Artist vinyl values
Dire Straits vinyl values.
Originals, album by album.
Dire Straits' early-1980s LPs were pressed in large numbers on both sides of the Atlantic, and most originals sell for modest sums. Audiophile reissues often sell for more than the originals: the full-length Brothers in Arms double LPs and the Mobile Fidelity Making Movies regularly outsell 1980s copies.
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Dire Straits original vinyl value overview
For original pressings, condition and mastering marks matter more than scarcity. Before pricing a copy, check whether it is a 1980s original, a club edition, a promo or a later audiophile reissue, because their values are far apart.
Albums covered
2
VG+ originals
$8–$20
NM originals
$15–$45
These ranges span the covered albums; they are not a single price for every pressing. Open the album guide and match the label, catalog, matrix, packaging, and grade before comparing a copy.
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Dire Straits album value guides
1980 · Warner Bros. tan (narrow horizontal lines)
Making Movies
Top-end clue: Near mint Sterling-mastered US copy with the original inner sleeve; among reissues, the Mobile Fidelity 45 rpm set.
NM first press
$15–$40
1985 · Warner Bros. white label (ghosted shields)
Brothers in Arms
Top-end clue: Sealed 1985 copy with the hype sticker, or the Quiex II promo in near mint condition.
NM first press
$20–$45
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How to compare the right copies
An artist name and album title describe the music, not the manufacturing history. Work from the physical evidence before using any value range.
- Match the label design to the year: tan Warner Bros. labels with horizontal lines for 1980, white labels with ghosted shields for 1985.
- Read the runouts for STERLING on Making Movies and RL with MASTERDISK on Brothers in Arms.
- Check the track times on a Brothers in Arms LP; a single LP with shorter songs is the original 1985 edit, not a damaged copy.
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What moves a copy toward the top of the range
The strongest value signal is a complete set of details that all point to the same issue. For the albums covered here, pay particular attention to:
- Making Movies: Near mint Sterling-mastered US copy with the original inner sleeve; among reissues, the Mobile Fidelity 45 rpm set.
- Brothers in Arms: Sealed 1985 copy with the hype sticker, or the Quiex II promo in near mint condition.
A later reissue in excellent condition can still be a great listening copy. It should simply be compared with reissue sales rather than original-press prices.
A few questions
The ones that come up.
Among the albums covered here, near-mint confirmed originals span $15–$45. The exact album, pressing, completeness, and condition determine the price, so use the linked album guide rather than treating that span as a blanket artist value.
Match the release-year label, complete catalog number, both runout matrices, jacket construction, and any original inserts. No single color, logo, or matrix fragment proves the whole pressing by itself.
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