How Frankie Goes to Hollywood Sparked a Record-Collecting Obsession That Never Stopped

It began with two friends chasing different versions of Relax. Forty years later, that obsession has grown into a 20,000‑square‑foot hunt for rare pressings, Japanese imports, promos, test pressings and records collectors didn’t know existed.

There’s a moment when buying records turns into collecting them.
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It happens when you realize the copy on your shelf isn’t the only one. There’s an earlier pressing. A Japanese issue. A promo. A different sleeve. A 12-inch mix you’ve never seen. Maybe even a test pressing that was never meant to reach the public.

“Which one do I own?”

Robert and Julian discovered that moment through Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

In the early 1980s, the childhood friends became obsessed with the endless variations of ZTT’s 12-inch remixes. One version of Relax led to another. In 1985, they paid US$27 (£20) for a 16‑minute remix. Then they found another copy for US$9.50 (£7).

Most people see two copies of the same song. Collectors see the beginning of a rabbit hole.

Robert and Julian went down it — and never really came back out.
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Today, that hunt fills more than 20,000 square feet of warehouse space in Kent, England, packed with original pressings, Japanese imports, promos, white labels, test pressings, picture discs and memorabilia.
It’s called RareVinyl.

“No matter how well you think you know the records you collect, there’s probably another version out there.”

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