If you already subscribe to the Discogs newsletter then this post won't be for you. One of my favourite parts of the Discogs newsletter is their listing of the 25 most valuable records sold on their platform from the previous month. 

Having their own marketplace gives them the data to produce that easily and I enjoy reading about some of the most collectible records out there. They provide a short write up on the top five so I thought I would share it too. 

#25 - Kiss, Kiss sold for $2,500

#24 - Lizzy Grant, Lizzy Grant sold for $2,500

#23 - Motley Crue, Too Fast For Love sold for $2,500

#22 - The Koobas, Koobas sold for $2,567

#21 - Kick, Right Thing sold for $2,665

#20 - The Open Mind, Magic Potion/Cast a Spell sold for $2,702

#19 - WestsideGunn, Flygod sold for $2,736

#18 - The Germs, Lexicon Devil sold for $2,750

#17 - La Seconda Genesi, Tutto Deve Finire sold for $2,941

#16 - Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath sold for $2,972

#15 - Elois Scott, Broadway Love sold for $3,000

#14 - Vickie Labat, Got to Keep Hanging On sold for $3,176

#13 - Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon sold for $3,243

#12 - Johnny & The Attractions, Let's Get Together/Cross My Heart sold for $3,378

#11- Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes, Uganda sold for $3,400

#10 - Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin sold for $3,513

#9 - The Sun Ra Arkestra, Interstellar Low Ways sold for $3,529

#8 - Tamala Lewis, You Won't Say Nothing sold for $3,764

#7 - Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath sold for $3,783

#6 - The Dross, Last Declaration of Wars sold for $3,800

#5 - T.J. Hustler Metaphysical Synthesized Orchestra, Age of Individualism sold for $4,500

Released in 1979 as a private press passion project, Age Of Individualism is the singular vision of T.J. Hustler — a Bay Area artist who blended synth-funk, philosophical monologues, and Afrofuturist ideas into one of the most compelling outsider records of its era.

Packaged by hand and distributed in extremely limited numbers, the album was nearly lost to time until Companion Records reissued it decades later. Originals, especially complete copies, are prized by collectors chasing the weirder edges of electronic and soul music. This one sparked serious attention and a equally serious price tag.

#4 - Mulatu Astatke Featuring Fekade Amde Maskal, Ethio Jazz sold for $4,588

Mulatu Astatke is basically the Duke Ellington of Ethio-jazz — a true pioneer who crafted a whole new sound that’s everywhere in Ethiopian music. On this 1974 classic Ethio Jazz, he’s backed by members of the Walias band, plus Zimbabwean guitarist Andrew Wilson adding some extra soul. Sax and flute player Feqadu Amde Mesqel really shines throughout, dropping some of the best horn work you’ll find in the genre.

The first pressing has sold just three times on Discogs, with each sale rising in price. This sale tops the chart for this record, reaching over $4,500.

#3 - Larry Clinton, She's Wanted sold for $4,705

A true northern soul grail, Larry Clinton’s “She’s Wanted,” released in 1965 on the short-lived Dynamo label, has long hovered in myth, rarely seen and even more rarely sold (some forum posters on Soul Sourcebelieve there could be as few as three copies of this version in existence). Another of the handful of total internet sales occurred last month with the first-ever sale of an original copy on Discogs, which closed at $4,705.88 for a VG+ copy.

Backed by a relentless groove and Clinton’s fiery vocal, the track was tailor-made for the dancefloors of Wigan Casino and has remained a coveted spin ever since. With only a handful of known copies, it’s a price soul collectors will go for the right, mysterious 45.

#2 - The Beatles, Please Please Me sold for $5,135

This U.K. first stereo pressing of the Beatles’ debut Please Please Me was only available for a few weeks in 1963. Several key features distinguish it from later pressings. First, the labels are black with gold print, unlike the black and yellow labels of subsequent releases. The publishing credit for four tracks is attributed to “Dick James Mus. Co.” instead of Northern Songs. Lastly, the “Photo: Angus McBean” credit on the cover is lower, starting at the end of the word “songs.”

#1 - U2, Three sold for $5,764

Before U2 became one of the biggest bands on the planet, they were just four young Dubliners trying to get a foot in the door. Three marks their official debut. There were only 1,000 copies of this version of the band’s debut were pressed, each with a hand-numbered sticker slapped on a CBS sleeve.

There’s a long list of tiny details that separate the first issue from following ones: the band members’ names inscribed in the runouts, “U-2” spelled with a hyphen on the label, “STEREO” in all caps, and the correct spelling of “Ireland.” Even the sticker itself — listing all three tracks, the catalog number, and a £1.49 price — has become a collector’s artifact in its own right.