Got vinyl of U2, Queen and the Sex Pistols? Here’s why your records could be worth THOUSANDS
Auction sales for vinyls were the highest since 1991 last year and are in hot demand
IF you have some old vinyl records gathering dust in your loft you may want to dig them out as they could be worth thousands.
Sales of vinyl albums hit £3.2million last year and the renewed interest has sent prices rocketing.
This week the record companies’ trade body, the BPI, said sales figures have increased a 53 per cent since 2015 - the highest total since 1991, when the Simply Red’s Stars was the year's biggest album.
Beatles fans could be in for a tidy profit, particularly if they are in possession of one of the 250 demo copies of the band’s first hit Love Me Do/PS I Love You.
A seven-inch single of the song, containing the misspelling 'McArtney,' can fetch around £3,000.
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One of the most expensive records ever is a recording of That’ll Be The Day by Beatles precursor The Quarrymen. The 1958 record is worth a staggering £100,000 and features John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison but not Ringo Starr. And the reason it's so pricey? Only one copy was cut.
A copy of the band's White Album sold for £740,000 in 2015 because it was one of the first to be pressed.
Steve Redmond, of record company BMG, says: “The vinyl revival has taken on a life of its own. The public can’t get enough of it.”
Here are some more records that are worth seriously big money...
Ask Me Why / Anna by the Beatles
Value: £20,375
There is rumoured to be only six to ten known copies of this promotional item.
Music for Supermarkets by Jean Michel Jarre
Value: £10,000-£30,000
Jean Michel Jarre only pressed one copy of this album and then destroyed the master tapes.
Original Stack O' Lee Blues / Mama You Don't Know How by Long 'Cleve' Reed & Harvey Hull
Value: £48,900
According to Rate Your Music, there is only one known copy of this 1927 blues 78.
Do I Love You by Frank Wilson
Value: £25,000
Frank Wilson turned to recording after making his name as a record producer with Motown.
They made 250 demo takes of Do I Love You but later had them destroyed after having second thoughts.
Allegedly only two copies survived.
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
Value: £16,297
This extremely rare version features four tracks that were left off more recent releases.
These include Rocks and Gravel, Let Me Die in My Footsteps, Gamblin' Willie's Dead Man's Hand, and Talkin' John Birch Blues.
God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols
Value: £12,000
Only around 300 copies of this Sex Pistols track are still around, which has put them in hot demand.
Originally 25,000 A&M Records were created of the Sex Pistols track, but the majority were destroyed after the label fell out with the band.
Following this, they signed with Virgin and reached number two in the charts.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Value: £5,000
This well-known song can fetch thousands if it comes with the right accessories.
A special edition was released as an invitation to a company event, along with a menu, matches, pen, a scarf and outer sleeve.
The Bread and Beer Band LP
Value: £2,000
The value of this 1969 album is highly sought after, thanks to it featuring an early performance from Sir Elton John.
Pride by U2
Value: £5,000
This famous hit in 1984 was pressed on to clear vinyl in Australia, but just five copies were made on coloured vinyl.
Owners of the latter records should take care of them, as they are seen as extremely collectable.
This week we wrote about how vinyl sales now account for nearly five per cent of the albums market.