Jack White made headlines a few weeks ago when he announced that he was the bidder who spent $300,000 for the acetate of Elvis Presley's original single, a 7" pressing from Sun Records featuring "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," and that his label Third Man Records would be releasing copies of the recording for Record Store Day 2015. That inspired us to check out what the highest-priced albums on eBay were at the moment, and readers ate it up, so we've decided to keep it going, looking at every LP priced at more than $1,000 on the online auction site at the moment. From least to most expensive:
Note: The listings featured below are as of publication time.
07) Abbey Road by The Beatles...$1,000 from one bid
This is the fourth installment we've done of "Most Expensivest Vinyl" (apologies to 2 Chainz) and sure enough, The Beatles have been featured frequently. Sometimes original pressings of legendary albums from legendary bands are worth more than $1,000 based on relevance alone. There isn't much more to this pressing of Abbey Road, except to note that its a British version of the album, released by Parlophone. How does this make it different than your correspondent's American version of the same album, printed by Apple Records? No idea, but it makes us curious to try it on the market (considering we bought it for perhaps $5 at a garage sale). The moral? Keep your eyes out for records at yard sales and the like...you'll never know when your elderly neighbor is accidentally selling thousand-dollar LPs.
06) The Soundhouse Tapes by Iron Maiden...$1,016.64 from 14 bids
You may be quick to call us out, noting that a copy of Iron Maiden's The Soundhouse Tapes EP was featured last week as well, however this is a different copy of the same rare EP. How can we tell? Last week's item featured the autographs of members Steve Harris and Dave Murray. Yet somehow this week's non-signed item had gathered 13 more bids and is "worth" roughly $17 more. This was the first release ever from the group, just a year before its self-titled album. The EP is worth enough on its own, as there were only 5,000 copies printed at the time of release. The three tracks included are "Iron Maiden" and "Prowler," which were both included on the band's first album, but more interesting—at least to those who plan on actually listening to the EP—is "Invasion," a song that only appears on rarity compilations in later years.
05) In My Eyes EP by Minor Threat...$1,726 from 17 bids
Sometimes when you look at rare items on eBay, you have to wonder what kind of dire straits the seller is in to part with cut an item. According to the seller of this rare Minor Threat EP, punk icon Ian MacKaye gave him the EP during an interview he was doing for a college report on the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene. MacKaye also offered to "beat up" the professor if the seller didn't get an "A." This pressing is about as rare as they come, reportedly limited to a dozen copies. The interest in the item proves it, as bidding has cracked $1,700 with two days to go. The EP features the tracks "In My Eyes," "Guilty of Being White," "Out of Step" and "Steppin' Stone," a Paul Revere and The Raiders cover. The label doesn't feature any indication its a Minor Threat record (but smart shoppers can zoom in and check the label number etched in the run-out.
04) "You're Gonna Run To Me" / "I Love You" by The Deceptions...$2,050 from three bids
If you've been paying attention to the most expensive records for a few weeks now, you know that old should and R&B 7" records, no matter how obscure the performer, can still bring in thousands of dollars. This split single—"You're Gonna Run to Me" / "I Love You" by The Deceptions—is no exception. This release on Peace Records, a Virginia label that went belly-up during 1996, was one of only two that The Deceptions ever dropped, which is a shame because the A-side on this record is a fine, funky cut of doo-wop.
03) Folkal Point by Folkal Point...$2,196 from 23 bids
If you noticed that this release was also on last week's list, you'd be correct-and in this case it would actually be the same exact record. Last week it was no. 1 however (there are some more hot items on eBay this week, we suppose), but bidding has continued upward, now at nearly $2,200 from 23 bidders. The rarity and legend behind this release explains everything: Folkal Point was a British folk group that gathered a fair amount of acclaim for its self-titled album—the only record it would ever release—featuring a collection of both modern covers (from popular performers such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell), next to a healthy collection of traditional British folk standards. The legend: Only 500 copies were ever pressed, and reportedly half of those copies were destroyed in a flood. You can't make this stuff up. Vocalist Cherie Musialik is still touring, but her band's debut album was never rereleased on CD, nor is it available via streaming services.
02) Sun Record singles collection by Elvis Presley...$2,300 from 43 bids
The Beatles are an understandable popular attraction in the vinyl market but we would expect Elvis Presley to be right up there with them. And dang if there isn't a better piece of better Elvis audio-memorabilia than what this seller in the UK is offering: All five of the performer's original singles from the Sun Records label. There are still five days left and 42 bids have already pushed it past $2,300. That's understandable...the relevance of this collection to rock 'n' roll history is mind-boggling. Included are the tracks "That's All Right," "Mystery Train" (your correspondent's favorite Elvis track), "Milkcow Blues Boogie" (the rarest of the bunch, according to the seller), "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone." We'll try to check back in later and leave an update on just how high the bidding gets here.
01) Please Please Me by The Beatles...$2,827 from 27 bids
So what would it take to merit more money than that superb Presley collection? How about an autographed copy of The Beatles' Please Please Me? That's right—as the band didn't chart on last week's list, they're bringing it hard this week. This is one entry that the seller would have no right to call "mint" or "near mint": You can tell from the image provided that this LP cover has been beaten to hell and back...which seems odd, considering how it's been signed by the band. Well, most of the band. Messrs. McCartney, Lennon and Harrison have all written on the back (including three "x" kisses from Sir Paul) but apparently the owner missed Ringo. That might sound like some sick joke from a Starr-hater but hopefully whomever ends up winning this gem will seek out the drummer and complete the collection.
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