Frankie Crocker

A five-figure Feedback Rating is pretty huge in my books. I’ve only got a three figure rating for 20 years buying, mainly records but plenty of other items also. A lot of the expensive rare records seem to go to collectors with four figure ratings, evidently very regular buyers over a long period. I always leave feedback for sellers I buy from but my rating only creeps up despite the numerous purchases I make.

Thanks for spotting and posting. Interestingly, the Discogs image has the release number on the right whilst the eBay image has it on the left. This suggests there were two pressings of the record (or contemporary releases from two pressing plants). I had the eBay record in my Watch List - 21 bidders made 44 bids with the winner staking $10,099.00 ie £7,132.82. The winner had a Feedback Rating of 12,670 (with a nice yellow star) and was therefore a huge buyer-dealer but not on the corporate level like Craig Moerer or carolinasoul. The Discogs record is in mint condition so appreciably better than the one sold on eBay but for just a few hundred pounds more.

Yes, I still make them. Always have done, and intend to long into the future. Records bought on trips to the USA and compilations of recent purchases are recorded when there’s a decent quota to fit on a C90 tape. The tape-to-tape machine is long gone, so it’s not possible to duplicate tapes for swaps. The CD’s made on the double-CD machine did not last long before they started skipping. Taping records is way better than making CD’s, especially if you have a decent player. Great to see a recent surge of interest in buying cassette tapes to make DIY compilations; just like the resurgence of new vinyl, it’s good to see the tried and tasted old formats still proving their worth.

My point exactly. Why play the Mello Souls to a ‘hand-bagger’ when there are plenty of easy-to-grasp tunes out there. Most folk will never stumble across the songs featured in this thread, but that’s their loss.

Hi Hugh, a good idea for discussion, so thanks for posting. It’s not that complicated really. I know this is all a bit hypothetical, but if this person is oblivious to Northern Soul, we should put them in an empty room and play them something poppy to see if they react positively - 5,000 Volts ‘I’m On Fire’ should do nicely. If they tap their feet, then see what their reaction to Dave Newman ‘Make Up Your Mind’ is. If they start humming, then play them the Specials ‘Everybody Say Yeah’. These two should show the ignoramus what the music is like without spinning some of the rarer, more exotic records mentioned earlier.

Condition. Condition. Condition. Sure, the figure was a surprise given an inferior copy went for about 2K a week or so ago. This copy was one of the best to appear on the open market. Evidently there were two keen bidders willing to go to war for this trophy piece. It is a true floor-filler and a record any top-flight DJ needs in their box. For those with money in the bank, it was probably a small outlay that could give 20 years of pleasure.

Gene Chandler- Mr Big Shot-Constellation. Proper, proper Northern.

Ted Taylor is a common record so baffled why it has doubled in price. George Kirby is a way better record but surprisingly sold for less than Ted Taylor. Durettes/ Perfections pretty much tripled in price but two decent sides for the money.

Nothing to worry about if you’re sitting on an original copy. The re-issues are for these who are unable to obtain an original. The demand for great music is out there, so we need to face up to the current trend - in a way, it’s not too different to the Grapevine, Inferno and Soul City releases of the 70’s. Providing the reissues can not be confused with originals, there is no conflict for buyers. If royalties are paid to the artists, somebody could be well pleased with both the money and the recognition. I don’t see these reissues being spun at OVO events but they could well be played at college discos, weddings, pub-do’s etc and spread a little happiness. The buyer of re-issues today may well be the buyer of your unwanted original 45’s in 20 years time, so good luck to them as they collect the alternatives available.

I’m even more puzzled now I’ve re-read this thread. My understanding is H was identified on Sunday during the last episode of ‘Line of Duty’ (starring Soul Boy Steve) but there could be two more H’s out there judging from the misspelling of the word ‘definitely’. If this continues, Steve Ted, Kate and the wee donkey will come looking for you...

Thanks for posting. I can also see the credits on the right hand side are spaced out differently so there is another way of identifying the bootleg.

The copy that just sold, has a spot on the Stereo side label, just to the right of GSF. On Popsike, there is a copy that sold in December 2020 with a spot in the same position. I’m wondering if this is the same record or has the scan been reused? I certainly think there is a bull market for prime records like this - buy for 2K and sell for 3K soon after - so, is this record being flogged on again quickly?

Edwin Starr - WOW, went for less than half this on eBay within the last week. Saxie Russell - UNBELIEVABLE, tripling in price. Perfectly understandable though as it’s a great record, now in very short supply as who would part with their copy? Danny Price is virtually unknown. Odd considering it’s on a major label. Valentines shot up a fair bit, doubling in price. Another classic that collectors evidently want. Big tune back in the day and one of the best on the label. With hundreds of potential buyers out there, it’s hardly surprising the wealthiest scoop up the tiny number of scarce or rare records offered in top condition. Thanks to John for another riveting auction

Thanks. I got in late from work and in my excitement, did not spot this. Will not be a bargain price next Wednesday, but the winner will have a piece of perfection in their hands.

Saxie Russell was a bargain - such a fantastic record. Freddie Chavez was on eBay a few months ago for $2K...great B side by the way, so two for the price of one; not an investment at this price if you pay 100% over the odds. Most of the US records flopped and went for set-sale prices or less than they would fetch on eBay. John has stepped up the auction offerings - I counted 48 a few days ago - but quantity has eclipsed quality, despite there being a couple of rarities every week. Buying records is investing seriously in your leisure time. If you want to investinvestinvest, then there’s always crypto-currencies to blow your money on. Still the best auction around. Give me a weekly feeding-frenzy anytime - I don’t see the point of 28 day auctions like Tim’s and Pat’s.

I’m really looking forward to being forced by the Mrs to travel abroad. We have cancelled three trips to the States already, and the two we have booked up for this year may not go ahead. I always look forward to the city visits and doing a bit of shopping

I recall Kenny Smith’s ‘O Lord’ on GAR selling for £200 (or just over) at the time it was spun at Wigan - not sure when exactly, but possibly 1975/1976. In those days, £25 a week was a typical wage. You could buy a leather bomber jacket for £20 and a long trench-coat for £35. In those days, you had to save up for ordinary items - to buy a TV, you paid in instalments over a year or two. So, to learn of records selling for awesome sums in the 70’s was just unbelievable. The ultra-high prices paid in the 70’s could be explained or justified if the buyer was a DJ and could recoup the outlay in a month of bookings.

Not much ‘income surplus’ in my household... Don’t know too many record collectors with spare cash either. I’d rather have records than cash, so am pleased to have picked up some nice sounds over the last year instead of travelling abroad. It’s good to hear the European economy has ticked over adequately during these awful times, but the numbers of cash-rich punters are probably dwarfed by those scraping by judging from the record collections being offered for sale. John's records are often trophy items that are targets of long-term collectors - once they have the common records, the quest is to chase after the scarcer ones hence the bidding frenzies.

Yeah, there’s loads around. See one or two every other week. Great top side but the flip is pretty decent.

Could have been the last copy? I think some of John’s auction items have been bought by another dealer, possibly for resale, maybe web-page window-dressing or even to record for re-release.

Joe Jama - big jump in price. Victors sold for well over the usual auction price. Tony Galla crept up in value. Surprised about 7 Nombres - on the scarce side but not one that has the hunters chasing after. Thought the Jelly Beans would make more - thanks to John for flagging up the flip side. Don’t see Art Falls very often - expected it to go for more. Not come across Bee Vee before - hard to figure why this reached a jaw-dropping sum.

Like yourself Rick, I enjoy thumbing through the boxes when I’m in the mood, and what a great feeling it must be to hold a copy of Johnny Hendley or John and the Weirdest. Two great records way up high on my Wants List. Sorry, no info on the artists but I bracket them together with Johnny Hampton - only stumbled across the three of them in the 80’s and they all feature on a ‘best of the best’ mix-tape I did back in the 90’s.

A bit like the Executive Four on Lumar - another ‘overrated record’ and the whole of Motown’s Detroit output, recorded in an echo chamber of a studio? Try reading Temples of Sound by Cogan and Clark to find out about the 60’s recording industry. Maybe visit the Sun, Stax or Motown studios and see the equipment used to produce the sounds. And hats of to the ‘overraters’, the know-alls who don’t collect records but think Aquamen, Manny Cockadoodledoo and Al ‘Snake’ Wilson are the greatest ever as they play You Tube clips on a smartphone. You’ve convinced me - chuck Arthur Willis in the dustbin with Walter and his Admerations, Saints, Chuck Jackson, Parliaments, Eddie Parker, Delites etc anything sounding too raw and atmospheric for these who prefer CD fidelity.

Compared to what? There’s only about five copies in existence and you rarely hear it played out unless it’s one of the top DJ’s. A record I can only dream of owning...

But dead, dead rare and an awesome floor-filler. Perhaps one of the late, great discoveries on the scene. When you can’t buy a mint copy, you have to settle for second best and sort an upgrade out later.