As a Beatles book collector, I have always had a mixed set of opinions about Beatles price guide books! I believe they serve a valuable function in being able to set a monetary value of a particular Beatles record or Beatles-related collectible. However, the drawback to that scenario is that prices for items can vary drastically over a relatively short period of time. Even great artists can have lapses of time when either the economy is bad or the interest in a particular artist has diminished for a particular time frame.
Sometimes the release of a new product by the artist can serve the function of reinstating a higher demand and interest in the artist, increasing the demand for their product, thus having a result of increasing demand and prices for their older and harder to find rarities or releases. The Beatles are often cited as exceptions to several of the incidents I have described above, but it serves as a cautionary note for people looking to sell their collectibles in order to find the most general current value of their collectible.
The Beatles and Baseball
Price guides with mega-artists like the Beatles and Michael Jackson, or with baseball legends are often linked to the time frame in which they are released as the value of their collectibles seem to consistently increase in value even in tough economic times, sometimes having a radical increase. A similar problem exists with the release of record discographies. If you buy one and then a new product by the artist is released, the discography becomes immediately outdated and in need of a revised edition. All the mentions above are to make sure that you attempt to ascertain the current value of the item at the time you are selling it.
What is the condition of the item? What is the demand for the item? If 50 people are looking for an item that 500 other people wish to buy, that may certainly increase what you may be able to receive for the item and what the buyer may ultimately pay for it. (the law of supply and demand). Ultimately, Beatles pricing on both the buying and selling end of things is subjective as value in any item has many determinations. For example, for completists, if they are missing a single issue in a numbered series of magazines, collectors may pay extra for that issue in order to complete their set.
You can state that something is worth any price you can set as a seller, but it is only worth that price if the buyer is willing to pay that amount for it. Price guides do serve a healthy function as providing a basic general framework for those trying to establish a concrete figure as to what an item or what their collections may be worth.
I have seen and purchased many Beatles price guides over the years and the following book is unquestionably one of the best. Perry Cox is one of the best analysts as to what Beatles-related items are worth and what they can command in the marketplace. You will find this slip-cased version of this book to be a very worthwhile addition to your Beatles book library. Co-authored by Beatles authority, Frank Daniels, with a foreword by prominent Beatles author, Bruce Spizer! This is a later edition of the book.
Price Guide for The Beatles American Records
This is a slip-cased 6th edition. It covers listing and values for group and solo records tapes and cd’s from 1962 to 2007. It is also a special edition of the book as this is a limited version of only 200 signed slip-cased copies. Published in 2007 by 498 Productions, LLC, the same company that publishes the many great Bruce Spizer Beatles books! Would love to see an update of this book to reflect the value of these records currently as we head to the decade of the 2030’s!
The front cover of the book:
The back cover of the book:
The front cover of the slip case for the book:
The back cover of the slip case for the book:
A side view of the book in the slip case:
The signature page of this wonderful collecting price guide:
Tell Me What You Think
Would love to hear your comments about discographies and Beatles price guides in general!! Do you enjoy them, and do they help you to determine what you would like to buy and what you are willing to pay for an item?
Do you believe the sellers of Beatles collectibles have a tendency to over-value their collectibles when they are selling them? Obviously, their motive is usually to raise as much money as possible from the sale of the respective item.
Do owners of Beatles collectibles also have a tendency to over-value their collectibles, in order to somehow justify their decisions to acquire the items as an insurance policy for the future as the projected feeling is that the item’s value will continue to increase?
How do you establish the value of any Beatles collectible that you buy and what in your mind other than available financial resource concerns, makes the determination that you will buy the item you are interested in? Do you have any exceptions to that reasoning?
What motivates you to buy a high ticket or high-priced Beatles-related item?
Looking forward to your comments and observations!!!
BUZZ
Memorabilia
Beatles books about Memorabilia
This Beatles Price Guide is my favorite Beatles book! I look at so much the plastic coating on my copy is coming off! I would have never been able to find some of the unique releases available without the knowledge gained in this book. I.wait for the day that a new edition comes out! I have spoken to Bruce Spizer on multiple occasions and he and the team who put this book together are amazing! Bruce told me once “knowledge is power” and you will get that regarding recording releases over the years with this book. Thanks for spotlighting!