Frankie Crocker

Very true. It helps to have a network of reliable contracts and up-to-date info. I had a good few records from David Foreman when he did Goldmine/Discoveries adverts and record fairs.

It's been putting me off just lately, hence the original post. Auction or set-sale prices, we could be burning our fingers here. Negative equity now creeping into record collections, never mind the housing market.

Cheers Russ. That's inelastic demand for you. Affordability is a function of pay, savings, costs of records and a host of other variables. Sure, we all have our 'top wants' and some might go out on a limb for them, but paying 20% on a set-sale item can be hard to justify when you're just starting to build a collection.

Not worried, Donald won't become President. Even Donald Duck wears a Donald Trump watch. And, Donald Duck and his mates pay their taxes. Perhaps with this global uncertainty, maybe we should all be buying vinyl like there's no tomorrow.

For sure, it's a wake up call. If that comes to pass, then record buyers may well have to adjust their spending. That said, I'm curious to know if US dealers will be making any reductions to come into line with currency changes as the era of the '$150 record' is becoming a distant memory. Even this figure which equated to £100 for several years was a benchmark arising from Manship publications that cited a 20% VAT component within the priceguide quote.

Nice one Russ. Not the Timmy Williams on Mala then?

Very good point. The last five records I bought from the US are with a contact in Ohio and will await my arrival next year for collection. With internal US postage at $3-4, it makes little sense to pay for dozens of packets per year crossing the Atlantic one by one. Good to hear about the situation across the pond - I like to know how our old colonies are doing now they've gained independence...

I'm heading there in a fortnight but suspect that shopping will need to be prudent. Sure, if I see something nice record-wise , I'll end up paying more than I'd like for it but that's often the case anyway and you kid yourself that it was justifiable as it was mint or whatever.

Thanks for the comments - please keep them coming. So far, concerns regarding postage costs and customs charges appear to outweigh currency fluctuations when it comes to buying from the US.

So why are the money merchants switching funds from one account to another apart from making a profit on the trade? Why the short-term overreaction when the long term prognosis is optimistic? The EU is a house of cards on the brink of crumbling so why the fear of UK stagnation when the opposite may be more likely? And more to the point, why are my records costing more? There's talk now of Christmas being spoiled by rising prices. Next year it will be holidaymakers staying at home instead of Disneyland. If and when the EU (and UK) clamps down on Apple, Amazon, Starbucks etc there won't be so much confidence in US currency yet this is starting to happen. I blame the politicians for much of the uncertainty but the bankers are making things worse.

Now the exchange rate has touched $1.20 to the pound, has anyone decided to put record buying on hold for the time being? As the pound has recently lost 20% of it's value, can we expect to buy that $150 record for $120 any time soon? Is this another crisis to blame on the banker-boys or is there a good reason for the postman making fewer trips up my path?

That one on eBay went for a fair bit. Once easy to pick up, now getting very tricky.

Two big sounds up for grabs and a few bargains. PM to reserve please. Price includes postage, packing and Special Delivery to UK address for orders over £100. Payment via PayPal please but buyer covers fees. Thanks for looking. Pamela Beaty-Talking Eyes-Tip WD: £325 VG+ XOL Johnny Vanelli-Seven Days Of Loving You-Pre Vue: £325 Excellent, styrene separation line NAP SOLD Traits-Too Good To Be True-Pacemaker: £50 Excellent Reflections-You Don't Love Me-Went: £50 Excellent, slight label repairs Patience Valentine-Waking Up To A Dream-Thrush: £35 M- Marvelle and the Blue Mats-Mellow Man-Dynamic Sound: £40 M- unplayed copy SOLD

Come back Pete - your contributions are sorely missed.

Had totally forgotten about this thread... Well, as it's harvest time across the shires, maybe this could be played in fields to scare the birds away. Perhaps play it in shopping centres to encourage the hoodies to move on.

PM to reserve any or for further information. Price includes free postage, packing and insurance to UK address. Payment via PayPal, buyer pays fees. Thanks for looking. Rosco And Barbara-Could This Be Love-Old Town WD: VG+ £75 Sydney Thomas-Look, Let's Make Love-Parallel: Excellent £45, label speckled by cleaning fluid spray Tawny Von-Last Night (I Found The Boy)/Don't Say It Never Was-Entree: Excellent £45 Original Bluebelles-You're Just Fooling Yourself-Rainbow: Excellent £80, one small stain on label

PM just sent Mick

Cappy's was still going in the 1990's and he had some good records at reasonable prices. Last time I was there in 2002, he wouldn't let me in: after peeping through the curtains, he recognised me and asked if I was interested in buying the store. By now, he had been cherry picked bare and had no customers for his 78's. I too have wondered what happened to him and also Bob May, another Detroit old-timer who served us well despite being well past retirement age.

SOLD One from 1976, two from 1977, ten from 1978. In fair condition. All have Wigan advert, Northern sales lists, some Godin and Elson columns and a few club reviews, photos etc. Price is £13 but this includes postage to UK address. PM to reserve. Payment by PayPal, buyer pays fees. Thanks for looking.

PM to reserve any please. Payment via PayPal, buyer pays fees. Price includes free postage to UK addresses. Thanks for looking. Colt Brothers-Hold Me, Hold Me- Bullet: £125 VG++, DJ stamp on label, slight sticker mark on label Bobby Montgomery-Seek And You Shall Find-Generation: £50 VG+ Joe Tex-I Wanna Be Free-Dial: £110 Mint SOLD Ruby Andrews-I Just Can't Get Enough-Zodiac:£35 Mint, label off centre Dobie Gray-Honey You Can't Take It Back-White Whale DJ: £75 VG+ Apollas-Mr Creator-Warner Bros: £60 VG+ patches of label damage on both sides but plays perfectly ON HOLD

Ah ha - finally a reason to head to Accrington. Are you sure the DJ's haven't been colouring in the white bootleg labels?

Keep The Faith. As the music is good enough, the young crowd will embrace it. The Northern Soul movement is in safe hands as there are plenty of youngsters with good taste in music. If you are worried about your records ending up at a car boot sale, let me have some and I'll find a good home for them.

Utter clap trash. Northern Soul is about listening to rare dance-music sourced mainly from the USA, generally dating from the late 60's or early 70's, SIMPLES. The interpretation quoted above reads like the misinformed tabloid journalist's take that finds it way into general circulation. Frank Elson lost the plot years ago and plainly has regressed over the decades, as yet again, he fails to report objectively.

So Frank, go and sit next to Ian in Room 101.

An interesting review until Frank got on his soap box. No collector has all the rare records, not even Tim as he has been flogging them. A few collectors have truly fantastic collections with many great rarities but there are lots more skint collectors out there buying as much as possible but will never own the thousands of rarest records. I suspect most DJ's on the circuit have a hotbox of in-sounds plus classics plus a few mega-rarities plus a few unknowns - no big deal in my books.