Northern Soul What Does It Cost You?

[Mark Bicknell]

Northern Soul nothing quite like it is there?, a scene and music that for many of us takes us over and can become perhaps the single most important part of our lives, you get into it and it grads you in most cases never letting go.

I was wondering how much we all spend following this scene? ok there are worse things to spend your money on but if you step back and look just how much it can cost it's scary.

Records have been my major interest for most of my time on the scene and can and still do take a huge chunk of change out of my pocket even though I don't chase the big ticket items anymore, swap, sell, buy, trade helps but not much lol, do others view the cheaper end of record collecting like me you think £10.00, £20.00, £50.00 records as not really a huge amount to spend and can dismiss this as not really actually spending money,however 5 or 6 little records a month can soon add up, add these to the other bigger bits that slip through the net and you can be looking at actually a rather larger amount of money out of your income than you thought?

The buzz and the chase of a record well it's just a fantastic process, the desire to own often takes over and the cost whatever the amount is be honest secondary, I'll have that only £60.00, I'll have that a tenner and so it goes, I've recently sold a few bits here on SS and in private, got a nice few quid for a couple of things, then had something off Pat Brady, another off Dave Moore, Tony Smith got a PM, Oh must have a Philips demo of 'The Intentions' off Pete Smith to replace the Issue I already have, Wales Wallace only a tenner, oh a Joe Hinton another fifty quid etc. etc. sell a few buy a few and around we all go, passion or addiction? who knows and who cares? well maybe the bank manager.

If your not into the collecting of the records too heavy and are full on with going to venues it can be very costly, travel, admission prices, drinks, other extras etc. oh and I'll just go and have a look in a few boxes in the record bar...lol, do say two venues a weekend as many people do and more sometimes and it mounts up.

No different I guess than other hobbies and interests but being into Northern can dip into the old pockets bigtime.

Forgot to mention all the magazines, CD's you feel you must also have, trips to the States in some cases to hunt for records, Allnighters, Soul Nights, Alldayers, Weekenders etc. etc. etc. I don't think you can put any real cost on all of this as whatever you spend is worth every single hard erned penny from the pleasure and joy we all get out of it so I guess that is a small price to pay or a big one? now just off to look for a few cheapies.....lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Mark Bicknell

[Guest]

Dunno but thought about asking Benny Spellman - wouldn't like to put a tag on total amount cos I started as a record collector, then collecting and attending nites all over, now promoting and collecting and attending.

[Baz Atkinson]

GOOD THREAD CURRENTLY SPEND BETWEEN 300-500 QUID A MONTH HAVE DONE SO SINCE 1982 [ALOT LESS THEN,AS NOT AS SOLVENT AS I AM NOW]LAST MONTH PAUL SMITH,GWEN OWENS ON VELCO [GOOD THING],SUPERLATIVES TRUE LOVE DIE,AND OF COURSE A BUCKET LOAD OF DEEP AND SWEET STUFF,DAVID WILL ON SOUL CRAFT A GOOD MODERN TUNE,JUST GOES ON AND ON.JUST GOT THE AL DOWNING CURRENT SOUL SOURCE RAVE.

THING IS I WONT SELL MANY NOW UNLESS I OVER SPEND ,THESE WILL GO WITH ME TO THE GRAVE ,NO ITHENTION OF SELLING FAV TUNES .

BAZ A.

SKINT AS USUAL.

[Mark Bicknell]

GOOD THREAD CURRENTLY SPEND BETWEEN 300-500 QUID A MONTH HAVE DONE SO SINCE 1982 [ALOT LESS THEN,AS NOT AS SOLVENT AS I AM NOW]LAST MONTH PAUL SMITH,GWEN OWENS ON VELCO [GOOD THING],SUPERLATIVES TRUE LOVE DIE,AND OF COURSE A BUCKET LOAD OF DEEP AND SWEET STUFF,DAVID WILL ON SOUL CRAFT A GOOD MODERN TUNE,JUST GOES ON AND ON.JUST GOT THE AL DOWNING CURRENT SOUL SOURCE RAVE.

THING IS I WONT SELL MANY NOW UNLESS I OVER SPEND ,THESE WILL GO WITH ME TO THE GRAVE ,NO ITHENTION OF SELLING FAV TUNES .

BAZ A.

SKINT AS USUAL.

Skint.....lol now there's a word we all must know only too well, pay day going at it like we are millionaires then two days later after the bills are paid it's down to Asda for the cheap baked beans....lol This coming weekend I'm sure will be rather costly if you start on Friday night and work your way through the many venues on offer, still have fun.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Steve Brown]

Nice thread Mark. I think we need to set up a self help group with counciling and mutual support to beat the addiction. I can spend any amount in a month but it's not just the money. I find that just looking on here or E Bay always ends up with 'ooh, that's a nice tune. I think I'll have a go at that one'. Dangerous, particularly when you have time on your hands!

All the best, Steve.

Ps, see you at Silk later in the year mate.

[gazman]

Mark

Like you I've been collecting records for ever. I started when i was 13 when I first got interested in Northern Soul and kept buying from then on. I expanded my taste and put together a large collection of House/deep house through my late teens thanks to a DJ contract with Warner Brothers but never really moved away from Northern Soul. My collecting slowed when I got married but would still pick up the odd record especially on trips to the states. Oh how my wife loves hours on end in dusty record stores.....NOT!

I've always suggested to her that i start collecting N/S again and we came to a compromise. Get rid of all your other records and concentrate on N/S as we were running out of room.

That's what i did I've sold, given to charity, given to mates and binned literally thousands of records to concentrart on buying what I'm passionate about.

As for the cost, I dont go after the monsters but prefer to hunt around for tunes that are new to me and like to get as many as I can for my money and I'm loving it! I shudder to think the value of the stuff I've got rid of and can't help thinking what my collection would be like if i had spent all that money on N/S.

gary

[Guest]

Skint.....lol now there's a word we all must know only too well, pay day going at it like we are millionaires then two days later after the bills are paid it's down to Asda for the cheap baked beans....lol This coming weekend I'm sure will be rather costly if you start on Friday night and work your way through the many venues on offer, still have fun.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Asda? dont you mean Netto or Lidl.

[Mark Bicknell]

Asda? dont you mean Netto or Lidl.

Lol just trying to be a little upmarket.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[paultp]

An interesting reality check is to take one of the big dealers list and show it to people not involved in the scene.

[okehgaz]

The first two Mrs Evans's

Cheap at half the price

Edited August 24, 2007 by okehgaz

[chrissie]

The first two Mrs Evans's

peanuts

Mr White, Mr Garner and finally Mr Osborne

QoFxx

[pikeys dog]

probably pushing the £15K mark...

Records, entrance to venues, diesel to get there, drinks, charity raffles etc all add up.

[Guest]

"Northern Soul What Does It Cost You?"

Good thread Mark. Would hate to try and sit down and work it out.

Quick summary: Marriage. House and everything in it. My car. My Sanity. Holidays for many years. A big chunk of time with my kids. All spare cash (and then some). etc etc etc etc.

Any regrets? Nope - life's too short and aint got time.

Would I do it all again? Yep - no hesitation.

Was it worth it? - You bet your a**e! I cannot imagine looking back on any sort of a past that wasn't in some way linked to 'this thing of ours' and consider myself lucky that I found this music (or did it find me?).

When I look back and think of the memories, the friends, the cameraderie, the madness, the ridiculous things I've done, the laughs, the gift of the music itself, I reckon that whatever the cost, I've had it back in spades and on the whole, things are pretty even.

Neil Jones.

[Billywhizz]

Northern Soul nothing quite like it is there?, a scene and music that for many of us takes us over and can become perhaps the single most important part of our lives, you get into it and it grads you in most cases never letting go.

I was wondering how much we all spend following this scene? ok there are worse things to spend your money on but if you step back and look just how much it can cost it's scary.

Records have been my major interest for most of my time on the scene and can and still do take a huge chunk of change out of my pocket even though I don't chase the big ticket items anymore, swap, sell, buy, trade helps but not much lol, do others view the cheaper end of record collecting like me you think £10.00, £20.00, £50.00 records as not really a huge amount to spend and can dismiss this as not really actually spending money,however 5 or 6 little records a month can soon add up, add these to the other bigger bits that slip through the net and you can be looking at actually a rather larger amount of money out of your income than you thought?

The buzz and the chase of a record well it's just a fantastic process, the desire to own often takes over and the cost whatever the amount is be honest secondary, I'll have that only £60.00, I'll have that a tenner and so it goes, I've recently sold a few bits here on SS and in private, got a nice few quid for a couple of things, then had something off Pat Brady, another off Dave Moore, Tony Smith got a PM, Oh must have a Philips demo of 'The Intentions' off Pete Smith to replace the Issue I already have, Wales Wallace only a tenner, oh a Joe Hinton another fifty quid etc. etc. sell a few buy a few and around we all go, passion or addiction? who knows and who cares? well maybe the bank manager.

If your not into the collecting of the records too heavy and are full on with going to venues it can be very costly, travel, admission prices, drinks, other extras etc. oh and I'll just go and have a look in a few boxes in the record bar...lol, do say two venues a weekend as many people do and more sometimes and it mounts up.

No different I guess than other hobbies and interests but being into Northern can dip into the old pockets bigtime.

Forgot to mention all the magazines, CD's you feel you must also have, trips to the States in some cases to hunt for records, Allnighters, Soul Nights, Alldayers, Weekenders etc. etc. etc. I don't think you can put any real cost on all of this as whatever you spend is worth every single hard erned penny from the pleasure and joy we all get out of it so I guess that is a small price to pay or a big one? now just off to look for a few cheapies.....lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

travelling to venues weekenders about 3 and half k a year i have 22 thousand miles a year travelling if u work hard for it then u play hard for it.

Billy

[Mark Bicknell]

Neil sums it all up pretty well as it's not always about the financial cost is it? still worse things to spend your money and life on...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[pikeys dog]

Meant to add on to mine... worth every penny.

Don't smoke, don't go up town every night pissing my wages up a wall, don't buy new cars that lose a third of their value as you drive them off the forecourt, so seems like good value to me.

[Mark Bicknell]

Meant to add on to mine... worth every penny.

Don't smoke, don't go up town every night pissing my wages up a wall, don't buy new cars that lose a third of their value as you drive them off the forecourt, so seems like good value to me.

Spot on Joe apart from the smoking, don't drive so wife has the car and always buy second hand motors....lol very good value indeed.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Slippers]

I've recently started collecting ( a modest 60 odd records) and to be honest I have to keep a close check on it - I know I could easily go completely overboard.

Prices do seem on the high side but compared with what prices/wages were like in the seventies I don't see that it's too much of a luxury.

[Mark Bicknell]

I think it's also about keeping things into perspective, my Son starts High School in a couple of weeks and I've just got back from buying all the school uniform, not to mention the new Nike T- shirt that just happened to fall into the bag went out with 200 quid got home with nothing, stuff like this is so important and paying the bills of course, rent, food and all the other general bits and bobs that get's us through our lives, so we work hard and I feel deserve some release , earn it and bloody well spend it, so why not spend whats left over if any..lol on a bit of Northern Soul, be it going to the gigs or collecting the tunes, just as long that it's kept within our means and does not take over...lol yeh right!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Ged Parker]

I've no idea what I spend on records in a year and actually going out on the scene if you take out the records costs no more than a night out in the local and heading off to a club.

If I actually put a value on it I suspect I'd spend less i've no intention selling any that I don't have doubles of so there 'value' is not really an issue for me. As Col Murphy always says you can spend £500 of fishing kit in no time at all, there aren't many hobbies that come FOC.

[Pete Eccles]

I've no idea what I spend on records in a year and actually going out on the scene if you take out the records costs no more than a night out in the local and heading off to a club.

If I actually put a value on it I suspect I'd spend less i've no intention selling any that I don't have doubles of so there 'value' is not really an issue for me. As Col Murphy always says you can spend £500 of fishing kit in no time at all, there aren't many hobbies that come FOC.

By no means a fisherman myself, but believe one pole (or whatever its called) can easily be upwards of 2K, and believe some golf bats can be pricey,

As Mark says if its kept within the disposable income then no worries, you have earned it so up to you how you spend it,

Pete

[debc]

I think it's also about keeping things into perspective, my Son starts High School in a couple of weeks and I've just got back from buying all the school uniform, not to mention the new Nike T- shirt that just happened to fall into the bag went out with 200 quid got home with nothing, stuff like this is so important and paying the bills of course, rent, food and all the other general bits and bobs that get's us through our lives, so we work hard and I feel deserve some release , earn it and bloody well spend it, so why not spend whats left over if any..lol on a bit of Northern Soul, be it going to the gigs or collecting the tunes, just as long that it's kept within our means and does not take over...lol yeh right!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Hi Mark! I remember chatting to you about this the other day at yours! As I said I'm new to this buying vinyl lark and when you start off you think to yourself you aint gonna pay over say £20 for a record and then before you know it your paying £50 - £100!!! How easily one could become bankrupt !! I seem to want all the expensive tunes!! Just found out that baby washington tune i wanted went for over £300 .......I need a better job! Or need to learn to paint with both hands !

regards Deb

[Mark Bicknell]

Hi Mark! I remember chatting to you about this the other day at yours! As I said I'm new to this buying vinyl lark and when you start off you think to yourself you aint gonna pay over say £20 for a record and then before you know it your paying £50 - £100!!! How easily one could become bankrupt !! I seem to want all the expensive tunes!! Just found out that baby washington tune i wanted went for over £300 .......I need a better job! Or need to learn to paint with both hands !

regards Deb

Get painting girl.....lol Debs is a real talented artist by the way.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Reg]

Meant to add on to mine... worth every penny.

Don't smoke, don't go up town every night pissing my wages up a wall, don't buy new cars that lose a third of their value as you drive them off the forecourt, so seems like good value to me.

Same for him indoors...he spends a lot on records (and not just soul...) but he neither drinks excessively, gambles, or buys designer clothes ....and I much prefer him that way!!

Me..I drink like a fish, shop til I drop and think nothing about buying oldies off manships auctions at any price....only kidding!!! My last buy was Baby Washington for a fiver off Gemm...and worth every penny!!

[Bjorn Nilsson]

An other side of this question is how much northern soul costs companies.

I'm thinking of all the time that is lost by peple looking on lists, Ebay etc when they should be working.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Bjorn78

[debc]

Get painting girl.....lol Debs is a real talented artist by the way.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

aw thanks! heres one of jackie wilson i 'm workin on at the mo...aint finished yet tho

[Mark Bicknell]

aw thanks! heres one of jackie wilson i 'm workin on at the mo...aint finished yet tho

People totally off the original thread and topic but look at that! told you she was a superb artist, reckon my idea Deb to commission a few for people will start rolling in now then you will have more records than you know what to do with....lol

These paintings are simply stunning.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Mark Bicknell

[Reg]

aw thanks! heres one of jackie wilson i 'm workin on at the mo...aint finished yet tho

Wow how clever are you? As the least talented person ever to pick up a paintbrush I really don't understand how you do it!

I'm dead unartistic but good with gadgets....not very girly I know

[debc]

People totally off the original thread and topic but look at that! told you she was a superb artist, reckon my idea Deb to commission a few for people will start rolling in now then you will have more records than you know what to do with....lol

These paintings are simply stunning.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Sorry about the going off thread there.......thought i'd try some free advertising

[Mark Bicknell]

Sorry about the going off thread there.......thought i'd try some free advertising

No Deb bring it on girl no problem, i have sent you a PM on this ok, the paintings are pure class and I wager you will be getting a few PM's as a result of our blatent plug of your talent...lol with a few orders!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Guest Paul]

I don't think about the cost so much as the benefits - and not in financial terms. The benefits of soul music in my life are something I can't put a value on.

It's very important that people have hobbies (or passions) in their lives, however excessive or bizarre, as long as they don't harm anyone.

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people who don't have any social or creative interests. It's amazing to think that some people don't own any records, CDs, books, magazines, computers, musical instruments or whatever.

Paul Mooney

[Mark Bicknell]

I don't think about the cost so much as the benefits - and not in financial terms. The benefits of soul music in my life are something I can't put a value on.

It's very important that people have hobbies (or passions) in their lives, however excessive or bizarre, as long as they don't harm anyone.

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people who don't have any social or creative interests. It's amazing to think that some people don't own any records, CDs, books, magazines, computers, musical instruments or whatever.

Paul Mooney

I know it's and old saying but the world would be a better place if more people were into music, often music is something simply in the background or wallpaper to some peoples lives and has no importance to them, agree with all of the above, stunning reply.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[KevH]

An other side of this question is how much northern soul costs companies.

I'm thinking of all the time that is lost by peple looking on lists, Ebay etc when they should be working.

Yes, true,what about the Monday mornings "lost" at work ,cos Sunday just wasn't long enough.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

Yes, true,what about the Monday mornings "lost" at work ,cos Sunday just wasn't long enough.

True.

So very true!

[Theresa]

Ha ha, four grand just on outfits for one memorable Cleethorpes weekender in 97 when Dru and I had decided that it was going to be a Soul Safari, and every single item of clothing, pair of shoes, handbag, coat, accessory, pair of knickers, whatever, had to be a different animal print. It got a bit competitive...

[Guest Pete Griffin]

I cant save money and leave it in the bank, so i spend it on records, its left me broke for now, but im the happiest person alive oops i mean

[Mark Bicknell]

Just checked my bank statement on line....oh dear, oh dear, oh dear........lol perhaps this is why I'm sat infront of my PC instead of being out soulin' on a Friday night.........still few nice bits upstairs added this past month and so it goes on...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Pat Wallace]

Every month I think this record will damage my financial position, but I still have a good Friday and Saturday night, buy my wife a packet of Minsterals ( Well she deserves it) and still have a little left for that one that pops up on one list or another.

What do I spend, Let me think? No better not!

Pat

[Mark Bicknell]

Every month I think this record will damage my financial position, but I still have a good Friday and Saturday night, buy my wife a packet of Minsterals ( Well she deserves it) and still have a little left for that one that pops up on one list or another.

What do I spend, Let me think? No better not!

Pat

I've been telling Jacqui they all cost a fiver each for years now...I think I can still get away with it....lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Guest Richard Bergman]

I'm shocked that more soulies haven't ventured onto the stock exchange with the amount of wheeling and dealing that occurs.

Perhaps thats the future of record buying , 100's of balding men waving tickets in the air and shouting.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

I'm shocked that more soulies haven't ventured onto the stock exchange with the amount of wheeling and dealing that occurs.

Perhaps thats the future of record buying , 100's of balding men waving tickets in the air and shouting.

I hope that it will never happen!

Speculating in money/records is for capitalists who don't have a heart.

[Pat Wallace]

Mark

I tell Annette that the new delivery cost two fiffty and she is happy with that. Her thoughts of two fiffty are a lttle different than mine but at least i'm not fibbin!

Tell you what though I bet these interest free intro credit card rates attract a few of us solies, they certainly do for me. Not going to buy again until i'v cleared at least one of them. Got to go record going through ebay at 8.15

Pat

[Reg]

I hope that it will never happen!

Speculating in money/records is for capitalists who don't have a heart.

I think there's plenty of those around on the UK Soul Scene I'm afraid!!

[Mark Bicknell]

For my sins this month I am now off to Blackpool for a day out, The Big One, Candy Floss, Fish 'n' Chips, silly hats, family day type of stuff which on reflection will cost me more than my new records fund....lol like I said you have to get things into perspective....lol have fun.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Guest andyrattigan]

During the last two years I spend most of my spare cash on records. I have been into the scene over 16 years but was largely content with buying c.d. compilations along with an original record here and there. Since moving to the UK from Ireland I have flogged a lot of compilation albums and c.d.s and started buying originals. I tend not to but anything over a £100. That said two or three "cheap" records in a month and a night out sees the best part of £300 out of the account.

Record hunting is very, very, addictive as is Soul music in general, but worth every penny. The joy the music brings has no monetary value, or rather a large one, depending on your perspective.

[Guest Roddy]

Costing "not less than everything" and still being worth it.

[Jules]

I have 2 loves in life ns and man city, both can be expensive, but the joy from them is what makes life worth living, is it not?

City 1 - 0 united, worth every penny

[Phild]

I decided to not spend any real money on records any more, but to satisfy the collecting bug just collect all the Uk Tamla Motown LP's on both Mono and Stereo.

Anyway since my decison about 6 weeks ago I have spent in excess of £4k (despite selling a couple of 45's) and I'm still nowhere near. It just goes on & on dunnit?

Phil

[Mark Bicknell]

I decided to not spend any real money on records any more, but to satisfy the collecting bug just collect all the Uk Tamla Motown LP's on both Mono and Stereo.

Anyway since my decison about 6 weeks ago I have spent in excess of £4k (despite selling a couple of 45's) and I'm still nowhere near. It just goes on & on dunnit?

Phil

Is that all Phil?....lol almost spent that in Blackpool yesterday mate......the place is a honey trap....oh and if £4k ain't real money on records what is?....lol..buy,sell,swap,trade and around we all go and I bet when you are done with the Motown LP's you will move on to the EP's, never ending but oh so much fun!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Phild]

Is that all Phil?....lol almost spent that in Blackpool yesterday mate......the place is a honey trap....oh and if £4k ain't real money on records what is?....lol..buy,sell,swap,trade and around we all go and I bet when you are done with the Motown LP's you will move on to the EP's, never ending but oh so much fun!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I know. That's the point I was trying to make. I'm naively thinking a few hundred quid should sort the Motown albums out, and that's easily sorted by selling a few 45's. But no, it's not that easy is it? And now, in the immortal words of Magnus Magnusson "I've started so I'll finish". And, when you're trawling round Ebay you always come across that little 45 that you sold 20+ years ago for a fiver & a bag of chips .....

Phil