List of the rarest vinyl in the world?

Are there any websites that list what the rarest vinyl records are in the world (LPs, EPs, 78's, 45's, etc)? I'd love to read about 'em. Thanks.

 

I don't know about any websites but the most rare records are probably that 'one off' recording done by the Beatles (or pre-Beatles) and those records Elvis made for his mother while he was a truck-driver.

P.S. Here's a website I just found:

http://www.rarevinyl.net/

 

God Save the Queen

Sex Pistols first single on A&M went for 12,675 GBP on eBay earlier this year. only 12 copies are known to exist.

 

You'd have to actually buy a book, as opposed to surfing the net for it, but Goldmine used to, and so far as I know still does, release a record price guide. In the one issue that I have, they have an article on the top ten or twenty rarest records. Come to think of it, I should buy a new one.

 

Re: God Save the Queen

Are you sure only 12 copies are still known to exist? I thought a BUNCH of copies were unearthed when A&M was bought by Polygram, and disgruntled soon-to-be-ex employees raided the vault...

Kwad

 

Re: God Save the Queen

Here's the link to that auction from popsike, which is a very nice reference site for records.

http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=4838165513

 

As an aside, I have an East Indian-Canadian friend at work who's been listening vinyl his whole life who tells me he's got recordings that were pressed back home in the 50s and that he wouldn't be surprised if his copies were the only ones in existence. Who knows?

 

I'd say this one is mighty rare.

Never even seen a picture of one until one turned up in the Heritage Auction Galleries catalog.

 

Well if we are speaking of 'rare' in terms of presently existing numbers only, there are literally hundreds of thousands of one or two-off records that would qualify. For example, the 78 rpm of my dads high school music class at some concert in the 1940's. Go ahead - try to find one at any price!

And how about those autographed records?

But what we commonly call 'rare' seems to be based on a ratio of desirability versus availability of popular artists or musical pieces. If 500 people are willing to pay a lot for something of which only 50 copies exist, the term 'rare' is likely to be applied to those 50.

 

In this month's edition of the UK magazine Record Collector there is an article on the most valuable records.

 

Just found a link.

http://www.recordcollectormag.com/site/sections/default.asp

Unfortunately it doesn't have the list online.

 

It will cost biilions to attempt to acquire one of these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

 

Wow! I had no idea about that! That's very cool!

 

Wow I would think the stereo mix of Bob Dylan's Freewheelin' album would qualify ($20-30,000 in nm condition)

 

Jerry Osborne puts out a nice record price guide book.

 

I always thought it was the Dylan Freewheelin' that was the rarest.

 

Yes, the stereo version with the four tracks, including "Let Me Die in My Footsteps," that were withdrawn at the last second.

 

Re: God Save the Queen

I remember when Bleecker Bob's in NYC had one on their wall in the early 80s for $1,000. I always thought it was cool, but, it seemed overpriced back then. £12,675 now? Ouch.

 

rareness and value are not the same thing. You could have the only copy of a record and if nobody else wants it it is worthless. the stereo version Dylan's Freewheelin with the deleted tracks is valuable because it is extremely rare (2 known copies?) and highly sought after. the problem with the idea of "the rarest" is that you get no rarer than one and there may be many such records.

 

Here's an extremely rare LP.........

http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=4043483066

 

Two Rolling Stones albums, Let It Bleed and 12 x 5, were pressed as colored vinyl... not sure how many LIB copies exist, but only one 12 x 5 has ever turned up.

Also, Through The Past Darkly was pressed as a picture disc... only a handful are known to exist.

 

Frank Wilson - "Do I Love You"

http://www.thisoldsoul.com/fw.html