All records signed by all four members of the Beatles are exceptionally rare, but some are rarer than others.
Please Please Me, the debut album which was released in 1963, is the most widespread – with around 70 known examples, according to Autograph Magazine’s census. Despite the record being the most commonly signed, it is not unusual for copies to sell for upwards of $15,000.
The Beatles performing on Swedish television in 1963
With the Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night are far rarer, with around 15-20 and 8-10 known examples respectively – meaning examples very rarely come up for auction.
However, with preceding albums – including Help, Rubber Soul and Revolver – the number of signed copies available drops dramatically – down to just one or two known examples worldwide.
So why the sudden drop in signed records in the mid 1960s?
Well, at this time the Beatles were at the height of their creative powers, no longer the fresh faced teenagers who had inspired such mania amongst young girls on both sides of the Atlantic. They grew their hair long, tuned into the counterculture and shook off their teenybopper fans – becoming less approachable as they slowly imploded.
This capping of the market early on has ensured that the value of their records will continue to rise as long as demand remains consistent.
In 2011 the record for the most valuable Beatles record was set by Meet the Beatles, which realised an impressive $150,000.
Meet the Beatles was the band’s second album in the US.
That figure has since been outstripped.
So what is the most valuable autographed Beatles record today?
That record was set in April of this year by a copy of the seminal Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which made an incredible $290,500 – soaring past its initial valuation by 868.3%.
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The value of Beatles records keeps on climbing, with the value of a signed album page up a solid 6.3% between 2012 and 2013.
You can view our signed copy of A Hard Day’s Night here, one of the 8-10 in existence.
Tom
