‘Rare’ Beatles record discovered in thrift store sells for huge sums
A RARE Beatles record found in a charity shop has been flogged for more than £4,200.
The “incredibly rare” pressing of the Fab Four’s debut studio album Please Please Me was donated to the Cancer Research UK charity shop in Enfield, north London.
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Store manager Jaime-Marie Madden initially thought the record might be worth a few hundred pounds so kept it off the shop floor.
But it was discovered to be a first pressing of the original masters of 1963’s Please Please Me, which bears the black Parlophone label with gold text.
It was processed by a dedicated online trading team and listed on eBay with a starting price of £1,499.99.
But bids caused the price to soar before it eventually sold for a whopping £4,211.89.
Mrs Madden said: “When I first saw the vinyl I thought it might only be worth a few hundred pounds.
“The record was in good condition, with only a few stains, but the cover was quite damaged and worn, with a cut on the bottom, some scuffs, stains, aging and stains.
‘It even had a name written on the back.
“Thankfully, at Cancer Research UK we are trained to spot donations that can raise more money for life-saving cancer research.
“So after taking a few pictures and Googling the record, I knew we had something special.”
Ms Madden said she was thrilled that her spot had raised such a huge amount for Cancer Research UK, a leading cancer charity committed to saving lives through research, influence and information.
She added: “I packed it securely and sent it to our online marketplace team who spent more time researching the value of the item and then listed it on our eBay marketplace.
“I kept an eye on it and couldn’t believe my eyes when it sold for £4.2k.
“We are always grateful to people who donate to charity and we always try to get the most out of donations.
“It’s great to see this money going to such an important cause.”
Mike Kuklenko, vinyl record specialist from Harper Field Auctioneers And Valuers, said: “What a great story! Please Please Me by The Beatles, in this format is an incredibly rare record, and a great spot from Jaime-Marie.
“I’ve seen a few stories like this in my time as a professional vinyl appraiser.
“People have shared their old collections, thinking it would make a few quid, and I have been lucky enough to be the one to surprise them with the fact that they have one or two gemstones worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
“In this case, it’s fantastic to see all this money going to life-saving cancer research. What a find!”
It comes after a guest on Antiques Roadshow was stunned to discover how much money his John Lennon memorabilia would fetch at auction.
Together with auctioneer Raj Bisram, he proudly displayed the house number of the Beatles legend’s childhood home.
The song was originally mounted on the gate of Lennon’s aunt Mimi at 251 Menlove Avenue in Liverpool.
Explaining how he got the license plate, he said: “When John Lennon’s family decided to sell their house in 1965, a couple bought it and lived there for a few months and then moved out.
“Then the next couple who bought it didn’t tell them it was John Lennon’s house, so they moved in.
“They were having breakfast one morning and there were five people in their front yard taking pictures – then they realized they were living in John Lennon’s house,” he added.
Raj asked if he’d ever thought about selling it, to which the man replied, “I’ve never thought about selling it, and honestly, I don’t think I ever would. I just enjoy to have it in the family.”
But Raj believed he might change his mind.
He said: ‘If that went to a specialist Beatles sale it would easily make £5,000 to £8,000 but it could double that, it could really double that.
“I think this is a great little piece of Beatles memorabilia.”
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