Please Mr. Postman

Until a couple of weeks ago, the vast majority of parcels being delivered to our house tended to be flat and either 7 or 12 inches square (much to the annoyance of one of the inhabitants of the house). Now, though, the postie has had a been delivering a vast number of jiffy bags, without a record to be seen. Since the arrival of (not so) little Fraser we’ve been overwhelmed by people’s generosity and kindness. The house is now full of (blue) cards and baby outfits. Then there are the hand-knitted cardigans, hats, booties and jumpers. So much effort and thought.

We’ve received messages on Facebook from loads of people we haven’t heard from for ages. If each one of them would like to do one day’s babysitting then we should be sorted for the next couple of years.

For those of you who haven’t seen the photos (or the real thing), there are some snaps of the first few days on Flickr – here and here. Apologies to those of you who couldn’t get enough of my endless gig photos – being up late at night will no longer be as a result of spending time in dodgy Dalston venues.

Ruth and Fraser

We’ve been very lucky to have had the grandparents staying with us for the last couple of weeks, making our meals, doing our washing and looking after our every need. I’m hoping that there will also be someone in the office next week to answer all my emails and sit in meetings for me.

So, thanks to everyone for their best wishes, presents and support. Stay tuned for further updates on the state of our expanding household.

Reissue, revalue!

We interrupt normal service on this blog (again) to bring you more stats for nerds. Ordinary readers of this blog should look away now – what follows is further gobbledegook about the Smiths.

If you’re still reading, what you see below is an update of my December 2011 entry, comparing the values of various Smiths records, taken from Record Collector over the years:

–         April 1988
–         Nov 1992
–         Jun 2005
–         Jan 2011

This entry adds in the top 100 rarities from the February 2014 issue of Record Collector.

The 1992 and 2005 issues feature the top 100 collectibles, whereas the 1988 issue isn’t ordered as such and the 2011 one concentrates on commercially available live tracks.

I’ve listed the 2005 top 100, followed by the 1992 tracks that didn’t make it into the 2005 list. Finally, there are the 1998 and 2011 tracks that aren’t in the 1992 or 2005 lists. I’ve also linked the items to the magisterial Passions Just Like Mine website, where you can get more information than you can shake a stick at about each item.

It’s interesting to note how the value of certain items have changed over time. Oh, to have had the foresight in 1988 to pick up the top 3 items for £130, as opposed to £4200 these days! For a discussion of the accuracy and relevance of these lists, check out this thread on Morrissey-solo.

Position			Item	Value
92	05	14		1988	1992	2005	2011	2014
3	1	1	“Hand in Glove” negative sleeve	£40	£80	£1300		£2000
1	2	3	“Reel Around The Fountain” test press	£75	£120	£1200		£1200
10	3	4	“Meat is Murder” 12” test press	£15	£50	£1200	£1000+	£1000
17	4	4	“Meat is Murder” 7” RT test press (pale yellow labels)	£8	£40	£1000	£1000+	£800
	5	4	“Meat is Murder” 7” Mayking test press			£800		£600
4	6	6	“You Just Haven’t Earned it yet, Baby” 12” test press	£55	£65	£500		£800
	7	14	“How Soon is Now” 7” misspress (Oscillate Wildly on B-side)			£400		£400
2	8	10	1st album German marbled vinyl promo	£30-40	£100	£350		£500
42	9	16	“William, It Was Really Nothing” Italian 12” misspress	£14	£25	£300		£300
	10	20	“Headmaster Ritual” Dutch 7” with 12” cowboy artwork	£6		£250		£250
	11	2	“Hand in Glove” one-sided 7” test press. 2014 article doesn’t specify one- or two-sided.			£250		£1500
	12	11	“Girlfriend in a Coma” 7” green sleeve w/ 12” tracklisting			£200		£500
	13		“Hand in Glove” two-sided 7” test press			£200
12	14	22	“There is a Light” French 7”		£45	£150		£250
9	15		“This Charming Man” NY 12” test press	£15	£50	£150
	16	27	“Ask” Australian 7” Morrissey sleeve			£100		£100
	17	33	“Handsome Devils” French CD			£100		£100
16	18	34	1st album Japanese w/ red flexi [1988 & 1992 entries only mention the flexi]	£40	£40	£100		£100
	19		“Girlfriend in a Coma” 7” green sleeve			£75
	20	76	“Girlfriend in a Coma” 12” grey sleeve			£75		£35
7	21	8	“This Charming Man” 7” test press (one-sided) [2014 price for London version. Manchester version £300]	£60	£50	£75		£600
23	22	48	“This Charming Man” NY 12” w/ band name on sleeve		£30	£75		£50
15	23	12	“Barbarism Begins at Home” 2x one-sided 12” test pressings	£50	£40	£75		£500
	24	41	“Sheila Take a Bow” German 12” blue sleeve [Green or white vinyl versions in red sleeve £40 in 2014 (#72)]	£6-10		£60		£60
13	25	46	“Shoplifters” 12” misspress	£20	£45	£55		£55
31	26	19	“Queen is Dead” Mayking test press [£150 for white label test press with folded proof sleeve in 2014]	£15-25	£25	£55		£300
	27	24	“Rank” test press w/ misspressed sleeve (no title/image)			£55	£200+	£200
5	28	62	“Meat is Murder” promo LP w/ the Blasters	£50-60	£60	£50		£40
22	29	45	“Ask” Australian 12” w/ Morrissey sleeve	£6	£30	£50		£60
26	30	63	“Headmaster Ritual” Dutch 7” one-sided promo, plain white sleeve	£15	£30	£50		£40
33	31	39	“Barbarism” French 12” promo	£25	£25	£50		£80
37	32	49	1st album Japanese Tokuma CD [£40 for Tokuma Hatful, Meat, Queen in 2014]	£25	£25	£50		£50
	33	50	“Rank” DAT			£50		£50
	34	73	“Louder than Bombs” Australian double CD			£50		£40
25	35	37	“Barbarism” one-sided 12” promo	£18	£30	£50		£85
24	36	37	“Barbarism” two-sided 12” promo	£18	£30	£50		£85
	37		“What She Said” NME 7” test press			£50
	38		“I Started Something” 7” Mayking test press	£8-10		£50
11	39	40	“There is a Light” US 12” promo	£10-15	£50	£50		£70
	40	43	“Sweet and Tender Hooligan” US 12”			£50		£60
	41	44	“This Charming Man” US 1992 12”			£50		£60
8	42	51	“This Charming Man” Japanese Tokuma 12”		£50	£50		£50
	43		“What Difference Does it Make” Japanese Tokuma 12”			£50
	44		“Hand in Glove” (Sandie Shaw) Japanese Tokuma 12”			£50
	45		“Heaven Knows” Japanese Tokuma 12”			£50
	46	34	“Hatful of Hollow” Japanese Tokuma LP			£50		£50
6	47	34	“Meat is Murder” Japanese Tokuma LP [1992 value is for the promo LP]		£55	£50		£50
82	48		“Boy with the Thorn in his Side” Japanese Tokuma 12”		£12	£50
	49	34	“Queen is Dead” Japanese Tokuma LP			£50		£50
	50	52	“Stop me if you think…” Australian 12”			£50		£50
29	51	54	“Queen is Dead” German green vinyl		£30	£45		£45
20	52	36	“Still Ill” German 12” test press	£20	£35	£45		£90
	53	55	“Headmaster Ritual” CD single			£45	£60	£45
54	54	59	“Shoplifters” US 12” promo	£10-15	£20	£45		£40
21	55	61	“12” mixes” Australian CD [£15 for cassette in 2014]		£35	£45		£40
66	56	19	1st album test press	£15-25	£15	£45		£20-100
	57	57	“Super Twins” Japanese double CD			£45		£45
	58	58	“Double Dose” Australian double CD			£45		£45
48	59	19	“Hatful of Hollow” test press w/ misspressed sleeve	£15-25	£20	£40		£20-100
	60	64	“Headmaster Ritual” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
	61	64	“Ask” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
	62	64	“William” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
	63	64	“Panic” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
	64	64	“Heaven Knows” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
	65	64	“Barbarism” Australian CD single			£40		£40
	66	64	“Boy with the Thorn in his Side” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
	67	64	“What Difference” Australian CD single			£40		£35-40
30	68	69	“World Won’t Listen” Australian double LP	£15	£30	£40		£40
19	69		“This Charming Man” Dutch one-sided 7” promo	£15	£35	£40
	70	68	“Stop me…” Dutch 12” [£30 for 7″ in 2014]			£40		£40
	71	42	“How Soon is Now” Dutch 7”	£6		£40		£60
28	72	74	“William” German marbled vinyl 12”	£6	£30	£40		£40
	73		“What Difference” 12” test press	£15		£40
	74	84	“William” 12” Billie Whitelaw sleeve [7″ £25 in 2014]			£40		£30
	75	67	“Hatful of Hollow” Australian CD original sleeve [Meat, Queen, World CBS CDs £35, Rank £25 in 2014]			£35		£40
72	76		“What Difference” 7” test press	£15	£15	£35
	77	77	“Barbarism” Italian 7”			£35		£35
67	78	19	“Meat is Murder” LP test press	£15-25	£15	£35		£20-100
46	79		“That Joke” 7” Mayking test press	£25	£20	£35
	80	55	“Barbarism” CD single			£35		£20-35
85	81		“Panic” 12” test press w/ poster	£8-10	£12	£35
	82	73	“Queen is Dead” Australian CD on Festival			£35		£25-30
	83	78	“Hand in Glove” (Sandie Shaw) German 12” marbled vinyl [£20 for black vinyl in 2014]	£6-10		£35		£35
	84	81	“Stop me…” Japanese CD			£35		£35
	85		“William” 7” Billie Whitelaw sleeve w/ “How Soon is Now” B-side			£30
	86	52	“Stop me…” Australian 7”			£30		£35
	87	20	“Headmaster Ritual” Dutch 7”, red sleeve, titles at top of labels. 2014 price for the standard red sleeve version.	£6		£30		£10
	88	66	“Barbarism” German 12” [£30 for 7″ in 2014]			£30		£40
	89		“Still Ill” German 12”			£30
36	90	86	“Strangeways” German grey vinyl		£25	£30		£30
	91		“Barbarism” Greek 12”			£30
32	92		“This Charming Man” 12” w/ band name of sleeve		£25	£30
87	93		“Shoplifters” 12” w/ bag		£12	£30
	94	87	“Rank” w/ poster & sticker			£30		£30
97	95		“William” 7” test press w/ red labels	£8-10	£12	£30
	96	88	“Stop me …” US 7”			£30		£30
41	97	89	“What Difference” US 12” promo	£18	£25	£30		£30
	98		“How Soon is Now” Portuguese triple LP			£30
	99		“Half a Person” Portuguese triple LP			£30
	100	55	“William” CD single			£30		£20-35
		5	“Heaven Knows” (extended) 12″ test press					£800
		7	“Meat is Murder” LP CBS acetate					£800
		9	“Queen is Dead” 2x 1-sided acetates					£600
		13	“I started something” 7″ test press					£500
		15	“Stop me…” German 7″ test press					£400
		18	“How soon is now?” 1-sided blue label test press					£300
		21	“Ask” 7″ test press					£250
		25	1st album Zimbabwean LP					£150
		26	“Queen is Dead” Dutch test press					£150
		28	“Panic” Dutch 7″					£100
		29	“Bigmouth” Dutch 7″					£100
		30	“Hatful of Hollow” copymasters cassette					£100
		31	“Queen is Dead”/”Hatful of Hollow” Japanese 2CD“The Smiths”/”Meat is Murder” Japanese 2CD					£100
		32	“Hand in Glove” promo cassette					£100
		38	“The Smiths” Universal 2CD sampler					£80
		47	“Shakespeare’s Sister” 12″ misprint inner sleeve					£55
		53	“This Charming Man” withdrawn first pressing					£50
		55	UK CD singles, other than Headmaster Ritual, Barbarism and William			£15-25		£20-35
		56	1st album, Dutch with 1-sided 7″					£45
		60	“Ask” Spanish 12″					£40
		70	“Ask” Dutch 7″					£40
		71	“Trilogy” Spanish 3CD					£40
		75	“Stop me…” German 12″ (orange/white vinyl) [7″ £20 in 2014]					£40
		79	“That joke…” French 12″					£35
		80	“What difference…” French 12″					£35
		83	“Heaven knows” (extended mix) 12″					£35
		90	“Panic” Brazilian cassette					£30
		91	“Heaven knows” Swedish 7″					£30
		92	“Shoplifters” German pink/white or green/white 12″ [black vinyl £40 in 2014]					£30
		95	“Rank” Swedish CD					£30
		96	“Hand in Glove” Sandie Shaw Spanish 7″					£30
		98	“Best…I”/”Best…II” European vinyl					£25
		99	“There is a light” European WEA 7″ [“How soon is now?” WEA 7″ £20 in 2014]					£25
14			“Queen is Dead” US LP test press	£40-50	£40
18			“This Charming Man” Australian 12” promo	£20	£35
27			“This Charming Man” Australian 12”	£20	£30
34		85	“Still Ill” Brazilian flexi	£20	£25			£30
35			“This Charming Man” Australian 7” promo	£25	£25
38			1st album Australian promo LP	£15-20	£25
39			“Hatful of Hollow” Australian promo LP	£15-20	£25
40			“Meat is Murder” Australian promo LP	£15-20	£25
42			“Ask” Italian jukebox 7”		£22
44			“Girlfriend in a Coma” Italian jukebox 7”		£22
45			“Boy with Thorn in his Side” Australian 12” promo	£15-20	£22
47			“This Charming Man” French 7”	£20	£20
49			“This Charming Man” 1983 7”		£20
50			“Boy with Thorn in his Side” Brazilian 12” promo [1988 entry is for the standard release]	£16	£20
51			“Shakespeare’s Sister” 7” test press	£8-10	£20
52			“UK Buzz 4” US promo LP	£20	£20
53			“This Charming Man” 1984 7”		£20
55			“This Charming Man” Australian 7”		£20
56			“What Difference” Australian 7” promo	£15-20	£20
57		82	“This Charming Man” German RT/RTD 7” [2014: RTT/RTD 12″ £40, Intercord 7″ £10, RTD 12″ £20]		£20			£35
58			“William” 7” w/ original sleeve		£20
59		94	“Ask” German 12” clear vinyl	£6-10	£20			£30
60			“William” 12” w/ original sleeve		£20
61			“This Charming Man” Belgian 7”	£10	£18
62			“How Soon is Now” Australian 7” promo	£15-20	£18
63			“Heaven Knows” German 7” promo		£18
64			“How Soon is Now” German 7” promo		£18
65		65	“Hatful of Hollow” RT CD w/ original artwork		£18			£40
68			“William” Canadian 4-track 7” promo w/ Lloyd Cole, John Hiatt and Matt Bianco	£18	£15
69		23	“Still Ill” 7” promo [2014 price for green label version. £25 for standard 7″]	£14	£15			£200
70			“Headmaster Ritual” US 12” promo	£10-15	£15
71			“Ask” cassette		£15
73			“Bigmouth” French 7”		£15
74		35	“How Soon is Now” Spanish 7” promo	£12	£15			£90
75			“That Joke” Australian 7” promo	£15-20	£15
76			“Girlfriend in a Coma” US 12” promo	£10-15	£15
77			“This Charming Man” Greek 7”	£10	£15
78			“Rock over London” US promo LP		£15
79			“Music for the Starving Millions” US promo CD		£15
80			“What Difference” Canadian 7” promo	£12	£15
81		93	“Some Girls” German 12” orange vinyl [2014 price for orange or black vinyl version]	£6-10	£15			£30
83		19	“World Won’t Listen” LP test press	£15-25	£12			£20-100
84		19	“Strangeways” LP test press	£15-25	£12			£20-100
86		97	“Panic” 12” w/ stickers [7″ £20 2014]		£12			£25
88			“Girlfriend in a Coma” cassette		£12
89			“Debut Issue 6” LP		£12
90			“How Soon is Now” Canadian 7” promo		£12
91		100	“Panic” German 12” blue vinyl [£35 for black vinyl in 2014]	£6-10	£12			£25
92			“What Difference” US 7” promo		£12
93			“How Soon is Now” US 7” promo		£12
94			“Hand in Glove” 1983 7”		£12		£20
95			“The Tube” LP		£12
96			“Boy with the Thorn” Portuguese 7”	£8	£12
98			“Department of Enjoyment” cassette		£12		£15
99			“Stop me…” US 12” promo	£10-15	£12
100			“Heaven Knows” 7” test press	£15	£12
			BBC transcription discs	£125-175
			US LP acetates	£75-125
			12” master plates	£70-80
			US 12” acetates	£60-80
			12” acetates	£50-60
			“Oscillate Wildly” one-sided acetate	£50
			US test pressings	£40-50
			“Meat is Murder” Argentinian LP	£20
			“Hatful of Hollow” German promo	£20
			1984 7/12” test pressings	£15
			“Queen is Dead” Greek LP	£12
			US 12” promos	£10-15
			1985-7 7/12” test pressings	£8-10
			“Compilation” Canadian LP	£8
			“Headmaster Ritual” Dutch 12”	£7
			“Rarities vol 2” promo CD				£10
			“I Started Something” 12”/cassette				£10