On the Couch | Jason Richardson | Retro Collector | McNeill Real Estate
Recently we were delighted to have Jason Richardson, a local identity talk to us all about his hobby of collecting retro items and in particular - vinyl records.
SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO WATCH THE VIDEO, or read the transcript below
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This idea to share came about when the team, Janet McNeill and David Kershaw, realised that during the course of running their own business, they were meeting so many amazing people with great stories, that they wanted to let others know what was on their doorstep.
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Janet and David
TRANSCRIPT
DAVID: Hello, you're about to meet Jason Richardson. Most people know Jason from the Mornington Peninsula News Group but he's also known as the Man in the Hat! Jason tours markets and collects vintage and retro materials, he's a very interesting man and I hope you enjoy this chat.
DAVID: Welcome to another session of On The Couch, my name is David and today my guest is Jason Richardson. Now most of you know Jason from the Mornington Peninsula News Group, what many may not know is, he's also known as the Man in the Hat! Jason collects vintage retro and collectible goods, welcome Jason.
JASON: Thank you David thank you for having me.
DAVID: You're very welcome, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background Jason? Well I am originally from Tassie. So we've been Victorians now for almost 20 years. We came here for a holiday, geographically the Peninsula is very similar to Tassie yes, and just the opportunities over here. We literally got back to Tassie, looked at each other, my wife and I and said let's just put the house on the market and go straight back, which is what we did. Six months later we were over here. Tassie’s a beautiful place, it is beautiful and look you can drive through Red Hill, yes and yeah you do I think I'm home, I still call it home but yeah. So I worked a lot in retail when we first moved here, and then was lucky enough to find a job in the local newspapers, which is something I've done earlier. I was years ago I was a stringer for one of the daily newspapers in Tassie so I had my own little sports column. Okay and then I did dabble in real estate but wasn't overly good at it. I can admit that, but and then I was lucky enough to find this job where those two things combine. You can do and got into advertising with the with the local newspapers that's doing that for 15 years.
DAVID: So what do you most love about the Mornington Peninsula, is it because it reminds you.
JASON: Remind me, I think it's just, it's just the space you know you can drive around you see these lovely properties and just this feeling that you're, you know, you can stretch your arms out, you know and everything's so unique and different down here you know. You go too closer to the city everything looks it's all boxed, it's all boxed and pre-packaged. Yeah it's unique, the architecture, the styles, the housing.
DAVID: We've got ocean beaches, we've got bay beaches. Wineries, Golf Courses. Yeah we're very spoiled, we've got everything here.
DAVID: So anyway, I mentioned that you collect vintage retro, what got you into collecting?
JASON: Look I was watching these guys and I always tell the story, so we sit on the couch, 10 o'clock on a Wednesday night, and these two guys would come on telly and off they'd go in their big white van, hunting through people's barns and I turned to my wife and said you know what that just looks like a lot of fun. Yeah and I went down to the local market because they always had the best jam doughnuts and while I was waiting for them to be cooked I've turned around and there's a woman selling her wares. So I've picked up this little plate and had all the Beatles on them, okay that was a biscuit plate, yes so I knew enough about back stamps and whatnot, so I said okay it's made in England it can't be too bad. Not a knock off . Yeah took it home, researched it, you know 50 to 70 pounds this little plate that I paid eight dollars for. That was nice. Okay here we go yeah, so off I went next week and off I went the week after that and then soon it just became a habit an obsession. It became a very quick obsession. So that's how it started, it was just something that just looks so interesting and so fun and it has been it's one of those things that just gives you joy.
DAVID: And the items you collect do you ever actually on sell them if you find a little gem?
JASON: My wife gets first dibs so when I pull up in the car after a Saturday it's you know yep I'll have that, you can't sell that, that's mine, that's going in the garden. A lot of them do stay there's things that I collect you do on sell them yeah yeah you know you make sure they go to a another home and someone else to appreciate.
DAVID: And how far would you travel to some of these markets.
JASON: In terms of markets I'd probably go, I'll probably go as far as Dandenong, yeah to go to a market. I mean I've been to country auctions to find stuff, but by and large most of it comes from the Peninsula. Okay yeah so that's another thing I love about the Peninsula, there's so many great little stores and you know and people that constantly move. And you do the op shops as well? Yeah loving the op shops. There's a few of my favourites that I’ve, there's quite a few in this area.
DAVID: And have you ever found a real collector's gem?
JASON: Look probably. Something that you'd like to mention or. The one thing that I regret ever selling is that's probably the best one it was, it was found very early on and it was a juice container in the shape of Bob Hawke's head. Oh yeah it was his head and shoulders. Yeah and he's, you know just the tip of his tie, and it was the little juice nozzle and he had a tear coming out of his eye and I think it was about the time where he might have broke down in Parliament. There were some issues there, I know he famously broke down about what was going on in China at Tiananmen Square. Anyway it had this very you know probably very cruel little saying under it but yes it was so unique and I've just never seen another one so that's probably the one thing that always comes to mind.
DAVID: Do you think it’s valuable or is it
JASON: probably worth more than what I sold it for yes and certainly now that Bob Hawk’s passed yeah it would have probably gone up in value but I think just for its overall uniqueness yes that's probably the one thing that always comes to mind and the one thing that I do regret selling.
DAVID: One of my regrets in life is I remember in the 70s when L.S. Lowry died, before he died you could buy his paintings quite reasonably and now they're in the hundreds of thousands of dollars I always regret that, but we all have regrets.
DAVID: Now I noticed you’ve brought some albums with you. Yes. Did you want to tell us a little about them?
JASON: Yeah so probably one of the hottest things at the moment in the vintage and collectibles world is vinyl, the resurgence in vinyl has been overwhelming you know, real purists will tell you that it never went away. Yes but the fact is you know when CD’s came out in the late 80s into the 90s vinyls got shoved further and further into cupboards and then people moved and they got binned. Yep and but so happily a lot still remain and it is just one of the massive growth areas in what I do and it's something now that you always ask for and you're always very happy to find. So I have brought along a few of my treasures just to give you an idea of what you know what is valuable. I mean not all records attract money. I mean you know the Nana Mouskouri's, the Harry Secombe's, the Richard Clayderman's that came out in the 70s. Unfortunately not, you've got a cupboard full of them, no you know nail into the wall, you know make a craft project out of them, do something like that. But if you like listening to them, if you like that's the beauty of music. If you like this, if you still like listening to Nana Mouskouri, by all means, you know that's the beauty of it. But in terms of AC DC you just can't beat classics. You know it's very odd I didn't get into AC DC until well into my 30s. I didn't listen to it as a kid but Back In Black just by one of their finest albums as far as I'm concerned. So again if you ever see any AC DC grab it. So that is quite rare?
JASON: I know yeah they sold millions and that's the thing like you're looking at all these bands and huge bands and there's millions of records out there, but they are collectible because that they're probably the things that got binned. Yeah you know they ended up on they I'll buy that on CD sure and I'll bin all my original AC DC's. You know there's probably blokes out there crying that they did that. You know rough condition. I mean condition’s everything with records. Yeah you know that's quite a rough, but the record itself, the vinyl is fine. The other one that's become really popular of late is Queen following the the Bohemian Rhapsody movie. Now again for me Queen A Day At The Races and the other one is A Night At The Opera yeah if you're talking Queen records they're the ones that you want. Which I think is David, yes this is one of my favourites.
DAVID: that's the first time I've heard so Killer Queen yeah the big one there Brighton Rock I heard it on the radio. This is in the 70s so I bought the album.
JASON: Yeah it's a classic yeah see a lot of people think that movie was about Freddie Mercury whereas I think it was celebrating Queen.
DAVID: Me too
JASON: you know you forgot just how good they were. Yeah but that one's got the air Somebody To Love yeah but um so Night At The Opera that's got you know Bohemian Rhapsody that's the big one you want with Queen and then of course everyone's favourite the Beatles. So another pride and joy Abbey Road as we were saying earlier, fascinating album artwork on this one and there's a lot of information that helps you date your records. Because in terms of value, it'll determine whether they're a first pressing or a second pressing. The little trick with Abbey Road is that there's a little grille down there in the crosswalk, yep so on first pressings the grille is completely visible, okay and then on subsequent pressings the grill becomes more and more so there in that one you can just barely see it.
DAVID: Okay and does that affect the value of that.
JASON: Well it does so this is probably, you know at least a third pressing of the album.
DAVID: So what sort of how much would you pay for.
JASON: Well this one in particular, is quite rare whether, you can make it out there but this one's actually called what's called the blood cover. So it's got this funny little red splotch just near Ringo here and yeah Ringo and there was only a limited number of those made before they picked it up and of course that's given rise to all these mad conspiracy theories so there's a whole website devoted to the artwork of Abbey Road. The artwork cover of Abbey Road. Then of course you've got John Lennon's famous Volkswagen there that's in.
DAVID: I didn't know that was his car.
JASON: Yeah I think that's fairly certain that's John Lennon's. So that one there I mean retail I think the last copy of Abbey Road I had it's comfortably a $70 album so certainly one there. And of course there was also mistakes. There was an error. There was there was a track listed on the back of the album that's now listed on the actual record. Okay that was added later on, so again that that shows you what pressing it was too. So if you've got all those and then continuing with the Beatles probably their most the White Album what's become known as the White Album and probably their most famous there we go.
DAVID: I've got one here one it's number 00001 is it worth anything?
JASON: Yes well if you've 00001 you're probably looking at a $300,000 record!
DAVID: Okay I'm kidding!
JASON: mine says 51653 which in terms of the White Album is it's not a bad number yes
DAVID: But do you know how many were sold in total?
JASON: Well my understanding was that the first pressing was only 10 but someone corrected me and said no the first pressing was much bigger so about 250,000
DAVID: because they're not all numbered,
JASON: they're not all numbered no, so if you've got a numbered copy, you know that that's a first pressing. Yeah that came out you know and this was everywhere this was Australia yeah, US Germany, Britain you know so each country had 250000. So I think Ringo Starr has number 0001. My pride and joy. I think this was the moment, Joe Satriani, it was the moment I first discovered that hey I'm not a teeny bopper, you know I've got taste. Yes you know I heard this guy master of the guitar though you know when we were kids, you know you'd listen to Barry Bissell on a Friday night with Take 40 Australia and then I'd get up at five in the morning to watch Rage. Yeah the top 50 countdown and then this guy came in at about number 48 and never really made it big on the Aussie charts, but I admire just what he could do with the guitar is just astounding so that is that's going in the coffin that's being buried with me!
JASON: Fleetwood Mac. In the charts for years and years that was. Yeah Rumours, Arguably I reckon one of the greatest pop albums ever. Yeah I sell that as fast as I can find it. Yeah it just flies off the shelf.
DAVID: and how many babies have been named after some of the song titles.
JASON: This one will be Rhiannon. Yes Rhiannon certainly not my son. I'm sure he'll be happy to know. But I mean The Chain you know just loving it. And this was a very recent find Bob Dylan -Tombstone Blues has become my new favourite song. I can't believe I've gone through most of my life as it is not listening to that record.
DAVID: But we do that, we turn for I'm listening to things at the moment that were made in the early 70s. Yeah it's just yeah, it's a full circle,
JASON: you go full circle, you come back but you know he was he was just a gifted storyteller all his music yeah.
DAVID: I was listening to this in the car last night yeah I've got it on a USB stick yeah now this is by a band called Faust. Virgin signed them in the 70s, and in the 70s there was a glut of German bands there was Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Can so all the major labels were clamouring to get Faust on their books. Yeah. Virgin signed them and produced this it's a sampler album it's called the Faust Tapes and it was 50 pence. This was in the days when a full album was 2 pounds 50. Yeah I was only earning 6 pounds a week, so I bought it. Nice yeah but It's brilliant. I still play it, still listen to it and the artwork is by an artist called Bridget Riley. I don't know if anybody would know the name.
JASON: It's very very test patterning. Isn't very, it certainly is the magic you can almost you can almost see the curve yeah in it.
DAVID: You've got Rick Astley there.
JASON: Yeah Rick Astley look you know as I was saying earlier, you know, you had a lot of these manufactured bands that came out of England during the 80s, Bananarama, Mel And Kim, Rick Astley was one of them but you know he's become cool again and again that's become a very popular record because no one could ever dispute Rick Astley could sing. No and some of his later stuff that's coming out now is just fabulous. So yeah so that that's a guilty pleasure that one Rick Astley. And then of course yeah War Of The Worlds.
DAVID: I got my mum and dad on to that when that came out, they loved it.
JASON: Something that really influenced me from a very young age was that was that record, you know I just love Richard Burton's narration.
DAVID: Jeff Wayne was a very famous record producer. Yeah he was, and this is the first time he actually put his name to something. I think this whole compilation he got all these great artists together, wrote some great songs, and i think it actually toured in Melbourne here a few years ago. I think it did. yes yeah, so it's a very special album that one.
JASON: Yeah and Neil Diamond .
Yeah look Neil look we were talking earlier about sort of you know Nana Mouskouri and those ones from the 70s. Neil Diamond just stands the test of time. Not all of his records attract massive money, you know Jonathan Livingston Seagull and serenades. You know they're not overly sought after, but everybody still loves Hot August Night.
DAVID: and there would have been a lot of those printed.
JASON: There was, I mean you could pretty much find that anywhere. You know you don't have to look hard to find a copy of Hot August Night. But you know that's the thing, when you've made a multi-million dollar album. There's a lot of them out there. Sure is. We've got Elvis and then look just a few basics you know. Again not everyone's going to have, you know Fleetwood Mac, AC DC you know, the Rolling Stones in their collections at home, but they may have some of these other guys which are still very popular, still very sought after and still can attract good money. So Elvis, unfairly skinny Elvis, not big Elvis, probably attracts more money.
DAVID: I prefer Roy.
JASON: Look I love Roy Orbison and sells great voice, very well, you know he really does. He's one of those just, those timeless artists and then of course Credence, Cosmos Factory and probably Willie And The Poor Boys. Probably their two most sought after albums that you can find. Again you know, so you know you're talking $30 to $40 retail for most of any Credence album. Oh all right Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson yep, so again just another one of those artists that just stands the test of time. You know and right back to the Jackson 5. So look anything with Jackson in it, not so much Jermaine, certainly Janet, certainly Michael, the last copy of Thriller. You know again, you're probably talking comfortably your $60 to $70 record. Yeah so you know a lot of them out there because it was such a huge hit, but again probably one of those albums that got turfed, you know back in the 80s when CD’s became just the thing.
DAVID: That's right. So I think I had a CD version of it.
JASON: Yeah I mean the thing with, the thing with Thriller the oh there we go is the yeah it's the gatefold. Yeah so you know where he's, where he all comes out and then again just another one of my personal favourites. I discovered Chris Rea again, sort of towards the end of the 80s.
DAVID: Good North East of England boy.
JASON:; He's just got one of those voices you know, he has his that gravel, you know a bit of Joe Cocker there. And that's just fabulous. I love you know side one. You know track one and two The Road to Hell.
DAVID: It's well I bought a couple of mine in. I'm sorry I'm not going through them all, no because we'll be here all day! This I could easily talk quickly I've been thinking about I think this is the first album I ever bought with my own money in 1973. I was at work, as I said it was probably just under half a week's wage so it took me a while. It's Alice Cooper Billion Dollar Babies. Now this is made in the days when the budgets for album sleeves were almost unlimited. Davey Bailey did the photography. There was a billion dollar note in there. There's collectors cards in there. It's all nicely padded, but apart from that's a brilliant album.
DAVID: And just one more to show you this is probably the most famous 12 inch single ever made. Yeah it's Blue Monday by New Order. Oh yes. It was made in 1983. It's the record that made them money and made Factory Records rich. It was at one stage in the UK. Selling 10, 000 copies a week. This whole 700,000 altogether. Made Factory Records and Tony Wilson lots of money, which they squandered over the next few years. That seemed to be what the companies were very good at doing.
DAVID: So apart from we know what you're doing, you're not working you're collecting, do you have any other hobbies Jason.
JASON: Well no I gave up most of them to go and do what I do on a Saturday morning, so you know I was a fairly a reasonable sort of golfer in my youth. But that sort of went by the wayside. So apart from my yes I'm still I still have to work nine to five as you know that may hopefully be the natural evolution of what I do. Yeah to have my own little shop one day. But now just you know, a bit of a movie aficionado. Yeah if I can I'll get to as many films as I can, yeah but yeah but apart from just general collecting and sport, you know when you can all right.
DAVID: Well it's been really good to meet you we could probably go on all day. We could I've got more albums upstairs, but we'll leave those for another day. Thank you for joining us on the couch and we'll see you next time. Thank you Jason. Cheers thank you.