I collected so many copies of NME magazine that my attic almost collapsed – now I’m selling them for £3,000
The 64-year-old stashed his jaw-dropping collection of 2,700 copies in his loft
A SUPERFAN who collected EVERY copy of NME magazine for 52 years is selling them for an eye-watering £3,000.
Tony Howard’s attic nearly collapsed under the weight of his massive magazine hoard – which started when he was just 12-years-old.
He bought his very first copy in August 1966, and took one home every week until 2018 – when the magazine stopped printing paper editions.
The 64-year-old stashed his jaw-dropping collection of 2,700 copies of The New Musical Express in his Lincolnshire loft.
But now he’s decided to put them under the hammer after his attic was in danger of collapsing.
The NMEs are being sold individually, with some rare copies expected to fetch up to £50 each.
The collection is going up for auction at John Taylors Saleroom in Louth, Lincs., on November 12.
Auctioneer James Laverack said: “Tony’s interest was triggered at a particularly exciting time when British groups were taking the world by storm, all faithfully reported and reviewed in the NME.
“The very month that he bought his first issue of the New Musical Express, The Beatles released Yellow Submarine and Eleanor Rigby on a double A-side single and then flew off to their final tour in America – and into a massive row over John Lennon’s remark about being more famous than Jesus Christ.
“Tony has decided that the time has finally come to let the astonishing collection go to relieve the weight pressure on his attic and enable other enthusiasts to fill gaps in their NME archives.”
The collection will be sold in three parts, 1966-72, 1973-2018, and a duplicate copies lot.
James added: “In total the collection extends to around 2,700 copies, an almost complete run spanning the years 1966-2018.
“There are just a handful of issues from the sixties missing, mistakenly thrown out by Tony’s mother when she was tidying up.
“There were some weeks in the seventies when printer’s industrial action stopped publication, but apart from that they’re all there.
“It’s quite remarkable.
“It is an extraordinary collection, perhaps the finest ever to be offered at auction.
“Other sales have had runs of the NME, some quite early, but involving limited periods. Nothing of this magnitude.
“We’ve given it a pre-sale estimate of £2,500-£3,000.”
NME MAGAZINE
NEW Musical Express (NME) is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website.
It was founded as a newspaper in 1952, and fell within the ‘rock inkie’ category.
It was the first British newspaper to include a singles chart, adding that feature in the edition of 14 November 1952.
In the 1970s, it became the best-selling British music newspaper.
From 1972 to 1976, it was particularly associated with punk rock through the writings of Julie Burchill, Paul Morley, and Tony Parsons.
While NME began as a music newspaper, it evolved into a magazine during the 1980s and 1990s, changing from newsprint in 1998.
The magazine’s website NME.com was launched in 1996, and became the world’s biggest standalone music site.
It garnered over millions of users per month.
Due to falling sales, in March 2018 the publisher announced that the print edition of NME would stop publication after 66 years.
It transitioned into an online-only publication.
But, in 2023, NME revealed that it would revive its print magazine as a bimonthly release.
NME was acquired in 2019 by Singaporean music company BandLab Technologies.
This comes as many people are discovering their unusual collections could fetch them thousands at auction.
A vintage Star Wars toy hoard found at the back of a cupboard is set to go under the hammer for an eye-watering £600,000.
The over 400 near-mint figurines – including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader – are still in their original packaging.
Dating from the late 1970s and early 80s, the plastic toys had been stashed in a carboard box for 40 years by a pensioner.
In Livingston, , a dad-of-two hopes his giant collection of Pokémon cards will be worth more than a quarter of a million pounds.
Gordon White, 58, has been hoarding the rare trading cards for 16 years and has amassed thousands.
He has already cashed in by selling half of his collection, which fetched a whopping £200,000 when it went under the hammer in November last year.
And, a collector who found 1,246 coins over the last 45 years sold the lot for £2million.
Robert Puddester paid up to £250 for some of the rarer coins, but the value of East India Company coins has shot up over the last 30 years.
The top selling lot was a Bombay half-mohur from 1765 which sold for £117,800.
A 1765 Bombay gold mohur sold for £99,200, as did a rare 1770 Bombay gold 15 rupees, which was one of only four known examples.
Suprising household items that are worth a fortune and how to find them
Experts believe the average UK attic hides valuables totalling a staggering £1,922, and around £33billion worth of “junk” lurks in our cupboards and drawers
Antiques expert Charlie Ross, who regularly appears on Bargain Hunt and Flog It!, has listed several items to look out for in your home.
’90s vinyl
“Records made from about 1992 to 1999 are especially valuable as not a lot was made at that time. Vinyl from bands like Mansun might sell for £80 or Kula Shaker, £65,” said the expert.
Star Wars
“What really sells well is carded figures, One auction recently sold a rare character called Yak Face, from Return Of The Jedi, for over £1,500,” said Charlie
Fountain Pens
The Bargain Hunt presenter said: “A rare Namiki fountain pen once sold for £6,000 at auction, while auction house Dreweatts sold a limited-edition Montblanc for an incredible £14,000.”
Old mobiles
“Even if they are not worth a huge amount now, there is no doubt that they will become valuable, so they are worth keeping. The first one of any particular series might also be worth something in years to come”. said Charlie.
Autographs
“If you have a collection of all the Beatles’ autographs, you are sitting on a fortune!” Charlie added.
“I recently met a chap who had a book full of cricketers’ autographs – even that was worth £100.”
Comics
“A Batman Adventures Comic from 1993 could make you around £800. Comics are valuable as they are typically limited edition and quite rare,” explained the expert.
For more information on hidden valuable items, read here
