An extremely rare 7-inch vinyl pressing of The Velvet Underground & Nico single “All Tomorrow’s Parties” recently sold on Discogs for the record-setting price of $30,000.
Originally released as a promo single in 1966, there are less than 10 known copies of the 7-inch remaining. Featuring “All Tomorrow’s Parties” b/w “Ill Be Your Mirror,” the pressing has been an attractive item for collectors thanks to the detail and energy captured by the mono mixes. The picture sleeve that accompanies the pressing only adds to its value, with collector Andy Davis explaining, “The sleeve to “All Tomorrow’s Parties” was never issued commercially, and was only ever intended for promotional purposes. Legend has it that this cover was never packaged with actual vinyl copies. It has only ever surfaced as a paper artifact, and then only in single figure quantities.”
The sale reportedly took place in March, and the buyer chose to remain anonymous. The artwork was described as “slightly worn,” but the condition was still enough to garner the largest transaction in the history of Discogs, the preeminent database for collectors. Despite the fact that the listing encouraged pickup, the buyer was located far enough that the vinyl ended up being hand-delivered by the seller after a flight. The record itself remains in good condition and is entirely listenable.
Prior to this purchase, the most expensive sale on Discogs was an unreleased Sex Pistols single for $15,625 in 2018.
The Velvet Underground & Nico’s self-titled debut album famously underperformed upon release in 1967, but decades later, Brian Eno quipped that while the record only sold 30,000 copies in its first five years, “everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.” Now, almost 60 years later, that number — 30,000 — has manifested in a whole new, equally legendary way.
