Increased demand for rare vinyl has sent prices spiralling so It’s time to dig out those dusty old LPs.
Original pressings of classic recordings are now being seen by experts as safe long-term investment opportunities.
Record Collector magazine has compiled a list of the best 51 records for investors and at the top is the ultra-rare withdrawn Sex Pistols single God Save the Queen on A&M Records.
The Beatles debut Please Please Me is in second place at £3500, although pristine copies are believed to be worth much more.
Some of the other records on the list are more affordable, with mint condition first pressings of popular albums like David Bowie’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars worth around £40 and likely to increase in value.
it’s not just the oldies that are fetching high prices. Recent releases too are also becoming increasingly sought-after. The critically-acclaimed nu-folkie Laura Marling’s 2007 debut EP is already going for £40.
Personal finance expert Simon Read told Record Collector: ‘Vinyl inflation has rocketed as collectors snap up elusive treasures.
Even big-selling records you couldn’t have moved on for 50p a few years ago are fetching pounds as a generation finds the cash and the means to buy back their memories.
‘However, records are the same as any other investment in that they are only worth what you can get for them. For that reason the timing of the sale is crucial. Are vinyl prices set to continue rising? In general, yes.
‘But as specific bands and artists come in and out of fashion, if you really want to use your collection as a pension, you’ll need to manage it properly.
To a degree that will mean not only buying the music that you love, but investing in records that will remain highly prized.’
With rare vinyl records selling for up to £8,000, do you have a fortune sitting in your attic?
