The Beatles "White Album"

[IROC]

My 17 year-old daughter recently bought an Arctic Monkeys album (on vinyl!!) so I drug out a lot of my old albums and have been enjoying the analog listening experience.

One album in my collection is a Beatles White Album. This has a bit of an interesting story. My Dad gave it to me...his mom (my grandmother) bought it in 1968 (or so) when the album first came out. She was not really a Beatles fan, but bought the album for some reason.

Anyway, she never played it. She then gave it to my Dad who had his own copy of the album so he never played it either. I have never played it. So, I have a serialized, embossed, original White Album including the four ~8x10 pictures of the Beatles and the poster that has never been played. All of it in brand-new condition.

I realize this is probably somewhat rare, but probably not super valuable. I figured the PPOT brain trust could give some feedback on this, though.

[GH85Carrera]

I would bet it is worth several hundred if not a grand or more. Just a guess.

Condition is everything for collectors, and there are lots of Beatles collectors.

I bough the White Album in 8 Track tapes. The tapes like any 8 track died after a bit of use.

[Seahawk]

I did a quick search because when these type of questions come up it is always intriguing:

https://www.ebay.com/b/Beatles-White-Album-Rare/176985/bn_7023389798?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5337590774&customid=&toolid=10001

That is the best I can do - I have zippy insight into the market.

Good luck!

[Ayles]

If you want to figure out the value go to discogs.com and find the EXACT release you have down to the etchings in the runout grooves. The beatles will be well documented there with tons of sales history and current listings.

[javadog]

If, by some miracle, it is still wrapped in its original plastic, don’t open it up.

[javadog]

For instance:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194461685338?hash=item2d46d1d65a:g:WAYAAOSwSoNdwbf l

[javadog]

And here’s another rare one, this should give you some wood:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224641845037?hash=item344db2872d:g:8fEAAOSw4TNhYmP l

[Ayles]

Here is the kind of info you will need to id. This is the second us pressing:

[javadog]

Yeah, but don’t open it up, if it’s not already opened, just to verify the details…

[herr_oberst]

Could be worth 50, could be worth a grand. Millions and millions pressed, and if you want a true valuation, you need to put your research visor on and get digging.

I have a 1978 US purple-label re-issue on white vinyl. It's cool, but not really that rare.

[flatbutt]

I have the Supermans death issue still in the black plastic wrapper. Maybe by the time Flatbutt III is my age it'll be worth something. I'm always amazed at what people will pay for this stuff.

My biggest regret is selling my 1967 Fender Precision bass for tuition back in 1975. That thing could be worth as much as $10K now.

[IROC]

I have no delusions of grandeur on this thing, but I do think it is probably uncommon to have an album this old that has never been played. I spent about 15 minutes googling last night and while this does appear to be a legit "first edition" or whatever, it has a serial number around A1XXXXXX, so it's not like Ringo used to own it or anything.

And...it's been opened. It was like that when I got it. I'll go to discogs.com and enter the info just for the fun of it (not familiar with that site).

Speaking of guitars - I also have a rare, but not necessarily valuable guitar. I bought a Gibson SG brand new back in 1983. It is a "Firebrand" model, but unlike almost every other Firebrand ever made, mine is painted in a burst finish. Very rare. But...not super valuable. Having said that, everything old is going up in value and I saw where SGs of that vintage are going for well over $1k. I paid $480 for mine.

[Ayles]

Discogs is a great site (and App). For albums with bar codes its really handy as you can just read the code with your phone. But for older titles there is a little more manual work in finding a given pressing.

[Steve Carlton]

Is there a way to tell if an album's never been played by inspecting it? How many times can a new album be played before there's a diminishment in the sound quality?

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

How many times can a new album be played before there's a diminishment in the sound quality?

Zero times (on a granular scale).

[Ayles]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Is there a way to tell if an album's never been played by inspecting it? How many times can a new album be played before there's a diminishment in the sound quality?

This is the standard in record grading:
https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/record-grading-101

Once its open its not Mint anymore so at best an album sitting on a shelf with no sleeve is probably Very Good/Excellent.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Is there a way to tell if an album's never been played by inspecting it? How many times can a new album be played before there's a diminishment in the sound quality?

Very relevant question and for sure I can't say that with 100% certainty, but the story makes sense. I remember when my Dad got the album from his mom - it was in a box of some other stuff and it stayed there for probably 20 years. Not long before my Dad died, he pulled that same box out of the closet and pulled the album out and gave it to me (re-telling this same story of her never playing it). My Dad was even unsure why she bought the album in the first place as she was not a Beatles fan - something about the hype surrounding it or something and "just thought she would buy one".

I looked at both of the LPs last night, though, and they do look pristine so no obvious signs of use. For what that's worth...

[fnqvmuch]

thoroughly search this project out at least;
We Buy White Albums

[Steve Carlton]

Circa 1970, my brother recorded right over my dad's carefully recorded cassette tapes of opera music. He was so into it, he even took some Italian lessons to try and understand the lyrics. One day, we came home to find my brother's vinyl Beatles albums lying bare on the fireplace hearth.

[Rtrorkt]

i have one of the english white vinyl pressings that I have rarely played. Picked up on a trip through London at the record store on Picadilly. Wonder what this worth.

Someone in college purloined my marble vinyl of Alone Together