Expert explains why 90s vinyl is so lucrative

As Oasis return to sell-out stadium gigs and slip dresses with platform shoes are everywhere, it is clear to see resurgence of 90s.

And auctioneer Martin Hughes, a music specialist at Wessex Auction Rooms in Wiltshire, said this has made vinyl from that decade also rise in price.

Mr Hughes said albums from the 90s are "the mot popular with buyers right now", driven by a surge in nostalgia for the decade, he said.

"The likelihood of finding a Beatles record worth more than £10 is pretty slim these days. You're better off looking for anything released from 1993 onward, even Gloria Estefan, or The Beautiful South - their Greatest Hits album is worth £150," he added.

During his career, Mr Hughes has sold an extremely rare Sex Pistols single for more than £20,000 last year and auctioned a record sleeve signed by all three members of Nirvana for thousands of pounds.

Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol's John Darvall, Mr Hughes said as well as 90s albums, he has also found gems in unusual places.

"I was searching through a pile of records sent in, and found an album by an obscure Bristol band called Folkal Point.

"You would definitely walk past it but it's a £1,200 album because it sold no copies at the time.

"If you're a folk collector, you start to go after these records that nobody else has got because you like to show them off to your friends," he said.

Vinyl has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years, with almost £200m spent on vinyl albums in 2024, an increase of more than 10%.

"Ten years ago when I started this auction business, we had 13 general auctions a year, now I have 12 alone just dedicated to vinyl," Mr Hughes said.

Age doesn't necessarily equal value, or even having things signed.

"I get unbelievable amounts of emails from people who have signed Beatles albums but so many of them were signed by managers so there aren't that many that are genuine," Mr Hughes said.

"The better the condition the more valuable it will be, but never write off something that isn't great condition.

"In some genres like reggae and punk, which are very collectable genres, it's so rare you'll find them in lovely condition.

"I sold two warped demo discs by The Who, they were unplayable and they made £80 each, just because someone wanted to own them.

"The hottest thing right now is the 90s. I'm 43 so it's my generation, it's the nostalgia buying that drives so many areas of collectables.

"Oasis as an obvious example, forgetting that they got back together.

"They sold tons of records, but nobody was buying the vinyl back then, so unless you were a mega fan you'd get the CDs.

"The original pressings of their 90s material for example, their first two albums in decent condition are going to be north of £100 each."

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