Owning vinyl has become trendy in recent years, and the scramble to once again buy record players in the age of digital music is a conundrum, for sure.
That said, if you’ve been collecting records since before it was cool (you og hipster, you!) there might be an album or two on your racks worth some serious cash.
8. Please Please Me (1963) – The Beatles
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Please Please Me was released in a hurry on March 22, 1963, and the very first pressing – featuring gold lettering on a black label – is considered the “holy grail” for Beatles fans. It can be worth around $4200 in mint condition.
7. The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963) – Bob Dylan
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A mishap at the pressing plant makes one version of this album average, and the other one of the most valuable records in the world.
Four songs were supposed to be replaced with newly recorded tracks, but on the mono copies, that didn’t happen for the original pressings.
There are only thought to be around two dozen of the “wrong” albums out there and a mint copy once sold for $35k.
6. Yesterday and Today (1966) – The Beatles
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The original 750,000 copies of this record were recalled because the “butcher” cover didn’t go over well.
The covers were changed, but of course not everyone swapped theirs out, and the originals have sold for upwards of $15k.
5. The White Album (1968) – The Beatles
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The Beatles debut album was originally self-titled, and some of them are worth quite a bit of money. If you own with with a low serial number, it might have been gifted to the band or studio executives at one time, so check those numbers.
A copy with serial number A0000023 sold at auction for nearly $14k.
4. Spirit in the Night (1973) – Bruce Springsteen
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Though none of Springsteen’s first release with Columbia Records have been known to be sold, some collectors believe they could ear around $5k apiece if they were.
3. Diamond Dogs (1974) – David Bowie
Photo Credit: Worthpoint
On the original version of this album cover, the dog’s genitals are on display, but RCA “got nervous” and airbrushed the final versions.
Some employees kept the original versions, and one sold for $3550 in 2003.
Since more time has passed (and so has Bowie), the rare copies would likely sell for even more now.
2. Bleach (Re-Release, 1992) – Nirvana
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The original printing of 1000 copies, in 1989, was sold to fans at Lamefest in Seattle.
Those copies are worth a couple hundred bucks, but if you’ve got a re-release with a red and white marbled LP shrink-wrapped with a blue 7-inch, it could be worth more like $1500.
There were only about 500 made.
1. Blue Note 1568 (1957) – Hank Mobley
Between 300 and 1000 copies of this jazz record released in 1957, and if you have one that lists the label’s address as 47 West 63rd New York 23 on one side, it might be worth a bundle – one sold for over $10k on eBay.
The rest of the albums’ addresses leave off the ’23’ at the end.
I’m not a person who owns records, but I don’t know…I might have to go through my uncle’s vintage stash the next time we visit!
Do you prefer vinyl to digital? Tell us why – and recommend your favorite albums – in the comments!
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