Identifying New Zealand Beatles 45's

Red and Silver Parlophone Label

Red, Silver, and Black Parlophone Label

Red and Black Parlophone Label

NOTE: Red and Black label reissues of earlier singles are generally valued at about $20 each in NM condition.
Black and Yellow label reissues of earlier singles are generally valued at about $15 each in NM condition.

Apple Label

When the catalog switched to Apple, New Zealand Parlophone also began pressing Apple label singles, although the earlier singles remained on Parlophone. These issues featured small center holes. The singles originally issued on this label style were:

Polydor Singles

Orange "Scroll Label" Polydor

Polydor was the Beatles' first label around the world. In New Zealand, all original Beatles pressings on Polydor appeared on an all-orange label with the "scroll" logo at the top and M-45 in a box on the right side. As is the case elsewhere in the world, on all of these records the Beatles play backing music for Tony Sheridan, with two exceptions: "Cry for a Shadow" is an instrumental, and on "Ain't She Sweet" John Lennon sings the lead.

Their first Polydor single in New Zealand, "My Bonnie," was originally listed as "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers," as was the case in other parts of the world. Quite possibly, the single in that form was issued as early as April, 1962 (at the same time as in other countries). After the Beatles became popular, probably around June, 1963, the single was reissued to credit the artists as "The Beatles with Tony Sheridan." That later single is much more common.

NOTE: The b-side label of NH 52-317 mistakenly shows the title as "If You Love Me, Baby."

A Word About Condition

The condition of a record is all-important as to determining its value. The values shown are drastically reduced for lesser condition copies, as shown below:

Near Mint, or NM, condition records are unscratched. If the label has stickers or tape, this must be noted. Essentially, they look like they just came from the store.

Very Good Plus, or VG+, condition records will have very few scratches. Without close inspection, they might pass for Near Mint copies. A VG+ record normally sells for half what a NM copy goes for. In Europe, this condition is called Excellent, EX.

Very Good, or VG, condition records have a fair amount of scratches, but they by no means appear "beat up". A VG condition record normally sells for one fourth of the NM price. In Europe, this condition is called VG+.

Very Good Minus, or VG-, condition records are starting to appear quite scratched. Still, when played, they play through, although the surface noise is becoming distracting. Many singles are commonly found in this condition. A VG- condition record normally sells for one sixth of the NM price. In Europe, this condition is called VG.

Good, or G, condition records look scratched--basically all over, but they'll play through well enough to enjoy the song. A G condition record sells for one tenth of the NM price. [Some dealers also use a grade of G+, which sells for one eighth of the NM price.]

Fair, or fr, condition records are generally worthless unless the record is rare. They're scratched up and have distracting surface noise, but they're not completely ruined. No chips missing, and not cracked. They sell for one twentieth of the NM price or less.

Poor, or pr, condition records are basically ruined. They may be warped, cracked, chipped, or otherwise unsuitable for collecting. Most collectors only accept poor condition copies of something really rare until a better one comes along. They're virtually worthless.

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All material on this page is © 2002, 2006 Frank Daniels.