what do you collect

[anthony]

Hi all, Just thought I'd ask what do people collect here in relation to the Hollies or are you just happy listening to the brilliant music.

Myself I collect tour programmes as well as tour posters and flyers, Press photos, old pop mags with the Hollies in them. I do have their records/cd's etc. Also have sheet music.

Thanks,

Anthony

[dirtyfaz]

At my age (been collecting since the FCB LP came out and a couple of earlier singles) I got over trying to collect everything I could although I didn't collect cassettes or 8 track. Just 45s(with picture sleeves was always a thrill), EPs, LPs and CDs now. Rarely purchase any vinyl any more and I haven't collected 45s and EPs for maybe 25/30 years or virtually from the commencement of the CD era. Used to collect live tapes but gave them all away.
The old days pre internet was much more fun collecting and the feeling of something new was a rush. Remember we had to hear about things from magazines, newspapers and ordinary old snail mail from a group of serious collectors that communicated with each other.

[moorlock2003]

I've been a serious Hollies collector since 1972. I have an enormous amount of 45s, rare picture sleeves (I believe I have every one from the Rickfors era worldwide), articles, photos, posters, audio cassettes, CDs. I even have a commercial for the Distant Light LP from Epic records on reel-to-reel which I transferred to CD (so I could hear it!). I used to have a lot more, but I got rid of most compilation LPs and reissues. I also have the promo LP "Everything you always wanted to hear by The Hollies" autographed by Nash, Clarke, Hicks, Elliot, and Sylvester. I recently acquired the original cassette of the Stop Stop Stop album, which came out on the Liberty label instead of Imperial.

[cameron]

I generally collect LPs, I rarely play CDs. There's a lot of even their studio LPs that I don't have on CD. Though I guess I have thanks to the recent boxsets, albeit not in the same order. I've got a lot of 45s, but don't purposely head out to collect them. I've got most of the original Parlophone reel-to-reels, a lot of cassettes and I collect a lot of Hollies photos. I try and find things that are unreleased like live recordings, but it's difficult coming into the 'scene' from the point of view of someone much younger. Most of the trading was done years ago, and you often have nothing new to offer long-time collectors as they all seem to have by and large lost enthusiasm for the band. No doubt thanks to nothing really exciting happening with the group for decades now. A new tour every year, various new Greatest Hits packages every year... nothing "new". I notice the Hollies fan club faded into obscurity in the last 10 years, even the annual Hollies convention has stopped. The Hollies have just ambled on for so long that they've lost a lot of support from their long-standing fans who have quite simply got bored.

[Deleted]

That's easy... video footage! Not just by The Hollies, but by many '50s/'60s/'70s artists, TV and video footage is even more important to me than their records and CDs.

[moorlock2003]

I can honestly say my enthusiasm remains constant, although when I finally got the 5 song set from ABC TV's In Concert on video I felt like I'd reached the peak and didn't want or need anything else. How wrong I was. I'm still collecting.

[johnt]

My collection includes loads of tour programmes, concert flyers, ticket stubs, autographs, photos, press cuttings, sheet music as well as DVDs, CDs, vinyl singles and albums.

I think the rarest flyer and ticket stub in my collection is this one from Huntsville, Ontario, Canada back in October 1966 which I purchased on eBay several years ago.

It's a bit tatty and the photo is incorrect because it is showing Eric in the line-up whereas Bernie would have been in the group then.

Did anyone on this forum attend this concert by any chance?

[allanangel]

Feb 7, 2019 13:54:51 GMT johnt said:

My collection includes loads of tour programmes, concert flyers, ticket stubs, autographs, photos, press cuttings, sheet music as well as DVDs, CDs, vinyl singles and albums.

I think the rarest flyer and ticket stub in my collection is this one from Huntsville, Ontario, Canada back in October 1966 which I purchased on eBay several years ago.

It's a bit tatty and the photo is incorrect because it is showing Eric in the line-up whereas Bernie would have been in the group then.

Did anyone on this forum attend this concert by any chance?



Didn't attend because I was only a year old, but this is only about 3 hours away from me! Huntsville of all places! Definitely not where I would expect them to play. It isn't even close to any major city. Beautiful area, though. Full of tourists in the summer. WOW! That's a great find! 

[stuball]

In the wake of their American Summer '66 smash, The Hollies did an extended tour of the US, often opening for Herman's Hermits. During a tour lull of about a week in October, some Canadian booking agencies put out feelers about bringing the group north. The Hollies were hastily booked but there was little time for promotion. They definitely played Kitchener Ontario, and perhaps Guelph as well. And of course, Huntsville, a small town in Muskoka, famed for its lovely lakes and cottages. And most notably of course, in early autumn, when the leaves turn red and gold.

The Hollies, huge in Britain at the time, were still paying their dues in Canada and the USA, where generally their records got little airplay or promotion. Bus Stop changed that. Not sure how the Huntsville gig turned out, but the Kitchener concert was poorly attended, with only about 200 fans attending in an auditorium with a capacity of several thousands. Amateur promotion and a last-minute booking didn't help.

Fun to remember that  the massively popular Herman's Hermits were playing the likes of Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens that summer of '66, while The Hollies played second-rate venues. That would all go topsy-turvy in about a year.

[johnt]

Thanks for the additional information, allanangel and stuball.

I've also found the letter sent to me by a lady called Pamela from whom I bought the flyer and ticket. She actually went to this concert when she was just 14 and I've attached her letter below. It's in 3 segments because of file size restrictions here on this site.  Hope it's legible because it's a lovely letter.

 

[allanangel]

What a fantastic letter, Johnt! Love those innocent, romantic times. Thanks for sharing!