The 20 most valuable platters on the planet
DocMcCoy
"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
I don't usually nerd out when it comes to the minutiae of records, but just this once I thought I'd make an exception. In the current (Jan 2011) issue of The Word, a UK mag I occasionally write for, there's a piece by Record Collector editor Ian Shirley on ???the world's 20 rarest records???. I can't be bothered transcribing the whole article, but when the digital edition comes through in a week or so, I'll post a link for the curious. Obviously, I'd be interested in knowing what, if anything, is missing from this list that the collective SS hive mind knows to have gone for more than ??3000 (around $4700). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the list is heavy on Beatles/Beatles-related ultra-raer, blues 78s, Sun and UK psych rarities. While these things are perennials as far as most serious collectros are concerned, there are all kinds of areas that a list like this completely bypasses
What follows is the list itself, along with its book price (UK??) as per Record Collector's Rare Record Price Guide 2010, relevant release details and a key point or two. Loner-folk raer, Boscoe, Minority Band, EoU doubles, even Stark Reality and Frank Wilson - all conspicuous by their absence...
1: The Quarrymen ??? That'll Be The Day/In Spite Of All The Danger (1958 UK private press 78rpm, ??150,000)
Only one copy in existence, and Paul McCartney owns it. He repressed a batch in 1981 on 45 and 78 for friends, and even the repress goes for ??10,000.
2: The Beatles ??? Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967 USA Capitol SMAS 2653, LP, ??62,000)
Around 100 copies in existence. Artwork features the faces of various Capitol execs pasted over those of the Beatles and some of the historical figures on the cover.
3: Son House ??? Dry Spell Blues Pts. 1 & 2 (1930 USA Paramount 12990 10'' 78, ??31,000)
Any Son House 78 on Paramount is worth a small fortune.
4: Willie Brown - M&O Blues/Future Blues (1930 USA Paramount 13090 10'' 78, ??15,500)
Of the six sides Willie Brown recorded for Paramount, these are the only two where original copies are known to still exist.
5: Skip James ??? Cherry Ball Blues/Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues (1931 USA Paramount 13065 10'' 78, ??15,400)
Said to be near impossible to find in playable condition.
6: Jackie Brenston ??? Rocket 88/Come Back To Where You Belong (1951 USA Chess 1458 7'' 45rpm, ??12,500)
Only six copies pressed on 45.
7: The Prisonaires ??? There Is Love In You/What'll You Do Next (1954 USA Sun 207 7'' 45rpm, ??12,500)
Only three known copies.
8: Joe Hill Louis ??? Boogie In The Park (1950 USA Phillips 9001 10'' 78rpm, ??7,500)
First release on Sam Phillips' first label, pre-Sun.
9: Sex Pistols ??? God Save The Queen/No Feelings (1977 UK A&M AMS 7284 7'' 45rpm, ??7,500)
Infamous UK punk grail.
10: The Beatles ??? The Beatles (1968 UK Apple PCM/PCS 7067/68 individually-numbered 2LP, ??7,000)
Mint low-number copies of The White Album are highly sought after. I think no. 0000011 went for something near ??7k relatively recently. Four of the first five numbered copies (but not no. 0000001, so rumour has it) are/were owned by The Beatles themselves.
11: Daniel Augusta Hunt ??? Lonesome Old Jail/Greyhound Blues (1953 USA Sun 183 7'' 45rpm, ??6,200)e
Scooped by John Tefteller on eBay in 2009 for $10,000. Even Sam Phillips himself didn't think this existed on 45.
12: Queen ??? Bohemian Rhapsody/I'm In Love With My Car (1978 UK EMI 2375 7'' 45rpm, ??5,000)
200 copies on blue vinyl, given away to execs and journalists at a dinner to mark EMI Int'l winning the Queen's Award For Industry in 1978.
13: John's Children ??? A Midsummer Night's Scene/Sara Crazy Child (1967 UK Track 604005 7'' 45rpm, ??5,000)
Withdrawn 45 from Marc Bolan's stint with John's Children is a grail for both psych- and Bolan-collectros.
14: The Beatles ??? Please Please Me (1963 UK Parlophone PCS 3042 LP, ??3,000)
Mint mono copies with the black/gold label are scarce, and mint stereo copies are scarcer still.
15: Billy Nicholls ??? Would You Believe? (1968 UK Immediate IMPC 009 LP, ??3,000)
Only 100 finished copies entered circulation before Immediate went bust.
16: Washboard Sam ??? Diggin' My Potatoes/Bright Eyes (1953 USA Chess 1545 7'' 45rpm, ??3,000)
Re-recorded version of his 1939 hit.
17: Turner Moore ??? I'll Be Leaving You/I Love You Tenderly (1959 USA Mel-O-Tone 1147 7''45rpm, ??3,000)
Rockabilly grail.
18: Tinkerbell's Fairydust ??? s/t (1969 UK Decca LK/SLK 5028 LP, ??3,000)
UK psych grail that never got a full release because the band was dropped. A handful of finished copies made it out into the world.
19: John Lennon ??? Unfinished Music No.1 (1968 UK Apple APCOR 2 LP, ??3,000)
Stereo copies fetch ??500, but the withdrawn mono pressing goes for six times that amount.
20: David Bowie ??? Space Oddity/Wild-Eyed Boy From Freecloud (1969 UK Philips BF1801 7'' 45rpm, ??3,000)
Stereo copy with picture cover ??? it's the cover that commands the price.
Discuss...
What follows is the list itself, along with its book price (UK??) as per Record Collector's Rare Record Price Guide 2010, relevant release details and a key point or two. Loner-folk raer, Boscoe, Minority Band, EoU doubles, even Stark Reality and Frank Wilson - all conspicuous by their absence...
1: The Quarrymen ??? That'll Be The Day/In Spite Of All The Danger (1958 UK private press 78rpm, ??150,000)
Only one copy in existence, and Paul McCartney owns it. He repressed a batch in 1981 on 45 and 78 for friends, and even the repress goes for ??10,000.
2: The Beatles ??? Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967 USA Capitol SMAS 2653, LP, ??62,000)
Around 100 copies in existence. Artwork features the faces of various Capitol execs pasted over those of the Beatles and some of the historical figures on the cover.
3: Son House ??? Dry Spell Blues Pts. 1 & 2 (1930 USA Paramount 12990 10'' 78, ??31,000)
Any Son House 78 on Paramount is worth a small fortune.
4: Willie Brown - M&O Blues/Future Blues (1930 USA Paramount 13090 10'' 78, ??15,500)
Of the six sides Willie Brown recorded for Paramount, these are the only two where original copies are known to still exist.
5: Skip James ??? Cherry Ball Blues/Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues (1931 USA Paramount 13065 10'' 78, ??15,400)
Said to be near impossible to find in playable condition.
6: Jackie Brenston ??? Rocket 88/Come Back To Where You Belong (1951 USA Chess 1458 7'' 45rpm, ??12,500)
Only six copies pressed on 45.
7: The Prisonaires ??? There Is Love In You/What'll You Do Next (1954 USA Sun 207 7'' 45rpm, ??12,500)
Only three known copies.
8: Joe Hill Louis ??? Boogie In The Park (1950 USA Phillips 9001 10'' 78rpm, ??7,500)
First release on Sam Phillips' first label, pre-Sun.
9: Sex Pistols ??? God Save The Queen/No Feelings (1977 UK A&M AMS 7284 7'' 45rpm, ??7,500)
Infamous UK punk grail.
10: The Beatles ??? The Beatles (1968 UK Apple PCM/PCS 7067/68 individually-numbered 2LP, ??7,000)
Mint low-number copies of The White Album are highly sought after. I think no. 0000011 went for something near ??7k relatively recently. Four of the first five numbered copies (but not no. 0000001, so rumour has it) are/were owned by The Beatles themselves.
11: Daniel Augusta Hunt ??? Lonesome Old Jail/Greyhound Blues (1953 USA Sun 183 7'' 45rpm, ??6,200)e
Scooped by John Tefteller on eBay in 2009 for $10,000. Even Sam Phillips himself didn't think this existed on 45.
12: Queen ??? Bohemian Rhapsody/I'm In Love With My Car (1978 UK EMI 2375 7'' 45rpm, ??5,000)
200 copies on blue vinyl, given away to execs and journalists at a dinner to mark EMI Int'l winning the Queen's Award For Industry in 1978.
13: John's Children ??? A Midsummer Night's Scene/Sara Crazy Child (1967 UK Track 604005 7'' 45rpm, ??5,000)
Withdrawn 45 from Marc Bolan's stint with John's Children is a grail for both psych- and Bolan-collectros.
14: The Beatles ??? Please Please Me (1963 UK Parlophone PCS 3042 LP, ??3,000)
Mint mono copies with the black/gold label are scarce, and mint stereo copies are scarcer still.
15: Billy Nicholls ??? Would You Believe? (1968 UK Immediate IMPC 009 LP, ??3,000)
Only 100 finished copies entered circulation before Immediate went bust.
16: Washboard Sam ??? Diggin' My Potatoes/Bright Eyes (1953 USA Chess 1545 7'' 45rpm, ??3,000)
Re-recorded version of his 1939 hit.
17: Turner Moore ??? I'll Be Leaving You/I Love You Tenderly (1959 USA Mel-O-Tone 1147 7''45rpm, ??3,000)
Rockabilly grail.
18: Tinkerbell's Fairydust ??? s/t (1969 UK Decca LK/SLK 5028 LP, ??3,000)
UK psych grail that never got a full release because the band was dropped. A handful of finished copies made it out into the world.
19: John Lennon ??? Unfinished Music No.1 (1968 UK Apple APCOR 2 LP, ??3,000)
Stereo copies fetch ??500, but the withdrawn mono pressing goes for six times that amount.
20: David Bowie ??? Space Oddity/Wild-Eyed Boy From Freecloud (1969 UK Philips BF1801 7'' 45rpm, ??3,000)
Stereo copy with picture cover ??? it's the cover that commands the price.
Discuss...
Comments
OK, here's a challenge - what would feature in a hypothetical and completely unscientific SS Big Dudes-sanctioned Alternative 20 Raerest Raers?
If we can collectively agree on a list, I'll post it on The Word blog. Worst comes to worst, it might drive some traffic to the Strut. Waxidermy-crossover contributions encouraged.
ha, well then he better be prepared for some spankin's.
Seriously though....no heavy Detroit singles? No Shrines?? They're pretty well known for the harder singles in their catalogue, even by non-soul collectors.
Perhaps it was. So I ask again, and out of genuine interest; what would SS do?
I'm getting a hard lesson in the wisdom (or not) of trying to stimulate debate here.
The Hornets #127 on States "I Can't Believe" $18,000
Jr. McCants "Try Me........." King Label 45 $15,000
Cold Sun 3 song 12" acetate $10,000
Bob Dylan "John Wesley Harding" Red Wax $10,000
Fresh Blueberry Pancake Psych LP - $7,000
This is more like it.
Seriously.
Still the most expensive soul 45, and a great fucking song to boot.
Well, exactly - that's the most obvious omission. A pretty shabby one too, considering the list originates from the UK.
A few general questions;
At its peak, was Stark Reality going for low four-figure sums or high three-figures?
Would a record like East Of Underground, rare as it is, still be on the low end (or lower) of this scale? Likewise some of those Keb Darge/Shadow-type funk 45 grails?
How much regional variation might you expect to see in a list like this? Is it reasonable to expect something like Lula Cortes e Ze Ramalho to show up on it, despite it being incredibly specialised, even by psych standards?
Do any of you more committed dealers ever see, or even hear of, any of the pieces listed out in the world?
The East of Underground has never sold for more than $2,000 to my knowledge while Blackout 70 has gone for $5K+.
The Mexican band Kaliedescope, The Index and a garage LP by The Klannsmen out of Kansas/Missouri have all sold for $5K+
High 3. Low four would/should be considered fluke(s).
Jazz & Blues 78s, 45rpm oddities, collectible rock oddities & genuinely rare & in demand records are gonna be up there.
well, funk 45 grails really rarely crack the 4000 mark.....with soul singles the northern world is more lucrative for high priced grails as I mentioned above, sorry I wasn't more specific w/ my last post. Here are a few genuinely rare and valuable examples from my area w/ ballpark prices for a clean copy:
Frankie Beverly - Because of my Heart (Rouser) $9,000
JD Bryant - I Won't Be Coming Back (Shrine) $8,000
The Prophets - Huh Baby (Shrine) $7,000
Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do), SOUL
Did you even read the last post you responded to?
I have to assume Nitekrawler's browser isn't displaying youtube clips.
USD 11000
http://www.popsike.com/JAZZ-78-7-WOLVERINE-ORCH-2-related-BIX-BEIDERBECKE/270150795341.html
USD 12100
http://www.popsike.com/Pre-war-BLUES-ROBERT-JOHNSON-Vocalion-04108-NEAR-MINT/300483873698.html
USD 14301
http://www.popsike.com/THE-MISFITSPLAN-9-1009HORROR-BUSINESSULTRA-RARE/190191145132.html
you're right, my response was poorly worded and I should have quoted the youtube vid link. I meant to have emphasis on ALSO surprised, and THIS (as in the youtube vid).....that's why I responded w/ that right after the youtube linked vid for the tune. I guess when I added the full record info as it wasn't directly quoting the vid link, it seemed like I was totally oblivious to what was said before. I get careless sometimes. word.