Picture discs - Collectors items?

It's really most unfortunate when an album's only vinyl release is a picture disc. Like Thurston Moore's recent "Trees Outside the Academy," or The Fall's "Are You Are Missing Winner."

Both are great album's (ok, "Are You Are Missing Winner" isn't The Fall's best, but hey) but I just can't bring myself to spend any money on a picture disc that'll I'll most likely never play.

they vary in quality, but are really made to be 'momentos' and collected...not played. depending on the artist, they can be very expensive.

I have the Boston first album picture disc - it did not sound good compared to normal 33 vinyl (more pops and clicks) but it looks awesome and cool - love the art - but as someone mentioned it is really just "memorabilia"

Not worth anything, but my prized possession that always gets a chuckle is a clear (see through) green colored LP of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.

It is by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy.

The narrator is David Bowie.

Now that is a interesting combination.

It is actually quite good. David Bowie with his British accent does a very animated narration.

05-30-08: Shadorne
I have the Boston first album picture disc......

I wouldn't admit that in public.......LOL

I once sold a set of all four Kiss solo LP picture discs for decent money...

one of my prized possessions is a picture disc of Parliament's 'Motor Booty Affair': side B has Bootsy Collins, wearing white fur chaps and a cowboy hat, holding a boom box on his shoulder, water-skiing on the backs of two dolphins. Boo-ya!

p.s.PDs all sound bad - I'm told it's because the depth of the vinyl is shallower. could be. they do sound terrible.

I could think of a million other disc's more embarrasing then Boston's debut....they must have done something right because that album is in most all of our and 10 million other folks collections.

My favorite was Michael Jackson's Thriller PD. This was back when he had a big nose. Can't hardly see the resemblence to him now--surely that's got be worth something.

It's like anything else. Some are desired, some aren't.
The easiest way to get an overall picture (te-he) of the market is to go to
eBay-->Music-->Records and search for "picture disc". Then check the completed auctions. You'll see that some go unbidded, a lot fetch around $10 plus shipping, and a few, by legendary artists or bands, may get $30-50. A double picture disc album by U2 went for $71 plus $6 shipping.

One could presume that a sealed copy might be worth more, but only if it's an artist and/or record that is desirable in the first place. I doubt that a sealed copy of a Leo Sayer or Jerry Vale picture disc would garner many bids.

OTOH, could you imagine if such a beast existed for Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue?"

05-30-08: Chadnliz
I could think of a million other disc's more embarrasing then Boston's debut....they must have done something right because that album is in most all of our and 10 million other folks collections.....

You can say the same thing about Billy Ray Cirus's Achy Breaky Heart, Micheal Jackson's Thriller, etc.......

It's called timing.......

Sorry, no Boston here.... never has or will be....

Funny story about Boston's album. Has anyone heard of Babo's in NYC? It's Mario Brutali (I'm sure I butchered the spelling there) signature restaurant. I'm not even sure you can call what they serve food--it's something in a different category altogether. I'll never forget, in this very fine dining establishment, with a wine table beyond belief, more servers than customers, what was playing through probably bose speakers--Boston's "More than a Feeling". The funniest thing about that, was in the older style architecture, high ceilings, etc. The music worked--it somehow made what could have been a very stuffy environment, very warm and approachable. All of the music played was of similar age and genre. No Vivaldi Four Seasons as one might expect--but Boston. Yeah--you can do a lot worse than Boston.

Comparing Bostons album to either Billy Ray Cirus or Michael Jackson shows such a weak grasp of the point I was making I wont waste time on a reply.

Musicslug I have that Motor Booty Affair PD I always thought it was George Clinton on the Waterskis.I have many PDs including FDR Fireside Chats on 10" and 2 gals getting it on which is a scratch and sniff PD on cardboard,but no I have never had the curiousity or nerve to test it out. A guy locally buys any and all PDs from me at 5 bucks a pop,He decorates with them.I have sold him well over a hundred.Sold two copies of a Manilow shaped (his head) PD on eBay one at 12 the other at 18,so can't really say they're worthless.

Be vary with picture discs. There are SO many bootlegs out there, it's really hard to tell what is legit and what isn't.

Besides, like others are saying - they do sound crap!

05-30-08: Shadorne
I have the Boston first album picture disc......

I wouldn't admit that in public.......LOL

There are actually a lot of things I won't admit too in public.

Like paying Foreplay/Longtime on Rockband with my kids and nephew with my TD-9 drums (hooked up via R8 Midi Solutions and circuit mods/wiring to the PS3 Rockband Drumset)

I guess some people get Harley's in their mid life crisis - I got a drum set - boo-yaa!

The best sounding vinyl is clear - colorants add to the noise floor. I have a PD of Tubular Bells that after 20 years of playing is as noise-free as a CD.