COLLECTING AUCTION CATALOGS THAT HAVE BEATLES MATERIAL!!!

ECONOMICS

The costs of collecting Beatles-related memorabilia has become very expensive (exorbitant might be a better word) as time has gone by. Some of the items are simply unaffordable to the average fan. When you get to the stage I am, as a retiree with a fixed-income, there is one way as a compromise to being able to avoid the purchase of the original items. The answer to that one lies in purchasing auction catalogs that feature the very expensive Beatles-related items. For example, I bought this catalog many years ago from It’s Only Rock n Roll and it features Paul McCartney signing the record album cover for Meet the Beatles for George Harrison’s late sister, Louise Harrison back in 1964.

Collecting these catalogs depending in the presentation of the items in the catalos is a wonderful substitute for capturing the magic of the times. I would like to share with you a couple of sample pages of what may be featured in these type of memorabilia catalogs. Hope you enjoy!

The cover of one of the catalogs that I own:

Back cover shows a phot of John satirizing the attempts to create the “perfect” Paul McCartney signature with his “what about me” “Oh Yeh?” retort!

The introduction to the signed Meet the Beatles album:

This is the album that Louise Harrison had signed on the Beatles first visit to America. The details of the item are provided below the photograph:

Early drawings and signature practising by Paul McCartney:

AND IN THE END…

The signatures of George and Ringo to EMI executive Joseph Lockwood, informing him they were using Allen Klein to manage their business affairs:

This rare item really intrigued me as it involved unreleased music. This was a cassette tape apparently belonging to NY disk jockey, Howard Smith which featured backstage rehearsals of John and Frank Zappa for their Fillmore East jam.

See the item description below for greater detail.

Unreleased music from one of the Beatles always seems to hold a special fascination for Beatles collectors. Sometimes we end up being disappointed, but at other times we can discover long forgotten gems…

Another catalog I purchased for my collection was this one with Bob Dylan on the cover. It was a Sotheby’s auction catalog from 1994. My main interest in acquiring this one was to have the signature of the man that happened to bring his German Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder to the Woolton Village Fete back in July of 1957 and recorded several songs of the Quarrymen playing at the Fete where John Lennon was introduced to Paul McCartney. It is my understanding that EMI was to purchase Bob Molyneux’s tape that was being auctioned from this catalog and paid the equivalent of approximately $130,000 for it. Hopefully with today’s electronic wizardry, they will be able to restore the recording so that you can clearly discern John’s vocal performance of the 2 surviving songs Puttin on the Style and Baby, Let’s Play House!

Earliest Known Recording of The Quarrymen – Woolton Village Fete 1957

The Quarrymen (The Beatles) – Puttin’ On The Style (Live 1957)

BOB MOLYNEUX SIGNED THIS CATALOG:

The former reel-to-reel tape owner and operator of the Woolton Village Tape Bob Molyneux and his signature in the catalog that I purchased. Having the signature of a participant in that very historical musical event is very special to me.

One of my hopeful wishes is that they can one day fix the audio so we can recognize the full performance of the 2 surviving songs. It would be the proper opening intro to Anthology 1. John after all of these years would be providing some retirement income to the surviving members of the Quarrymen…Keeping my fingers crossed!!!