I knew before I walked into the auction house that tons of books would be up for sale. But as I got closer to the books, imagine my surprise when I saw that they were all one note.
Table after table of books about the Beatles were spread out on one side of the auction-house floor. There were books on the Beatles as a group and as individual members. Yoko Ono had her own book. There were Beatles albums and CD sets, Beatles calendars, an “Idiot’s Guide to the Beatles,” Beatles posters, full newspapers with Beatles on the covers and a 1966 poster of the Beatles at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York(their second appearance there).
I recall seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in the 1960s and loving them singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” I’ve also picked up a few Beatles albums at auction from time to time but never something like this.
It was one person’s collection, the auctioneer said. No, it was one person’s obsession. But this person isn’t the only one. The Beatles are among the most beloved singing groups in the world, and stuff commemorating them included much more than books and recordings. Apparently, that’s one of the areas this collector decided to focus on (and I’m sure there were others).
Like many collections, the amount of money spent on the items doesn’t match what they’ll eventually re-sell for (one table of books went for $90 and another for $35). But that’s not the point of collecting, is it?
Here’s what confronted me at the auction house:
