Customer Reviews

Price Guide for the Beatles American Records

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a collector since 1983 and own or have seen nearly all of the Beatles reference guides to date including price guides and this one is by far the best yet. Perry Cox is one of the few people that could get all of the best people to contribute all of the latest info and combine it all into a great Beatles price guide. Perry will be the first to tell you that it's a very collaborative job to put out any reference guide.

One nice touch with the 6th Edition is its size. It matches Bruce Spizer's reference guides and looks sharp up on the bookshelf along side of them. This price guide is hard bound with 330 pages of very informative info including prices and descriptions. I love that it's got a hard cover as my older guide pages would curl after a while. In addition to size, it's all full color and glossy. Gotta love that. Many newer collectors have never seen some of the items pictured in this guide. Very cool.

Many have contributed but most notably Frank Daniels and Bruce Spizer. Their knowledge of variations is legendary. Kudos to them for playing a big part in this creation. Bruce Spizer also has written the foreword for this edition.

The guide is laid out very intuitively to make items of interest easy to find. Some of the sections include, Singles and EPS, Albums, solo works by each former Beatle including Pete Best. Even George Martin is included. There are also Apple and Dark Horse sections and compilations.

Contents also include Market Analysis, Record Grading, Capitol inner sleeves, promotional items and much much more.

I personally give this guide high marks and would also venture to say that it's an automatic collectors item that is very affordable, at this time. Remember Bruce Spizer's Vee-Jay book?, OOP (Out of Print) and selling for hundreds of dollars. Don't get caught not having at least one copy of this price guide. It's the best currently available and it's an enjoyable read.

Note: This guide and Bruce Spizer's Swan Song book came out about the same time and debuted at the 1st ever Las Vegas Beatles convention, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd 2007, held at the Mirage. It was fun meeting all of the authors.

-Robert York-

This 6th edition from Mr. Perry Cox & Frank Daniels continues the long tradition and reputation of Perry's top price guides with the highest degree of research, knowledge, sources and listings available anywhere!

First, I give my strongest praise and congratulations to the co-authors (Perry and Frank), along with additional kudos to Mr. Bruce Spizer who contributed the Foreword, layouts, editing and publishing in this beautiful edition (and yes, I own most of his incredible "labor of love" books surrounding The Beatles records). These gentlemen are what we collectors consider "The Source" when it comes to being specific, detailed, precise and answering the tough questions that come with collecting what I consider "the greatest music memorabilia of all time".

Secondly, I would like to take a moment and get personal about Perry Cox and what he means to me in this business. I have done business with Perry since the early 1980's (when, at that time, I was just a young sailor in the U.S. Navy and spending as much of my extra money on my #1 passion - Beatles records and memorabilia). Perry immediately befriended me and has been more of a "mentor" and a "personal confidant" during these 25 years of our friendship. He has yet to steer me wrong or not provide the tough answers throughout all these years and I greatly admire his passion, dedication and genuine love for the hobby more than anyone else that I have had the pleasure of sharing this excitement with in this hobby. I remember back in the 80's and most of the 90's when I would receive Perry's "mailer lists" that he religiously mailed out to those of us on his distro list. Receiving those lists in the mail has long been replaced with the technology and real-time convenience of the internet (specifically Ebay), but I will never forget what those first 15 years were like when we couldn't see the items and relied on Perry's specific details on each item for sale in his mailer list! Times they were a-changin'. Regardless of the resources, Perry has always been top-notch and quickly became my favorite source (which he remains to this day). I have since retired from the U.S. Navy after 21 years service and now live in the Tampa area - but I still email Perry whenever those technical questions need to be answered (or merely for his advice on items I am considering for my personal collection). Bottom line is that I give my full and unconditional recommendation (without hesitation) to any source that Perry endorses in this hobby - and his price guides are legendary among the amateur and professional collectors alike - across the board! Thank you Perry for your deep friendship over the past 25 years my friend.

Next, I would like to humbly thank both Perry and Frank for recognizing me under the "Acknowledgements" section in this price guide. It is a labor of love for all of us and all I can say (after all these years collecting and sharing knowledge, experiences, etc.) is "How cool is it to have your name inside the actual book of your favorite lifelong hobby?" It is a dream come true and I am touched for that recognition! I have had the unbelievable fortune of meeting all four Beatles in person throughout my life, along with being stationed in London for two years with the U.S. Navy, and having my name mentioned in this book completes a long journey for me (for a little boy from Flint, Michigan who originally watched those "four lads from Liverpool" tear it up on that black & white television while dancing with my mother and older sister)! Little did we "Flintoids" know that we would also be treated to our own hometown heroes just six years later from "Grand Funk Railroad". Imagine that...

As for the 6th edition of "The price guide for The Beatles American records", I would like to echo some of the wonderful comments from Mr. Robert York of Tacoma, WA (scroll through the reviews and you will find his detailed analogy of this new guide). I agree that it is very fitting that this book is the same size and lines up beautifully on the bookshelf with Bruce Spizer's books (not a coincidence I assure you - these gentlemen do all the extra work to ensure high quality products from start to finish). This new guide also has more colored photographs and layouts than I've seen to date and it is absolutely gorgeous. It starts out in the inner cover with many of the single (45's) in their respective picture sleeves in bright colors - and ends on the back inner cover with all 24 American Beatles' albums (in order of release) all in color as well. Everything in between these covers is simply magic and very nicely laid out! I am a stickler for detail and for making things "make sense" and this book does exactly that. One of my favorite things is the color-coding throughout the book. The authors got it right and made this very easy to use for all hobbyist - and the outer edges of the pages are actually color-coded so that the user can go right to the appropriate section he/she is seeking (without having to thumb around and find things aimlessly). The guide is broken down into sections, starting with Beatles singles and EP's, then Beatles albums, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Best and George Martin, Apple, Dark Horse Records, Compilations, and ends with Vendors (and those who paid to be sponsored in this publication).

I would also like to add that just before the color-coding starts in this publication, the authors have compiled some of the most important pages that will benefit collectors ten-fold (these pages are priceless, trust me). They have added sections on introduction, Market Analysis, Beatles records worth $1,000 or more, Grading records (very important especially for newcomers in the hobby), Acetates and Test Pressings, Promotional Records and Markings, Sealed Albums (which I have been involved in with Perry over many years), Capitol Inner Sleeves (nice explanations on what sleeves go with which albums, etc.), Records from other countries, Capitol-Apple Labelography (these are truly valuable pages here because it is so detailed and collectors need to become aware of all the differences on these labels), Capitol-Apple Tapeography, Pressings of "A Hard Day's Night" on UA (this is not testable, because 99% of us would fail the exam), Beatles U.S. Discography (you'll love this section and is perfect for "quick reference" or when creating your own personal spreadsheets, discography, or collections), and the last item in these white pages before the color-coding starts (and perhaps among the most important of all) is the "How to read the guide listings" section. This section specifically educates the reader on the Spizer Identification Number (which Beatles author/historian Bruce Spizer developed this numbering system for identifying items pictured and described in his books on The Beatles American records). This numbering system is quickly becoming popular among collectors and I would not be surprised if Mr. Spizer's system will one day be the universal standard for identifying all Beatles' American records (I have almost finished numbering my own personal collection with his numbering system and it just makes good sense)! Again, those white pages (pages 1-43) are some of the most valuable and educational sources that you will ever find on collecting Beatles American records (the price guide is worth its price for this information alone, not to mention pages 45-316 "the meat and potatoes" of the entire price guide).

Lastly, I highly recommend this price guide to everyone interested in gaining knowledge on Beatles American records, their history, how to identify exactly what you have, and it is simply the top-notch book available anywhere on this subject. A superior book cover-to-cover and I am so impressed with various elements throughout this guide. It takes the reader on a journey itself and you will experience the roots, growth and unbelievable spectrum that The Beatles records went through from the start to present day. After traveling through these pages several times I found myself in many different stages of my life, in retrospect, thinking about where I lived when a certain album was released or what girl I was sharing those moments with, etc. An incredible 5-star book which should be owned by all Beatles hobbyist (I own three myself and had to ensure I got the low serial #'d edition in the slipcase signed by all three gentlemen mentioned above). Purchase the guide, you'll be amazed at the weatlth of knowledge, perspiration, inspiration, dedication, and how cleverly laid out it really is! "I read the book today, oh boy..." and Perry, Frank & Bruce "made the grade". Cheers!

If you have seen Mr. Cox`s first 5 Beatles price guides,well hold on to your hat cause "you ain`t seen nothin` yet".This 6th edition puts all the others to shame.This is a coffee table book with enough pictures to satisfy everyone.Mr. Cox has co-authored with Frank Daniels on this magnificent book and it shows.Mr Daniels is an expert in his own write (pun intended).They have teamed up with Bruce Spizer,auther of some of the best Beatles books around,to publish this edition.If you are a Beatles collector or just want some information on what was made on vinyl,CD,or tape format in the USA,this is the best source.Mr. Spizers standard numbering system has now been incorperated into Perry Cox`s listings as well making it all uniform.You will not be dissatisfied.Good work,Perry,Frank and Bruce and I hear theres a Beach boys edition in the works.

Even though I'm rating this price guide with 5 stars, it's not because it's perfect. It is simply because I can't imagine the incredible effort that was undertaken by the two authors and Bruce Spizer to get this high quality (materials, information, and detail) chronicle into all of our hands.

I've emailed Perry Cox with not only my congratulations but most importantly my gratitude for what he has provided to all of us who have enjoyed all-things-Beatle throughout the decades. His partner, Frank Daniels, is also to be lauded for his committment to the detailed minutia that benefit all of us in keeping track of our label variations, condition, and links to the Spizer I.D. information.

But since you can't always have everything (as my Irish dad would remind me back in the 60's as I asked him for that latest Beatle record!) I've noted here, and alerted Perry, of the following omissions from this first edition:
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PAUL McCARTNEY:

"Press To Play" CD w/blue graphics on disc, "Made In USA"

"Band On The Run" DTS compact disc in JEWEL CASE: Mobile Fidelity 71021-54403-2-3

"Venus and Mars" DTS compact disc in SUPER JEWEL CASE

"The World Tonight" CD single, not promo, w/sticker for movie "Father's Day": Capitol C2 7243 58650-2-2

"Hope Of Deliverance" CD single w/sticker "3 SONGS..."

"Only Love Remains" picture sleeve
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JOHN LENNON:

"Live Peace In Toronto-1969" with a custom plastic cassette tray and cardboard slip-cover

"Acoustic" CD promo with markings on label
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GEORGE HARRISON:

(Obviously) "You" vinyl 45 single......need I say more!

"All Things Must Pass" (sealed) vinyl l.p. with S1 sticker on shrinkwrap, no "Apple" on spine-only the STCH number

"Best of Dark Horse" CD - promo text on disc

"Traveling Wilburys - Vol 1" CD - promo text on disc
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THE BEATLES:

"Anthology 1" / "Anthology 2" / "Anthology 3" - all had "short box" versions in addition to the tall boxes.

So, that's what I've discovered so far, and there could be more.

Cheers,
Mike McAteer

This book is amazing and worth the wait. The book is very user friendly and a must have for novices and also hard core collectors. The pictures,descriptions and the price values are a major plus. I promise you will learn something new, I sure did. Thanks Perry, Frank & Bruce, please keep them coming.........

Quite simply the most professionally compiled U.S. Beatles records price guide I have ever read. From the 100% high quality color plates and user friendly categorization of all released formats by title to the hands-on information regarding condition grading, current market trends and record care, you will find renewed interest in documenting, preserving and expanding your existing Beatles collection. Even as a long time collector I learned something new with just about every turn of the page.

The Long Past overdue quintessential Publication on All U.S Beatle recordings has finally arrived. And even I have to say that it was worth the wait. Congratulations and thanks to Authors Mr. Cox and Daniels as well as Mr. Spizer whose numbering and cataloguing have been combined in this stunning tome of user-friendly information and brightly colored pictorials. This most recent and reasonably priced book is by far the most comprehensive of any others available today. And I am delighted to say it offers for the first time, the most accurate detailed info of all the Fab fours US work, both in descriptions and price evaluations. All previous US publications as well as the United Kingdoms Famous Record Collector had taken the formula that stated that the three levels of quality evaluation of Near Mint, VG+ and VG were simply 50 percent less then the next highest level. Now as most of us have learned, and as Mr. Cox and Mr. Daniels clearly state..This is simply not the case. A Near Mint Beatle item can easily be worth, at minimum, two and a half times to four times the value of an item in the VG+ or VG++ category. It is clear that, for investment purposes, but for some rare exceptions, it is always better to wait for the NM condition item then to go for the VG+. So while near mint Beatle recordings and sleeves may have been under valued, it now seems that the opposite is true as well. VG+ and VG items have now taken a significant hit and their values have been considerably diminished. But it's all good. As a serious collector, its better to have accurate and correct information to make the right decisions in the future, then to take outdated formulas which prove to be inaccurate.
Once again, Tremendous thanks to Perry, Frank and Bruce and all the contributors to this wonderful addition to the history of Beatle Publications. This is a definitive must have for any Beatle Collector, whether your a die hard experienced collector or just starting out in your interest on the subject.

Perry Cox and Frank Daniels have come up with the best-looking and most useful price guide ever. While their past books have always contained plenty of information, this new edition has been designed with the cooperation of Bruce Spizer. By using the format and layout of Spizer's books (along with his now-well-known numbering system) they have created a book that is both essential for the Beatles collector and fun to browse through for collectors and non-collectors alike. Even casual fans will enjoy the many full color pictures of Beatles records throughout this large coffee table book.

This book is an essential part of any Beatles collection. You will be impressed with it I promise you.

Perry Cox has done it again! His new price guide is the best of all price guides over the past 25 years. It should be subtitled "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Collecting the Beatles...But Don't Be Afraid to Ask! A beautiful coffee-table sized book with hundreds of photos and color illustration. Whether you are a novice, or a long-time collector like myself.......this book is a must have. It is also the perfect gift for anyone who has any interest at all in the fab four. Make sure you get your copy today before they're all gone!

This guide is a keeper, a permanent reference in the Beatles library. Whether employed as a stand-alone guide for the Beatles American releases, or coupled with the unequaled canon from Bruce Spizer, this is the definitive book on US Beatles releases; original, reissue, and collateral recordings such as the KYA Peace Talk with John Lennon. This edition is significantly enhanced from earlier editions, with full color images and consolidated listings for each album by type. For example, Abbey Road vinyl, tape, and CDs are listed together under one heading. Employing the Spizer numbering scheme ties it neatly to those books. It also creates a baseline catalog numbering system for these records, tapes, CDs, and DVDs, a feature that did not exist before in Beatles collecting. The inclusion of the Dark Horse catalog was an unexpected find, previously unavailable in an American-published book. Perry Cox and Frank Daniels have set the new standard for all specialized record guides. Well worth the wait, it will be in use for years to come.