While a recent round of vinyl reissues has put David Bowie's second self-titled LP (later re-released as Space Oddity) back into print for a new generation to enjoy, some fans have no doubt been scouring for OG copies online and in record shops. Turns out an original pressing was found on resale haven Discogs.com, and for its price tag of $6,826 USD (roughly $8,848.64 CDN), it has officially become the most expensive LP to have ever been sold through the site.
A press release from Discogs confirms that the March sale made David Bowie the priciest purchase on its site yet. Previously, the record had been set in 2015 on a sale of NYHC band Judge's Chung King Can Suck It 12-inch, which had gone for $6,048 USD. Both albums are rare, but the Discogs team notes that an original UK pressing of the Bowie platter is especially hard to find.
"Is it almost $7k difficult? Maybe not," Discogs' Grippo wrote in a blog post. "Is it Bowie's best work? Many would argue otherwise. But, honestly: what does it matter? His music deeply touched generation after generation. I didn't listen to my favorite Bowie albums for the first time until thirty-ish years after they were released, but they crackled with an urgency and a vitality that would make you swear they were sent back from the future."
The Bowie album had arrived eponymously in 1969 through Philips. Two years later, following the success of opening number "Space Oddity," it was re-released and re-marketed by RCA under the title of Space Oddity.
While the album has been re-released countless times over the years, most recently this past February via a vinyl reissue campaign, the death of David Bowie has apparently skyrocketed demand for collector's items like a first pressing.
"As morbid as it sounds, there is usually a bump in sales in the marketplace for a given artist when they pass," Discogs marketing director Ron Rich said in a statement. "Collectors look to grab that piece of history, they want to own that a piece of the story. Thanks to the accuracy of Discogs' data this particular collector was able to pinpoint to that exact first pressing. The power of the first pressing is a classic supply-demand model."
For most, the price may seem ludicrous, but to each their own.
A press release from Discogs confirms that the March sale made David Bowie the priciest purchase on its site yet. Previously, the record had been set in 2015 on a sale of NYHC band Judge's Chung King Can Suck It 12-inch, which had gone for $6,048 USD. Both albums are rare, but the Discogs team notes that an original UK pressing of the Bowie platter is especially hard to find.
"Is it almost $7k difficult? Maybe not," Discogs' Grippo wrote in a blog post. "Is it Bowie's best work? Many would argue otherwise. But, honestly: what does it matter? His music deeply touched generation after generation. I didn't listen to my favorite Bowie albums for the first time until thirty-ish years after they were released, but they crackled with an urgency and a vitality that would make you swear they were sent back from the future."
The Bowie album had arrived eponymously in 1969 through Philips. Two years later, following the success of opening number "Space Oddity," it was re-released and re-marketed by RCA under the title of Space Oddity.
While the album has been re-released countless times over the years, most recently this past February via a vinyl reissue campaign, the death of David Bowie has apparently skyrocketed demand for collector's items like a first pressing.
"As morbid as it sounds, there is usually a bump in sales in the marketplace for a given artist when they pass," Discogs marketing director Ron Rich said in a statement. "Collectors look to grab that piece of history, they want to own that a piece of the story. Thanks to the accuracy of Discogs' data this particular collector was able to pinpoint to that exact first pressing. The power of the first pressing is a classic supply-demand model."
For most, the price may seem ludicrous, but to each their own.
