Top-Quality Beatles

RECORD COLLECTION INCLUDES SOME OF THE RAREST PIECES OF FAB FOUR VINYL

Stan Panenka is known by virtually every serious Beatles collector.

Though Hey Jude was his first Beatles record, purchased in 1970, it wasn’t until 1990 with his purchase of the Decca single “My Bonnie” that Panenka began seriously collecting high-end American Beatles vinyl.

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 “Since then, his collection has grown to colossal proportions, in terms of both quantity and quality, making it quite possibly the greatest collection of U.S.-pressed Beatles records ever known,” says Heritage Auctions entertainment and music memorabilia consignment director Giles Moon.

As one of the pre-eminent experts in American Beatles records, Panenka has written well-received price guides on Beatles vinyl, including Introducing… The Beatles Record Price Guide, and is a walking treasure trove of information on the subject. Now, Panenka is sharing his collection with Beatles fans.

A large part of what makes Panenka’s collection so important is his condition standards, which are stringent even among high-end dealers, Moon says. “He’s never bought an album that wasn’t at least near mint, bringing a ‘just left the pressing plant’ quality to nearly every item in this incredible accumulation.”

The first part of Panenka’s’ collection was offered in June, with record-breaking results. “Two stand-outs lots were a Yesterday and Today sealed, original, first state mono copy of the ‘Butcher Cover’ LP, which sold for $57,500, and a copy of Introducing The Beatles, the ultra-rare version one ‘Column Back’ stereo LP, which went for $52,500.

“We expect items from Panenka’s collection being offered in November’s entertainment auction to reach similar remarkable status,” Moon says.

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