Monday 5 December 2011

How much is it worth?


In my position as "The bloke in the office who knows a bit about music", I was today approached by a colleague who told me that whilst clearing his loft out at the weekend he find a stack of his old vinyl.  "If I give you a list", he asked, "could you tell me how much its worth".
"OK" said I, but don't go expecting a fortune.  We're really talking extra pocket money at a Car Boot Sale, rather than a feature spot on The Antiques Roadshow.

He didn't believe me.

Protests included:
"I've got the original Band Aid single" - so have I mate, and 3 million others (in fact, I think I've got 6 copies (for some reason?))
"Theres a couple of Beatles albums" - from the description they sound like 'Rock n Roll Music' Volumes 1 & 2 on Music For Pleasure
"What about 'Thriller', its an original copy so must be worth something, what with Michael Jackson dying and his doctor being convicted"

Every half-hour or so he'd come past offering a new "surefire money-spinner" (final offering was an original pressing (his words not mine) of 'Bat Out Of Hell').

I remained composed and politely said: "Bring me the list tomorrow, and I'll have a look".

I'm expecting the usual Charity Shop staples of Paul Young - No Parlez and The Cars - Heartbeat City.
Who knows, might even uncover a diamond in the rough.

Bugs me though - just because records are old, why are people convinced that it must be worth a mint?

EDIT: "I have in my hand a piece of paper" - its taken a couple of days, but I now have the list.
Pin Money or Pension Plan? - You Decide

Link to List: Records Found in Loft

Sunday 4 December 2011

Amazon Marketplace

With the loss of local Record Shops, and the on that does remain (HMV) carrying next to no back catalogue stock and believing that its prime competitors are Tesco (other supermarkets are available) and Dixons (other electrical retailers are available), my entertainment media shopping (CDs, DVDs & Books) is conducted on Amazon (other on-line ... (you get the idea)).

Replacing the scrappy bit of paper with various albums and films scribbled on it, is the Amazon Wish List  (this is not so useful when visiting shops or record fairs because that mean I have to rely on memory).

The Wish List is regularly updated and contains those newly released (or soon to be released) items I want to get my grubby little mits on, 'gap fillers' in the collection and stuff that I looked at and thought "Hmm ... that might be interesting"
This latter group contains CDs by artists I may have heard 1 or 2 tracks from, films/TV programmes/documentaries that I can vaguely remember having seen bits of, or books by authors I know or on subject matter that I'm interested in.

Amazon shopping is a (normally) monthly ritual where I will plunder the Wish List and stock up on those items I forgot I actually wanted (refers back to the "relying on memory" statement above).
When buying on-line I have a set Budget (ie the amount I have been told I MUST NOT exceed).
The Basket is loaded, but I've still got £2.12 of my allowed expense to go.
What do I do now?
Save the £2.12?
Willfully spend over the "agreed" amount?
Find something cheap that I don't really want?

No - this is where Amazon Marketplace comes in.
Look just below the headline price.  "Used & New from £0.01".  OK, so it costs £1.26 (CDs/DVDs) or £2.80 (Books) for Postage, but its still often cheaper.

My last visit to Amazon left me with the previously stated £2.12, so I took a chance on "Introducing Harry Chapin".  I knew (as does just about everyone else) "Cats In The Cradle" but have never knowingly heard anything else.
Used Price = £1.09.  Plus the £1.26 Postage equals total charge £2.35 (I'm sure the household budget can stand a 23p deficit)

Received it Saturday morning and have played it 3 or 4 times already - you can probably guess that I quite like it

Its always worth taking a punt at these prices, you never know what you'll uncover.

Harry Chapin - W.O.L.D