Most valuable vinyl records in the UK last year – do you have one worth £2,000 in your collection?

WE may live in a world of streaming but vinyl records are still valuable to collectors and sell online for thousands of pounds.

More than 4.2million vinyl records were sold last year, according to the BPI, up 1.6 per cent on 2017 and the highest figure for 27 years.

The rare versions of records are worth more to collectors

But thanks to a new generation of music fans discovering the world of LPs, it means that your old collection could be worth a mint to the right buyer.

“In general for a record to be valuable is that it has to be both scarce and in demand,” Tony Bootroyd of Vinyl Tap explained to The Sun. “Often the record and sleeve also have to be as close to pristine and new as possible.

“Because of the size of their fanbase even some rarer pressings of albums by bands such as the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin can be worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds if they are in pristine condition.

“These tend to be versions which are slightly different to the ‘standard’ copy that most people own.”

What should you do if you have a valuable vinyl?

IF you think you’ve got an LP that’s worth a bit extra then you should start by doing your research

Find out how much your record is worth to a collector by checking the same or similar albums under “sold listings” on eBay.

Compare your LP to other higher selling auctions and ask yourself if it’s in a similar condition? Is it authentic? Is it still in it’s original packaging?

If it’s in mint condition then it might be worth selling it through an auction house or directly to a collectables website. If it’s not, it’s probably worth sticking it on eBay for a moderate sum.

While it’s the obscure records by niche bands that are worth the most, we’ve had a rummage around on eBay to find out which popular ones are the most valuable – and some of them could be worth more than £2,000.

“If someone believes they have a collectable record my advice is to get it verified,” added Tony. “You can do this by checking with a reputable retailer, online price guides or even just Googling it to see if it’s as good as you think it is.

“An expert will give you an accurate valuation. They’ll need to see pictures of the record and need to know it’s condition too.”

From Pink Floyd to Kate Bush, Jimi Hendrix to Ozzy Osbourne these are the albums that have sold for the most cash at auction.

David Bowie The Next Day – £2,050

A rare copy of David Bowie's The Next Day album recently sold for more than £2,000 — A rare copy of David Bowie’s The Next Day album recently sold for more than £2,000

This limited edition version of Bowie’s The Next Day is recorded on blue vinyl in aid of UNICEF.

Only 50 of the albums, which were originally released in March 2013, were launched via a lottery at the end of 2018 in a bid to raise money for the Children’s Emergency Fund.

Number 29 out of 50, this particular record is unused, unopened and undamaged which undoubtedly bumped up the value.

In the end the vinyl, which had never been played, sold for £2,050 on eBay.

Kate Bush The Sensual World – £1,036

A limited edition blue version of Kate Bush's album was launched in aid of UNICEF — A limited edition blue version of Kate Bush’s album was launched in aid of UNICEF

The album sold for £1,036 on eBay after attracted 19 bids

Another album re-released on blue vinyl in aid of the charity is Kate Bush’s The Sensual World.

Originally launched in 1989, it peaked to number two in the UK charts and went on to become a platinum selling record.

This particular record came with a limited edition sticker as well as a holographic UNICEF Blue Vinyl sticker on the front of album.

This album was also unused, but you can expect a non-charity version to sell online for around £18.

Fleetwood Mac Rumours – £1,520

The record was repressed as a limited run of 250 copies

The seller was in the United States but promised to ship the album worldwide

Originally pressed in 1979, this limited edition of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album sold for almost £1,520 on eBay.

Now, the album has sold more than 40million copies but this special run of 250 was repressed to celebrate 31 weeks at number one.

The seller said that it had never been played before, only had one owner and had been kept in storage for 40 years.

It was in a near mint condition which makes it even more valuable to collectors who pay more for ones that appear nearly new.

It was sold from a seller in the United States for $1,999 which works out at more than £1,500.

The Jimi Hendrix Experince Axis: Bold As Love – £882

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was originally released in 1967

In the end the album sold for more than £880

The Axis: Bold As Love album was first released in the UK in 1967 and features hits like Spanish Castle Magic and Little Wing.

This copy came with the very rare orange insert with all of the lyrics on it.

Although the seller described the album as in mint condition, they were honest that there was “little wear on the spine corners”.

The seller was based in Australia but offered to ship it worldwide. In the end it sold for $1,650 Australian dollars which works out around £880.

Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman – £870

Ozzy's album is the third UNICEF version to feature in the most valuable records list — Ozzy’s album is the third UNICEF version to feature in the most valuable records list

The album ended up selling for £870 after 21 bids

Ozzy Osbourne’s album is the third blue UNICEF album to feature in the top six most valuable records.

Re-released in 2018, the record is number 19 of 50 and is still sealed in all of its packaging.

A signed copy of the album can fetch up to £173 on eBay while an original will sell for around £37.

The vinyl sold for £870 on the auction site in the end after receiving 21 bids.

How to avoid the dangers of selling your LP on eBay

SELLING things on eBay can be a big money earner – when you’re doing it right. Here are the dangers you need to avoid if you want to make a profit:

You need to set a minimum price on your auction. It needs to be higher or at least value to what you’re selling, otherwise it could be bought for less than it’s worth. This is exactly what happened when someone sold a new £10 note for less than a tenner.
Even if your item sells, there’s no guarantee the buyer will cough up. When you set up the auction you can opt for the highest bidder to pay straight away.
Don’t forget that eBay will charge you a sellers fee if you sell your item. If you’re selling up to 50 items a month – and you’re not a business – you’ll be charged 10 per cent of the sale. Take this into consideration when you’re listing your item.

Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon – £720

The album sold for £720 after getting 16 bids

The album has been played only once before

Dark Side Of The Moon was originally released in 1973 and features hit tracks On The Run, Time and Speak To Me.

The seller claims the vinyl has only ever been played once and it’s in a “fantastic condition”.

Even though it had a few marks on the corners of the cover, it still sold for £720 after receiving 16 bids.

It’s not just your old records that could be worth a fortune – your childhood Lego sets could be worth up to £8,000.

Your Barbie collection could be worth up to £580 and they don’t have to be in the box or even in mint condition.

It’s probably time to clear out your man drawer too because some of the gadgets could be worth hundreds of pounds as an old boombox sold for more than £800 online.

Scots DJ discovers rare misprinted Beyonce vinyl after it blasts out punk band Zex

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk

READ SOURCE