You want the beat?

November 14, 2013 11:54 AM

Tim Derbyshire, owner of London's On the Beat Records, has put his entire store up for bid on eBay. Says the NYT: "[Derbyshire] has decided to retire but would prefer not to just pack up and go. Nor is he keen on having an everything-must-go sale. His preference is to leave the shop as it is, with its stock of singles, albums, posters and 1960s through 1980s memorabilia intact, and turn over the keys to a record fanatic who will run it more or less as he has, since the late 1970s." The buy-it-now price is £300,000.
posted by Clustercuss (12 comments total)

Oops forgot to post NYT link, sorry: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/for-vinyl-collectors-a-482000-bargain-on-ebay/
posted by Clustercuss at 11:57 AM on November 14, 2013

He really needs to include more information there. Does that include the building, or is there a lease on top of it? What's the stock worth? Does he have info on valuation, etc?

I get that it's romantic to swoop in an buy up an iconic shop, but that's quite a lot of dough for romance.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:10 PM on November 14, 2013

Nick Hornby is probably already putting together a proposal and is planning to rearrange the albums in chronological order.
posted by Ber at 12:18 PM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]

I get that it's romantic to swoop in an buy up an iconic shop, but that's quite a lot of dough for romance.

Based on the perfect little world in my brain where I have All The Money, I'd like to think this is being auctioned off less as a smart investment opportunity and more as tempting bait for a crazy billionaire who wants to own an established music shop and has People who take care of all the details like the "lease" and "bills" and so on.
posted by griphus at 12:31 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't want to pay those PayPal fees!
posted by blue_beetle at 12:35 PM on November 14, 2013

Nor the shipping charge.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:37 PM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]

According to the beeb, the price includes a 10 year lease and 50,000 records.

Selling now is a shrewd move if he's coming to the end of a long lease. The cost of renewal will be sky-high for a unit on Tottenham Court Road.
posted by freya_lamb at 12:38 PM on November 14, 2013

According to the beeb, the price includes a 10 year lease and 50,000 records.

It's like one of those old Columbia House ads from back in the day:

SIGN UP NOW AND GET 50,000 RECORDS FOR ONLY £300,000!

When you agree to purchase an additional 100,000 records over the course of three years at retail price.
posted by griphus at 12:43 PM on November 14, 2013 [6 favorites]

"Nick Hornby is probably already putting together a proposal and is planning to rearrange the albums in chronological order."

Not chronological. Autobiographical.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:01 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

I was burgled once and all my vinyl was stolen apart from Eric Clapton solo albums.
posted by colie at 1:10 PM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]

not a securities lawyer, but I wonder if this would be legal in the US.
posted by jpe at 1:46 PM on November 14, 2013

Not clear what you think would be illegal. Functioning businesses are sold all the time. (Maybe not on eBay.)
posted by dhartung at 11:40 PM on November 14, 2013