Want to personal Elton’s boots? Seventies nostalgia drives memorabilia growth

Sought-after: Elton John’s platform boots, and 

Elton John followers have the possibility to purchase a memento from the pop star’s glittering profession as a group of his possessions goes beneath the hammer at Christie’s in New York on Wednesday. 

Among the 900 objects on provide is an ivory and gold jumpsuit worn by the Tiny Dancer singer in one in all his first stage performances in 1971, which is predicted to fetch as much as £9,700. The outfit was loaned to make costumes for the star’s 2019 Rocketman biopic starring Taron Egerton.

Those who fancy tinkling Elton’s personal ivories can take house his Yamaha grand piano, on which he’s stated to have written a number of of his Grammy Award-winning songs, for an estimated £39,000.

A pair of silver platform boots with crimson leather-based letters E and J on the edges and worn all through the 70s are anticipated to fetch as much as £8,000.

Interest in Nineteen Seventies music memorabilia is booming as traders realise they will personal their very own piece of efficiency historical past while additionally having fun with a hyperlink to their favorite singer or band.

The Elton John sale is the most recent in a sequence of high-profile auctions from musicians together with Freddie Mercury, Eric Clapton and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.

In September, 1,406 objects from Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own public sale have been snapped by patrons from greater than 50 nations together with Japan, Mexico and Brazil. 

Auction home Sotheby’s says the £40 million sale demonstrates ‘the attract and fascination Freddie Mercury continues to exert in the present day’.

Among essentially the most sought-after objects have been a sheet of paper with lyrics to hit Don’t Stop Me Now which bought for £317,500 and a strong silver moustache comb, which was anticipated to fetch £400, went beneath the hammer for greater than £150,000.

Claire Tole-Moir, of public sale home Bonhams, says the Nineteen Seventies is a good period to gather objects from because it was a vital time for music. 

‘This was the last decade the place creativity and variety flourished, boundaries have been pushed and with that got here eccentric melodies, costumes, dance routines and lyrics,’ she says.

‘Items related to these musicians who have been a part of this pivotal motion are thought-about necessary and subsequently collectable.’

Martin Hughes, auctioneer at Wessex Auction Rooms, says nearly all of music collectors are pushed by nostalgia and their want to recapture how they felt once they listened to an artist for the primary time.

‘Investing in music- associated objects is an actual balancing act,’ he says. ‘Items of clothes and basic memorabilia from musical icons will, in fact, have a broader attraction and probably be a safer long-term funding.’

Last yr, 300 Fleetwood Mac contracts and letters documenting the band’s rise to fame have been bought at public sale for greater than £20,000.

Owner of the gathering, Clifford Adams, labored because the group’s supervisor, agent and co-songwriter from 1967 to 1974. A letter from the band’s founder Peter Green which defined why he give up the group fetched £2,000, whereas one other bidder paid £460 for his driving licence.

Meanwhile, a set of sheets documenting the band’s efficiency schedule bought for £4,400, smashing the £400-£600 estimate. Mr Hughes says paper objects akin to tickets or handbills are highly regarded as they have been by no means designed to be keepsakes.

‘Scarcity sells. I had the nice pleasure of promoting a big non-public assortment of music handbills, flyers and posters from massive identify artists akin to The Who, Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac,’ he says. ‘The vendor stated, ‘I did not suppose anybody would need them’, when actually the gathering bought for over £60,000.’

Sale: Elton John followers have the possibility to purchase a memento from the pop star’s glittering profession

How to start out your individual music memorabilia assortment 

When trying to begin your individual assortment, take into account the recognition of the group or singer first, recommends Claire Howell, head of music and movie at auctioneer Hansons.

‘Artists akin to David Bowie nonetheless have excessive collectable worth in a method that up to date artists together with Taylor Swift don’t,’ she says. ‘It’s wonderful what individuals will purchase and what they aspire to personal from a giant musician. I as soon as bought John Lennon’s automotive keys.’

You could even be fortunate sufficient to have mementoes at house in case you went to concert events and acquired information within the Nineteen Seventies. An previous tour programme of the Rolling Stones and a ticket discovered mendacity round at house may very well be price as much as £200, says Howell.

Meanwhile, the acetate discs that are used to check a single earlier than it’s launched may very well be price a whole bunch of kilos. An acetate of a David Bowie album may very well be price as much as £600, whereas one from the rock band T. Rex might promote for £750, Ms Howell says. 

Make certain to examine the provenance of an merchandise that was owned by an artist or signed by them earlier than you make a purchase order.

Mr Hughes says: ‘The world of forgeries is as rife in music memorabilia as it’s within the artwork world. Buy issues from respected sources akin to specialist auctions.’

Often objects bought at public sale will include a certificates to show authenticity however in case you are not sure whether or not an merchandise is real you can too communicate to the public sale home.

If an merchandise was mass produced, akin to a vinyl document or CD, take into account its situation and rarity earlier than you make a purchase order, recommends Ms Tole-Moir. ‘Depending in your funds, attempt to purchase one of the best instance on the market,’ she says ‘Do your analysis and see what has been in the marketplace earlier than and the way costs have carried out.’

An unique copy of the Beatles’ White Album which was donated to the British Heart Foundation charity store bought for £2,350 on eBay.

The album was one in all simply 10,000 copies made and options 30 songs together with Blackbird and Dear Prudence.

In comparability, the fiftieth anniversary version of the identical vinyl is price lower than £50.

But above all, purchase objects that you simply get pleasure from, she says. A document you listened to as a youngster could now solely be price a number of kilos, however it’s priceless to you.