Vast Beatles collection goes on auction in Paris

Five alternate pictures for the cover of Abbey Road are displayed by French Beatles specialist and collector Jacques Volcouve, one of the world's greatest living experts of the band, at Drouot auction house in Paris, March 16, 2017


antiguaobserver.com
Vast Beatles collection goes on auction in Paris
Reuters
March 18, 2017


French Beatles specialist and collector Jacques Volcouve, one of the world's greatest living experts of the band, poses with the ' Yesterday And today ' and 'From Me To You' covers at Drouot auction house in Paris, March 16, 2017, a part of the 15,000 items going on sale on next March 18. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

A vast collection of rare Beatles vinyl records, photos and other paraphernalia will go on auction in Paris on Saturday.

Beatles aficionado Jacques Volcouve began his collection in 1967 with the album “A Hard Day’s Night”. Decades later, it has grown to include nearly 15,000 records and more besides.

“Starting from 1967, I gave myself an absolutely impossible mission: own everything concerning the Beatles,” Volcouve told Reuters TV, as he was sorting through his collection December.


French Beatles specialist and collector Jacques Volcouve, one of the world's greatest living experts of the band, poses next to figurines on stage at Drouot auction house in Paris, March 16, 2017, a part of the 15,000 items going on sale on next March 18.

The 60-year-old has decided to auction off his collection to fund his retirement.

Among the 332 lots up for auction on Saturday is the disc “Tony Sheridan and the Beatles 7: My Bonnie,” signed by Paul McCartney and George Harrison, with an estimated price of 6,000-10,000 euro ($6,450-10,740).

A lot of 11 alternate cover photos for the Grammy-winning Sergeant Pepper Lonely Hearts Club album is expected to go for 10,000 to 15,000 euros.

Volcouve has written books and given radio commentaries about the Liverpool foursome. Letters he received from Harrison and Ringo Starr in 1976, thanking him for articles he had written, could fetch up to 3,000 euros each.

A set of dolls of the Fab Four with their instruments is expected to sell for 200-400 euros.

Among other items up for sale are an “authentic Beatle wig”, a Yoko Ono/John Lennon wedding album box and posters.