Album value
Taylor Swift — Taylor Swift.
First-press value.
Taylor Swift's debut came out on CD in October 2006, but it did not reach vinyl until May 2016, when Big Machine issued it as a 180-gram 2×LP. That black-vinyl set now sells for around $120 on Discogs. The numbered 2018 Record Store Day edition is a separate, much pricier record, and an unofficial copy of it is already in circulation.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 2006. Its first vinyl pressing came in 2016, on the Big Machine Records label.
- US stereo catalog: BMRTS0150A
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Taylor Swift vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- There is no vinyl from 2006 or 2008. The first LP issue is the May 2016 US 2×LP, BMRTS0150A, with three bonus tracks ('I'm Only Me When I'm With You', 'Invisible', 'A Perfectly Good Heart') for 14 songs in all
- Original 2016 US copies were pressed at Rainbo. Their runouts read S-97701 BMRTS0150A-A2 WG/NRP, with S-97702 to S-97704 on the other sides. A later GZ Media repress adds a stamped line such as 'BMRTS0150A-A 855005 216594E1' and came with a Made in Canada sticker on the shrink
- European copies use the barcode 00843930021154 as their catalog number. The November 2016 EU run has runouts starting '16873'; a 2024 EU run pressed by MPO in France has a laser-etched MPO logo in the runout and 'Made in EU' on the bottom line of the back cover
- The Record Store Day 2018 edition is crystal-clear-and-turquoise vinyl, 5,000 copies worldwide, with 3,750 hand-numbered US copies. It shows BMRTS0150B on the spine, back cover and hype sticker, and BMRTS0150A on the labels
- An unofficial turquoise-and-clear 2×LP copies the RSD edition but has no hand number, no barcode on the back, different center labels and runouts like '1_011416604-A-1'. Buyers also report a blurry, tighter-cropped cover
The matrix runout etched in the dead wax is the definitive identifier when label and catalog number both look era-correct.
03
What it's worth
Recent sold-listing ranges. Pressing, condition, and current market all move the number.
| Pressing & condition | Recent sold |
|---|---|
| 2016 first-press (NM) | $100–$160 |
| 2016 first-press (VG+) | $60–$110 |
| Sealed authenticated original | $150–$235 |
| Later GZ repress, NM | $60–$125 |
What pushes to the top: A sealed 2016 US copy with the Rainbo runouts; the numbered RSD 2018 turquoise edition trades far higher (Discogs median about $810) and should be priced as its own record.
Sources: Discogs sold listings (90-day window), Popsike.com auction archive, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.
04
If you have one
Pull the record. Check the label first against the Big Machine Records design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches BMRTS0150A. Then check the matrix runout in the dead wax. All three lining up is the first-press confirmation.
Or scan with Crown Vinyl. The app reads the label, catalog number, and matrix runout from a single photograph, returns the exact pressing, and pulls a current value from recent real sales. Free on the App Store.
Keep checking the shelf
More first pressings worth knowing.
Nearby years, matching labels, and more records by the same artist.
2017 · Big Machine Records (picture disc)
Taylor Swift — Reputation
2017 first press: $60–$120 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1966 · Capitol black rainbow-rim
The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds
1966 first press: $40–$100 in VG+ condition.
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1967 · Elektra gold label
The Doors — The Doors
1967 first press: $50–$120 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Big Machine Records), the catalog number (BMRTS0150A), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. There is no vinyl from 2006 or 2008. The first LP issue is the May 2016 US 2×LP, BMRTS0150A, with three bonus tracks ('I'm Only Me When I'm With You', 'Invisible', 'A Perfectly Good Heart') for 14 songs in all.
A sealed 2016 US copy with the Rainbo runouts; the numbered RSD 2018 turquoise edition trades far higher (Discogs median about $810) and should be priced as its own record brings the top of the NM range, typically $100–$160. Authenticated sealed first-press copies reach $150–$235 when verified by Heritage Auctions or a specialist dealer.
A little. The later GZ-pressed repress trades for about $60–125 near mint, against about $100–160 for the original 2016 pressing. The runouts tell them apart.
Taylor Swift was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The BMRTS0150A pressing is the reference.
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