Music fan selling 2,700 copies of NME at auction in Louth after collection almost collapsed his attic

A music fan who collected every copy of NME magazine for 52 years is selling the lot – after his attic almost collapsed under their weight.

Tony Howard started collecting the iconic magazine when he was aged 12 and bought his first copy in August 1966.

From then on he loyally purchased a copy every week up until the magazine stopped publishing a print edition in 2018.

Tony, 64, kept his incredible collection of 2,700 copies of The New Musical Express in his loft at his home in Lincolnshire.

He is now selling his back catalogue after the huge paper stacks became so heavy Tony’s attic was in danger of collapsing.

The NMEs are being sold individually with some rare copies expected to fetch between £30 and £50 each.

The collection is going under the hammer at John Taylors Saleroom in Louth on Tuesday (November 12).

Auctioneer James Laverack said: “Tony’s interest was triggered at a particularly exciting time when British groups were taking the world by storm, all faithfully reported and reviewed in the NME.

“The very month that he bought his first issue of the New Musical Express, The Beatles released Yellow Submarine and Eleanor Rigby on a double A-side single and then flew off to their final tour in America - and into a massive row over John Lennon’s remark about being more famous than Jesus Christ.

“Tony has decided that the time has finally come to let the astonishing collection go to relieve the weight pressure on his attic and enable other enthusiasts to fill gaps in their NME archives.”

The collection will be sold in three parts, 1966-72, 1973-2018, and a duplicate copies lot.

James added: “In total the collection extends to around 2,700 copies, an almost complete run spanning the years 1966-2018.

“There are just a handful of issues from the sixties missing, mistakenly thrown out by Tony’s mother when she was tidying up.

“There were some weeks in the seventies when printer’s industrial action stopped publication, but apart from that they’re all there.

“It’s quite remarkable.

“It is an extraordinary collection, perhaps the finest ever to be offered at auction.

“Other sales have had runs of the NME, some quite early, but involving limited periods. Nothing of this magnitude.

“We’ve given it a pre-sale estimate of £2,500-£3,000.”