I love music, I love collecting records and I love things that might be a little harder to find. Over the years my record and subsequently cd collection has gone a little bit out of control, alright a long way out of control. Some people collect for the pleasure of it but when is it right to auction items with personal value?

I’ve sold online over the years and although I’ve moved out thousands of items there are some things that are simply off limits. I recently sorted through my vinyl and pared it down significantly mostly based on titles I’ve duplicated on CD. There were a number of things off limits included in that was all my Clash vinyl. For the most part I remember where and when I got the record and I couldn’t bare to lose such old friends.

$1,000 poster

For example when Sandinista! came out I was on holiday but I really needed to hear it. I had one of the first generation Sony Walkman tape players and therefore bought the tape. I hate(d) cassette tapes, minimal artwork and waiting to forward or rewind, but I needed the new Clash album. As it happens the holiday included beach sand and on the flight home I listened to the album as the cogs strained against the sand fragments caught inside the shell of the cassette. It wasn’t til I bought the vinyl a few weeks later that I heard Something about England without screeching in the audio.

The Clash are collectable needless to say and I found these recent auction results via a Dutch website I’ve checked out in the past.

The Clash debut signed – 127 quid / $205

Super Black Market Clash 3 x 10″ – 70 quid / $113

Clash in Sheffield Poster 1978 – 593 pounds / $957 (!!!)

There are some amazing prices on the site, I hope the seller gives 10% to Strummerville or something. I’ll do a little more research on this and post it in a follow up piece. Clash collecting if you like.

I’ve got a number of records worth $200+ but I can’t bring myself to part with them. I could do with the cash but I know I’d regret it as soon as I left the post office. What price memories?

Let me now close with a video of a monologue I saw live one night by Craig Ferguson (if you’re in the UK you’ll know his name too) the former stand up comic has been in American TV for quite a while and now hosts a late night chat show that can be a good laugh. At times he gets so Glaswegian it’s just classic and I wonder what percentage of the intended audience follow. I’m sure he plays that out on purpose to bend the rules. Anyway he’s from the generation that were baptised by Punk and John Peel and often hints at it. This monologue was great and he closed by quoting the Clash.

Tim

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