The Most Valuable 8 Track - Sinatra Jobim

I've found lots of free 8 tracks at yard sales and routinely get them at thrift shops for a dime. Almost every church benefit rummage sale has a bunch that have been donated. But that doesn't mean they are worthless, and some of them can be quite valuable. Check out my 8 track price guide, it's a work in progress.

While most 8 tracks that are "valuable" are worth a couple of hundred bucks, tops, for super rare and desirable tapes, one tape at least has sales records to back up its $6000 valuation. That 8 track is pictured to the left.

The album is Sinatra Jobim on the Reprise label. It's a Frank Sinatra album featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim. The story goes something like this...only a few thousand copies of the 8 track were made and sent to retailers. Some sort of disagreement led to the record label cancelling sales of the album and even trying to pull them from stores. The album was not released on any other medium, so the few 8 tracks that are out there are all that exists of this album, aside from the acetate - if it exists.

Over the course of the past ten years, I've seen two of these, both of them on eBay. The one that sold highest fetched $4550 in pretty scuffed up condition. The other was right around the $4000 mark. Both were opened and used. I would expect a sealed version, if it existed, to sell for $6000. Most 8 track collectors wouldn't shell out six grand, but a diehard Sinatra addict would probably love to have the album.

But is this tape the most valuable ever? It's the highest priced 8 track that I've ever seen, by far. There could possibly be something out there that a collector or fan would pay more for, but right now there's nothing I've seen or can think of that would come close.

Saw 3D - More Blood, Gore and an 8 Track Tape

No, the player didn't just eat his tape,
he's super glued to the seat.

Watched Saw 3D last night. "The Final Chapter..." ...until next year when they come out with Saw 8. It was just like the other saw movies, entertaining, as long as you don't think too much about them.

But Saw 3D was a bit different in that Jigsaw, or one of his accomplices, recorded a message for one of his games on an 8 track tape. When the subject (this time a racist) awoke, he realized that he had been super-glued to his car seat. There was an 8 track in the player with his name on it that gave him instructions on how to make it through his test....which was that he had to pull himself off the seat to grab a lever, or his car would run over his girlfriend, pull a friend's arms off and then slam into another friend. No spoiler alert for the scene here, in case you haven't seen the movie, but I will say that even before the time runs out he's in a lot of pain.

Every time I watch a Saw film, I can't help but wonder how many recordings Jigsaw has made for people he wanted to be in his traps. He's been dead for awhile in the series, but tapes keep getting used.  And without even starting to think about the engineering marvels that his accomplices produce, I'd like to know what kind of filing system he has so that his minions don't get people mixed up. Heck in the scene with the 8 track, there were four people that had to be gathered up at the same time. Whatever system they use is effective though, you never hear the victim start screaming in denial when Jigsaw accuses them.

Anyway, Saw: The Final Chapter (Formerly Saw 3D), has an 8 track player and tape in it that works, sorta cool, would have been cooler with a 3D TV.

Rare 8 Track Tape - Eddie Grant: Killer on the Rampage

This rare 8 track recently sold on eBay. It is a 1982 record/tape club release of Eddy Grant - Killer on the Rampage.  Originally on the Portrait label, released by the Columbia House Record Club. This copy sold for $73.

Other Rare 8 Track Finds for January 2011

Led Zeppelin: Zoso (Sealed - Pictured at left) - $50
ZZ Top: Eliminator (Sealed) - $45
Tom Petty: Southern Accents - $42
The Cars: Greatest Hits - $41
Kiss: No Kissin Time - $41
The Runaways: Waitin' for the Night - $40
Duran Duran: Rio - $37
Blind Faith: Self-Titled - $34
AC/DC: Flick of the Switch - $32
Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks - $31
Paul McCartney: Wild Life - $31

Scorpions: Blackout (Pictured at left) - $30
Brian Adams: Reckless (Sealed) - $30
Scorpions: Sting - $30
Jimmy Hendrix & Curtis Knight: Flashing - $29
Vicky Leandros: Dreams are Good Friends - $29
ZZ Top: Afterburner $28
Yes: 90125 - $28
Soundtrack - Vision Quest Soundtrack - $28
Soundtrack - Smokey & the Bandit - $27
Prince: Around the World - $27
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon - $26

The prices are for those realized on eBay during January, 2011 for the stereo version of the tapes listed. The prices may not reflect actual selling or retail or wholesale prices....just what they did on eBay in January.

Rare 8 Track Tape - Frank Zappa / Mothers of Invention: Uncle Meat

This rare 8 track is a late 1960's original release of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Uncle Meat on the Reprise/Bizarre label. This tape recently sold on eBay for $50. The tape is a double play album that has the equivalent of 2 LP's worth of songs on one tape.

The tape also has some errors that were later corrected for later releases, including the song 400 Days of the Year, which was supposed to be titled "Nine Types of Industrial Pollution."  Also Electric Aunt Jemima is spelled "Jemina" on the playlist.

Rare 8 Track Tape - Van Halen: 1984

This rare 8 track tape is a 1984 tape club release of Van Halen's 1984. This tape recently sold on eBay for $50.

Rare 8 Track Tape - The Cars: Heartbeat City

This rare 8 track is a 1984 record club release by RCA Music Service of The Cars, Heartbeat City. Tape sold recently on eBay for $50.