Scott Neuman

Toms River, NJ

Scott Neuman

Meeeeeeeee

I collect what I consider rare or collectible records. I'm also an appraiser of music collections at Forevervinyl.com. I've been used as an expert reference at Oprah.com, Bankrate.com, Yahoo.com, Rolling Stones, and Readers Digest magazine. I collect 1st pressings of collectible records, acetates and studio master recordings. These are items that take me just one or two steps away from the final recording session. Examples would be my recent purchase of Black Sabbaths "Black Sabbath" US album. I've never seen a full Black Sabbath acetate album before (7" acetates are around) and had to have it. I've also come across Paul McCartneys Ram acetate and John Lennons Wedding Album acetate. The sound is amazing. I also collect picture discs and promotional recordings. Garage 45's, and other cool rock, jazz, blues, soul and punk records that are hard to find. In addition, RIAA awards are also things I look for. I just don't collect the average items you find at record stores for $3 to $10 dollars.

Most of the items I look for are one of a kind or of very limited amounts. I recently picked up a collection by Michael Jackson, his History Past, Present and Future Book #1 album collection with 12 different formats or they were imports. All of them are number #1 of 200. All are sealed. All were recalled because Michael used the words "Ki*e and Jew" in the words of the song "They don't care about us". That recall cost Sony millions. It compares to the album Yesterday and Today by the Beatles for the Butcher Cover or the Rolling Stones "Street Fightin Man" 45 picture sleeve that was recalled. Because it's numbered and was the first pressing off the line (remember the part about finding the first pressings), it compares to the White Album by the Beatles that were numbered. For the Beatles, copy #1-5 went to the Beatles and Brian Epstein.

I stopped counting the albums at one point and stopped at 5000. I don't have a reason to count and lot of what I have are items I had to buy to get the one or two items I did want. Someday I'll have a nice charity donation. Imagine donating the records to charity and getting a $50K write off with an appraiser signing off on the report. The only problem is, other then myself and a guy on the west coast, I don't know any other appraisers that appraises music collections. Guess I'm only getting $1.00 per record per IRS standards without an appraiser. :<.

All the items are stored in archivel boxes in a heated area. Far away from the prying hands of my kids.

I sometimes invite friends, collectors or news people to come over and enjoy the collection. I don't want to be one of those people that hides his illness under a rock. I let my light shine. I sometimes take the hard to find ones, record them to youtube and hope the copyright holders don't have bug up their ace about letting someone else enjoy what they aren't selling at this time. I'm not a fan of counterfeiters but Youtube is great for sharing the love of record collecting without collectors. I had put a selection of an acetate created by Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons that was Watertown that Frank Sinatra sung. The two versions are striking and so far 600 collectors have listened to it and most prefer the Gaudio version (myself included). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZH85J7MSw4