Music

The Most Rare and Valuable CDs

This email from Jody popped into my mailbox early this morning:

Compact discs seem to be dying a slow agonizing death, but I wondered, are their any CD’s out there that are actually worth something, like rare vinyl?

Great question.  While collectors go apeshit over rare records, what about rare CDs?

The answer is a firm “yes.”  The value of a rare CD is determined by the same things that rule rare vinyl: scarcity and demand.  

  • For example, Coldplay ordered up just 500 copies of their first release, The Safety EP (pictured at right).  Most were given to friends and family while less than a hundred were sold at retail.  If you have one of those, it’s worth up to $1500.
  • Nirvana’s record label prepped a UK-only promo version of “Pennyroyal Tea” in 1994–a different version of what we hear on In Utero–but withdrew it before it was distributed.  Find a copy of that and you have something worth about $2000.
  • In 1993, Prince planned to issue a disc called My Name Was Prince to Japanese media but pulled it. I’ve seen it listed for $5,000.

 

Anyone have anything more to add to this list?  How about some favourite sources for this kind of information?

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39976 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

27 thoughts on “The Most Rare and Valuable CDs

  • The very first Nickelback and Tea Party CDs fetch some ok coin.
    I don't like either of these bands but I have sold both of these items on ebay years ago.

    Reply
  • I always thought it would be one of the first CDs ever produced. I read somewhere it was an ABBA record or something. I had an original copy of Born in the USA, which I remember selling for quite a bit but the local shop knew more about it than I did.

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  • I have a bunch of stuff put away that's worth a pretty penny.
    Mad Season-Live EP
    Rare Angelic Process import
    John Frusciante-Niandra(not a promo)
    Sleep-Volume 1 still sealed
    Die Kreuzen-Internal
    Cult-Sonic Temple Collection
    Cult-Ceremony Collection
    Mastodon- Lifesblood ep
    Cry Of Love-Diamonds & Debris
    Confessor-Condemned
    King T-Thy Kingdom Come
    Meat Puppets-You Love Me ep
    Pigmy Love Circus-Power Of Beef Full band autographed cd.

    Reply
  • I have an originally pressed copy of Monarch (Lay Your Jeweled Head Down) by Feist. She told me herself that she pressed only around 700 (I even got her to sign it so I don't know if that increases or decreases the value). There're also many MANY fakes on eBay from Scandinavia/Eastern Europe with starting prices of $20 with Bobby Dazzler printed on them.

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  • NIN – halo 15 – We're In This Together – 3cd release, Europe and Japan only…

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    • I have some where a 3 inch cd import from possibly Japan with a spelling mistake on.
      It is Bon Jovi and it says ‘living on a player’ NOT prayer
      I have always wondered if it was worth anything?

      Reply
  • HOW ABOUT THE FIRST NOW THATS WHAT I CALL MUSIC NUMBER 4 SINGLE CD WITH PATENT PENDING ON THE BACK OF THE JEWEL CASE SOME VALUE THIS AT LEAST 500 POUNDS

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  • Jackie Evancho’s Prelude to a Dream is running around $3500

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  • The early Polydor CD’s with the red paint design Especially Abba & JM Jarre, and the early Mercury CDs with the green arrow design are going for three and sometimes four figure sums these days. Abba’s Visitors red face went for $1400 last year.
    The rarest SACD is obviously Aerosmith’s Rocks. Only 3 have been so far verified in the wild. Only 1 has been offered on eBay in 2010 and sold for $1600. It was a used cut-out.

    Reply
  • Paul mccartneys wings over America Columbia 2 CD issues in the mid 80s sealed in longbox fetched $100,000

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  • Ice-T home invasion rare withdrawn Sire/WB sealed in longbox fetched $10,000 at Christie’s a few years ago

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  • Is anyone aware of bootleg copies of the UK release of Now That’s What I Call Music 4 CD. I recently listed my copy on ebay and only realised after I had posted it that track 2 was titled Chostbusters and not Ghostbusters, that it said PROFIBITED and RECORDUCED in stead of REPRODUCED. Also it does not have ‘That’s What I Call’ in the logo. As far as I am aware this was a press review copy but would welcome any further information.

    Reply
  • I have recently bought a Jethro Tull cd Catfish Risen when I bought the cd it was still factory sealed all the packaging was labeled as jethro Tull but when I got it home I opened it placed it in my player it was actually Bob seagar on the cd …..so my question is ? is this a rare cd and is there any value here ?

    Reply
  • Hi All
    I was looking for info on a 11 cd boxed set – self issued by Prodigy. It is in a suede covered box. I do not have the outer packaging or the 3 little trinkets that were included. It does have the COA which states that it is #77 out of 500 issued worldwide.
    Does anyone have any idea of value?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  • It seems to me that Metallica had a song on the Kill Em All CD called Am I Evil. That was later removed from their CD. I have the original CD with Am I Evil on it. I wonder what that is worth?

    Reply
  • Pingback: Your Old CD Collection Could Be Worth Big Money Online

  • The Track “I Got Friend in lLow Places” with the 3rd verse.

    I have a CD from 1990 ish with four tracks.

    The track Friends in Low Places has the 3rd verse but its different from the one on the Live Show

    Before he sings the 3rd track, he talks about driving along and thinking he would not behave that way.

    He then says he written a 3rd verse

    Garth Brooks sings the 3rd verse to a live crowd.

    Has anybody else heard this track. I think it was a Promotion disk and not released for sale.

    Can you comment on this CD

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    • Wow. Never heard of something like this. Anyone have any idea?

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    • Is this the one with a picture of him kneeling?

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  • “Regional At Best” by twenty one pilots

    After they signed to Fueled By Ramen, their record label, they took all copies of this record, hard and digital, off the shelves. Even downloads for this album are worth up to $100.

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  • I am pretty sure that it was an Ireland only release back in the day.

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  • I have a copy of Lordi scarchives vol.1 in awesome condition. Only 500 made. Impossible to find. Wonder how much it would fetch.

    Reply
  • I have a single acoustic cd of Glenn Hughes from Deep Purple – only 50 in the world- what could this be worth???

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  • I am trying to find the value of a CD. It is a 24 karat gold Boston that has never been opened. It is made by soundmaster and has all original artwork etc…

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  • Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory and Meteora

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  • I have a green vinyl pressing of U2’s “All I Want Is You” 12″ vinyl ‘maxi-single’ (3 tracks). Does anyone have some idea of its value?

    Reply

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