From 1964 til 1965, Beatles merchandise had hit the market and stores exploded with the many various items with a Beatle logo! The mania wouldn't have been the same without all those Beatle products that flooded the market: dolls, toys, jewelry, talcom powder, cards, pennants, purses, wigs, cups, plates, notebooks, carrying cases, hats, headbands, hair spray, and nearly anything you could think of became a Beatle item! From air-matresses to Beatle shoes, NEMS and Seltaeb corporated proved that any and I mean ANY item can sell with a good, famous image on it. These were the two major companies that manufactured all the Beatle goods. When shopping for authentic items, you should stick with NEMS items or Seltaeb (Beatles spelled backwards, if it helps you remember).
I have been vastly interested in collecting Beatles memorabilia for the past several years. I'm not the type to spend $100 on every purchase but I have gotten quite a few remarkable deals, and my collection is vastly growing enormous. My most treasured item would be my John Lennon autograph. Nothing can compare! But I prefer collecting original memorabilia, not the reproductions or newest ideas. If you hadn't noticed, Yellow Submarine has recently been exploited. That little image of a submarine has been slapped on various items and marketed for a pricey price. I honestly have seen a Yellow Submarine SNOW BOARD for sale. Talk about exploiting an artistic movie!
An important thing to remember when buying Beatles memorabilia, is to start off slow and work your way up to the pricier items. There are many great deals out there; you just have to search hard and find them. A good place to look are the classified ads. Often, people will be desperate to sell an item and give you a real bargain on it. I have gotten many great deals from the Classified section for Beatles memorabilia.
Another thing to consider is the quality of the item your buying. Don't just buy a Remco doll with butchered hair because its cheap. Trust me, its not worth it and the value has probably been lowered down to nothing.
When buying Beatles autographs, there are few and far between dealers that can be trustworthy of real, authentic autographs. One rule of thumb: NEVER BID ON BEATLE AUTOGRAPHS FOUND AT EBAY. Ebay may be a wonderful source for Beatle products, but they do not specialize in real autographs and they are famous for the thousands of phonies they've sold.
The Internet is a good source for Beatle collecting, but you may also want to check out your local flea market or antique mall. On rare occasion, places like this may be selling an item of interest or two. So keep your eyes peeled! Want to learn more about reproductions or counterfeits? Think the item you wanted to buy may be a FAKE?
Read this interesting web-site about the products you should avoid and how to tell a phonie from an authentic item. Some of them may surprise you! Conterfeits and Reproductions Next are two places I constantly shop at! Both are a good source for moderately prices memorabilia and have a wide selection to choose from. Only A Northern Song BOJO I also recommend these two forums to find or sell Beatles items. These are the Classified Ads: Buy Sell & Trade The Very Together - Collector's Forum Searching for some REAL Beatle autographs? I know the place for you! A wide selection of authentic autographs - guarenteed or double your money back! You can't go wrong. Tracks Want more links to Beatles Memorabilia? Click HERE for a list of Beatle online stores! |
