Decca classical boxed set bonanza

The portrait of a grumpy Beethoven graces the cover of one of the hotter Decca titles. The store clerk was surprised that this title was priced so low - he'd seen it go for a lot more (the photo is from a bedraggled, stickered up copy on eBay priced at $80. My shiny copy in London, £4).

In among the pop finds below are eight classical boxed sets on the Decca label. Previously I collected the US RCA Living Stereo (and mono) andMercury Living Presence labels. Now I'm grabbing every UK Decca original pressing I can find, often at charity stores. The UK sellers haven't cottoned on to the collectability of the Decca narrow band pressings. The earlier wide band pressings are well recognised as collector items, even at Oxfam, but the later 60s/70s pressings often sound outstanding, and for many titles are the first pressings, with great talent like Benjamin Britten and Georg Solti as conductors.

ABC - That was then but this is now [12" Townhouse] 10p

Britten / Elgar - Gerontius [Decca SET 525-6] £2

Dorati / Hadyn - Schopfung [Decca D50D] £3

Jam - This is the modern world [Allen] £3

Japan - Tin drum [Artisan?] 30p

John Lennon - Mind games [1u] £2

Julian Cope - Trampolene [12" 1U] 10p

Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine [12"] 50p

Maazel / Berlioz - Romeo and Juliet [Decca Set 570-1] £4

Munchinger / Bach - Brandenburg [Decca 5BB 1301] 50p

Previn / Gershwin - Rhapsody in blue [EMI ASD 2754] 10p

Prince - When doves cry [12" Damont] £1

Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl [German, no mention of Precision Lacquer or Steve Marcussen] 30p

Schmidt-Isserstedt / Beethhoven - 9 Symphonies [Decca SXLB 6470-5] £4

Solti / Beethoven - Piano Concertos [Decca SXGL 6564-7] £4

Solti / Mahler - Symphony 2 [Decca SET 3225-6] £2

Solti / Wagner - Das Reingold [Decca SET 382-4] £2