Recent used vinyl price increases: what are the most surprising titles?

Yes, I used it twice intentionally. Not sure what you mean by your later statement - are you saying 1991 does not count as recent? Has a cut off date been stipulated? If you disagree with me that Slowdive's first is not their best or the best shoegaze album, just come out and say it, it's no big issue.

 

Wow, are you talking about used, new, or both?

Local shops here usually have a few of the reissues (they often seem to have at least one copy of the dreadful Victorialand vinyl reissue in stock), but when it comes to used stuff, things will pop up from time to time, maybe once or twice a year, but they are of course a bit pricey when in good condition - typically $30+ for the LPs and $20 or so for the EPs. (These days anything priced under, say, $15, is trashed.)

I remember how relatively easy it was to scoop up all the Cocteau Twins stuff on vinyl - brand new/sealed - in the late 80s in the Bay Area. You had to go to the good independent shops in Berkeley or SF, of course, or Tower Records, which had excellent imports sections in most of their locations. It wasn't like each store had everything, but if you were able to travel around a bit you could pick up a few LPs from one store, a few others from another, and so on.

I haven't seen the old US BBK LP in the shops in a long time. I was not aware that there was a US Wally cut of that record. My copy (US, gatefold) was apparently cut by someone called "gene." Frankly, it's not a great sounding LP (though I think the whole recording is a bit muddy sounding to begin with), and I've only kept my copy for collector's sake; I usually opt for the CD when I get a hankering to listen to that album.

 

Mostly used from what I remember.
They must not of made it much past south Michigan
I picked up a used Clan of Xymox-Medusa UK, it was over 20 back then. It blew my weekly music budget in one fell swoop
Yeah Wally did that one also and of course Heaven. Wonder if Gene is one of the trio, you know we have a Barry for Floyd's Wish early 80's cut. Think there was a gal also.

 

I am seeing used prices now often more than the new reissue price. I am buying more new vinyl particularly when it comes to issues from 1990 on

 

The great thing about these threads is it lets me know which albums I should sell that I have and never listen to. Like the Ride album I haven't spun in over 20 years.

Last night I listened to "Passengers: Original Soundtracks 1", the Brian Eno collaborative effort. Bought it when it came out, and being that it's a 1995 issue I looked it up. A nice copy goes for about $150. Passengers - Original Soundtracks 1
I won't be selling my copy of that record, but it is kind of crazy.

I do think this is a bubble and it will burst at some point.

 

Saw on another thread that there is now a reissue of "Back and Fourth" by Lindisfarne that goes for $42. A very good record (though hardly their best), but a dollar-bin staple for decades.

 

I concur.

 

Wow, the oldies are all over the bay for cheap- finding one without a promo stamp or notch cut might be another story. Beautiful cover art though.
I paid more for the old compact disc a couple years ago.

 

He doesn't look healthy, but I hope his condition isn't fatal, is it?

 

Used 4AD LPs from the 80s are often hard-to-find from my own experience. I was able to acquire original Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, and This Mortal Coil LPs at my local shop in the mid-2010s but are otherwise not easy to find here in Canada. Out of the 4AD bands, original Dead Can Dance LPs rarely come up at local shops, though it's a different story when I was in the UK.

 

This is why I sometimes fantasize about selling my collection before no-one wants it anymore. Right now a lot of my records would fetch top dollar. But I also know I'd regret it sooner or later. That Passengers album is great btw, I only have it on cd though.

 

If I'm looking for Jazz, Blues or Classic Rock albums I've found that going the new reissue route is more often than not the wise one. For instance why buy a Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Led Z II, Giant Steps or A Love Supreme album used when there are new pressings sealed for $20 to $40, and just common used pressings are more than that? On the other hand Country, folk and Bluegrass albums often either have no current repressing or when they do it is double or more the cost of it used. If Stardust or Redheaded Stranger RP is $30 I can still find VG+ copies for $1-$10.

 

It took me about 3 years to get my collection into Discogs and I worked on it pretty diligently, as I'm single and have no outside life (ha-ha!). About 4000 titles. Yes, it gave me a headache, too, but I really got to know my collection!

 

I think a lot of it is all about perspective. When I was a teenager in the 70's I bought my first car, a 1964 Chevy Impala, for $450. Today that's a $20,000 car. I know that's an extreme example, but at the time, those cars were a dime a dozen.

 

I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I’m finding things I forgot I had and have no idea where I found them. This all started back in the day with no kids and plenty of time for crate digging in a fertile period. Then a son who kicked me in the shins when he got bored at a record show. He now loves looking for records too.

Now I’m a father to 6 kids (4 of my own and two adopted from Jamaica). I’m so glad I found the bulk of my collection when I did. Now, trying to identify it all is my hobby. That’s enough.

 

You have plenty of time. When the last of the six go off to college or the military or move in with a friend living large on those first few paychecks from a real adult job you may well have a resurgence of crate digging!

 

I don’t think Collins is in the same league as Bowie/Prince/Petty.

 

Doesn't matter what you or I think. It matters what the people buying the records think.

 

Was doing some cleanup on my collection in Discogs and noticed this one Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Express Yourself

Great album but used to be worth nothing. Did it show up in a soundtrack or some "influencer" video?

 

"Express Yourself" has been used repeatedly in TV commercials for literally decades.

 

True, but as of 4 or 5 years ago when I picked up a copy, the record wasn't selling for much. In the past year or so, it has skyrocketed. So, there was some recent boost.

 

It’s been sampled ….

 

Don’t think it was any one thing — title song is absolutely great, a major hit, equal to the best that Curtis Mayfield and other soul-funk geniuses did, very Summer of Soul-ish, cover is fantastic, hard to find in good shape, very widely sampled in hip hop, used in a bunch of movies (memorably in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”) and TV commercials, widely covered (I saw My Morning Jacket do a stellar version at a MSG New Year’s Eve show), coveted vinyl revival catnip on multiple fronts.

Originals easily beats the pretty thin options on the repress front. A super hip album to own.

 

It should be sought after. Any funk/soul from the late 60s to early 70s is an automatic yes for me when I find it at a thrift shop. Success rate on good vs meh music is very high no matter the monetary worth.

Funny, just looked at it on Popsike and the price has been high forever. But I remember adding it to my collection in Discogs and it could be had there, at the time, for less than $10.

 

It's been that way for a while now. 1990 and 2000s vinyl is very hard to find and highly sought after. As the music is 20 - 30 years old now and people are still into it, I don't see prices ever coming down.