Expert: Pattie - 3/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Pattie,
I attended the Beatles 1966 concert in Manila as a teenager.I have color slides of the Guys on stage that I took. We attended the first show.I had photographs made(2)from the slides. They are quite close, good color photos, clearly see the Beatles on the "simple stage". I am not a collector, but I am considering "offering" a limited release(X number) of the photos( and sale?). Of course, I do not know of the value of these photos. From searching the internet I found no published color photos of this event and only a b/w newpaper photo of them on stage. Of course they are part of my cherished memories of my summer in the Phillippines. Your input and advise will be appreciated. I did contact another "collector" on the internet and He wants me to "name my price" for the copyrights and originals.
Regards,
Mark

ANSWER: Hi Mark!

Well, any sort of uncirculated pictures of the Beatles are always worth a lot of money, especially if they're clear, colour shots. The concert in Manilla, as you may be aware, is infamous in the Beatles history due to the "misunderstanding" that had them removed from the country practically at gunpoint. You're right, there's not a lot of good pictures out there of them onstage in Manilla, although I'm sure that countless fans took their picture from the audience. Unfortunately, I can't give you a true value of the pictures, because there's nothing really to compare them to. I'd have to see them. I can tell you this though...if what you have are real, yes, you can pretty much name your price and get it, if you want to sell them outright. Collectors are normally willing to pay top dollar for anything unusual regarding the Beatles. You may want to consider contacting one of the major auction houses, such as Christie's or Sotheby's to sell them. If I were in your position though, I believe that I'd do this. I'd either offer the original slides to an auction house, where you're almost guaranteed to get a lot of money for them (less their cut, I'm sure)...OR...make prints of the pictures (using a reputable printer) and sell them yourself, possibly via eBay or a website you create yourself. I'd say you could probably charge $100 per print and get it, because they'd be from the original negatives. Whatever you do, do NOT put high resolution pictures of these online and ALWAYS use a watermark. Pictures can be copied off of any website, but if they're very low resolution and marred with a watermark, it's less likely they'll be copied and circulated. You said you made two prints. How many pictures do you actually have? I wish I could give you a definitive answer for this, but again, without actually seeing them, that's impossible. I collect Beatles photos myself, but I already know I wouldn't be able to afford to purchase them from you. Although, if you do decide to sell prints, please let me know and I may buy some from you myself.  

Let me also give you the name of someone who may be able to help you further. His name is Pete Nash. He's the memorabilia expert for the British Beatles fan club. He's also a dealer on eBay with a fantastic reputation. I've purchased things from him myself and always came away happy. You can reach Pete at http://www.britishbeatlesfanclub.co.uk/about.html. If you need any further help, let me know...in the meantime, I'd personally love to see the pictures. Good luck and thanks for the question!

Peace,
Pattie
8^)



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Pattie,
Thanks for your reply and enthusiasm!. I like the ebay choice as I have an account there already.  I have a relationship with a photography shop here in Austin, Tx  Should be interesting to see how it pans out.  Is it best to "offer a limited run" of prints in such a case? How many? Depends on demand I guess, as would the price. Hopefully I can get it going pretty soon to "coincide" with the 43th anniversary of the Manilia concert. I hope you can get a print or two.  I'll let you know.
Thanks again.
Mark

Answer
Hey Mark!

I love Austin, it's one of my favourite cities. What I would suggest is yes, do a limited run. Decide how many you want to sell and then number them. Sell them as a numbered series. For example, if you want to sell a hundred of one print, mark them as 1/100, 2/100 etc. Do this for each shot you're planning on selling. Make sure that your photo shop prints them with a white border around them so there's a place to hand number them. Numbering them makes them more valuable. If you were the photographer, you can also sign them and that raises it higher. When you get the auction ready, please send me the link and if I can afford it, I'd love #9. I'll also pass the link on to some friends of mine who are photo collectors. You'll do well for sure. Can't wait to see them!

Peace,
Pattie
8^)