The World's Leading Authority on Rare and Collectable Records
Our Story
The magazine has its roots in The Beatles Book, the official Beatles fan magazine that Sean O’Mahony originally published between 1963 and 1969. When he revived it in 1976, he noticed that the classified ads were increasingly filled with collectors buying, selling and trading rare vinyl—not just Beatles records, but releases by artists across every genre. Seeing the growth of record collecting as a hobby, he launched Record Collector as a supplement in September 1979. By March 1980, it had become a standalone magazine.
Over the years, Record Collector has evolved from a niche publication into the world’s leading magazine for serious music collectors. Throughout the 1980s and beyond, it built its reputation by combining authoritative journalism with an unrivalled focus on record collecting, offering in-depth artist features, exclusive interviews, expert reviews, detailed discographies and trusted price guides. Long before the internet made such information readily available, the magazine became an indispensable resource for collectors seeking to identify rare pressings, understand record values and discover music beyond the mainstream.
Today, Record Collector continues to be the definitive voice for collectors worldwide, covering every genre and era of recorded music through exclusive interviews, expert reviews and in-depth features. It is also the home of the acclaimed Rare Record Price Guide, the industry’s most trusted guide to vinyl values and one of the essential reference books for collectors around the globe.
Meet the Team
Our Mission
At Record Collector, our mission is to celebrate, preserve and share the history of recorded music. For more than four decades, we have explored the stories behind the records that shaped generations — from iconic albums and rare pressings to forgotten gems, emerging artists and the collectors who keep music history alive.
In an ever-changing digital world, we believe physical formats remain an essential connection between fans, artists and the cultural moments that define music. Through expert journalism and a passion for collecting, we continue to document, celebrate and support the music that deserves to be remembered.
