Artist vinyl values
Elton John vinyl values.
Originals, album by album.
Elton John's early-70s albums sold in the millions, and MCA kept pressing them at several plants for years. A 1972–1975 date on the label is common, so it says little about value. These records are priced on the details: the right catalog number, the original jacket construction, and whether the inserts are still there.
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Elton John original vinyl value overview
Packaging decides most of the price. Look for an intact envelope flap and photo panel on Honky Château, an unsplit tri-fold jacket on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and both booklets plus the poster in Captain Fantastic. Most complete, clean copies still sell for under $50.
Albums covered
3
VG+ originals
$6–$20
NM originals
$12–$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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Elton John album value guides
1972 · UNI
Honky Château
Top-end clue: UNI 93135 with the sepia panel firmly attached and the envelope flap and tab undamaged.
NM first press
$12–$30
1973 · MCA black label with rainbow
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Top-end clue: Tri-fold jacket with no seam splits or writing, both inner sleeves present, and both discs NM.
NM first press
$20–$45
1975 · MCA custom picture label
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Top-end clue: Both booklets, the poster and the fan-club insert present and unmarked, with a clean gatefold.
NM first press
$15–$35
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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.
- Check the catalog number on the spine, the back cover and the label; MCA reissues such as MCA-2017 and MCA-37066 replaced the original numbers.
- Read the runouts for the plant mark (P, G or T) and compare both discs of a double album.
- List every insert before grading: lyric booklets, the 'Scraps' book, posters and inner sleeves.
04
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:
- Honky Château: UNI 93135 with the sepia panel firmly attached and the envelope flap and tab undamaged.
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: Tri-fold jacket with no seam splits or writing, both inner sleeves present, and both discs NM.
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy: Both booklets, the poster and the fan-club insert present and unmarked, with a clean gatefold.
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.
Keep checking the shelf
Decode the labels and dead wax
These guides explain the manufacturing clues connected to the albums above.
A few questions
The ones that come up.
Among the albums covered here, near-mint confirmed originals span $12–$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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