Arcangelo Corelli – Concerti Grossi Op. 6

About this record

Four matrix strings are etched into the runouts of this box set, and they are the first thing to check: ZRG-4053-1G I 1, ZRG-4054-1G II 1, ZRG-4055-1G BB 2D and ZRG-4056-1G A 1 sit on the four sides, with the 2D suffix on the third side standing out from the rest. Demand for this 1974 Argo set runs ahead of supply, with 29 collectors listing it as wanted against 193 who report owning a copy.

Copies are not scarce on the open market, with 14 for sale at a lowest listed price of 2.5, but a clean set is a different proposition from the bulk offers.

What drives its value

Price for this set is driven almost entirely by condition. The price_guide puts an M copy at 12.28 and an NM copy at 10.98, falling to 8.40 for VG+ and 5.81 for VG.

Below that, a G+ copy is listed at 3.23, a G copy at 1.94, an F copy at 1.29 and a P copy at 0.65. The market snapshot shows 14 copies for sale with a lowest price of 2.5, so the lower end of the range is well stocked.

Community data adds weight at the top: 193 owners and 29 people wanting one, with a community rating of 4.23 from 13 votes. Because the guide values are estimates as of the guide date, treat them as a reference band rather than a fixed sale price.

This Argo stereo release is listed here without a set of other pressings to compare against, so its value rests on its own grade and completeness rather than on a catalogue-based premium.

How to appraise this pressing

Confirm the pressing by reading the runout string on each record and matching it to the four matrix entries on file: ZRG-4053-1G I 1, ZRG-4054-1G II 1, ZRG-4055-1G BB 2D and ZRG-4056-1G A 1. The catalogue number ZRG 773-5 should appear on the spine as Corelli: Concerti Grossi Op. 6 ARGO Stereo ZRG 773-5, and on the top of the ARGO logo on the centre labels.

The label reads Argo Records Co. with a 1974 copyright line, and the sleeve notes that the subtracks are not banded on vinyl and that bands fall per Concert. The box holds a 4-page booklet with credited English liner notes by Christopher Hogwood and recording details for St. John's, Smith Square, 1973-74.

Grade each side separately, since the four records are graded independently, and check that the booklet is complete with its last page, which lists the Decca and Argo copyright and Printed in England. No pressing plant is named in the facts, so do not assume one from the matrix.

Further reading: grading a record, how to sell vinyl.