealer's website and saw that he's asking £300 for A.Alexander's Keep Her Guessing. Surely not!? I got one in '87 and it was £40.

I'll give you £80 for it.... nice profit... double ya money....

Cheers,

Joe.

Too late - sold it for £50 a year later! And I thought I was doing well...