Frankie Crocker

Velours? Are the MGM issues the next collectable black label for completists who've bagged the black RCA's? Major Lance went for more than expected but becoming hard to find in good nick as those in the know, sit on their copies.

The Chess white demo has become overhyped. Yet another Holy Grail. The sooner Monty Python finds all these bleeding Holy Grails and buries them, the better. Getting pretty sick of all the Holy Grails flying around. Landslide on a Chess issue is the way to go, authentic Youth Club spin circa 1974.

Can't pin down the first time I heard it played out but roundabout the turn of the century. Might have had odd plays here and there before going big, but for someone who has been on the scene over 40 years, it is relatively recent if it is 13-15 years since making an impact. There are about 60 copies listed on Popsike dating back to 2003 making it pretty common, but nevertheless a very highly rated record looking at the prices realised.

Yep, it's become a hot-box spin but stands up well compared to other recent 'discoveries'. Just wish these DJ's with no imagination would flood the market with their cast-offs.

'Tis a dancing man's record. No thought required. Hear the first three notes and it's drop everything and head to the dance floor.

A great record and one of the best discoveries of the last two decades. Still plenty of milage in it too. Sure, more a scarcity than a rarity but I doubt there are many minters still to come to market.

Flabbergasted. I bid on Jeanette but never envisaged this outlay - condition was ace though and the best copy to pop up for a while. Possibly a buzz on Turley Richards at present - is it getting spins? Maybe there's a Lottery winner out there who's decided to invest in top condition vinyl?

Resisting the temptation to annotate this like a GCSE English text, I hope you get well soon and please note that the International GTO's - I Love My Messy Baby, is overrated, overpriced and much lower down the Northern tree than it once was, a wall of tempo that lacks melody and towards the end, loses direction...

What's the fuss about? Good piece of journalism from the Grauniad. Two decent tracks that are well passed their play-by date but still OK for an Oldies night, just. Does anyone get excited collecting UK sixties soul? Not me. They're generally US tracks on admittedly superior vinyl but almost always best on US labels, the original format and easier to handle with the centres pushed out. Holy grail is a term becoming far too commonplace, a marketing term aimed at pushing up prices rather than the best sounding record ever.

You would be perfectly entitled to have a go. eBay is clogged up with rubbish that it is completely intransigent about. Consequently next to nothing sells and serious collectors waste time looking. However, there are ways around this so ultimately eBay will choke off this revenue stream and punters will thrive elsewhere. eBay has become a global jumble sale and whilst there are still bargains to be found and more than a few rarities, the organisation is best used to buy unwanted Chritmas presents, household goods and other collectables.

Suspect it could be another bitter and twisted Woppy Doo dealer, can't sell his lifetime's hoard but has a few decent soul records having collected by number and is unaware that the B side is the money track. Probably moved to Stoke having heard a rumour about some serious collectors in the area and a popular discotheque. Might have visited Las Vegas and got hold of a Richie Rosen customer service manual...

Craig's organisation is as good as it gets. He has a crew of first rate employees. The customer service offered is exemplary. My understanding is that browsers are not allowed behind the counter, but when I dropped the hint, he politely declined and suggested lunch together. Sadly, stock has become depleted in the last year so auctions have become something of a damp squib. Still, the warehouse keeps throwing up great records, and if you move quickly, the rarities can still be bagged. Long may Craig be in business...

Always done this. Wish there was a way of pasting the same message to sellers time and time again. Not yet factored in the alternating orientation of cardboard stiffeners but a great idea - actually seen a couple of US dealers do this recently. For that ultra rare record, consider sending a 7 inch tin - these came with limited edition 45's back in the 80's and can be picked up for a few quid: leave the punk-rock/goth/pop record in the store and say you only wanted the tin...usually mystifies the shop assistant, but so what, all part of the crazy world of Northern Soul.

BobA - spot on as always...

Crow - Autumn Of Tomorrow has a start to clear the floor unless you know what's coming up. Harold Melvin's Get Out improves considerably after the spoken opening. Fugitives - Human Jungle has you reaching for the stop button until it really kicks in.

Neat story Dave. I found a load of these in Skippy White's basement in Cambridge, mid 1990's - never had any trouble selling the small quantity I took away. Remarkable that a record of this calibre could languish overlooked for 25 years.

Sure, the scene was characterised by drug taking but the book gives this aspect a disproportionate amount of coverage compared to other facets of Northern Soul. For the most part, drug abuse was not too overt so hopefully the film will not give it too prominent coverage. For me, the music was the drug, and for plenty of others who attended unassisted - hopefully, the euphoria will shine through and the movie-goers can figure out the dancers' motivation.

Hey dude, hang loose. This is a web-site for soul appreciation not grave-pissing...

Then why glorify drug taking in a book like Northern Soul: An Illustrated History? I hope the movie isn't tainted by constant references to drug abuse...

Might actually be more to it than meets the eye. I, and plenty of others, enjoyed Soulboy, warts an' all. The play, Once Upon A Time In Wigan, was brilliant also with just one regret, I saw it at Greenwich and Hammersmith but not in Manchester. This movie and soundtrack has the potential to be better than anything that has gone before it. Sure, there is a daft side to the crazy world of Northern Soul but this could be the real deal.

Sounds very promising. Bring it on...

I think you're barking mad... This record is dog rare so there's only a slim chance of sniffing one down. No point in hounding collectors for a copy and don't expect to find a lead on Soul Source.

Happy to fill in...always up for an expenses paid junket and more than willing to occupy chairs in Starbucks, use their Wi Fi, browse the magazines and books of Barnes & Noble for free and drink Frappaccinos at 10% off with a B&N card. Now there are only three major music corporations on planet earth, it's only a short step to sole control of the global music market by some merger involving Starbucks, Amazon and Apple. Sort of rotten bad luck for music downloaders but no problem for those who store tracks on vinyl...

It's a plot... Starbucks started off in Seattle and have converted every other shop on the High Street into a coffee shop and spawned numerous imitators filling in the gaps between phone shops and Pound Stores. Now Starbucks are taking over the Northern Soul World by stealth as they have stumbled across some half decent piped-music that's a cut above the average elevator tune. Maybe Seattle will become the new Wigan with aged soulies travelling from far afield to hog the armchairs and catch up with the latest releases borrowed from the archives of Universal, Sony and Warner. Perhaps the corporation is using Northern Soul as a tax dodge paying generous royalties to long-forgotten artists and ridiculous sums for 'unknown' tunes.

Returning to the title of the thread, it looks like eBay has lost its way due to high fees, postal charges and the quantity of bootlegs, carvers, reissues etc. Maybe one day it will reset the commission it charges and lower the Pay Pal fee, but don't hold your breath. There are now so many records for sale on the internet, it's impossible to search all sellers' offerings so buyers are forced to be highly selective. Whereas Price Guides were initially a mixed blessing, exposing obscure sounds at a price favouring store keepers, they are now highly inaccurate at the top and bottom ends of the price range. The bottom has fallen out of the market but this should result in wholesale discounting and possibly new entrants to the collecting ranks...watch this space.