There was some great work in Archers of Loaf's handful of albums. I preferred the earlier work to the later stuff, but some disagree with me. It's all got its place. Let's take a look. All Archers of Loaf albums were on Alias. They flirted with another label at one point, but ultimately stayed with Alias. Some of the following are actually still available from Alias (but not as many as their web site says).
The first Archers of Loaf full length is a work of indie rock genius. Really great stuff...so many solid songs on this disc. The original (black vinyl) release shows up for sale fairly regularly, but can cost a bit. In 2011, Merge Records remastered and re-released Icky Mettle. These were on blue vinyl, but were apparently released on black vinyl as well. The value of the original had been skyrocketing in 2010-11 (following the band's reunion shows), but the re-release seemed to curb demand for it...it's all over the place, though. I've seen it sell for as little as $25 and as much as $70 in the last year.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A049 Black | 25-45 | 4 | Volatile |
| Merge MRG415 Blue | 10-15 | 1 | Stable |
| Merge MRG415 Black | 18-20 | 3 | Stable |
| Fire FIRELP238 Blue | 15-20 | 2 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
The boys followed Icky Mettle up quickly with this EP. I once read that they wanted to use Mohammed Ali, but clearly could not afford to use his likeness...so they went with this guy. I love it. It exists on a couple of different colors of vinyl: I have seen both yellow-green and forest green, in addition to black. The dark green seems to be a bit more scarce than the yellow-green version, but they sell for similar prices.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A070 - Yellow-Green | 18-25 | 3 | Stable |
| Alias A070 - Forest Green | 18-25 | 4 | Stable |
| Alias A070 - Black | 15-20 | 3 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
To me, it is a toss-up between Vee Vee and Icky Mettle for best Archers of Loaf album. Vee Vee is excellent. The original was only on black vinyl. Merge released a remastered version in 2012; the download contains lots of bonus tracks, including demos and outtakes from the Vee Vee sessions, along with some of the tracks from the singles and comps that they had out around that time.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A064 - Black | 18-25 | 3 | Stable |
| Merge MRG425 - Green | 10-12 | 1 | Down |
| Fire FIRELP252 - Green | 15-20 | 3 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
The Speed of Cattle was a collection of Archers of Loaf singles. The vinyl version was a double LP on black vinyl, and was easy to find for a long time, but got rarer and more expensive over the years. This was the only full-length release that Merge did not re-press, so the price stayed a little higher.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A094 - 2xLP Black | 25-40 | 4 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
The band's sound changed a little for this album. It was more of a commercial success, but has less kick than the previous ones. I know many who think this was their finest effort. I prefer the noisier stuff (except "Scenic Pastures", which is a gorgeous song). There is an interesting picture disc version of this record - it is a very heavy piece of vinyl with a picture of an airplane wheel on it. It also exists on on black vinyl. The picture disc price can fluctuate a bit, but is pretty easy to find.
Merge Records reissued All the Nation's Airports in 2012 on clear vinyl (as did Fire Records in Europe), with a download containing all sorts of bonus tracks (singles, demos, etc.).
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A100 - Picture Disc | 15-25 | 3 | Stable |
| Alias A100 - Black | 10-15 | 3 | Down |
| Merge MRG435 - Clear | 15-18 | 1 | Stable |
| Fire FIRELP236 - Clear | 15-18 | 1 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
Very solid live 10" from 1997. Black vinyl. Pretty common. The contents of this EP were included as bonus tracks on the Japanese version of the White Trash Heroes CD.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A115 - Black | 10-12 | 1 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
The last Archers of Loaf album. It was a natural extension of the previous effort. It did have one track that conjured up the energy of some of the band's early work ("Fashion Bleeds"), but for the most part was in line with the milder indie sound of the mature Archers of Loaf. Black vinyl.
Merge Records and Fire Records reissued White Trash Heroes in 2012 on white vinyl. The record came with 13 digital bonus tracks. The reissue is readily available.
The value of original pressing has been picking up some steam lately.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A128 - Black | 15-25 | 3 | Up |
| Merge MRG445 - White | 10-15 | 1 | Stable |
| Fire FIRELP237 - White | 15-20 | 3 | Stable |
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This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
This is a great live recording of the band's last show. Only available on CD.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alias A143 CD | 3 | 1 | Stable |
This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.
| Scarcity Score | Definition |
|---|---|
| 10 | Near impossible: Fewer than 50 copies or publicly sold every few years |
| 8-9 | Very rare: 50-199 copies or publicly sold 1-2 times per year |
| 6-7 | Rare: 200-499 copies or publicly sold a few times a year |
| 4-5 | Medium: 500-999 copies or publicly sold ~10 times a year |
| 1-3 | Common: 1000+ copies, readily available, or publicly sold 20+ times a year |
Estimated values are based on recent auction results or online sales. Commercial use of images on this site is not permitted. Non-commercial use of images permitted, with attribution to Pette Discographies. All images copyright their respective owners.