THE SERIES OF ARTICLES about the books I have published have a loose chronology and narrative that makes the most sense if read in this order:
1. Rock & Roll Record Albums Price Guide (1985)
2. Elvis Presley Record Price Guide (1985)
3. A Touch Of Gold – Elvis Presley Price Guide (1990)
4. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (1st edition, 1991)
5. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Jazz Albums (1992)
6. Goldmine’s Rock’n Roll 45RPM Record Price Guide (1994)
7. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (5th edition, 1996)
8. Blues And Rhythm & Blues 45s Of The ’50s (2000)
Links to the articles above can be found at the end of this article.
MY FINAL BOOK FOR KRAUSE was the fifth edition of Goldmine’s Price Guide To Collectible Record Albums, published in 1996. A lot had changed: the first four editions had hipped people to just how rare and valuable some records were, and they had increased interest in finding those records—sometimes at whatever cost it took.
The book had also changed: this new edition was 814 pages, more than twice the length of the first edition! This allowed me to add thousands of listings to the main discographies, plus I was able to add two new sections: one listed for soundtrack albums that featured rock music, and another for various artists albums.
I had rewritten a new system for grading records that is still the basis for all the Goldmine books by all the Goldmine authors that have followed. There was a section that addressed label descriptions for 150 record companies. Plus I was able to write a few articles on things that interested me, like a piece on the history of PET SOUNDS (Many, many things have been written about this album since, but I’ll betcha a buck-three-eighty that you’d still enjoy mine.)
Christopher Chatman expanded his article on collecting RIAA Gold Record Awards and added one on collecting acetates.
It was a good book.
I was also given control of the cover design: against a black background were four album covers. Each one represented an album that could be found in that jacket worth a few dollars—or a few thousand dollars. You had to know how to look and that was what this book promised! The four albums were THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN from 1963, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF and the Beatles’ YESTERDAY AND TODAY from 1966, and David Bowie DIAMOND DOGS from 1974.
Most valuable albums (1996)
The most valuable albums list in the fifth edition was pared down from one-hundred to fifty. I did this to keep the list more focused; a hundred was too big to make sense. Hell, fifty may have been too many. The changes in seven years were astonishing: six of the records that were in the Top 10 in 1989 were displaced by 1996!
The #10 album in the first edition was valued at $1,200; in this fifth edition, it was $10,000. The time they were a-changin’—although not everyone appreciated or enjoyed those changes.
$25,000
Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Columbia CS-8786 (stereo). Original pressing with deleted tracks.
First edition value: This album was not known to exist in 1989.
Beatles
Introducing The Beatles
Vee-Jay LPS-1062 (stereo). Rainbow label with Love Me Do and the back cover has the song titles in two columns.
First edition value: This album was not known to exist in 1989
$20,000
Billy Ward & The Dominoes
Billy Ward & The Dominoes
Federal 295-94 (mono). Ten-inch album.
First edition value: $1,200
$15,000
Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Columbia CL-1986 (mono). Original pressing with deleted tracks.
First edition value: $4,000
Midnighters
Their Greatest Hits
Federal 295-90 (mono). Ten-inch album.
First edition value: This album was not known to exist in 1989.
$13,000
Ike & Tina Turner
River Deep, Mountain High
Philles PHLP-4011 (mono). American pressing withdrawn shortly after release.
First edition value: $2,000
$12,500
Beatles
Introducing The Beatles
Vee-Jay LPS-1062 (stereo). Rainbow label with Love Me Do and ad-back cover.
First edition value: $2,50
Beatles
The Beatles And Frank Ifield On Stage
Vee-Jay LPS-1085 (stereo). Rainbow label with Love Me Do and ad-back cover.
First edition value: $3,000
Beatles
Hear The Beatles Tell All
Vee-Jay PRO-202 (mono). White label promo.
First edition value: This album was not known to exist in 1989.
$10,000
Elvis Presley
Elvis’ Christmas Album
RCA Victor LOC-1035 (mono). Red vinyl.
First edition value: This album was not known to exist in 1989.
Beatles
A Hard Day’s Night
United Artists UAS-6366 (stereo). Pink vinyl. This record was manufactured by a pressing plant employee and was not authorized by the record company. There may only be one or two copies.
First edition value: This album was not known to exist in 1989.
David Bowie’s DIAMOND DOGS with the gatefold jacket open so the front and back cover can be seen. This is the original jacket with the Bowiedog’s genitalia visible between his hind legs. On most copies of this jacket, that area has been blackened with the offending member no longer visible.
Where’s Bowie and Elvis?
Several albums that had been in the Top 10 in the first edition (1989) failed to make the Top 10 in the fifth edition (1996). I have listed them below with the values assigned each in the two books:
Beatles
Yesterday And Today
Capitol ST-2553 (stereo). First state butcher cover.
First edition value: $5,000
Fifth edition value: $9,000
David Bowie
Diamond Dogs
RCA Victor APL1-0576 (stereo). The Bowiedog’s genitals are visible on the cover.
First edition value: $3,000
Fifth edition value: $3,000
Elvis Presley
Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite
RCA Victor VPSX-6089 (quadraphonic). Chicken Of The Sea “Sneak Preview” sticker on the jacket.
First edition value: $2,000
Fifth edition value: $3,000
Beatles
The Beatles Vs. The Four Seasons
Vee-Jay DXS-30 (stereo). Double-album.
First edition value: $1,500
Fifth edition value: $3,000
Beatles
Yesterday And Today
Capitol T-2553 (mono). First state butcher cover.
First edition value: $1,500
Fifth edition value: $4,000
Beatles
Introducing The Beatles
Vee-Jay LP-1062 (mono). Rainbow label with Love Me Do and ad-back cover.
First edition value: $1,200
Fifth edition value: $4,000
This was the previous, fourth edition of the Goldmine album book.
About my other books
There are eight articles on this site explaining the various books I published for record collectors. They are best read in the following order, which is roughly chronological:
1. O’Sullivan Woodside’s Rock & Roll Record Albums Price Guide
2. O’Sullivan Woodside’s Elvis Presley Record Price Guide
3. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (1st edition)
4. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (5th edition)
5. Goldmine’s Rock’n Roll 45RPM Record Price Guide
6. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Jazz Albums
7. A Touch Of Gold – Elvis Record & Memorabilia Price Guide
8. Blues and R&B 45s of the ’50s Price Guide