IF you have a big collection of old records gathering dust in your attic, now is the time to dig them out.
Like with any collectibles, some old vinyl records you'd forgotten you even had could be worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds now.
The vinyl revival is still very much alive, so if you are not an avid collector yourself, there could be a mint to be made from your old LPs.
In fact, today is Record Store Day, a day to celebrate independent record stores which sell rare collectible vinyls, so many fans may be gathered to share their love of old albums.
Of course, there are a number of factors that can affect a record's final sale price, including its condition, whether it is signed or if it has any other unique .
And remember, a collectible is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and prices will vary depending on demand at any given time.
With that said, here are the 10 most valuable vinyls in the UK right now that you could be sitting on, according to auction price tracking website Value Your Music…
Most valuable vinyls that sold in the UK last week
According to Value Your Music, these are the top 10 most valuable records in the UK as of last week:
- Gary Numan – She's Got Claws – Orange Vinyl UK 12″: sold on April 6 for £2,200.27
- Jack Ashford – Blackjack SES – sold on April 6 for £1,982.21
- Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs – sold on April 3 for £1,900
- Led Zeppelin – Self-titled Debut (Turqoise) 1969 – sold on April 5 for £1,616.22
- Junior Mance Trio – At the Village Vanguard – sold on April 3 for £1,533.79
- Chosen few / Vin Gordon – Babylon / Red Blood – sold on April 6 for £1,550
- The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle (1st Press) – sold on April 4 for £1,550
- Beatles – Butcher Cover (aka Yesterday and Today) – sold on April 7 for £1,516.75
- Velvet Underground & Nico – Debut (1st Press) – sold on April 3 for £1,370.15
- Kraftwerk – Electric Cafe (Musterplatte Promo) – sold on April 3 for £1,248.45
The most popular record is the track She's Got Claws by Gary Numan from 1981.
One copy of this record recently sold at auction for a whopping £2,299.27 as they were in a rare orange vinyl.
The record achieved a whopping 41 bids from avid collectors, making it a highly sought-after vinyl.
Mellow Candles Swaddling Songs record from 1972 raked in £1,900 with 17 bids placed.
Then, a rare edition of Led Zeppelin's self-titled debut album went under the hammer for £1,616.22.
What makes a particular record so valuable?
If you're sitting on a huge collection of records by obscure bands, then you could be quids in.
The more obscure the band or the genre, then the more valuable the record is likely to be, according to vinyl records specialist Martin Hughes, from Wessex Auction Rooms.
The particular edition you have can also make or break how valuable it is.
If you have a first edition of a band or artists' first album then you could be be onto a winner, so it's worth double checking if yours is an early version.
For example, the most rare and value Led Zeppelin record is a unique edition of their self-titled first album, which recently sold for over £1,600 at auction.
The first pressing was issued in a short-run with turquoise lettering on the sleeve before it was changed to orange.
This makes the turquoise version highly-sought after by collectors.
Whether the record is in “stereo” or “mono” can also make the difference.
Stereo versions tend to be rarer for older records as very few people had stereo equipment. This can make those copies more valuable.
While the condition of the vinyl is important and mint condition items fetch the highest prices, it isn't necessarily everything, according to Martin.
He told Flying Eze: “The grading for the condition of records goes from poor to mint – but something that comes in nearer the top of that scale can still have surface marks and scratches.
“You can have a record that has a really grubby sleeve that still plays perfectly fine – and that's the most important thing.”
