Articles — collector guides

This month of August marks 49 years since Elvis Presley left us. The King of Rock and Roll passed away on August 16, 1977, at the far-too-young age of 42, leaving millions of fans around the world mourning the loss of one of music's greatest icons. But in many ways, Elvis never really left. His extraordinary legacy continues through his timeless contributions to rock, pop, gospel, and film. He still holds the record for the most RIAA Gold Album Awards of any artist, a testament to his enduring popularity and remarkable impact on recorded music. "Hard Headed Woman", one of...

Guitars, despite their wood, metal and wire construction, have always had a human quality to them. Guitarists who hold one in their hands for enough years will tell you that they become extensions of themselves. Rough edges get smoothed. Spots get worn. Belt buckle rash appears. Their wood gets stained with sweat, booze, even blood (just ask Pete Townshend). They've traveled the world. They've been played on countless stages and studios. And so by now they're just about perfect. Any collector will tell you to get one of these well-traveled instruments that was used to create some of their favorite...

Check out this list of the top 10 highest prices attained by RIAA awards in the marketplace. These pieces of music memorabilia have clearly become very popular with collectors.

Since our last report in 2024 on the latest RIAA top 10 albums in terms of U.S. sales, AC/DC is the biggest mover, with their Back In Black masterstroke album now going from fourth to third on the list. In doing so they overtook the Eagles venerable Hotel California album.   Eagles, however, remain fully secure at the top of the list with their best seller, Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, at 38 million copies sold. Also, Led Zeppelin's IV album notched past Billy Joel's two-volume greatest hits release, tying the Beatles White Album at 24 million sold. Other moves in the top...

Record awards in their earliest days were pretty plain, starting with simple dark-stained wood framed affairs with white matte boards in the 60s and early 70s. The period of 1975 thru the mid-80s brought silver and gold painted frames and charcoal-colored mattes. This was followed by a graduation to some pretty pedestrian black plastic-covered frame/black matte awards from the mid-80s through late 90s.   Just before the millennium, however, the RIAA loosened up its' previously strict design standards. This opened up the creative floodgates for award designers, who responded with an explosion of new designs. The companies that designed these new award...