Perry D Cox

Perry Duane Cox was born on September 3, 1957. He was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and has authored or co-authored eight different worldwide published books on the subject of Beatles collectibles since 1983. The first edition of his Beatles price guide was the first such guide ever devoted to the Beatles. Prior to its publication, the only American price guide devoted to a single recording artist was Presleyana, first published in 1980 by Jerry Osborne.
Cox's publications have brought to the public light several previously-unknown collectible records and groups of collectibles and have expanded the overall body of knowledge about the record-making process. Beginning with the 1986 edition of his Price Guide, for example, he promoted the collecting of tape formats and was one of a few pioneers in identifying collectible tapes and CD's. Mr. Cox has also distinguished between items that are truly rare and those that are not. Over the years he came to be recognized as a leading expert in the area of counterfeit identification -- something that prevails in the record-collecting industry. His guides point out how to properly distinguish between original records, later copies, and fakes. More recent editions contain articles about the recording process -- including the making of acetates, test pressings, and promotional records. The latest edition of his guide is the first all-color guide in the record-collecting world; as such, it contains more color pictures of individual records and picture sleeves than was found in any previous price guide by any author.
Mr. Cox also researches issues related to collecting, such as whether items are only rumored to exist, whether an album has been
re-sealed, and how many copies of certain rare records are known to exist -- and in what conditions they are found. This activity, too, has been recognized by collectors' publications as contributing to the overall body of knowledge.
In a related field, Perry Cox is also recognized as one of only a few experts in Beatles autographs. As one guide notes more generally, "many autographs offered for sale are not authentic though they are claimed to be." This is particularly true with respect to the Beatles, because of their popularity. This is complicated by the fact that many autographs during the 1960's were signed not by the group members themselves but by Fan Club secretaries. Cox has also studied the handwriting of other artists, including the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra.
Along with Frank Caiazzo, Perry Cox provides stability to the field of collecting Beatles autographs.
Autograph collecting in general has become a billion-dollar industry. Autograph collecting, subject to a great many forgeries, has been the subject of contention in recent years as lawsuits between those accused of forgery and those who are styled as experts have lined up. As a recognized expert, Cox's opinions have been sought in legal cases. The outcomes of some of these cases may change how autographs are bought, provenanced, and sold.
Cox's recognized expertise about records in general has led to a greater attention to detail on the part of collectors of other artists' records as well, with own interest in these details predating the trend by at least ten years.
Acclaim
Mr. Cox is highly regarded by his fellow authors and by Beatles dealers and collectors. Gary Hein, a high-end Beatles dealer, refers to Cox as "One of the Absolute Top Leading Authorities on Beatles Records & Memorabilia." Another dealer in high-end records calls him a "respected Beatles expert."
The Fab Four FAQ at about.com labels his guide as "the first and last word on Beatles Price Guides...." Positive reviews of his books have appeared in magazines devoted to collecting (e.g., Goldmine) as well as Beatles-related publications (e.g., Beatlology). He has appeared as a featured guest at Beatles Conventions.
Perry Cox has had feature articles in the Sept 26, 1983, issue of US Magazine, the March 5, 1990, issue of Forbes Magazine, with many published articles in Beatles collector magazines such as BEATLEFAN, GOOD DAY SUNSHINE, and BEATLOLOGY.
Perry has also been a contributor to the published works of Bruce Spizer, writing the forewords for two of his books: The Beatles Records on Vee-Jay and The Beatles Swan Song. In addition, he contributed to the content of all of Spizer's books about American records. He also wrote a foreword for Mitch McGeary's books about Beatles concerts and the collecting of concert tickets. Currently in the works is the first-ever price guide to American records by the Beach Boys.
Editions of his books -- in print and out of print -- include the following:
(1983) The Complete Beatles U.S. Record Price Guide (by Perry Cox and Joe Lindsay)
(1986) The Beatles Price And Reference Guide For American Records (By Perry Cox and Mike Miller)
(1988) The Official Price Guide To Memorabilia Of Elvis Presley And The Beatles (By Jerry Osborne, Perry Cox, and Joe Lindsay)
(1990) The Beatles Price Guide For American Records Third Edition (By Perry Cox and Joe Lindsay) ISBN# 0-9617-347-4-4
(1993) The Beatles Price Guide For American Records Revised Third Edition
(1995) The Official Price Guide To The Beatles Records And Memorabilia (By Perry Cox and Joe Lindsay)
(1999) The Official Price Guide To The Beatles Records And Memorabilia Revised Second Edition (By Perry Cox)
(2007) Price Guide For The Beatles American Records 6th Edition (By Perry Cox and Frank Daniels. Foreword by Bruce Spizer.

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