HERE COMES THE SUM
‘Incredibly rare’ Beatles vinyl record discovered in London charity shop sells for more than £4,200
The shop manager initially thought it might 'only be worth a few hundred pounds'
A RARE Beatles record found at a charity shop has been flogged for more than £4,200.
The "incredibly rare" pressing of the Fab Four's debut studio album Please Please Me was donated to the Cancer Research UK charity shop in Enfield, North London.
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Store manager Jaime-Marie Madden initially thought the record might be worth a few hundred pounds so kept it back from the shop floor.
But it was discovered to be a first pressing from the original masters of 1963's Please Please Me, which features the Parlophone black label with gold text.
It was processed by a dedicated online trading team and listed on eBay with a starting price of £1,499.99.
But bids sent the price soaring before it ended up selling for a whopping £4,211.89.
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Ms Madden said: "When I first spotted the vinyl, I thought it might only be worth a few hundred pounds.
"The record was in good condition, with only a few marks, but the sleeve was pretty damaged and worn, with a cut at base, some scuffs, marks, ageing and stains.
"There was even a name written on back.
"Luckily, at Cancer Research UK we're trained to spot donations that can raise more money for life-saving cancer research.
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"So after taking a few pictures and Googling the record, I knew we had something special."
Ms Madden said she was thrilled her spot had made such a huge amount for Cancer Research UK, a leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information.
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She added: "I wrapped it up safe and sent it off to our online marketplaces team who spent more time researching the value of the item, and then listed it on our eBay marketplace.
"I kept my eye on it and couldn't believe when it sold for £4.2k.
"We're always grateful to people who donate to the charity, and we always try to make the most of donations.
"It's great to see this money go to such an important cause."
Harper Field Auctioneers And Valuers vinyl record valuation specialist Mike Kuklenko said: "What an amazing story! Please Please Me by The Beatles, in this format is an incredibly rare record, and a great spot by Jaime-Marie.
"I've seen a few stories like this in my time as professional vinyl valuer.
"People have shared their old collections, thinking it will raise a few pounds, and I've been fortunate enough to be the one who surprises them that they have a gem or two worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
"In this case, it is fantastic to see all this money going towards lifesaving cancer research. What a find!"
It comes after a guest on Antiques Roadshow was stunned after discovering how much money his John Lennon memorabilia would collect at auction.
Joining auctioneer Raj Bisram, he proudly displayed the house number of the Beatles legend's childhood home.
The number had originally been fixed to Lennon's aunt Mimi's gate at 251 Menlove Avenue in Liverpool.
Explaining how he got his hands on the number plate, he said: "In 1965 when John Lennon's family decided to sell their home, a couple bought it and lived there for a few months and then moved on.
"Then the next couple who bought it, they didn't tell them that it was John Lennon's house, so they moved in.
"They were having breakfast one morning and there were five people in their front garden taking photographs - that was when they realised they lived in John Lennon's house," he added.
Raj asked if he'd ever thought about selling it, to which the man replied: "I've never thought about selling it, and to be honest, I dont think I ever would. I just like having it in the family."
But Raj believed he might be able to change his mind.
He said: "If that went to a specialist Beatles sale, it would make £5,000 to £8,000 easily, but it could double that, it really could double that.
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"I think this is a great little piece of Beatles memorabilia."
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