Reddington's Rare Records to close after 50 years in business

Reddington's Rare Records was based in Birmingham for decades

A Birmingham record business is closing after 50 years with the promise of selling its 75,000 records for £1 each.

Reddington's Rare Records was based in Birmingham for decades before its owner Dan Reddington began selling online.

Although he says some of his rarest vinyl could fetch hundreds of pounds, he is prepared to sell them at a loss so he can "start about finishing" with his collection.

He said the time was right to end "the hobby he turned into a job".

The collection ranges from 1974's B.B.King vol 1 to a rare sleeve of The Drifters Save the Last Dance for Me

The 73-year-old, who recently had triple-bypass surgery, said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Among the notable customer he encountered over the years was legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who would visit the Birmingham store.

Mr Reddington said he also once mistook a "scruffy looking man in a long RAF coat" for a homeless man, when in fact it was Jimmy Page.

The guitarist had been waiting to meet a regular visitor to the shop, his band mate Robert Plant, from Led Zeppelin.

Mr Reddington will host the sale from his lock-up in Redditch.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the atmosphere with true collectors crawling around on their knees to browse the boxes," he said.

Reddington's Rare Records started from the Tyseley flat of husband and wife Dan and Beryl Reddington

Matt Jarrett, of Diverse Vinyl in Newport, south Wales, said about five years ago many such shops seemed to be closing due to the economy, competition from music downloads and landlords getting higher rents from more profitable coffee shops, for example.

But he said: "Now there seem to be more opening than closing, which is great news for independent record stores and vinyl buyers.

"The days when you got rich selling records are long gone, (but) there will be people who want to own records rather than download. There are collectors out there.

"We have customers who got rid of their vinyl collection and are getting back into it. Manufacturers are making more turntables than ever and Indie labels are putting things out on vinyl."