Rarest Vinyl: The Velvet Underground & Nico 1968
This one is all about the peelable banana. The VU and Nico’s 1968 debut record came with instant cool: an actual piece of pop art by the master of mass-produced kitsch meets high-art himself,
Andy Warhol. Today you will find many copies of this powerhouse LP sans peel:
recent ebay price: $79.50
You can see the faded edges of the original banana sticker. I wonder if the exclamation point sticker on my VU Loaded record is worth anything?
recent ebay price: $129.49
So close! Looks like somebody got the joke halfway down and tried to salvage what was left of their poor, half discarded sticker. Still, we see what a little banana peel can do for an otherwise shabby looking record.
recent ebay price: $313.00
Those who could resist Warhol’s suggestion to “Peel Slowly And See” are looking at around $150 to $300 for their mint copy of this classic album.
But enough about the sleeve, ain’t the music why it’s worth all the dollars.
http://therisingstorm.net/year/1968/page/2/