Last month, an original vinyl pressing of David Bowie's Space Oddity was sold through record resale site Discogs for $6,826 US (roughly $8,848.64 CDN), making it the most expensive item ever sold in their online marketplace. Now, an elusive Prince record has made that price point seem tame in comparison.
The site announced today (June 10) that a 1987 copy of Prince's The Black Album was sold for $15,000 US (roughly $19,164 CDN). Initially set to serve as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times that year, promotional copies were sent to clubs and DJs before Prince decided to shelve the album one week before its release. The Purple One then had the promo copies recalled and destroyed, though a handful of them were hidden away and served as a source for bootlegs until the record's official release in 1994.
"This item can fetch 'down payment on a sensible home' prices because the man who created it did everything to make sure it never reached the public. It simply shouldn't exist," the site explained. "This double 12-inch DJ version of The Black Album from the US is one of the great rarities a vinyl collector could ever hope to find."
The site continued, "Setting aside rarity, though, it's obvious that the price tag on this Black Album promo has also been affected by recent events. Just as with last month's Bowie-related marketplace record, the Purple One's passing can almost certainly be linked directly to the cost that a collector is willing to pay for an item this scarce."
If you don't have a cool $15,000 US to put down on a copy of The Black Album, whenever another may appear online, a TIDAL subscription is a more affordable option in getting to hear some rare Prince material.
The site announced today (June 10) that a 1987 copy of Prince's The Black Album was sold for $15,000 US (roughly $19,164 CDN). Initially set to serve as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times that year, promotional copies were sent to clubs and DJs before Prince decided to shelve the album one week before its release. The Purple One then had the promo copies recalled and destroyed, though a handful of them were hidden away and served as a source for bootlegs until the record's official release in 1994.
"This item can fetch 'down payment on a sensible home' prices because the man who created it did everything to make sure it never reached the public. It simply shouldn't exist," the site explained. "This double 12-inch DJ version of The Black Album from the US is one of the great rarities a vinyl collector could ever hope to find."
The site continued, "Setting aside rarity, though, it's obvious that the price tag on this Black Album promo has also been affected by recent events. Just as with last month's Bowie-related marketplace record, the Purple One's passing can almost certainly be linked directly to the cost that a collector is willing to pay for an item this scarce."
If you don't have a cool $15,000 US to put down on a copy of The Black Album, whenever another may appear online, a TIDAL subscription is a more affordable option in getting to hear some rare Prince material.
