For serious collectors only!

I have actually found the value of my collection has gone a bit 'stale'. I started listening and collecting Queen in about 1990. After Freddie's death, there was a big boom in trading/collecting world - and items were going for astronomical prices. I treated my collecting as a hobby - going along to flea markets, and shopping via Record Collector and Goldmine. While my collection is probably mediocre compared to others (about 300 items, non really expensive $4000-$5000 Canadian total) I am very proud of it, as it is more a result of my hard work, than it's impressiveness. I place my collection's value on 3 things..
1. Sentimental value
2. Price I bought it for
3. What I think a Queen fan would want for it.

The introduction of E-Commerce and sites like GEMM (when it first started) and E-Bay have skewed the valuations of items. For example - the complete Highlander Promo Soundtrack. It arrived on Ebay late last year, and first couple sold for around $200 - now, there are half a dozen listing, and bids are down to $50 or so. So I agree with Lisa that E-Bay is not a trusted source of price comparing.

In the last couple of years, I've stopped the 'hardcore' collecting. I've been *very* disappointed with certain decisions coming out of the Queen Production company, and has really put a damper on the last 10 years of joy. I find I look at my collection fewer times every year - and even contemplated selling my VHS collection earlier this year.

The one thing that eludes me, is some autographed items to display. I've never been able to part with the necessary funds for the band's signature, so I'll keep looking for Roger's or Brian's on Ebay (cursed Ebay!).

The last *good* Queen release...? Probably the DVD Audio releases.
The worst Queen release lately...? Everything else since Made In Heaven.

No wonder I've stopped collecting...

:-)

Values are, well, to state the obvious: all relative. Martin, your comments of the blue BoRhap 7" on another thread hit the nail on the head....but the range has been $4-5 Gs for eons. It's the second one we've come across in the last two months, and have given serious thoughts of purchasing it. But the sales price has been a couple hundred over what our set limit is.

eBay deflates or inflates prices, all depends on the knowledge, lack of knowledge, desperation, etc of both parties. Replacement values can be exaggerated. If someone can only replace an item by purchasing from eil.com, the replacement cost is obviously higher than the 'market value'. I had to go through this unpleasurable task a few years back.

If I were forced to replace my NOTW clock/mirror, I'd go to eil and spend the $700 for that item, even if it is cracked and the clock is nonfunctional, because that's the only place I'd be able to find it. The insurance company would have to reimburse me. But to say the item in that condition has a $700 value is hogwash.

If they had a Smile 45, a Jazz tour jacket, the HTF 45 live sleeve, etc, that's the company I'd go to. But I wouldn't use their prices for 'current value'.

I tend to use 'pounds as dollars' from them to get a reasonable gauge of what an item is worth on the market.

I also wouldn't put down your collection value. It's worth a lot more than you think. It is damn unique, as is your web site. As are other sites of certain knowledgeable fans. Those values would be priceless, as is the information they provide for many of us.

How can one put a price tag on some of those items? We have a few trinkets signed by all the band members, some signed by three, by two, and a couple from Brian and Roger, signed while we stood next to them.

It doesn't mean we're better or greater or more knowledgeable, just luckier than most in some regards.

We'll never have the collection like queencollector.com, or his friend Joe D. Nor what many on this and other NGs have. Never have, never will.

Or those we never hear from. Pity, because I'll bet they have some wonderful stories to share.

I also wish the boys luck with the 46664 dvd and cd sales. Not only for the cause, but selfishly to help boost a constantly lowering Queen collection value.

Moving on....comments about the 'Butcher' cover seem erroneous on both sides. I've seen quite a few over the past couple of months that go for $900-1500, not $90 or $9000.

Then again, I don't know if I'm a serious collector or not.

I have a feeling the discussion has become even more interesting :-)

"I am very proud of it, as it is more a result of my hard work"

EXACTLY. With my monthly income which is pretty much over average in my country but pretty much under European average I have to search for bargains, no other choice. So I could buy some signed item right now for $300 but I prefer a long searching after which I buy it for $100. Or my tour programs - I have 80% of Queen-related programs that have ever been released. I'm missing the obscure ones - South America, Cardiff etc. Whenever (if!) I get any of them, I'm very very happy because it takes years to find them :-)

"It arrived on Ebay late last year, and first couple sold for around $200 - now, there are half a dozen listing, and bids are down to $50 or so."

But that's the risk of buying on ebay - I prefer to wait. Two months ago I saw on ebay a Queen tour poster from New York 1976 (for the very first time). It was suspicious so I decided not to bid and waited instead. It was clever because now it's obvious it was a reprint, not a genuine poster - ebay is now flooded with these $5 NY posters.

"Martin, your comments of the blue BoRhap 7" on another thread hit the nail on the head....but the range has been $4-5 Gs for eons"

Yeah, well - it will never be any cheaper, that's right. But it's 200 copies, that's a LOT! There are many sorts of memorabilia which are unique. Original lyrics (beware of fakes - such as the Princes Of The Universe sheet!), tour itineraries, personal items of the band etc. And these all sell for lower prices than blue BoRhap.

"If I were forced to replace my NOTW clock/mirror, I'd go to eil and spend the $700 for that item"

I THINK the NOTW mirror was for sale on ebay for about $50 less than half a year ago.

"We'll never have the collection like queencollector.com, or his friend Joe D"

==> MONEY :-) I'll rather stay relatively poor and keep searching for bargains than start buying items like mad in James Moran's style.

Isn't the "market value" of something, the average price across all suppliers at a particular time?

In which case take an average between Ebay & eil, and you have a pretty good idea.

"Isn't the "market value" of something, the average price across all suppliers at a particular time?"

No because what if all the suppliers came with silly high prices? I'd define the market value as an average of all prices of sold goods. And if eil.com don't sell much, then the market price depends above all on ebay where hundreds of transactions are made every day :-)

"Moving on....comments about the 'Butcher' cover seem erroneous on both sides. I've seen quite a few over the past couple of months that go for $900-1500, not $90 or $9000."

Excuse me, but I don't think you're a Beatles collector, are you?
A first-state WRAPPED Butcher Cover is worth $11,000 as of this writing. Mine is a promotional copy (stamped "FREE" in the upper-right-hand corner) and is a first-state in mint condition with no marks, cuts or wear on the spine. That is why it's $500 less.
My parents helped me start collecting Beatles stuff when I was five years old, and they bought everything: bubble bath, sheets, dresses, footwear, wig, Halloween costumes, bubble gum cards, paperback books, anything that pertained to Beatles was mine and my two siblings. Thank God for my parents' foresight in what would turn out to be the best collection of all!
As I have stated before, Beatles collectibles keep appreciating each year. Queen may be close to them in the next ten years or so (my prediction), especially the vinyl, which is not pressed anymore (except for some bands who want a very limited run for collection purposes). The last Queen release I have on vinyl is Rocks (1997). I don't know why the Platinum Collection didn't get any attention, but then again we'll never know...

Greates Hits III was also released on vinyl...

I don't know as much about The Beatles as Lisa, but I have read up on the Butcher sleeve before, and part of the reason the value fluctuates is that thousands of copies had another sleeve stuck on top. SO, if you steam it off again, you get a legendary Beatles rarity.

THen you can shrinkwrap it, giving the illusion that it was never opened, and Bob's your cousin's dad...

Record Collector 254 - Max price of a non-first state Butcher cover (you don't say whether yours is mono or stereo) - £4000

www.rarebeatles.com say $2500

If yours isn't first state as you say, is it a paste over or has it been peeled?

Record Collector is a bit like eil, the prices are too high. Just look at Hammer To Fall live sleeve which was apparently a "top 100 rarity" in RC for 100+ pounds and now is on ebay for 50 pounds every week.

Another question...a little off-topic.

Anyone know the price of the LP "The Queen Collection" released in the early 80's from K-Tel in the US?

"If yours isn't first state as you say, is it a paste over or has it been peeled?"

First-state is never opened, still sealed. Second state is original cover, no pasteover, extra credit if promotional stamp in upper right corner.
Third state is pasted over with "Yesterday and Today" group shot (you could see a shadow over Ringo's left shoulder, dead giveaway!) and has been peeled, though there are copies that exist that have never been peeled (lucky stiffs!!). Values are given based on how well the peeling job went. Ive seen some at past Beatle conventions that were missing whole lines of the picture due to a crappy peel but still went for over $1000 (cover only).
Remember, the cover was yanked not even a day after its release due to public outrage over the Beatles' sense of black humour. Americans didn't get the joke (well, most didn't! LOL) so that's why it was recalled -- and that's why it's the rarest of Beatles memorabilia (besides the autographs).

To answer your question:
"Most worthy piece: original Butcher Block album cover, promo copy, mint condition (not wrapped), $10,500."

And in a plastic bag to boot! :-)

TruePar, according to:
http://www.queenpicturehall.com/values/index.shtml

The LP version is worth $50, but that may be for the one with a poster.

http://www.queenpicturehall.com/albums/qnonqc15otb.shtml