robbing

I've been going to a lot of record fairs recently. It's such a huge buzz to be able to get back into the groove (hah, hah - subtle pun of the day!) of doing something that brings me so much pleasure. Not that contemplating my navel for the last seven years hasn't had its' moments, but you get the idea.

My Beatles collection is getting back up to scratch, and I've nearly replaced everything that went "missing". I'm just more than a little peeved off at some of the prices that dealers' get away with.

I've gotten back a lot of stuff using Ebay. I've had a few bargains, but I'm unwilling to pay extortionate prices. The record fairs are much the same.

I went off on one about a particular dealer on the blog last time. He's a guy I won't go near because of his shit attitude to me many years ago. I was at a record fair in Chester, and I was at his stall browsing through the Beatles' singles. He had an original picture sleeve issue of "Strawberry Fields Forever" for........£50 - a huge amount of money for a record that sold in the millions. Both cover and vinyl were only in a fair condition. My eyes must've said you robbing bastard because the dealer says to me, "problem?". Now usually I don't say anything, but I was so incensed I said, "yeh, are you having a laugh trying to sell this for that price?"

He answered, "You can take it or leave it. That's what they go for."

"No they don't, pal," I retorted, "You must think we're all stupid...."

I quickly left before it got out of hand, and I think I avoided record fairs for a while after that.

But come all these years later, and the same guy seems to be at every bloody fair I go to and he always has the largest stall. He must remember that little incident between us, or knows something's gone on, because I stay away from his tables like the plague.

A few weeks ago, Jayne accompanied me to a record fair in Buxton - a fair distance from home, but it was a day out too. I'd told her about this bloke, and sure as eggs are eggs, he was there. As usual I just ignored him, but Jayne told me she'd been given some nasty looks from the dealer's wife. I told Jayne to leave it - because my beloved would probably kick off - the two of them weren't worth it.

Last week, we went to a record fair at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. Again, rip-off man was there, and I blanked him. Jayne reckons some bloke gave him a couple of hundred quid for something or other. The funny thing about this particular fair is they advertised there would be 30 tables, and maybe I'm confused by tables/dealer ratio, but only 6 dealers were there - dominated by rip-off guy who easily took up half the room.

Today, I went to a new fair for me in Stoke-On-Trent. What a soulless place. Anyway, it was quite a good, if small, fair but sod's law - rip-off man was there again. I nearly went to look at his stall, I didn't realise it was him. I knew there was a big fair over in Leeds and thought the he would've gone that way to antagonize the public, but no, he was in me face - or I'm in his...

Just for a change, I didn't just buy Beatles stuff, but got hold of a lovely copy of the Scaffold's second album "L The P" in original mono for £15.

The catalogue number on this album is PMC7077. The catalogue number on the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" mono album I desperately want is PMC7070, but is so rare that it sells for around £200.

Why an album by a bunch of Liverpool comedians that didn't chart sells for £15, against a multi-million selling album by a Liverpool rock band that somehow sells for £200 will always be one of life's most pertinent mysteries.