Music lovers urged to check old CD collection for albums worth up to £8k
CDs and vinyl records, once considered relics of the past due to the rise of MP3s and global streaming services, are making a surprising comeback. Nostalgia is proving to be a profitable business, with people flocking back to physical media in droves. This means those old discs gathering dust on your shelf or in your car could now be worth a small fortune.
Collectors are willing to shell out hundreds, even thousands, for rare CDs from artists like David Bowie to Michael Jackson. These coveted CDs were often released in limited quantities or exclusively overseas, while others were recalled for various reasons.
Take for example, Bruce Springsteen's The Future of Rock and Roll, a promo-only compilation released in Japan in 1988, is now extremely rare and can fetch around £1,100. One eBay user is currently listing their copy for £907.
Prince's My Name Was Prince follows a similar story, reports the Express. Only 50 copies of this Japan-exclusive collection were made in 1993 to promote the 12-track album The Hits/The B Side. Its rarity makes it almost impossible to find, with collectors ready to part with up to £5,000 for a copy.
Paris Hilton's brief stint in the music industry may have ended years ago, but her debut album Paris is now highly sought after. This is all thanks to famous London graffiti artist Banksy who, in 2006, secretly distributed around 500 fake copies of the album in 48 UK shops.
He swapped the original booklet with his own artwork and replaced the disc with one featuring Danger Mouse remixes. These rare CDs can fetch prices anywhere from £750 to a jaw-dropping £8,000.
The first Now That's What I Call Music 4 album was released in 1984 and marked the first Now album on CD, but only 500 copies were made. Sadly, the 15-track compilation was reissued in 2019 so it's not incredibly rare, but original discs can still command between £200-£400.
Only 150 copies of Coldplay's 1998 EP The Safety were up for sale, with the remaining 350 supposedly given to family, friends, and label executives.
It's now one of the most valuable CDs from Chris Martin's band and lucky music fans who have one can reportedly flog it for around £1.5k.
Nirvana dropped a single titled Pennyroyal Tea in April 1994 as an alternative version of the song of the same name on their 1993 album In Utero. It was later pulled following Kurt Cobain's death the same month.
A few copies are still floating around and now sell for around £1.5k-£2k. Michael Jackson memorabilia has always been hot property, especially after his sudden death in 2009.
However, the most sought-after disc is the single 'Smile' due to its mysterious disappearance. This CD, released exclusively in Austria in 1997 and later discontinued without a reissue, has made the remaining copies worth a staggering £1k-£1.5k.
David Bowie's 'Sound + Vision' is another gem not to be missed. This 1989 compilation, one of only 350 ever produced, reportedly fetched over £4k on eBay in 2013.
This collector's item boasted 49 tracks, a video disc, a 72-page booklet, and was housed in a basswood and birch box. Subsequent editions released in 1990 are currently trading between £70-£350. So, it seems it's time to start rummaging.
Complete list of CDs that collectors are on the hunt for:
The Future of Rock and Roll (Bruce Springsteen)
My Name Was Prince- Japan-only compilation (Prince)
Paris- 2006 Banksy/Danger Mouse edition (Paris Hilton)
Now That's What I Call Music 4
The Safety EP (Coldplay)
Pennyroyal Tea (Nirvana)
Smile (Michael Jackson)
Sound + Vision (David Bowie)
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