This week boasts two of the biggest days of the year for music lovers and collectors alike.
On Friday, Taylor Swift releases her 11th studio album “The Tortured Poets Department,” and the following day marks the 17th annual Record Store Day, which the initiative’s website describes as a day to “celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role they play in their communities.”
The crossover between Swift and vinyl collecting cannot be denied, with the superstar’s records accounting for 7% of all U.S. vinyl sales in 2023 with nearly 3.5 million units sold, according to Billboard.
Additionally, Swift has been responsible for a big chunk of the most valuable Record Store Day exclusive releases.
Here's a look at the history of those releases with an estimate of how much they are selling for at the moment:
2023: “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions”
Limited to 115,000 copies worldwide and released on gray vinyl, Swift’s 2023 offering has fetched sales ranging from $300 for an opened copy to $600 for a sealed copy on eBay. The album documents the first time Swift and other “folklore” album contributors were able to play together in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite being produced in a fairly large quantity, this record continues to be highly sought after. One store in Pennsylvania ordered 1,000 copies and was surprised when the entire order was fulfilled. Copies sat on the shelves for months, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, until word got out that Young Ones Records still had many copies, causing Swifties from around the country to descend upon this small mom-and-pop shop in Kutztown.
2022: “The Lakes”
With just 10,000 copies worldwide, demand for this seven-inch single on clear vinyl continues to grow. Despite having two versions of “The Lakes” with a total runtime of less than eight minutes, sealed copies of the single are now selling for more than $300 on eBay.
One copy sold on eBay for $6,500 last year which, according to the listing, was a one-of-one pressing known as the “TayTay Gray” variant and had liquid pigment injected into the vinyl. The listing states that this copy, which features a Japanese obi strip, was created to benefit Kid’s Helpline in Australia.
The rarity was purchased in a silent auction by a U.S. resident, who subsequently listed it on eBay. Very little information regarding this variant exists outside of the listing itself.
2021: “Gasoline” by Haim, featuring Taylor Swift
While this is a Haim release, this seven-inch pressed on blue vinyl featuring Swift on the B-side and limited to 6,000 copies worldwide has recently started eclipsing the $200 threshold on eBay.
2018: Self-titled, Fearless (Platinum Edition) and 1989
2018 was the big year for Swift’s Record Store Day releases. Three of her full-length albums were reissued and limited to 5,000 copies each worldwide, with 3,750 of those being released in North America and individually hand numbered.
Swift’s self-titled album was reissued on turquoise vinyl, and a sealed copy was purchased on New Year’s Day for a record $1,700 price tag on eBay, according to Popsike, a website that documents historical vinyl sales.
The Platinum Edition of “Fearless” was reissued on clear and gold vinyl. A sealed copy sold for a record $1,400 on eBay last month.
The most valuable of the three albums is 1989, released on clear and pink vinyl, which sells for more than $2,000. One copy sold by an Australian seller on eBay was purchased for $4,000 AUD (roughly $2,600 USD), which is a record. Interestingly, this was for a used copy.
2018 Record Store Day Black Friday: Red and Speak Now
Starting in 2010, a second Record Store Day date was added each year on Black Friday. In 2018, Swift released two more full-length albums that were available at higher quantities, with 7,000 hand-numbered copies released worldwide, 4,000 of which were released in North America.
The value of these records continues to climb year-over-year with "Red," which was pressed on clear vinyl and sold for a record $1,480 on eBay late last year, according to Popsike. "Speak Now," pressed on clear smoke vinyl, also sold on eBay for $1,250 at around the same time.
eBay has also seen multiple listings with all five full-length titles released on the two Record Store Day iterations selling for more than $4,000 as a bundle.
If you are a Swiftie looking to score one of Swift’s inevitably rare Record Store Day releases, you might have to wait until Black Friday, as there are no Swift releases planned for Saturday’s event.
However, Swift has already announced four variants of her new record "Tortured Poets Department," all of which have been available for pre-order. The variants are titled "The Manuscript," "The Bolter," “The Albatross” and "The Black Dog” respectively and have been available to order on her official website. She also has announced an exclusive variant, only available at Target.
Earlier this week, Swift did set up pop-up shops in both Los Angeles and Chicago, so don't be surprised if she has some other exclusives coming.
In additional to being a full-time mixed martial arts reporter, Aaron Bronsteter has been a vinyl collector and enthusiast for more than 20 years.