Where to sell The Smiths Memorabilia
The Smiths are widely regarded as one of the most important independent music groups of all time
11/02/2025
The Smiths are widely regarded as one of the most important independent music groups of all time. Formed in Manchester in 1982 by guitarist/songwriter Johnny Marr and lead singer/lyricist Stephen ‘Morrissey’, the rock band quickly became emblematic of a new age of rock music in Britain. Rounding out the group were drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke.
When it comes to The Smiths’ memorabilia, it is an interesting situation.
The Smiths: A collection of five postcards, two written by Morrissey to Mike Hinc
Whilst The Smiths are a household name and their songs are well known to many, the band were only active for five years. They split up messily in 1987, later suing one another over royalty splits, and never reunited, not even for a one-off concert… given the sad passing of Rourke in 2023, any full reunion of the group is now impossible. Additionally, the band were signed to Rough Trade, the iconic independent label based in London. Whilst this was hugely important for The Smiths building up the image of who they were – non-conformist, a band of the people, etc. – it also meant that they did not get the same exposure that they would have gotten were they signed to a major label. Album releases, merchandise, even television appearances were all done on a much smaller scale given the size of Rough Trade, so when it comes to collecting memorabilia in the modern day, it is much harder to come by authentic items than it would be if the band had been signed to, say, Columbia records.
For that reason, buying and selling The Smiths memorabilia is not as simple as many other bands, even from the same era. It can also be more exciting, as given the band’s reputation, authentic items can be incredibly sought-after by collectors due to their rarity.
The Smiths: An interesting collection of original ephemera
The majority of The Smiths memorabilia has been compiled after the fact, with things like record sleeves and even just white card featuring signatures being among the most traded memorabilia. However, there are still exciting pieces out there that are available for purchase, such as original tour posters, often featuring signatures; tour itineraries used by the band and crew; letters to and from bandmates; and contracts (especially interesting given the later disputes between the bandmates). Like looking at an early draft of a movie script, these pieces of memorabilia can be like peeking behind the curtain and seeing what it was really like to be a part of one of the most exciting bands in the UK at that time.
The Smiths: A typed letter, hand-signed by Morrissey in blue crayon
One of the best places to buy or sell The Smiths memorabilia is right here at Dawsons. As a buyer, you can buy with confidence, knowing that the items that are put up for sale are legitimate, having been examined by our highly skilled team of Valuers. Whilst, as a seller, you can be safe in the knowledge that the expert team at Dawsons will achieve the highest return in respect of your Smiths memorabilia, given that we have an in-house marketing team who will directly target known buyers wherever they may reside across the world.
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Are you thinking about selling any Smiths memorabilia?
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