The 10 Most Valuable Record Covers

The Beatles "Butcher" cover

I know some of you reading this will find it hard to believe, but once upon a time the cover of a vinyl record was a major selling point to the album. Sometimes people actually took a chance on a record because the cover was so cool, never happens today.

So many covers were works of art, and so many were just plain provocative, like The Beatles "butcher" album cover that was never released in the States because it was just too controversial at the time, or King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King" (both shown on the left).

Now a UK record collector magazine called Rare Record Price Guide 2012 has named the top ten most valuable album covers. According to editor Ian Shirley, "While pristine records and inserts are vital to securing a top price, the numbered sleeve is the main attraction. The hunger to collect low numbers remains undiminished amongst Beatles fans."

So here they are, complete with the prices they'd expect to fetch:

1. The Beatles - "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" [limited edition Capitol version] (1967) $112,000.

2. The Beatles - "The Beatles" (1968). Numbers 1-10
$11,200.

3. Madrigals - "Magic Key To Spanish Volumes 1 and 2" (1953)
$5,600;
"The Nation's Nightmare" (1951),
$4,800.

"IN The Court Of The Crimson King"

4. The Beatles - "Introducing The Beatles" (1964)
$4,800.

5. The Beatles/Frank Ifield - "England's Greatest Recording Stars: The Beatles & Frank Ifield On Stage" (1964)
$4,800. 

6. Tinkerbell's Fairydust - "Tinkerbell's Fairydust" (1969)
$4,800.

7. AC/DC - "12 Of The Best" (1978)
$4,800.

8. The Beatles - "Yesterday And Today" (1966)
$3,200.

9. Dark - "Dark Round The Edges" (1972)
$3,200. 

10. Hank Mobley - "Hank Mobley" (1957)
$3,200. 

If that isn't a reason to search through yard sales, I don't know what is.

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