If You Have Any of These Records, You Could Be Sitting on a Gold Mine

When was the last time you looked at your record collection? In recent years, vinyl has made a serious comeback, which means you may want to dust off those old LPs, or keep an eye out at thrift stores for hidden gems.

"The antiques market seems often heavily influenced by nostalgia and therefore whomever has the buying power at any given time directs the value of collectible items," John Neiheisel, Art & Antique Specialist at EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE (EBTH), tells CountryLiving.com. "Items that were cherished by the demographic which grew up in the '60s and '70s is at its peak currently, with items like Pyrex, rock LPs, modern furniture, toys, etc. — all of which are in high demand."

That's right: Your favorite rock record from back in the day could actually be worth something today — if it's an original issue, that is.

"Rock albums are all over the place, but The Beatles is always highest," Neiheisel explains. "More or less, for anything outside of the top The Beatles albums that's signed by a member or all members of the band, you're talking a major increase in value, especially with some of the most iconic bands, such as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, etc."

Early and rare jazz pressings also do very well at antiques sales, he says. "In short, the rarer a record is combined with its relevance equals value."

These are the albums (all originals) Neiheisel ranked as most valuable:

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1. The Beatles, Yesterday and Today

Value: Original cover, first issue, $20,000-$45,000

2. The Beatles, White Album

Value: Original cover, first issue, $10,000-$20,000

3. Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Value: Withdrawn varietal (has four songs not contained on subsequent releases), $10,000-$20,000

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4. The White Stripes, Lafayette Blues

Value: Single EP (limited release of 15 numbered copies), $4,000-$6,000

5. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin

Value: Aqua lettering variant, $3,000-$5,000

6. Roland Kirk, Triple Threat

Value: $1,000-$5,000

7. David Bowie, Diamond Dogs

Value: $1,000-$5,000

8. The Misfits, Horror Business

Value: $2,000-$4,000

9. Prince, The Black Album

Value: $1,000-$3,000

10. Elvis Presley, Speedway

Value: $1,000-$3,000

From: Country Living US

This story originally appeared on Townandcountrymag.com.
* Minor edits have been made by the Townandcountry.ph editors.