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Cash in the Attic?
Record collecting could yield big bucks
by Chuck Miller
Don't toss those old records in the trash or leave them at a thrift store-you could have a rare treasure, both musically and financially, in your hands. Yesterday's hits by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Hank Williams and Chubby Checker are collectible today, and the rarest recordings by these artists can command huge sums at record shows and on Internet auction sites.
Here's some tips, when going through your record collection, on finding that rare and collectible 45 or album:
Look for the earliest recordings. Record collectors will often search for an artist's first release, even if it was pressed with a tiny regional company. Hank Williams' earliest 78's on the Sterling label are worth $1,500 each; Loretta Lynn's first 45's were on the tiny Zero label. Grunge group Nirvana's first 45, a song called "Love Buzz" and pressed on the Seattle independent label Sub Pop, can sell for more than $1,500 today.
Some artists used different names than what we know them as today. Simon and Garfunkel's first songs were credited to "Tom and Jerry." Only 300 copies of Lynyrd Skynyrd's first 45, "Need All My Friends," were ever pressed. The record, worth $500-$750 today, lists the band name as "Lynard Skynard."
Another rare recording to hunt for is Tony Sheridan's 1962 version of "My Bonnie." A clean copy of this 45 is worth $5,000 today-not because of Sheridan's performance, but because his backup musicians, credited on the label as "The Beat Brothers," were actually the Beatles.
Some songs aren't available on CD. Because of licensing problems, several hit songs from the 1950's and 1960's aren't available on compact disc-meaning clean copies of 45's like Chubby Checker's "The Twist" or Dee Dee Sharp's "Mashed Potato Time" are rising in value.
Colored vinyl 45's and LP's are very collectible. Records could be manufactured in any color, and many record companies pressed special commemorative colored vinyl versions of popular recordings-Prince's Purple Rain album exists on purple vinyl, while Madonna's Like a Virgin LP was pressed in "virgin white" vinyl, and both records command twice as much as their black vinyl counterparts.
Despite the prevalence of CDs, you can buy new records today. Whether you enjoy listening to Brad Paisley or Kelly Clarkson, you can still find today's top hits on phonograph-ready vinyl. Many of these 45's are manufactured for jukebox play and for the collector's market, and are often limited to a press run of less than 5,000 copies apiece. Besides their availability on compact disc, many top-selling albums, including Christina Aguilera's Stripped, Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around and the White Stripes' Elephant exist as double-LP sets.
Remember: Condition is extremely important. Collectors who want your records may pay top dollar for your cleanest copies, but any scratches or scuffs or surface noise will decrease that record's collectible value. Very few people would buy a Beatles album if the previous owner left her lipstick-kisses all over Paul McCartney's picture, or if someone scrawled their name on the album jacket or record label.
Chuck Miller is the author of Warman's American Records, an introductory price and information guide for beginning record collectors. To purchase an autographed copy, go to www.chuckthewriter.com.
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