Expensive vinyl albums.

Wu-Tang Clan

“Once Upon a Time in Shaolin”

Sold for: $2 million

By far the most expensive record ever sold is this 2015 album by Wu-Tang Clan, of which this is the one and only copy ever produced. The record comes with a contract which stipulates that the buyer may not attempt to sell or make money from the record for 100 years, although the owner may release the album for free should they wish to.

The buyer turned out to be the controversial Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, who has become something of a pariah in America thanks to his company's buyout of an anti-HIV drug, and its subsequent price hike of more than 5,000%. He paid the asking price of $2 million (approx. £1.5 million) to become its owner, which didn't go down too well with some fans. Since then, however, Shkreli has been convicted for securities fraud and in addition to being sentenced to 20 years in prison by a federal judge, the LP has also been confiscated by the Feds and, as far as we know, they still have it.

As entertaining as all this is, by far the best thing about the original sale was the fact that the Wu-Tang included a clause which might well be the best thing anyone has ever had written into a legally binding contract. See below:

“The buying party also agrees that at any time during the stipulated 88 year period, the seller may legally plan and attempt to execute one (1) heist or caper to steal back Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, which, if successful, would return all ownership rights to the seller. Said heist or caper can only be undertaken by currently active members of the Wu-Tang Clan and/or actor Bill Murray, with no legal repercussions.”

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The Beatles

“Yesterday & Today”

Sold for: $125,000

One of the other more rare items is this Beatles compilation from 1966, released only in North America initially and then later in Japan, but not in the UK or Europe. One of the reasons for its relative scarcity is that the early versions featured the infamous “butcher” cover, with John, Paul, George and Ringo draped in dismembered dolls and pieces of meat. It was swiftly withdrawn and replaced with much more tame artwork, but the original remains a sought-after item for Beatles collectors and a mint edition sealed copy became the most expensive copy of the record in history when it sold at auction in February 2013 for $125,000 (approx. £98,000).

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OK it's not an LP but my wife sold my copy of this 12" single a few years ago - I took the family on holiday with the proceeds!

https://gripsweat.com/item/332247218011/capoeira-twins-4-x-3-uk-rare-wl-vinyl-original-banksy-sleeve-art-1999

CAROL OF HARVEST 1978 Orig LP Only 200 pressed £2900 Female Folk Rock ST 850004 VERY RARE German

Strange eBay item . . .

Year: 1978 | Format: 7 Inch / single (blue vinyl and merch) | Label, catalogue number: EMI 2375 | Estimated value: £3,000-£5,000 / $3,806-$6,355 (mint condition) | Featured song: Bohemian Rhapsody

When EMI won a Queen’s Award To Industry For Export Achievement in 1978, the label celebrated with a fancy luncheon at Selfridges. Guests were treated to a limited edition blue vinyl 7-inch of Bohemian Rhapsody / I’m In Love With My Car, housed in a hand-numbered maroon and gold custom sleeve. The hand-numbering is important, as only those numbered 1-200 come under the ‘official edition’ banner.

Just 200 copies were pressed, the majority of which were handed out alongside etched goblets, an embroidered handkerchief/scarf, a commemorative pen and a box of matches.

If you own a legit copy of the 7-inch plus merch, you’re looking at a sweet payday. In August 2013, No 37 of the single plus the embroidered handkerchief sold for £3,300. The complete package, including the original luncheon invite, attracts the top-end prices.

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Wow these prices are crazy. I used to have a red vinyl copy of the Kiss Alive double album on the Casablanca label - may be worth a £100 now? Pathetic by comparison. I think I've still got a nice copy of Led Zep's Physical Graffiti somewhere. I seem to have lost all my old classic rock records. I loved my 12" Red Noise Revolt Into Style single. I had Furniture Music on red vinyl and recently found a blue Revolt Into Style 7" at my local record shop, Alan's Records

http://www.alansrecords.com/page2.html

He had a few Bill Nelson albums too, and his brother used to gig with Theo Travis. I think Theo must live around here I've seen him at the supermarket but of course didn't say hello.

Year: 1967 | Format: LP vinyl (mono / stereo, with poster) | Label, catalogue number: Original Black Track 612 002 / Track 613 002 | Estimated value: £600+ / $990+ (mint condition with poster) | Featured songs: Armenia City In The Sky, I Can See for Miles, Tattoo

Before concept album Tommy dropped in 1969, The Who hit us with this tongue-in-cheek number, served up as a pirate radio broadcast from Radio London, with songs interspersed with fake ads and bogus public service announcements.

Although the album was dogged by lawsuits stemming from the above, it received widespread acclaim upon release and still frequents ‘greatest albums’ lists. Released on the Track label in 1967, the first 1,000 UK pressings of the album (500 in mono, 500 in stereo) included a folded poster of a trippy butterfly (don’t drop acid then go gawking at this thing).

Other clues you have an original edition: on the front of the album sits a sticker stating: ‘Free Psychedelic Poster Inside’, though some people argue it said ‘Psychedelic Poster Inside’, but let’s not split hairs. Original vinyl copies also end with a locked groove that plays an instrumental version of what was originally intended to be a vocal jingle for Track Records.

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Year: 1969 | Format: LP vinyl | Label, catalogue No: Atlantic 588171 | Estimated value: £1,500+ / $1,945+ (mint condition) | Featured songs: Communication Breakdown, Dazed and Confused, Good Times Bad Times

Every rock fan needs a copy of Led Zeppelin’s debut album in their vinyl collection, but if you have the first UK pressing, you’re quids in. How can you tell if it’s the right pressing? On the album’s cover, the colour of the Led Zep lettering and Atlantic logo are turquoise rather than orange (as found on later editions). The record itself also features Superhype Music/Jewel Music publishing credits (the second pressing switched over to Warner Bros/7 Arts).

Even though Led Zeppelin is well-loved now, a lot of major press hated it upon release back in 1969. Rolling Stone tore the record a new one, calling Jimmy Page’s production ‘limited’ and describing Robert Plant’s vocals as ‘strained and unconvincing shouting’. Sounds like our karaoke performance on a Saturday night.

Fast forward a few decades and that same publication has the album listed at No 29 in their ‘500 best albums of all time’ guide.

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Year: 1968 | Format: Vinyl 2-LP (first UK pressing) | Label, catalogue number:Apple PMC/PCS 7067/8 (mono, stereo) | Estimated value: £1,000-£19,000+ / $1,264-$24,131+ (near mint or mint condition) | Featured songs: Helter Skelter, Blackbird, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

There are so many different estimated values thrown around for The White Album that it’s hard to get a definitive price without losing your mind – seriously, you should see the arguments that break out online about this one. But generally speaking, the lower the number printed on the front cover of each original copy, the more it’s worth (remember, people: condition matters).

The Fab Four nabbed the first four copies of the double LP, with Ringo Starr owning copy 0000001 UK first mono pressing. Ringo played it a few times, then chucked it in a bank vault for over 35 years before making it available for sale in a Julien’s auction in 2015 to benefit his Lotus Foundation charity. Pre-auction estimates put the album’s value at around $200,000 / £179,999, but it ended up selling for a wallet-busting $790,000.

Beatles collectors and rare records collectors will pay thousands for a copy numbered 1-100, and far more for a copy numbered 1-10. Want proof? No.0000005 sold for £19,000/$24,141 in 2008.

A ton of criteria affects the value of the White Album copy you own. For example, is it a US or UK edition? Is ‘The Beatles’ printed or embossed on the front of the LP? Is the serial number preceded by a prefix ‘A’, by ‘No’ (of which there are two variants) or a black dot? Does it contain a poster and four band portraits? And what condition are those in? Christ. Someone should write a book on how to value the White Album alone.

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Not vinyl, but still pretty blown away [from Amazon] . . .

Genesis – “From Genesis to Revelation”

Sold for $2,588.00 Label: Decca Format: LP, Album, Mono Country: UK Released: 1969 Genres: Rock Styles: Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock

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