Durancroatia

My name is Mario,

and I would like to present something I affectionately call: my Durandome! This is a window into my Duran Duran collection, with just a small portion of the archives currently visible. Over the course of nearly 30 years of Duran Duran's history, I have been proud to call myself a Duran fan. This pride is celebrated in the diversity of my collection, which includes rare treasures of all shapes and sizes. From the earliest Sound of Thunder Promo Sampler, to the latest edition of the ALL YOU NEED IS NOW ALBUM, every aspect of Duran's incredible legacy is reflected in my archives.

Over the years, I have set few limitations on my collecting efforts. The collection now boasts over 1500 items, including everything from official LP's, promo vinyl, CD's and vintage clothing to press clippings, posters, pins, mugs and a wide variety of other unique artifacts.

I may be most proud of the vast video content in my collection: I have acquired over 300 hours of Duran Duran video materials from various TV promotions and concerts around the world. Stretching from the band's early beginnings up to the present day, my collection of international video captures Duran Duran doing what they do best: performing amazing live concerts and thrilling audiences all over the globe. Official releases on VHS and DVD are excluded here, which makes my collection particularly full of exclusive footage and special, rarely seen video moments. Recordings of Duran's live shows over the years are a never-ending source of joy, to collect as well as watch.

My inventory includes a broad selection of official items which illustrate how Duran Duran has evolved through years. I can safely say that many of my most cherished memorabilia have been autographed by the band. I have acquired editions of Duran's CD's and LP's from nearly every country around the world, exemplifying the band's international appeal and influence. Some of the most exotic editions have come from Japan and Taiwan, and it is a pleasure to feature them in my collection, still sealed in original packaging. Only U2 and Depeche Mode have produced such varied and world-wide editions of their music, which highlights how Duran Duran have always been found among the best in pop music.

Furthermore, truly unique items in my collection such as the Duran Duran bubble gum and sticker sets from 1984 show the extent of the band's colorful marketing and widespread impact on 80's pop culture. Every aspect of my collection examines how Duran Duran became -- and still remains -- such beloved icons in music. I can highlight Japan and Taiwan editions of most exotic and some of them are still sealed.

An especially impressive section of my archives is the extensive amount of press clippings and photographs I have taken while following the band on various tours.

I was lucky enough to meet all official Duran Duran members throughout the years:

1. Simon Le Bon
2. Nick Rhodes
3. Warren Cuccurullo
4. John Taylor
5. Andy Taylor
6. Roger Taylor
7. Sterling Campbell
8. and lastly, one of my favorites -- the one and only Mr. Nile Rodgers, a famous producer who worked with the band on some of their smash hits

WANTED/ Please contact me if interested in selling!

DURAN DURAN Arena (Mega Rare 1984 Colombian 12-track EMI red & cream label GREY VINYL LP album, housed in a non-gatefold laminated picture sleeve.-pic.on the left

Duran Duran Story (Japanese promo-only 15-trk LP, in stunning unique custom p/s, feats tracks from Duran, Arcadia, Power Station and John Taylor, one of the rarest Duran promos! PRP-8291) -pic.on the right

MY MOST WANTED LIST

Below is a list of some Duran Duran items tham I'm in a hunt. If you have any and ready to make an offer please drop me an e-mail. Thank You!

Sampler 1997 - Japanese - CD - Promo
Pop Trash - German - CD - Promo :DURAN DURAN Pop Trash (2000 German promo-only interview CD album featuring 21 questions and answers, pink custom picture sleeve with cues in German plus individual question times!) -
Pop trash box (UNOFFICIAL) Limited numbered edition incl. T-shirt, watch and certificate) Hollywood records DDN-BX-PO-156703
RIO-Radio special: In Australia where Duran Duran had a huge following, EMI Australia put together a promotional-only Rio Radio Special (EMI DD-999). This is essentially the standard UK release with special introductions to all the songs by both Nick and John, and several radio spots added to the end of the LP. All of the radio specials were shipped in the normal Patrick Nagel picture sleeve, with the only differentiation being a white sticker announcing the added attractions on the record. Although no actual pressing numbers were kept, it is believed that no more than 300-500 were pressed. Side A 0:38 Intro: Rio 5:30 Rio 0:22 Intro: My Own Way 4:43 My Own Way 0:34 Intro: Lonely In Your Nightmare 3:48 Lonely In Your Nightmare 1:04 Intro: Hungry Like The Wolf 3:40 Hungry Like The Wolf 0:28 Intro: Hold Back The Rain 3:54 Hold Back The Rain Side B 1:00 Intro: New Religion 5:30 New Religion 0:36 Intro: Last Chance On The Stairway 4:18 Last Chance On The Stairway 0:51 Intro: Save A Prayer 5:28 Save A Prayer 5:25 Intro. & The Chauffeur 0:10 Stay Tuned... 0:10 Later Tonight... 0:10 Later On... 0:10 Later This Week...
DURAN DURAN - WITH COMPLIMENTS (ULTRA RARE PROMO 12") :This is one of Duran Duran's most collectable item. Absolutely rare and very very hard to find! Longtime deleted item! Comes in unique picture sleeve.
Maxi Singles Bag (Greek limited edition)Tracklisting:Planet Earth (Special Disco Mix) 6:20Careless Memories 3:59Planet Earth 3:53 . (Greek limited edition monogrammed canvas shoulder bag containing five Greek issue maxi 12"s in picture sleeves - Planet Earth, The Wild Boys, Save A Prayer, The Reflex & Girls On Film - very rare item, 1000 copies only!!) .DDN12MA06680

This is the only release in the world to contain the instrumental version of Girls on Film and also a mispress on Save a Prayer as it contains Hold back the Rain and not what is listed on the cover.I believe released in Greece to promote A View to a Kill in 1985.
LA DOLCE VITA RARE ITALIAN LIMITED LP's BOX : RARE ITALIAN ONLY BOX.
IT CONTAINS FIRST FIVE LP'S AND A SPECIAL GIANT NOTORIOUS POSTER.
Arcadia Say the Word promo vinyl record 12''
I DON'T WANT YOUR... SPECIAL DJ COPY [1988] Album: CD: 1988 JP (Toshiba/EMI; SRCD-1030) [promo]
Krush Brothers: OFFICIAL BOOTLEG: THE LSD EDIT [1989] Single CD5: 1989 US (Capitol; DPRO-79451) [promo; stamped card sleeve]
Liberty Special DJ Copy (Japanese promo 11-trk CD, inc Violence Of Summer Story Mix, Throb, Serious, Yo Bad Azizi etc in unique red & white custom card picture sleeve - both sleeve & disc list 14-tracks but disc actually plays only 11 tracks, SPCD-1131) .
Come Undone (Rare 1993 US 3-track promotional CD features Churban Mix, 12" Dub Mix and Dub Mix, all unreleased mixes. Custom back insert and housed in a customed stickered case! DPRO-79749)
Hear It First! [1995] HMV Sampler
DURAN DURAN SAMPLER [October 1997] Album

BOX SETS:

Liberty Box:

DURAN DURAN Liberty (1990 UK promotional-only box set including full 11-track CD album, 11-track cassette album, 13-page Approved Biography EMI press release, plus a 10" x 8" black & white publicity photograph [which has a small 1?" tear along one side]. Housed in a superb front-opening A4 glossy picture box!. The spine has come unstuck from the side of box and there is a tear across the middle of the spine, but this is still a great promo box set! ).

1990 CA (Capitol; C2-94292) [numbered promo w/CD, CS, & book w/lyrics, photos, bios, facts]
Liberty Box:

DURAN DURAN Liberty (UK promo-only box set incl CD album and Cassette plus a 10"x 8" promo photo, in front-opening A4 pic box!) .

1990 UK (Parlophone; DDN-BX-LI-6438.8) [promo w/CD, CS, & book w/lyrics, photos, bios, facts]
Medazzaland promo shoe box

BEST OF DURAN DURAN IN PICTURES

VARIOUS DURAN DURAN RARE AND HARD TO FIND ITEMS-SCROLL DOWN
TOUR BOOKS: 1981 / 1983-84: PAR 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 / 1989 / 1993 / 1997 / 2011-SCROLL DOWN
ROAD TO RIO COMIC-coming soon
PICTURE DISCS-coming soon
EP'S AND SAMPLERS-coming soon
INTO THE ARENA BOARD GAME-coming soon
POSTER EDITIONS-coming soon

VARIOUS ITEMS

TOURBOOKS IN PICTURES

UK DECEMBER 1981 TOURBOOK

1983/84 TOURBOOK

BIG THING 1989 TOURBOOK

WEDDING ALBUM 1993 TOURBOOK

ULTRA CHROME LATEX AND STEEL 1997 TOURBOOK

ALL YOU NEED IS NOW 2011 TOURBOOK

RECORD COLLECTING TERMS

12 Inch Single 12, 12" :This is based on the weight for a 12 inch vinyl record. Most 12" records weigh around 125 grams, the 180 gram pressing gives better sound reproduction.180g pressings are more expensive and are usually reserved for audiophile recordings or dance records where a high bass response is required. 180g is the most commonly used weight for audiophile records, 160 gram pressings also exist
3 Inch Compact Disc Single CD3 :A single CD that is only 3 inches in diameter as oppose to the standard 5 inches. 3" CDs were among the first CD singles to be released and are highly collectable, they kept the distinction between album and single and were widely welcomed by the record buying public. They were however doomed.Shortly after they bought CBS, Sony announced that the "extra expense" of making CD players that could accommodate 3" and 5" CDs was unacceptable and, being one of the largest makers of both players and discs, they easily killed the format. It is interesting to note that Sony then began research on the Mini Disc
7 Inch Single 7, 7" :A British term which refers to the size of a record. There is some confusion over the definition of the 7" and it's difference from the 45; in reality there is a lot of overlap. While most 7 inch singles play at 45 RPM some play at 331/3. The line has been further blurred by the rise in the use of 12 Inch Singles, most of which play at 45 RPM.Generally sellers offering records as 45s are selling 7" singles from the 50s and 60s, this is not a solid rule.
Acetate AC :An acetate is a transitional stage between the master tape and the finished vinyl record. It is metal plate covered in a layer of acetone. Very few are made and they are distributed to people directly involved with the recording in order that they can approve the sound before the record is cut.Usually less than a dozen acetates are made, expect to pay high prices for acetates from established artists!
Artwork: Strictly, the original design and work for a sleeve, the term is sometimes used broadly to include records released in the original sleeve design. (Specifically when later issues have a different design).For the Collector, owning the actual original artwork for a record or CD cover is pretty much the Holy Grail
Autograph, AutographedAlso Known as: Signed:Generally if an item is described as autographed, it will be signed by the artist or artists who recorded the release. The term signed is also used in this context, however strictly speaking anyone can sign something, but only a star can autograph it!The fact that an artist has held, and autographed an item will increase its value greatly, beware of forgeries.
The bootleg recording,Abbreviation: Boot (really this is slang).A Bootleg is an illegal recording of material not commercially available Notes. Usually bootlegs contain live shows or unreleased studio out-takes.Bootlegs first appeared in the 60s and reached their heyday in the early 90s when the manufacture of CDs became widespread. They are collectable but it is hard to prove the rarity of a particular release as the bootlegger may simply press a few more!
The Box Set,Abbreviation: B/S .Additional notes on abbreviations used for multiple item packs.A box set is 2 or more records, CDs or tapes enclosed in an outer box or case. Box sets are normally reserved for releases comprising several discs or tapes, where a conventional sleeve or case will not suffice. They are also used as a way giving releases more striking packaging.When a single disc or tape is packaged in this way it is not truly a box set and is referred to simply as "Boxed"
CDV, VCD.There are various forms of CD Video, but the one most music collectors will know was marketed in the late 80s. CD singles were released on gold discs with a bonus video track. Viewing the track required a special player that few people had and the format soon failed.Late 80s CD Videos are highly prized by collectors and fetch good prices, particularly at auction.
Collectable, Collectible.Something is collectable if it is desired by collectors. People collect many criteria, meaning that artists, formats or genres may be considered collectable.A common mistake is to assume that collectable = valuable, while there is some relationship this is not always the case. Only if an item is rare and collectable it is likely to be of value.
The Coloured Vinyl record.Vinyl is nearly always black, however like any plastic it can be manufactured in any colour including colourless (clear). Black vinyl appears to be more durable and also to give the best sound quality, this is why it is most popular.Nowadays coloured records are mostly special editions or gimmick items, however it is worth noting that when RCA introduced the 7" in 1948 all the early issues were on coloured vinyl, coded by genre. Grading coloured records is difficult, it may be necessary to play grade such items.
CD.The Compact Disc, the first mass-market digital format, was introduced in the Early 1980s. It has grown to become the dominant format, accounting for up to 90% of music sales.CDs have now gained full acceptance in the collectors market and many early CDs have become highly collectable.
CDs, CD5.As CDs replaced vinyl the need remained to have a singles chart; initially singles buyers had to stick with vinyl, as the first CD singles were not issued until 1986.Maintaining the single created a problem for formatters, the single is vital for marketing and the chart, however CDs singles soon appeared with 6-8 remixes and up to an hour of music. Singles are now strictly regulated as to the number of tracks they can have and even the length of a song! CD singles are often packaged in thinner boxes to make them more easily distinguishable from albums.
Tourbook or Tour Book.Originating with classical concerts programmes were sold to simply provide the concertgoer with an order of events. Modern Programmes have come a long way from that and are often elaborate booklets with photos, biographies and other information on the artistEarly programmes were flimsy paper affairs, few have survived and they sell for very high prices. Modern programmes are targeted very much at the collector, and although often overpriced from the start, they hold their value well.
Digi.Digipak is a brand name for a form of CD packaging, it is heralded on the Digipak website as "The replacement for the traditional plastic Jewel Box". In fact it is the tray of a Jewel Box glued into a foldover card sleeveDigipaks were introduced in the early 90s and have been heavily copied with many, mostly inferior versions on the market. Collectors generally refer to any similar packaging as being a Digipack.
Etched discs. -have information other than the grooves actually cut into the vinyl, they are usually one-sided with the etched information on the blank side. The etchings can be anything such as "autographs", pictures or text.There is some confusion as to the difference between etched and laser etched, with some sellers referring to any etched disc as "laser etched"
Gatefold Abbreviation: g/f, g/fold .Refers to the sleeve of a record or CD that folds open from the spine like a book.Some records come in sleeves that fold out more than once, these are referred to as double gatefold or tri-fold, depending on the number of folds .
The Jewel Case.Put simply this is nothing more than plastic case used to package most CDs and CD singles. Slim jewel cases come with the pins to hold the CD attached the back cover and are mostly used for singles. Most albums come in thicker cases with a clip in tray that holds the CD.Buyers should note that the term is often used for CDs packaged imaginatively in the plastic box and nothing else! Many early CD promos came in this form of packaging, or in clear fronted boxes.
The Jukebox Issue.A 7" single pressed exclusively for Jukebox use. These may have served a purpose similar to promotional records, as getting a single into jukeboxes guaranteed it would get played in public places.These singles have large centre holes, which are required for pickup mechanism inside Jukeboxes.
The Laser Etched Disc ,Abbreviation: Las (rarely used) .The Laser Etched record is often confused its etched counterpart. Strictly, Laser Etched refers to a kind of etching which produces iridescent patterns over the actual grooves of the vinyl.The effect is very impressive but this gimmick was short lived; it was mainly used by the A&M in the late 70s and early 80s. Perhaps best known are albums by Styx and Split Enz.
The Limited Edition,Abbreviations: LE, Ltd, Ltd.Ed .Limited Edition releases are those where a finite number of copies are manufactured, this differs from most releases where the record company will keep making new copies until demand is met.Limited editions are often pressed with collectors in mind and may be on coloured vinyl, picture disc, numbered or otherwise specially packed. This said, the fact that a release is limited does not mean it will become valuable.
The Long Playing record,Abbreviation: LP.The LP resulted from the arrival of vinyl in the 1940s. Using vinyl as oppose to shellac it became possible to press records that played at 33 and a third RPM and could hold over 20 minutes of music on each side.The LP format changed forever the way music was sold to the public as it was now possible for artists to release collections of music rather than single songs. LPs quickly became a standard format for and remained so until the introduction of CDs 40 years later.
The CD Long Box .The Long Box is an extra outer cardboard package surrounding CD cases. It extends the size of CD packaging to 12 inches. Long boxes were exclusive to the US where retailers insisted on them so that CDs could be displayed in conventional LP browsers. They represent a low point in common sense regarding acceptance of new formats and were soon phased out.As CD cases were complete inside long boxes most people threw away the outer packaging, this means that original CDs in long boxes are now rare.
Memorabilia,Abbreviation: Mem .The term memorabilia covers almost anything related to an artist except the actual music they release. It includes personal items such as autographs and instruments as well as mass produced merchandise such as books, programmes, posters, fliers, badges, T-shirts Etc. Much of this is what collectors in other fields refer to as Ephemera
Merchandise .Merchandise is all the paraphernalia marketed to fans by artists, particularly on tour. It includes clothing, concert programme, books, posters and almost anything else that the public can be persuaded to buy.Official merchandise is often overpriced, but seems to hold its value well on the collectors market. Unofficial or pirate merchandise is usually cheaper, but may not hold its value as well
OBI (Original Band Intact),Also Known as: Sash.OBI is actually an abbreviation, meaning Original Band Intact; the "Original Band" is the paper sash wrapped around most Japanese LPs. In a strange twist the abbreviation has become the verb and the original band is now referred to as an Obi, whether it is intact or not!The Obi usually carries information in English and Japanese. Obis are easily damaged so an LP where the Obi is intact will sell for a premium.
Press Kit, Press Pack.Used to promote artists to newspapers and radio, press kits usually include a biography and photos to assist journalists in writing their articles.Recently the need to stand out from the crowd has resulted in more and more elaborate press kits, with special packaging, CDs, videos and interactive content. These are highly collectable.
The Press Photo .A press photo is a high quality photograph of an artist issued by the record company or their publicity agent.Press Photos are sent out to the media on their own or as part of press kits, they are usually black and white so that they can be easily reproduced in newspapers. Most have the artist name and record company details printed in the margin, somtimes this information is stuck or printed onto the reverse .
The Promo Bag .A promo bag is a special form of company sleeve, which is used only on a labels promo releases.The term is a product of the 90s dance explosion and its use is already in decline .
The Sampler .A Sampler is a compilation, usually of tracks by a label or artist. Samplers are usually sold a budget price or given free (Promo Sampler) in order to promote the music they contain.
The shaped disc.Abbreviation: shape This is a gimmick record where the area outside the grooves has been cut to an unusual shape. Usually the grooves are those of a standard 7".Shaped records first appeared in the late 70s and became most popular during the 80s and early 90s. Most shaped records are picture discs. Grading picture discs is difficult, it may be necessary to play grade such items, particularly as many give poor sound even when new.
Shrinkwrap .Shrinkwrap is a thin polythene seal similar Clingfilm, used to protect record and CDs for display in shops. Items that are shrinkwrapped may be sold as still sealed;, however the fact that an item is sealed is no guarantee that it is in mint condition.Shrinkwrap is so named for a reason, with age it contracts and can bend record sleeves or even warp the record inside!
The White Label,Abbreviation: w/l, WL .The name white label comes from the fact that most promo records used to be sent out in an unfinished state, with the label completely white. The term incorporates any record that is not a finished product, including promos, test pressings and dub plates.Strictly speaking the label should be white, however many modern promo have printed labels.
Z Box, Z Case .The Z Box is a slimline double CD case where the front of the case hinges on one end of the tray and the back cover hinges on the other end. This means that the case opens up in a Z shape, hence the name.