A Record Collector's Guide

The Afghan Whigs released six full-length albums between 1988 and 1998...and here they are...

Big Top Halloween

Ultrasuede 001, released 1988

This has long been the crown jewel of Afghan Whigs vinyl collecting. The band's first album, self-released on Ultrasuede in 1988. Limited to 1000 copies. The band wishes there were fewer. Personally, I don't know why they are all so down on this album. Sure, there are some tracks that miss the mark and the musical style changes somewhat dramatically from one song to the next. There are some really good songs on there, though. Just my opinion. This one has been expensive for a very long time, but remarkably, did not appreciate in value much between the end of the '90s and 2010. After 2010, the price started to creep up, and then, it skyrocketed for a while before stabilizing around $225-250. It has been sold at fairly regular intervals, though, so if you are willing to pay for one, you shouldn't have to wait long.

Version	Value ($)	Scarcity	Price Trending
Ultrasuede 001	225-275	6	Stable

Insert

Credits	Matt Mona: vinyl and insert images.

Recent Sales Data:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	8	222	Discogs, eBay
2018	11	249	Discogs, eBay
2017	4	312	Discogs, eBay

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

 

Up in It

Sub Pop SP60 LP / SP60b CD / SP60a Cassette, released 1990 (U.S.)

Glitterhouse GR0092 LP, released 1990 (Germany)

Sub Pop SP5/116 CD, released 1990 (Germany)

Sony SRCS 5867 CD, released 1990 (Japan)

Sub Pop SP60 LP/Cassette, released 2017 (U.S.)

This was the first Afghan Whigs album released on Sub Pop. There were two versions of the sleeve and several colors of vinyl to go along with each. The first pressing was of 1000 copies on orange vinyl. Accompanying these copies was the the first sleeve above, with the horizontal arm and orange print. These copies came with lyric sheet inserts. The orange first press is attracting more interest again, but the price has stayed pretty stable.

There were also black vinyl copies pressed with the original sleeve. Glitterhouse Records in Germany pressed it (GR0092) with this sleeve as well, also on black vinyl. The cd version was one of the earliest Sub Pop Europe releases (SP5/116).

Later pressings had the second version of the sleeve shown above, depicting a vertical arm with more shading and white lettering. This version was pressed on black, green, blue marble, and blue-green marble vinyl, and came with no inserts. All of the blue and green varieties are all fairly rare. The blue-green is less common than the green, and the blue marble is typically a really tough find. The craziest collectors (myself included) have locked up their blue and blue-green copies, so the prices have come down a bit, but the green ones have gone up in recent years. Now, all three of those versions seem to fall in the same range.

There were also a few copies out there on the 1st press black vinyl, but in 2nd press sleeves. These copies, unlike the rest of the 2nd run, did come with inserts: letter-sized Singles Club enrollment forms. The first time I saw one of these, I thought it was an anomaly, but I have since seen five or six copies that meet this description, which tells me otherwise.

2017 brought us some fabulous re-presses of Up In It. The U.S. "Loser Edition" variant was a deep blue marble (closer to the Nirvana Bleach blue marble than the previous Up In It variant). Although it is a distinct color, it is bound to cause some confusion. A black vinyl re-press was also released. There was a separate Loser Edition pressed in Europe. It had unique matrix codes and the color was different - this one was more of a solid blue.

Version	Value ($)	Scarcity	Price Trending
SP60 1st: Orange (1000)	45-80	6	Volatile
SP60 1st: Black	20-35	4	Stable
SP60 2nd Sleeve w/ 1st Black Vinyl	30-40	6	Stable
SP60 2nd: Green	60-70	7	Stable
SP60 2nd: Blue-Green Marble	60-70	8	Stable
SP60 2nd: Blue Marble	60-70	8	Stable
SP60 2nd: Black	30-60	6	Volatile
GR0092 Black	10-15	1	Down
SP60 Blue Marble 2017 Re-press (U.S.)	15-20	1	Stable
SP60 Black 2017 Re-press (U.S.)	12-15	1	Stable
SP60 Blue 2017 Re-press (Europe)	20-25	1	Stable

Test Pressing	1st Press Orange	1st Press Black	Glitterhouse
Green	Blue Marble	Blue-green Marble	2nd Press Black
Blue Marble Re-press (U.S.)	Black Re-press (U.S.)	Blue Re-press (Europe)
1st Press Insert	Early 2nd Press Insert

Test Pressing	Black vinyl, plain white labels

Recent Sales Data - Orange Vinyl:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	5	70	Discogs, eBay
2018	12	62	Discogs, eBay
2017	11	99	Discogs, eBay

Recent Sales Data - Blue Vinyl 2nd Press:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	1	55	Discogs
2018	1	66	eBay
2017	3	68	Discogs, eBay

Recent Sales Data - Blue-Green Vinyl Second Press:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2018-19	0	N/A	N/A
2017	3	71	Discogs, eBay

Recent Sales Data - Green Vinyl Second Press:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	0	N/A	N/A
2018	1	65	Discogs
2017	1	75	Discogs

This page was last updated on October 10, 2019.

Congregation

Sub Pop SP130b CD/ SP130a Cassette, released 1992 (U.S.)

Sub Pop SP26/183 LP / SPCD 130 CD, released 1992 (Germany)

Sony SRCS 5863 CD, released 1992 (Japan)

Sub Pop SPMC 130b Cassette, released 1994 (Poland)

Sub Pop SP130 2xLP/Cassette, released 2017 (LP)

Afghan Whigs album number three, released on Sub Pop in 1992. At the time, the only vinyl version came out on Sub Pop Europe, all on black vinyl. The price of this record was stable for years up until 2010, and then became a bit unpredictable. A ton of these were sold in 2017, presumably related to the issuance of re-presses. That made the price drop. It has settled into a consistent range now, and has not gone back up.

Speaking of re-presses...Sub Pop released a Loser Edition double LP of Congregation in the U.S. and another in Europe. The U.S. one is a beautiful red marble color, while the European issue is a solid red. There were also re-presses made on black vinyl.

Version	Value ($)	Scarcity	Price Trending
SP26/183 Black	20-40	4	Down
SP130 2xLP Red Marble (U.S.)	15-25	1	Down
SP130 2xLP Black (U.S.)	15-25	1	Down
SP130 2xLP Red (Europe)	20-30	1	Stable

Test Pressing	SP26/183
Red Marble Re-press (U.S.)	Black Re-press (U.S.)	Red Re-press (Europe)

Test Pressing	Original Pressing: black vinyl, generic German white labels

This page was last updated on October 10, 2019.

 

Gentlemen

Sub Pop SP238 LP, released 1993 (U.S.)

Blast First BFFP90 and BFFP90S LP / BFFP 90 CD / BFFP 90C Cassette, released 1993 (UK)

Elektra 7559-61501-1 LP / Elektra 7559-61501-2 CD / Elektra 7559-61501-4 Cassette, released 1993 (Germany)

Elektra 7559-61501-2 CD, released 1993 (Australia)

Elektra CD 61501 / 96 15014 Cassette, released 1993 (Canada)

Elektra WMC5-659 CD, released 1993 (Japan)

Hi-Speed Soul HSS-1037-1 LP, released 2011 (U.S.)

Rhino R1 61501 LP / R2 545514 CD, released 2014 (U.S.)

Elektra/Rhino R1 545514, released 2014 (3xLP - U.S.)

Blast First LBFFP90 LP / XLBFFP90 3xLP / LBFFP90CD, released 2014 (UK)

Elektra 8122795664 LP / 8122795665 3xLP / 8122795663 CD, released 2014 (Europe)

The Afghan Whigs' first major label release. There are all kinds of versions of this one. Sub Pop had the rights to release the original U.S. vinyl (SP238). The German one was on Elektra (7559-61501-1), and the UK one was on Blast First (BFFP90). There is, however, a version of the UK release that comes with a bonus 4-track 12" single (BFFP90S). The German one is by far the toughest one to find.

In 2011, Hi-Speed Soul re-released Gentlemen, on 180g vinyl. This version is pretty easy to find, but I hear that the label has now gone under, so these will start getting rarer. All of the original versions were selling for pretty high prices for a long time, but seemed to come down when the re-press came out. The UK versions really dipped. The price for the Sub Pop version was all over the place. 

Then came Gentlemen at 21...in 2014, they released a remastered anniversary edition of Gentlemen...two versions each in the U.S., the UK, and the rest of Europe. There was a single disc 180g version and a three-disc deluxe version in each location. The deluxe edition came with demos for the whole album and a whole bunch of other extras. It started out as a pricy set, but, naturally, with the market flooded, came way down in value pretty quickly. Some of these original pressings have since rebounded. The Sub Pop one, in particular, has been on a real upward trajectory. The UK double disc version has mostly stayed stable, but lower, while the Elektra version has remained low.

Version	Value ($)	Scarcity	Price Trending
Sub Pop SP238	60-80	5	Up
Elektra 7559-61501-1	30-40	5	Stable
Blast First BFFP90S w/ bonus 12"	35-50	4	Stable
Blast First BFFP90 (no bonus 12")	25-40	3	Stable
Hi-Speed Soul HSS-1037-1	18-22	2	Stable
Rhino R161501	18-22	1	Stable
Elektra/Rhino R1 545514 3xLP	25-40	2	Stable
Blast First LBFFP90	18-22	2	Stable
Blast First XLBFFP90 3xLP	25-40	2	Stable
Elektra 8122795664	18-22	1	Stable
Elektra 8122795665 3xLP	35-45	2	Stable

Sub Pop Test Press	Blast First Test Press
Sub Pop	Elektra	Blast First	Blast First Bonus 12"
Hi-Speed Soul	Gentlemen at 21	Gentlemen at 21 Deluxe

Test Pressing	Sub Pop - Black vinyl, RTI test pressing labels with typed information Blast First - Black vinyl, plain white labels
Credits	G. Sinchak: Blast First test pressing image

Recent Sales Data: Original Sub Pop SP238 LP:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	3	60	Discogs, eBay
2018	11	69	Discogs, eBay
2017	7	35	Discogs, eBay

Recent Sales Data: Original Elektra LP:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	2	37	Discogs, eBay
2018	8	29	Discogs
2017	5	30	Discogs

Recent Sales Data: Original Blast First LP (w/ Bonus 12"):

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	11	40	Discogs, eBay
2018	9	46	Discogs, eBay
2017	13	41	Discogs, eBay

This page was last updated on October 10, 2019.

   

Black Love

Sub Pop SP353 LP, released 1996 (U.S.)

Elektra 61896-2 CD / 61896-4 Cassette, released 1996 (U.S.)

Elektra 7559-61896-1 LP / 7559-61896-2 CD / 7559-61896-4 Cassette, released 1996 (Europe)

Mute STUMM143 LP / CD STUMM 143 / CSTUMM143 Cassette, released 1996 (UK)

Elektra 7559-61896-2 CD, released 1996 (Australia)

Elektra CD 61896, released 1996 (Canada)

Elektra WPCR-672 CD, released 1996 (Japan)

Elektra 61896-4 Cassette, released 1996 (Indonesia)

Music on Vinyl MOVLP821 LP, released 2014 (Germany)

Elektra/Rhino R1 557151 3xLP / R2 557151 2xCD, released 2016 (U.S.)

Elektra 081227942892 3xLP / 081227942908 2xCD, released 2016 (Germany)

Mute XLSTUMM143 3xLP / LCDSTUMM143 2xCD, released 2016 (UK)

This is one of the best albums ever recorded. I cannot be swayed from this opinion. Released in 1996, Sub Pop had the U.S. rights to the original vinyl release; it was released as SP353 on black vinyl. The UK version was on Mute Records (STUMM143-1), also on black vinyl. There was also a German release on Elektra Records. As with Gentlemen, the German version seems to be the rarest. In 2014, Music on Vinyl released a 180g re-press, which is pretty easy to find.

In 2016, Black Love was re-pressed as a giant 3 LP set, complete with previously unreleased demos and rough takes. Very interesting to hear after all of these years (particularly the bones of "Crime Scene Part Two", which many of us had wondered about for years). The sleeves for the re-presses were modified slightly. On the U.S. and German ones, all the graphics and lettering were colored gold. On the UK one, the entire sleeve was gold colored, with the graphics faded (ha) into the background and black lettering. All of the re-presses can be found readily.

Now...pricing. I don't know what to say. The price for the U.S. and UK originals fluctuated wildly for several years. I'm really not sure what to do with it. The average price for the U.S. one came down after the 2016 re-pressing was released, but it was still going for a fair amount. That is, of course, until someone flooded the market with sealed U.S. originals in 2018. As a result, the price came down, and has been in a a stable range since. The spread for the original UK version in 2017 was insane: it went for anywhere from $15 to $90. No idea.

Version	Value ($)	Scarcity	Price Trending
Sub Pop SP353	20-40	3	Down
Elektra 7559-61896-1	25-45	5	Down
Mute STUMM143-1	20-40	4	Down
Music on Vinyl MOVLP821	15-25	1	Stable
Rhino/Elektra R1 557151 3xLP (U.S.)	20-30	1	Stable
Elektra 081227942892 3xLP (Germany)	25-40	1	Stable
Mute XLSTUMM143 3xLP (UK)	25-40	2	Down

Sub Pop	Elektra	Mute
Music on Vinyl	Rhino/Elektra Re-press	Mute Re-press

Credits	Mike: SP353 image

Recent Sales Data: Original Sub Pop LP:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	13	38	Discogs, eBay
2018	16	33	eBay
2017	17	38	Discogs, eBay

Recent Sales Data: Original Elektra LP:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	3	41	Discogs
2018	2	17	Discogs, eBay
2017	3	48	Discogs, eBay

Recent Sales Data: Original Mute LP:

Year Sold	Quantity	Median Price ($)	Platform
2019	2	26	eBay
2018	4	25	Discogs, eBay
2017	7	50	Discogs

This page was last updated on October 10, 2019.

   

1965

Columbia C 69450 LP, released 1998 (U.S.)

Columbia 491486-1 LP, released 1998 (Europe)

Music on Vinyl MOVLP149 2xLP, released 2010

ORG ORGM 2044 LP, produced 2015 (unreleased)

This entry used to start with, "Sadly, this was the Whigs' final album." Who knew? All original vinyl versions were released on various incarnations of Columbia Records. All were on black vinyl. It has been difficult to predict the selling price for this record. Sometimes it goes for very little, sometimes a fair amount. A significant percentage of the U.S. copies have the upper lefthand corner of the sleeve clipped - presumably, these were mostly used as promos.

There has been some confusion about the European vinyl releases for 1965. I had once heard that there were UK and Austrian versions of this one, but they all seem to be identical to the European LP, which gives no indication of country of origin on the sleeve or on the label.

In 2010, Music on Vinyl, a Dutch imprint, reissued 1965 on 180g vinyl. It was released as a two-record set. The second disc contained the bonus tracks from the Somethin' Hot and Australian 66 CD singles. No new material here, but, hey...it made it a lot easier to get ahold of "The Singer."

Then came 2015. For Record Store Day Black Friday, ORG Music was supposed to release a 180 g blue vinyl version of 1965, limited to 2,000 copies. The label confirmed to me that it was pressed, but the band had become active again and was unhappy with the timing of the release, so they asked that it be pulled. Some copies made it out there, though. This is a hard one to find. It is an even harder one to value. It has sold in the $40 range a couple of times, and then once for an obscene amount. I will refine my valuation once I see more.

Version	Value ($)	Scarcity	Price Trending
Columbia C 69450	25-45	4	Stable
Columbia 491486-1	25-45	4	Stable
Music on Vinyl MOVLP149	20-30	1	Stable
ORG ORGM 2044 (Blue)	50-80	9	Up

C 69450

491486-1

MOVLP149 A

MOVLP149 C

This page was last updated on December 7, 2019.

The Afghan Whigs Singles
The Afghan Whigs Compilations
The Afghan Whigs Index
The Twilight Singers Albums and Singles
The Gutter Twins Albums and Singles
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