Beatles sealed 1st pressing Canadian LP's: Beatlemania to Abbey Road

Sealed initial pressings of Canadian Beatles' LP's from "Beatlemania" through to "Let It Be" are quite rare. Later issues from the red and blue double albums through Reel Music are relatively common.   

While expensive it is possible to purchase a complete set of US Beatles' first pressing LP's, as at any point in time, unopened original US LP's can be found on eBay, Discogs and other online sources.

Sealed original Canadian mono release $400 to $600

The same cannot be said for Canadian albums. Sealed Canadian Beatles' first pressings infrequently, if not rarely, come up for sale. It would take many years and perhaps impossible to assemble a similar collection of Canadian sealed albums.  

Smaller pressing runs, the different return system for unsold LP's, a less developed vinyl discount re-seller system, the smaller number of retail outlets and the differences in distribution systems can help explain why original issued Canadian sealed LP's are much rarer. 

Sealed Canadian stereo first pressing (1967) sold for $490 

Even when sealed Canadian releases do come up for sale a further complication is identifying which pressing is inside as there is  considerable overlap in Canadian issues. For example the cover used on a 1963 first pressing of "Beatlemania" could contain a pressing issued as late as 1966. As a result LP's can be  misidentified as first pressings when they are not. Even pressing from the 1970's are sold to unsuspecting buyers as 1st pressings when their value is a fraction of the value of a true first pressing! 

Values for sealed albums vary greatly and there are few examples of sales. For this reason I have included some older auction sales figures as they are the only ones available.

• 2020 - Help (last mono issue Rainbow Label 1968-1969) $640
• 2019 - Help (mono) $600
• 2019 "Meet The Beatles" Stereo $490
• 2019 - Hard Days Night $600
• 2018 - Abbey Road $260
• 2017 - Sgt. Peppers $600
• 2017 - Hey Jude (with Apple Sticker) $150 - $170
• 2017 - Hey Jude (no Apple sticker) $100
• 2016 - Twist and Shout $900
• 2016 - Second Album (Red target label) $195
• 2015 - Long Tall Sally $1500
• 2015 "Very Together" $150
• 2014 - Yellow Submarine $180
• 2014 - Let It Be (boxed set) $1200
• 2012 - Hard Days Night $450
• 2010 - Beatlemania $1700
• 2010 - Love Songs (yellow vinyl) $120
• 2009 - Hey Jude with sticker $220
• 2006 - Let It Be (boxed set) $1000

Most sealed reissues on the lime green and red target labels from the early 1970's sell in a range of $150 to $250. Sealed reissues on the orange and purple labels sell in the $40 to $90 range while  reissues on the retro capitol label sell in the $40 to $50 range.

Approximate values of more recent re-issued sealed LP's
are as follows:

• "Sgt. Peppers" marble vinyl w/sticker $150 - $300
• "Love Songs" gold vinyl $160 - $250
• "Love Songs" black vinyl $45 - $100
• "Red & blue" double albums $40
• "Red & blue" albums colored vinyl $60
• "White Album" white vinyl $140 - $190
• "Reel Music" black vinyl $40
• "Reel Music" yellow vinyl, numbered, promo $80 - $110
• "Rock & Roll Music Volume I & II  $25
• "Rarities" $35 - $50
• "Beatles Ballads" $30 - $70
• "Live Peace In Toronto" w/calendar $40 - $50
• "Sometime in New York City" $100
• Lennon solo LP's $35 - $50
• "All Things Must Pass" boxed set $200 - $250
• "Bangladesh" boxed set $100 - $125
• Harrison solo LP's - $25 - $40
• McCartney solo LP's $35 - $50
• "Old Wave" $40 - $70
• Starr solo LP's $15 - $30
• "Hollywood Bowl" (1977) $60 

Current values of Beatles' sealed L.P.'s on Popsike