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Sellers' Guide Selling Your Record Collection It is important to realise, though, that you can easily be disappointed when you actually get offers. There are several reasons for this:-
Above all it is important to understand that the collectors’ market is for first issues. These are identified by the label designs as set out below. The serial letters and numbers will be the same for, say, a sixth issue as it was for the first and you may think it it make no difference to the sound. But it will only be worth a fraction of first issue price. Finally, damaged records are worth nothing unless they are very, very valuable to start with and then they may be worth 10 or 20 percent of mint. Jackets are important, too, but a torn cover does not render an otherwise good record completely worthless (because one day I may find a good one for it). Generally, collectible records are those made in the 1950s and 1960s but you cannot tell the date of manufacture from what it says on the jacket, because re-issues show only the recording date of the original performance. Finally – never discard a record of any make if it features any violinist. If it does not fall into any of the above categories, it may still have some value. Most 78 records are not valuable. Exceptions are some of those produced by Polygram or G&T, or pre-1914 examples. Again, condition is vital.
There are six main manufacturers of collectible records that we handle. There are many collectable French and Russian issues that we see too rarely to include. Decca, HMV, Columbia, RCA, Philips and Deutsche Grammophon. However, only some of the records produced by these makers are valued by the collector. These are identified and priced as follows: - DECCA
If this band is about as thick as a pencil, it is worth between 50p and £4. If it is twice that width – about half an inch - between £1 and £50, occasionally more. There are some SXL boxed sets but most 'wideband' boxed sets were issued on the SET label with the silver band on a purple ground rather than black. SXL boxed sets can be worth up to £150; SETs up to £25. Earlier (Mono) Deccas bear the letters LXT on the jackets. These are occasionally valuable, particularly if they feature violinists or cellists. However, if Stereo versions of the same performances exist they are worthless – and this is usually the case if the word ‘Mono’ is written on the sleeve. HMV and EMI
Boxed EMIs of the SAN series are worth £1 to £30 if the record label has a white cherub (not black) set in a gold label (not yellow).
Collectible Stereo Columbias are the SAX series. These can be worth up to £100, if the label is silver and green/blue. The violinist Leonid Kogan is particularly sought after on SAX. Most red-labeled SAXs are worth between 20p and £8 if they are second issues. First issue reds are worth up to £50 more if they feature the violinist Milstein.
This company issued records called "Living Stereo" with series letters SB. If the letters "RCA" are white on the record label, they have little or no value. But if the "RCA" motif is in a circle, in silver and dark red, they can be worth between £1 and £50. American RCA Living Stereos bear the serial letters LSC – or SER if in boxes. Record labels with the HMV dog printed against a shaded background can be worth between £2 and £20.
The most collectible Philips’ records have deep plum coloured labels (rather than bright red or grey) with the words Hi-Fi Stereo as part of the label design– although most other Philips have some value if they feature violinists Grumiaux or Szerying, Elman or Auclair, or pianist Haskil. These players are also saleable on the Philips Fontana label.
Nixa, Parlophone, Argo, L’oiseau Lyre, MCA, Brunswick, Mercury (only if stereo), Capitol, Lyrita, Dornok, Westminster and Telefunken are sometimes saleable. This also applies to a number of French records and the Russian Melodiya. It depends on the performer. The list of manufacturers above covers perhaps 85% of collectible records. The same applies to the following list of performers:-
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