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Probate Valuation in Chelsea Reveals Vinyl Treasure

February 8, 2020 By Richard Farrell

I was delighted to receive a call to do a probate valuation in Chelsea. That’s because it was the swinging sixties capital of London when I was in my teens. Many notables lived there including Eric Clapton and Petula Clark. Oh what memories it holds.

However, the old gentleman my client described as a solitary person lived in an anonymous two-up, two down in Fulham Road, which is a less attractive address. Therefore, I was not expecting anything exceptional when I arrived.

A Chelsea Probate Valuation Becomes Interesting.

A few neighbours watched curiously as I turned the key in the front door. The note with it said ‘You won’t find anything interesting but please go through the motions so we can get letters of administration’.

However, that’s not my style. I have uncovered great value for heirs while doing probate valuation. I knew Chelsea has secrets hidden in old buildings. I wondered what I would find in this anonymous one.

My eye fell on a formica TV stand in the lounge with storage below for drinks. This was a collectible but what was inside? The doors creaked open to reveal two neat stacks of vinyl records in their sleeves, covered by a thick layer of dust.

What Could This Possibly Mean for the Heirs?

I gingerly packed the long-playing records out on the floor to see what I had found. I saw no scratches on them as I removed the mint vinyl discs from their covers. They seemed brand new to me. Their impeccable sleeves depicted The Beatles ‘Til There Was You’ and John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s: ‘Double Fantasy’ among many others.

My peers doing probate valuations in Chelsea are not always up to speed with baby boomers. Children growing in England after the Second World War often lived in impoverished homes where they could not afford the lifestyles of their pop heroes, but could imagine them.

Nowadays many have retired with disposable income to spend on their memories of the sixties. I knew the vinyl record collection I found in Fulham Road, Chelsea had value, but how much was it really worth?

Vinyl Records and the Birth of Pop

Records were still made of shellac wax in the 1950’s. This did not scratch, but the discs were brittle and there were only enough grooves for a single song. Vinyl records, on the other hand were so flexible you could half bend them over but they were soft and scratched easily.

These L.P. records held albums with dozens of songs. Their sound was purer than the compact discs that followed, and so realistic it was as if you were in the room. No wonder there is a steady revival of this technology throughout the western world.

Baby boomers are bringing out vinyl discs from their teens they have been hoarding for decades. They browse second hand shops for more but these are often scratched. Mint ones featuring famous pop names have become their holy grail.

A rare pressing of The Beatles ‘Yesterday and Today’ fetched $125,000 in February, 2013. The discs I discovered during a probate valuation in Chelsea sold for £175,000 for the lot at a hectic auction in London.

More Reading

Superb George III Serpentine Chest Found in Hampstead

Related

Filed Under: Chattels Valuation, Probate Valuation Tagged With: baby boomer, chelsea, clearance, discs, london, memorabilia, probate, Probate valuation chelsea, records, valuation, vinyl

Our House Clearance Services

We provide a full house clearance and property management solution:

  • We clear hoarded houses, regardless how big or how cluttered
  • We clear all types and sizes of property, irrespective of location, or access is restricted or where parking is difficult or not available.
  • We can help avoid water damage by draining the central heating system.
  • We can secure the property and change the locks.
  • We can reinstate the gardens and maintain them whilst the property is empty.
  • We can provide 24 hour security to eliminate the risk of squatting or unlawful occupation.

As well normal house clearances we specialise in clutter clearance and we can clear a hoarded house which may contain years of accumulated possessions, or which have abnormal amounts of general household items, sometimes as a result of compulsive hoarding syndrome.

Equally we can help to clear a property where the occupants were previously unwell and unable to care for themselves or their property which sometimes results in insanitary, dangerous or just plain unpleasant conditions.

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Client Reviews

Jenny Schon
Dec 3, 2021
 by Jenny Schon on Avery Associates
Well done

This truly is a 'one stop shop' for all things relating to Probate valuations and clearance. Jeffrey is a 'facilitator' and full marks to him for finding... Read More

Kevin Anderson
Oct 26, 2021
 by Kevin Anderson on Avery Associates
Fantastic and Reliable

Our aunt was a recluse and hoarder. She died leaving two properties in London that were dilapidated and completely hoarded. Unfortunately, because everything... Read More

It was a pleasure to assist Kevin

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Aug 26, 2021
 by T. Hackett on Avery Associates
1st Class Service

Avery Associates Appraisal I have just moved house after almost 30 years of occupation. My initial choice of movers, Pickfords, decided at the last... Read More

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