After about 25 years I'm getting back into vinyl. I have purchased recently a vintage copy of Sign O' the Times and recent reprints of Parade (that I got signed by the Revolution after their show in Austin) and Purple Rain.

I have visited several record stores across Texas since Christmas and notice that the Prince sections are often well-picked. In general, is the market for Prince LPs hot? What's his strength in the retail and gray market? Any tips and/or tricks?

I would LOVE to find vintage well-maintained copies of CONTROVERSY and DIRTY MIND.

Btw, on a turn-table with good speakers, Prince's music SOARS! To me, right now, it's the only wya to enjoy his music,

Did you also listen to the reprint of the SOTT album? Just wondering which one you think sounds better, the vintage or the reprint.

I was able to track down some vintage records a few years before Prince passed away, like ATWIAD, Parade, Lovesexy, Batman. Some I bought on discogs, others I bought on an online market place in Montreal...

And since on this topic, what vinyl player and speakers do you have? I just wish I had more time to sit down and listen to all these vinyls...

I have every album of Prince's that was printed on vinyl, other than the shitty quality 'DJ edition' of Musicology, and the bootleg 3121.

I bought them all years ago, as part of my record collection, in the late 90s, early 2000s. All secondhand editions, pretty much. Art Official Age and Plectrum Electrum and 4Ever are new, of course.

Prince's second hand records used to go for just average second-hand prices. You could get a pristine copy of any of the major titles (For You up to Graffiti Bridge, say) for around £6 or £7, probably £10 or £11 for the double albums.

From there, the 90s albums were a little more, (Diamonds & Pearls, , Come and The Gold Experience, plus The Hits 1 and 2) but all 90s album are in their original editions, as vinyl pressing was dying out and far fewer were pressed.

My vinyl copy of The Rainbow Children cost me around £100, in about 2004, which I thought was ridiculous at the time, but there are now copies on Discogs going for between £400 and £900 - with the lowest selling price being £300+.... crazy money for one record.

Since Prince's death, I've noticed that, of course, these prices have gone up, along with the fact that vinyl is 'cool' again (sadly), so prices have inflated. These days the standard catalogue albums are probaby £15, and up to £20 for the double albums... That's what I've seen anyway, partocularly in London and Brighton, specifically.

Incidentally, I would always buy older/original pressings where possible. I have the vinyl remasters of For You, Prince, Dirty Mind, Controversy, Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, Parade and Sign 'O' The Times, and while they're all very nice - nicely pressed, generally pretty quiet pressings, with warm sounds - they don't do anything to diminish the originals. I would still put on my original Sign 'O' The Times, for example, rather than the remaster... it's in beautiful condition and jusyt sounds richer and warmer to me.

If you look around it's still possible to find decent originals for prices lower than the over-inflated £25-£35 they charge for the new issue remasters....

Also, lastly, they're called 'records' or 'LPs'. They're made of vinyl (poly-vinyl-acetate). They're not called 'vinyls'.

[Edited 1/23/19 9:40am]

Desparately waiting for 180g SOTT and Parade. Did those ever come out?

Rimshottbob said:

I have every album of Prince's that was printed on vinyl, other than the shitty quality 'DJ edition' of Musicology, and the bootleg 3121.

Also, lastly, they're called 'records' or 'LPs'. They're made of vinyl (poly-vinyl-acetate). They're not called 'vinyls'.

[Edited 1/23/19 9:40am]

Well, I'm like you. I have every single release .... most bought on the day of release. Heck, I probably have two of each release.

I'm originally from Europe but in the US they're called "vinyl". Not LP and not Records.

emesem said:

Desparately waiting for 180g SOTT and Parade. Did those ever come out?

Yes they were re released and remastered few years ago...

For realz? I dont think they were released in 180 gram like 1999, DM, Controversy and Purple Rain were.

feeluupp said:

emesem said:

Desparately waiting for 180g SOTT and Parade. Did those ever come out?

Yes they were re released and remastered few years ago...

feeluupp said:

emesem said:

Desparately waiting for 180g SOTT and Parade. Did those ever come out?

Yes they were re released and remastered few years ago...

Please provide any kind of link to support this. That's great news although as you claim "... a few years ago..."

Chastity said:

feeluupp said:

Yes they were re released and remastered few years ago...

Please provide any kind of link to support this. That's great news although as you claim "... a few years ago..."

They were remastered and reissued back in 2017-2018. Is it on 180g not sure, but WB stopped the reissues for now, so far we have the sony legacy reissues with Rave Un2, Rave In2, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth.

2017 As for the remastered and reissued recent WB vinyl releases, For You, Prince, ATWIAD, PARADE & SOTT have been remastered and reissued.

2011 180g remaster and reissue DIRTY MIND, CONTROVERSY, 1999, PURPLE RAIN.

2015 Paisley Park remaster released in 2017, (PURPLE RAIN)

feeluupp said:

Chastity said:

Please provide any kind of link to support this. That's great news although as you claim "... a few years ago..."

They were remastered and reissued back in 2017-2018. Is it on 180g not sure, but WB stopped the reissues for now, so far we have the sony legacy reissues with Rave Un2, Rave In2, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth.

2017 As for the remastered and reissued recent WB vinyl releases, For You, Prince, ATWIAD, PARADE & SOTT have been remastered and reissued.

2011 180g remaster and reissue DIRTY MIND, CONTROVERSY, 1999, PURPLE RAIN.

2015 Paisley Park remaster released in 2017, (PURPLE RAIN)

Ok so you're basically agreeing with the rest of us that Parade and SOTT were NOT released on 180 grams which were the issue.

They were reissued but at 140g. I just checked my 2011 reissues on a digital scale. Doesn't really make much of a difference tbh.