SLIPPED DISCS IN STEYNING
Published on 1st October 2022...
Slipped Discs began life in Cobblestone Walk, Steyning, at the start of lockdown. The business recently moved on to the High Street, offering vinyl that covers the entire history of recorded music. Owner James Anderson talks to AAH about Frank Zappa, cassette nostalgia and Stranger Things in a quirky ‘Top 10’ format…
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (David Bowie)
I’ve always been into music and started collecting vinyl when I was 13. I would go to the car boot sale near Brighton Station every Sunday morning, hunting out bargains. Back then, you couldn’t easily look up a record’s value on a phone and the only reliable guide was Record Collector magazine. People would put all their old records in a box and sell them for a few pounds, but some were worth 20p and others much more. I saw records for £1 that are now worth over £100. I made my share of mistakes, but through trial and error, built up a good knowledge of vinyl and my university degree was largely funded by selling records.
GET LUCKY (Daft Punk)
The first record I made a substantial profit on was Trespass by Genesis. It was a first label variation, released on pink scroll. I paid £4 and sold it online to a collector for £50. Occasionally, you can get lucky. In the run-up to the Platinum Jubilee, I managed to get hold of ‘God Save the Queen’ by the Sex Pistols on 7” vinyl. When I played it, the original promotional flyer slipped out of the sleeve. The flyer alone sold at auction for several hundred pounds.
WANNA BE STARTIN’ SOMETHIN’ (Michael Jackson)
After graduating, I worked as a studio engineer, but opportunities dried up, so I retrained as an electrician. I combined the two jobs to become an electrical design engineer and flourished, but I couldn’t shake my dream of opening a record store. It was always in my mind. So, in March 2020, I went to view a small unit in Cobblestone Walk, which provides start-ups with a foothold. The very next day, the country went into lockdown! However, I opened Slipped Discs as soon as I could.
TIME WARP (Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack)
The opening coincided with an unexpected resurgence in cassette tapes. Cassettes attract a very different market to vinyl. A lot of the interest was fuelled by 80s nostalgia, yet there was also demand for classical, country and easy listening, which was a surprise. The cassette revival was over in a few months, but I was right on trend and that helped the business in the early days. There’s still a market for cassettes, but people are not paying the crazy prices they were in lockdown.
I’M STILL STANDING (Elton John)
The business survived COVID and after two years in Cobblestone Walk, I moved to a premises in the heart of Steyning High Street, opening in early July. I bought a classic Morris Minor postal van and had it sign-written too. The store is engineered towards making record collecting accessible to all, with new sealed vinyl as well as pre-loved records and rarities. There are classic albums that everyone wants in their collection – Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, Hunky Dory by David Bowie, Sgt Pepper’s by The Beatles – and you can find playable versions for £5 or pay £100 for an original pressing in good condition. But we have classical, jazz, blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, pop, and everything in between!
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME (Cher)
Record collecting is traditionally an old man’s game, but more young people and women are getting involved, which is great. Many of the best-selling artists of today, including Taylor Swift, Billy Eilish and Harry Styles, are releasing records on vinyl and that’s encouraging new collectors. There’s also demand for classic records from the 1990s and early 2000s, when CD was king. Very few people bought vinyl, so a small number of LPs were originally pressed. As a result, records like The Bends by Radiohead or (What’s The Story) Morning Glory by Oasis are worth several hundred pounds. You could buy the CDs for about a pound on eBay.
GET INTO THE GROOVE (Madonna)
Younger collectors often make the mistake of getting cheap portable record players. They are buying new records, which aren’t cheap, but play them on poor sound systems. I recommend investing in a good vinyl player. A record cleaner is important too, as even if a record looks in good condition, there can be surface dirt or debris in the grooves that affect playback. I run all my vinyl through the cleaner before selling it, so customers get the best sounding version of any album. I use a Loricraft, made by SME, who develop some of the best record cleaners in the world. Amazingly, they’re also based right here in Steyning.
I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR (U2)
There are countless examples of first label pressings and limited-edition coloured vinyl that are prized by collectors. The first pressing of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon featured a blue triangle and they’re worth money. And if you ever come across Led Zeppelin’s debut album with turquoise lettering on the sleeve, keep hold of it! One elusive vinyl that has become legendary amongst collectors is Growers of Mushroom, the debut record by a British rock band called Leaf Hound. An original in mint condition swaps hands for up to £10,000. It didn’t sell at the time but is now seen as a pioneering record. Unfortunately, I’ve never come across it.
RUNNING UP THAT HILL (Kate Bush)
Trends change. Rock 'n' roll from the 50s doesn’t sell as well as it once did, while progressive rock has dipped. Punk and new wave from the late-70s and early-80s are flavour of the month. To be on trend takes a little luck, but early hip-hop is certainly in demand now and records like De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising are highly sought. This time last year, Hounds of Love was one of the harder Kate Bush records to sell. I would struggle to get £15 for an original, but now it can fetch about £125. That’s the Stranger Things effect. I think the next series is set in 1987, so I’m anticipating what songs might appear. Prince seems a solid bet, but if anyone involved in the show wants to give me a tip, I’d be grateful!
THE GAMBLER (Kenny Rogers)
Starting the business was a gamble, as it meant giving up the security of a well-paid job with a company car. But it was worth taking and I have no regrets. I did wonder if record collecting had reached its peak, but the number of young people collecting is still growing. I think that’s because it has a sense of nostalgia that the era of the download can never replicate. I sell online too, but interestingly, it is shop sales that are more buoyant, as people enjoy the experience.
Further information: Visit Slipped Discs at 58a High Street, Steyning, BN44 3RD
Email: slippeddiscssteyning@gmail.com
