The original “Monster Mash” single spent two weeks at the top of the charts in October 1962, providing a whimsical respite to America’s anxiety over the Cuban Missile Crisis. Reissued twice, the single reached Number 91 in 1970 and Number 10 in 1972. All are desirable collectibles, but the original 45, with its ghoulish sleeve, is the most sought after and can be found for less than $20 online.

The top 20 “Monster Mash” album, also from 1962, is the holy grail of dual Halloween/vinyl collectibles. The mono and stereo versions currently book at $150 and $250, respectively, in the Goldmine catalog of American records, although high-grade copies can usually be found online for considerably less. The rare LP contains the title cut and fifteen other tracks, all in the same party-hearty vein

“Monster Mash” was the brainchild of Bobby Pickett and Lenny Capizzi, fellow members of the Cordials, a singing group that gigged around Los Angeles in the early 1960s. A horror-movie aficionado and aspiring actor, Pickett had long since perfected his spot-on impression of actor Boris Karloff’s distinctive, debonair-but-spooky baritone and used it to show-stopping effect in the monologue portion of the Cordials’ performance of “Little Darlin’.”

Determined to fully exploit Pickett’s talent, the friends spent just two hours concocting the story of an impromptu monster party in a mad scientist’s castle and setting it to a simple, four-chord melody. Their demo caught the fancy of producer/arranger Gary Paxton, who recruited an all-star band (including the Ventures’ Mel Taylor on drums and legend-to-be Leon Russell on piano) to back up Pickett’s Karloffian homage. Legend has it the Crypt-Kickers, as the band was dubbed, recorded the song in one take.

Four major labels slammed the door in Paxton’s face. Undaunted, he pressed a thousand copies of “Monster Mash” (the title capitalized on the then-current Mashed Potato dance craze) on his own label, Garpax, and hand delivered them to deejays along the California coast. The song’s witty lyrics, boss sound effects and surf-rock vibe caught on in a flash, propelling the song to number one in eight weeks (with a little help from a contract with London Records) and making Bobby “Boris” Pickett a household name.

Song’s fans range from Boris Karloff to Bob Dylan

Over the years, artists as diverse as TV horror-flick host Zacherley, the Beach Boys and Mannheim Steamroller have covered “Monster Mash,” but Pickett’s version remains the Halloween mainstay. Boris Karloff paid Pickett the ultimate tribute when he performed the song on the Halloween eve segment of TV’s “Shindig” in 1965. Other famous fans include novelty-song maven Dr. Demento and Bob Dylan, who has played it on his XM Satellite Radio show. The song’s appeal was apparently lost on Elvis Presley, however, who reportedly dissed it as “stupid.”

“Monster’s Holiday,” a Christmas sequel to “Monster Mash” that reached #30 in 1962, was Pickett’s only other major chart appearance. Pickett toured tirelessly in oldies shows, introducing performances with the quip, “I’d like to perform a medley of my hit.” He died from leukemia in 2007 at the age of 69.

Resurrected every Halloween, this monster boogie classic stands alone among offbeat vinyl collectibles.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

On a relatively mild November day, I stopped by Zero Street Records in Omaha, NE to shop for LPs and visit with Mike Garber, the shop owner and WorthPoint Worthologist (check out his profile by clicking the Worthologists link at the top of the page). As I shop for records, Mike and I swap stories about recent finds, the internet, and what we’d been listening to lately.

This is Mike’s second shop and it’s one of my favorite places to frequent for great deals on records. Today, there is reggae playing on the stereo as I thumb through the new arrival bin. Grading records can be subjective, so it’s a bonus to be able to look at a record in person before you buy it. Mike uses a universal grading scale published in Goldmine magazine, but he also grades very conservatively. When he sells online, buyers are always pleased with their purchase.

I’ve bought many records from Mike and wish I had more time to play them. As I walk around the store, I look on the wall and see a Nick Drake record that I haven’t played in a long time and make a note to play my copy when I get home.

Last night, I met up with Mike Garber, WorthPoint’s vinyl record Worthologist and owner of Zero Street Records in Omaha, NE to see how things were going in the record collecting world. Mike just returned from a buying trip in Colorado and said that he had a good time finding records for the store and for trade.

I asked Mike to pick a few records from his inventory to talk about and he selected three obscure records from Nebraska that are in demand because of their scarcity and sound.

The first record is a 45 released in 1960 for the rockabilly / instrumental group The Shades. The tracks are “Tidal Wave” and “Shady”. This record was never issued with a picture sleeve, but Mike’s copy retains the original dust sleeve with the label (Eyeball Record Company) and address ink stamped on it. Mike said, “What might at first look like a surf record in actuality is a real nice and obscure instro from the rockabilly era”. I naively asked Mike if there were other notable rockabilly bands from Nebraska and he listed artists including Sparkle More, Lou and Red Berry, Carl Cherry, Dennis Volk, and Bobby Lowell. I googled Bobby Lowell and read that he is considered to be Nebraska’s first Rock n’ Roll recording artist.

The next record Mike showed me was a self-titled LP for a band called Heaven. It was released on W/W records in 1969. Mike described Heaven as a horn-rock band influenced by the psychedelic era. The term “horn-rock” made me grimace with thoughts of the band Chicago, but Mike reassured me that this record was nothing like them. He said, “While most horn-rock records are not desirable to psych collectors, the true underground and progressive nature of this record has made it sought after on that scene”. Only 500 copies were pressed, which gets a collector’s blood pumping.

The third record Mike wanted to show me was what he claims to be his “All-time favorite Nebraska record.” It is the 1978 LP release for the band Crap Detectors entitled, “Victims of the Media”. Crap Detectors are special to Mike because they represent the true DIY (do it yourself) artistic creativity from the time period when punk was new. This era quickly faded and Victims of the Media is a time capsule melding early rockabilly with early punk and even electronic. Only 300 were pressed with hand glued, mimeographed covers. The record was reissued in 1999 (along with their first 7”) on the label Brain Transplant. Crap Detectors were also featured on the famous Killed By Death compilations of obscure punk and hardcore bands, making early Crap Detectors releases very sought after by collectors.

Recently, I purchased a collection of vintage jukebox EPs dating from the mid 60’s to early 70’s. These EPs differ from regular 45s, in that they had small spindle holes and played at 33 1/3 rpm. They would contain four to six tracks from any given artist’s album and were not sold to the general public. Instead, they were only available to jukebox distributors for machines that could play this speed.

While they should not to be confused with commercially released EPs that were mildly popular in the late 50’s/early 60’s, their basic construction is the same. One of the most notable differences is the way they were packaged. Jukebox EPs were issued in one of three distinct jackets. Earlier EPs were either thick cardstock “LP style” or tri-fold paper sleeves. Both would reproduce the original albums cover artwork on the front in full color. The cardstock sleeves would have totally blank back covers (a sure sign of a jukebox EP), while the tri-fold sleeves would open into two sheets of title strips. In the late 60s, less colorful paper envelope style sleeves (black print on colored paper) were introduced. Some of these have different (or altered) artwork than the LPs they were sourced from.

It should come as no surprise that the Beatles have some of the most sought after jukebox EPs. Any issued for their Capitol albums are in high demand (cover, vinyl, title strips/inserts all factor in to the total value). All of the Beatles EPs would have had the thicker “LP style” jackets with blank back covers. Some other sought after artists include the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and even Dean Martin.

I think everyone who is a collector has something as part of their colletion that they have no real justifacation for owning. For me, it’s old bootleg albums. I’ve accumulated over 250 of these things in the past few years and god knows why…I never listen to them. Regardless, their history and taboo nature in the record collecting field is pretty facinating.

The first rock bootleg is believed to be Bob Dylan’s “Great White Wonder”. Released circa 1969 in a no frills hand-stamped white jacket, it contained previously unreleased studio recordings from the early 60s. It caught the attention of the record buying public via underground magazines and hippie distribution circles. What would follow was a flood of live/demo material by just about any and every band of note. Pink Floyd, the Doors, Grateful Dead, Dylan, the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles were all heavily bootlegged. Anyone with access to the tapes and a pressing plant could produce their own boot.

The sound quality of many bootlegs is mediocre AT BEST. Tape hiss, excessive crowd noise and cheap pressings were not uncommon. I have one Who boot where you can hear the audience’s chitter chatter ten times louder than the band itself (infact, you can’t really hear the band at all!). However, some boots are considered true classics and held in high regard by fans. Many recordings that originally appeared on bootlegs would later turn up on officially released albums and collections. Tracks from Dylan’s “Great White Wonder” were issued in the 70’s as “Basement Tapes” and Frank Zappa did a whole series called “Beat the Boots” where he pretty much bootlegged the bootlegs!

The vinyl bootleg’s heyday was certainly through the 1970s into the 80s. Early bootleggers would commonly travel across the country selling to local headshops, record stores and at concerts out the back of their vans . Many vinyl (and far more CD) bootlegs continued to be produced through the 90s and some are still being released to this day. Recently, I’ve seen Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse boolegs on wax. Even with the ease of finding much of this material for free on online download sites, these new boots show how important it is for a lot of collectors to have this material on vinyl.

While bootlegs are of a dubious and not-so-legal status, they’ve accumulated a solid fan base and legitimacy in the collecting world. Some bands have been friendly (or have at least turned a blind eye to) letting others sell bootlegs of their material. Others monitor online auction sites and pull any offending releases. If you have any old boots collecting dust in the basement, I’d recommend doing your research before trying to sell them in a public forum.

Every once in a while, there is a collector-related story that receives major media attention, yet, gets a collective moan from a majority of collectors that it should be most relevant to. Remember that Velvet Underground acetate that “sold” on Ebay for over $150,000? I do. CNN even gave it coverage. However, did you catch any follow up articles on how the winning bidder didn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy gas for his car? Numerous others had also made exorbitant bids with no intentions of ever paying. Apparently, it’s a strange ego boost to say you briefly had the high bid on one of the rarest records ever made; sad but true.

Recently, you may have caught a story in the media about the personal archive of Paul Mawhinney, owner of Record-Rama in Pittsburgh, PA. With a modest starting bid of only THREE MILLION DOLLARS, you just might have had a shot at his self-proclaimed “Worlds Greatest Music Collection” (over 3 million LPs and 45s along with 300,000 CDs). With a feature photo of Mawhinny holding one of rock’s holy grails (The Rolling Stones 1969 promotional album) and the auction’s claim that he was once offered over $28 million for his collection, one would assume the $3 million starting bid would be a great investment. Hey, that’s less than a buck each, what a steal! However, there was one catch: at Mawhinney’s request, the winning bidder should be a private collector who has no intention of breaking this collection up. Instead, they should be a philanthropist willing to create, or donate to, a museum dedicated to the “World’s Greatest Music Collection”.

Many found the self-imposed importance Mawhinney had given his own collection pretty humorous, especially when he had made minimal effort to say what was actually in his collection. I mean, do thousands of Nat King Cole and Perry Como-esque records qualify as museum quality? Who am I to say?

Paul seems like a passionate, lifelong collector so I won’t criticize the guy’s selling technique. What had my eyes rolling was the press the auction had received.
It amazed me that many in the media would write, as fact, that the collection had SOLD for $3+ million. The AP even reported that the winning bidder was legit and had already made a $300,000 down-payment. Interesting, considering that within a day of the auction’s end the winning bidder was no longer a registered user. I guess it wasn’t a red flag that the only other item this $3 million bidder had won in the last few months was a $7 memory card.

As of this evening, the AP has corrected the story, revealing that the winning bid was indeed fraudulent. The same story reported that Mawhinney has contacted the other bidders in hopes of finding a buyer. He sounded hopeful, quoted as saying “It’s still going to happen.”

I hope so, Paul. Hopefully those other bidders aren’t the same other bidders that took a shot at that Velvet Underground acetate.

One of the most frequent questions I receive at my shop is how to clean records.

I use a VPI record cleaner, which I recommend to anyone with a sizable collection or resale business. A vacuum- based cleaner like the VPI costs more than $500, so it’s probably not the best option for someone who only has 100 records sitting in the dusty basement.

There are many record cleaning kits that cost $20-$40. I don’t care for kits that use hand-held brushes that require you to use your arm as the fulcrum. In my experience, these brushes just redistribute dust and dirt on the record surface. They also can increase static electricity, which will attract more dust to the dry playing surface. I recommend using a soft cloth like the kind you would use to clean eye glasses. Dirtier records always will require more attention, but I find this method is at least as effective as using a brush.

For any cleaning method, you should use a liquid cleaning solution. There are commercial products available, but many collectors and dealers mix their own. They often recommend a mixture of 50 percent rubbing alcohol and 50 percent distilled water, along with a few drops of Photo Flo or non-abrasive soap (like shampoo or dish soap.) As with any cleaning method, a little trial and error should get you a process that you like. Practice on a few records you don’t care much about.

What about an album jacket or 45 label with an old price tag or radio station sticker that you don’t dare trying to peel off? Believe it or not, these remove easily with a little lighter fluid. Yes, lighter fluid! (I use Ronsonol).

Here’s how you do it: Saturate the sticker and the area around it. Don’t stress about the lighter fluid staining the jacket or label – it won’t. Give it a few seconds and then carefully start picking at the corners of the sticker with your fingernail. In most cases, the sticker will peel off quite easily. If not, be patient and let the lighter fluid dissolve the old adhesive.

This method does not work on all stickers/tape, including those that use water-based glues, but my success rate has been excellent. Words can’t explain the joy of removing old medical tape from a rare Fifties rockabilly 45 and leaving almost no trace of it ever having been there. Once the sticker and glue residue have been removed, allow about 15 minutes for the lighter fluid to evaporate. Again, practice with some records you don’t care about.

I have a friend who says, “Nothing returns a memory as clearly as a song.” In other words, by listening to a particular song, you can be immediately transported back to a certain time and place. Depending on the track, it’s an almost visceral reaction – at least for me. Some of the songs that trigger memories for me are:
> “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters (1964)- going to Seaside Heights (the Jersey shore) during the summer while in grade school.
> “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson (1976)- listening to that played almost continuously on the jukebox during my college years.
> “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones (1978) – studying all night, taking exams, and then sleeping for days – my grad school experience.

I have a vinyl collection of 150+ albums that the casual observer would seriously question: How can I go for The Doobie Brothers and Harry Belafonte? Why do I like both Bob Marley and Queen? And what about Bette Midler and The Talking Heads? OK, I’ll admit it – I went through all the possible musical phases as I grew up: bubblegum, folk rock, the British invasion, the girl groups, Motown, rock ‘n roll, reggae, disco (loved it!), and on and on…
My record collection is special because of the memories those songs evoke. I enjoyed playing them 30 years ago, and I enjoying listening to them now.