Abba. Early 'Visitors' CD. What's it really worth?

Greetings. New to these parts.

Question: I have recently picked up a CD copy of the Visitors by ABBA, it is an early Polar music edition, no barcode, (p)1981 (c)1983, light blue disc face with darker blue text. I purchased it after reading positive reports regarding its sound quality on an Abba related web page.

Its in mint(ish) condition and cost me 50p from a thrift shop. However online sellers at the usual places are asking very high prices for the same (up to £300 in some cases).

Have I stumbled across the bargain of the year or are these online prices from 2nd hand sellers ridiculous? Trying to pass it off as a rare release?

 

You have stumbled across bargain of the year. Blue Faced Polars are very desirable to serious collectors and do sell in the triple figures range on occasion.

I'll give you a quid for it!

 

Nice find Gavman, it's one I'd love to find out in the wild
It'd look good next to my Canadian Cinram

 

Not sure how to post photos on here. You will have to take my word for it. Very happy with the sound on this CD, detailed and fairly punchy on non audiophile (sorry) equipment. My current financial situation allows for a Denon micro and a pair of Koss portapros. Still: I could hope to win the lottery?

 

This one? ABBA - The Visitors
I'd love to find a red also.
The Japan Discomate is the holy grail however.

 

Forgive my ignorance. But is a matrix # the coded text in the inner silver ring? All the numbers/codes match up to the release listed on Discogs.

 

Hi! Well done on your score. I had similar luck with the equivalent Arrival and Super Trouper Blue Polars a couple of years ago, paying £2 and £7 respectively at That's Entertainment and on EBay.

This is a gorgeous label design. I didn't keep them as such beauties don't fit in with the rest of my pretty ordinary collection (lots of sentimental value but that's it.) If I was prepared to spend big on the others I would have liked a full set, but the first 3 albums were never released with this design, and I like a symmetry in my collection. Also, the mastering is identical to the nearly as attractive blue on silver Polars (no light blue coating, the second pressing of these, worth around £30, yours is the first) and the common or garden Polydors, so it's not like the sound is not available otherwise.

Now this is a couple of years ago, so the market may have changed. But I sold each one a few months apart for £150 each buy it now on ebay. Both sold within 30 minutes of me listing them. This suggests I could have held out for more but bearing in mind what I paid have no reason to complain.

Congratulations again! Good luck in whatever you decide to do, and your experience and mine shows that there are still gems to be unearthed!

 

Yes.

 

I have a blue face Polar CD of 'Arrival' with a (c)1984 date. This version does have a barcode. Also in near mint condition. Interestingly, I bought it from music magpie (formerly zoverstocks?) For £2.10 inc p&p. The page info said it was a standard PolyGram CD from 1992 in 'good' condition. Simply wanted a CD version that wasn't super loud/compressed etc.

I prefer the Mastered for iTunes version of this album though (bought the full ABBA collection set when it went down to £34 this year). The polar sounds a little 'thin' to my ears.

 

Look at Ebay sold prices, generally much more indicative than the prices that some chancers have it posted for. You can probably get £100 or thereabouts for it.

ABBA Polydor red faces are more valuable £150-£200 and Japanese Discomates realistically are probably similar in price, even though they seem to be rarer.

 

Worth around £100 too.

 

To think I lived with the 2001 ABBA CDs for years. Then bought the 2005 box set (stupidly sold it for £20 when destitute). This was before I became familiar with loudness war and poor mastering techniques, ignorantly believing this was how the music was meant to sound. Reminds me off the years I thought this is how the world is meant to look - then I went to an optician

 

That's a nice find. I've never even seen one of these in the flesh. The closest I've come to the 'good' Abba discs are the West Germany ones from the 80s. And they aren't especially rare.

 

That's Entertainment is the high street arm of Music Magpie. A lot of people will have sent those Arrivals off for 50p not realising! It was eligible for music Magpie because of the bar code. After my score, I bought 5 online from music Magpie estocks for £2 each as a gamble. I ended up with 5 Polydors! I knew I was pushing my luck, but worth a try!

 

.

. Still. You have 5 copies of a great album.

 

Well, the PDSA shop does lol! But yes, great album and great sound. I have commented on here a lot saying that ABBA are due another studio album box, properly remastered.

 

Did anyone here also buy the ABBA 'The Collection' iTunes box set?
What did you think to it?
£34.99 is a fantastic price for almost everything ABBA ever released. I believe the 'count in' version of Should I Laugh Or Cry is all that's missing from this release when compared with the CSR box set from 2005 (music videos and documentaries withstanding). Don't have any objection to aac files and non physical media when the price and sound quality is fantastic.

Nice to see dynamic recordings returning.

 

If they could issue physical copies of 'The Album' and 'Arrival' using the high res files used for the Mfit I will be happy. The deluxe editions of these two albums are using the 2001 sources I believe. The other deluxe editions using the aforementioned hi res files submitted to Apple. Sound quality consistency across the entire ABBA catalogue would be most welcome.

 

The only blue Polar Abba related disc that I have is Frida's Something Going On. I rarely see the early Abba discs, although I did pick up Abba's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Atlantic) and Vol. 2 (Polydor) last year.

Congrats on your find.

 

I don't have any solo Frida or Agnetha Albums. Any recommendations Dave S?

 

There aren't many That's Entertainment stores remaining, although my local town still has theirs. No early Abba related discs, but they had about every version of Michael Jackson's original Bad release. It's where I also got my first target CD.

 

I personally prefer Abba to Frida's solo effort. It's like she was trying to sound like the music being released by other artists, whereas Abba was, well, Abba. Still, if you can find Frida's and Agnetha's original solo CDs cheap, then you will probably come out ahead if you decide to resell them at a later date.

 

Deviating from the original post: I recall buying a CD copy of Young And Crazy by Tigertailz (UK glam metal band, a fan when I was in my teens) from a second hand store for £4. An original release on Music For Nations label. Gave it away, this appears to command prices in the £30 - £60 region.

My finding the ABBA CDs makes up for giving away or dumping CDs that have appreciated in value considerably, after being deleted, replaced by remasters etc.

 

I didn't buy the box. To be honest, I never saw that option. I did get the MFIT versions of Arrival and The Album. Both were nice. The latter is the best version I've personally heard of the album.

 

I have now put it up for sale on eBay.