8 Vinyl Records That Are Worth a Fortune

Some records in your collection are there just for you. But you might be surprised at just how valuable certain records in your collection are — especially now that vinyl is back in vogue. 

Whether you just want to learn the value of your collection or you’re interested in making extra money by flipping rare albums, keep reading. Here are eight highly valued records you might already have.

Promotional copies of records were sent to radio DJs and music critics before a record’s wide release. 

These days, it’s rare to stumble on an old promo copy of a famous single — which is why a 7” promo copy of The Beatles’ "Love Me Do" once sold for almost $15,000 on Discogs, a popular music marketplace and online database.

Non-promotional copies of the single can earn you a little money, but Discogs’ median selling price for the EP is $68.06.

David Bowie’s self-titled album was also his first full-length release. First-edition copies of the UK stereo LP have sold for as much as $4,300, which makes sense given supply and demand. 

Only 245 people on Discogs own a copy of the album, while 2,121 list themselves as interested in obtaining a copy.

U.S. printings of the album tend to go for less, as does the mono version of the U.K. release, but you could still earn between $300 and $1,000 if you have a good-quality copy of either edition.

Pink Floyd’s first album debuted two years before Bowie’s "David Bowie." An incredibly rare Japanese test pressing of the stereo version of the album once sold for $6,500 on Discogs. 

The U.S. stereo pressing of the album is still valuable, though the price you’ll get depends on the quality of the album: Prices from resellers on Discogs range from $1 to $376.

You could also get a pretty penny for the U.K. stereo release of the later "Dark Side of the Moon." While Discogs’ median selling price for the album is $403, one copy went for as much as $2,341.94.

Columbia distributed just a few promotional copies of Springsteen’s 1975 tour-de-force ahead of its release. Currently, two promotional copies are listed on Discogs from $4,301, but a copy once went for a whopping $5,500.

If you own a non-promotional copy of the LP’s U.S. pressing, you’re sitting on a musical treasure — but not a financial goldmine. The album was widely distributed and isn’t considered particularly valuable.

The Velvets’ Andy Warhol-produced first album didn’t get much traction on its original release, but copies of first pressings are fairly valuable today. 

Most versions of the Velvets’ self-titled album can sell for up to $2,000 depending on their quality, but the East Coast mono pressing of the album’s U.S. release has sold for as much as $9,000 on Discogs.

Mötley Crüe’s first heavy metal album came screeching onto the music scene in 1981. The first pressings of the U.S. edition have sold for as much as $8,700. 

You’re more likely to score the median price of $202, but even lesser-quality versions of the LP are still valuable enough to go for no less than $60.

Prince’s infamous album was never officially released. (It wasn’t given a name, either — the title refers to the album’s all-black cover sleeve.) Prince asked distributors to destroy all copies of the album just before it was released, so existing records are incredibly rare. 

If you’re one of the lucky few to have one, a Canadian pressing sold for $27,500 on Discogs in 2018.

When Joy Division first recorded the four songs for this 7” EP, the band was still going by the name Warsaw. They changed the name just before the EP’s release, so that’s what you’ll find printed on any copy of the album.

While the first U.K. pressing of "An Ideal for Living" has sold for as little as $9.99 on Discogs, sellers have gotten up to $8,602. Discogs lists just two copies for sale, both at $7,999.

Even if you don’t have one of the valuable records we listed above on your shelf, you could be surprised by how much certain items in your collection could boost your bank account.

If you’re interested in evaluating your collection, check out Discogs to get an idea of whether other music lovers value your records as much as you do.