Bargain Hunt star sells rare Bristol record for over £1,550 at auction

A rare vinyl record by a Bristol band has been sold by Bargain Hunt auctioneer Tim Weeks for a staggering £1,580. 

Five hundred copies of Folkal Point's self-titled album were pressed in 1971 but following a fire over half of those were lost due to flood damage.  

With the resurgence of vinyl record collecting over the last decade, high end collectors are on the hunt for obscure releases and lesser-known albums.  Folkal Point has become one of the most sought-after records in the world.

This particular copy was found by Tim when a member of the public brought in a collection of 300 records that were left in a garage when they purchased a house.  

“If I had a pound for every time a customer comes to us with a collection and says ‘I don’t think there’s anything valuable in there’, and yet after a quick flick through of their box we manage to find some treasures hidden within it, I would probably have enough money to buy my own copy of Folkal Point!”

“Believe it or not this is actually the second copy we have uncovered in the last three months.  I couldn’t believe it when I was going through the collection and that unmistakable cover featuring the iconic Clifton suspension bridge jumped out at me.  What made this one even more special was that the condition was really good”

The record was auctioned at Wessex Auction Rooms, one of the world’s leading specialists in vinyl records and music memorabilia.

Auctioneer Tim added: “Yes, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones will always be popular with collectors, but my number one bit of advice is to not discount anything without letting a specialist have a look first."