Records Recovered from Storage; Vinyl is Back in Fashion

One of the most common items for people to keep in storage is their old record collections.  Few people can bring themselves to part with their teenage shames and their adolescent obsessions.  A Vinyl collection is personal, an investment, and – most of all – your past.  Climate controlled self storage units have meant customers can keep their vinyl safe in the knowledge they will not be destroyed by damp conditions, mildew and condensation.

One example of an individual keeping their record collection in self storage is that of Paul Mawhinny.  The American has over 3 million records. Mawhinny had a record shop for 50 years, and kept the last copy of every item he sold for himself. His collection has been valued at $50 million.  The majority of self storage customers tend only to have one or two boxes.




A History of Vinyl

Records, or vinyl, are an analogue sound storage medium.  They are made from vinyl, and pressed into flat round discs with inscribed spiral grooves carrying the acoustic information.  Records are distinguished by their size: 12-inch, 10-inch, 7-inch; their rotational speed: 33rpm, 78rpm; their time capacity (LP=Long Play, EP=Extended Play, SP=Standard Play) and the number of audio channels provided (Mono / Stereo etc).  LP’s became the most popular format after an unsuccessful earlier release, until Compact Discs (CDs) took over in the late eighties early nineties.

Check Your Storage Unit for a Small (or Large) Fortune…

Records are notoriously collectable, and many fetch high prices on auction sites such as eBay.  One current example is listed on eBay for over £100; The Beatles “HELP!” 12” vinyl dated 1965.  This, however, is reasonably modest in comparison to the prices some vinyl has reached at auction.  Below is a list of ten of the most valuable records in history:

• Number 10: Elvis Presley – “Good Luck Charm” single – 1962 -$23,000
• Number 9: The Five Sharps – “Stormy Weather” single – 1952 –$25,000
• Number 8: Elvis Presley – “Stay Away Joe” album – 1967 - $25,000
• Number 7: Acetate LP – Velvet Underground – 1966 - $25,200
• Number 6: Sex Pistols – “God Save the Queen” single – 1977 - $27,000
• Number 5: Frank Wilson – “Do I Love You?” single – 1965 - $30,000
• Number 4: Bob Dylan – “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Album” – 1963 - $35,000
• Number 3: The Beatles – “Yesterday and Today” album – 1966 - $31,800
• Number 2: Acetate disc by the Quarrymen – 1958 - $180,000 - $200,000 – This disc is in Paul McCartney’s personal collection, and is likely never to be sold.
• Number1: John Lennon and Yoko Ono – “Double Fantasy” album – 1980 - $400,000

The Number 1 disc was brought by Mark David Chapman, who asked John Lennon to autograph it.  Five hours later, he returned to shoot Lennon.  The album was even used during the court case as it had Chapman’s fingerprints on it.

Whilst it is unlikely you would have a signed version of “Double Fantasy”, with Mark Chapman’s fingerprints on it, it may be worth scouring your collection for a first edition of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”; worth over £100. 

Vinyl is back in Fashion

As the BBC states, records are making a comeback and more and more artists are releasing their albums on vinyl.  Some bands, such as Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Jonsi, release limited edition vinyl collectors’ boxes for fans.  Sigur Ros even released 1000 vinyl with the names of the fans that purchased them etched into the art book provided in the box set.  In addition, some artists and record labels are going back and re-releasing earlier recordings on vinyl.



For example, the majority of Nirvana’s back catalogue is due to be re-released on record.  For the album “Unplugged”, this will be the first time it has been released on vinyl.