Rare 8 Track Tape - John Lennon / Yoko Ono: Unfinished Music No. 1, Two Virgins

This rare 8 track tape is John Lennon / Yoko Ono's Unfinished Music No. 1, Two Virgins. This tape is rare for a number of reasons. First, it is a very early 8 track tape released in 1968, in the infancy of the 8 track tape cartridge. Secondly, the tape has its original cardboard sleeve, 99%+ of tapes that you find today do not retain their sleeve, regardless of title. Also, the tape apparently was one of those tapes that was recalled by the manufacturer. This one it seems was recalled due to moral concerns.

Now, if you've never seen the vinyl copy of this album, and seeing this 8 track make you partially realize a lifelong dream of seeing Yoko Ono nude....well then you are in luck, my friend, because the actual 8 track tape itself had a label affixed to it that shows Yoko all naked in all her glory.

Which is the last thing that makes this 8 track rare, the label was not ripped off or blacked out with marker by parents trying to protect their young-ins from the future disappointment of seeing less attractive humans naked after seeing Yoko's perfection. Appearing on the cover label as well is a nude John Lennon.

The particular copy pictured above recently sold on eBay for a mere $350, which we think is quite a steal. For those interested, the original label artwork appears below.

More Rare 8 Track Tape for the Last Week of February

This past week didn't have the highest priced 8 tracks on eBay, but there were a number of rare cartridges that fetched decent prices.

You can view the ongoing 8 track tape price guide here for a larger list of rare and somewhat valuable 8 track tapes.

Kraftwerk: Ralph & Florian (Sealed) - $60
Bob Dylan & the Band: The Basement Tapes (Sealed) - $57
Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (Import) - $50
Yma Sumac: Miracles - $45
Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request (Sealed) - $40
Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed (Sealed) - $40
Bob Dylan: Self-Portrait (Sealed) - $35
Bob Dylan: New Morning (Sealed) - $35
Beatles: Yellow Submarine (Sealed) - $31
Ramones: Road to Ruin - $30
Jimi Hendrix: Smash Hits (Sealed) - $30
Bob Dylan: Hard Rain (Sealed) - $30
John Lee Hooker: Untitled (Sealed) - $28
Various: Smokey and the Bandit Soundtrack - $25

Rare 8 Track Tape - Bob Dylan: Bringing It All Back Home

Sealed copy of Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home 8 track recently sold for $66 on eBay.

Visit the 8 track tape price guide for more valuable 8 track tapes, updated weekly.

Rare 8 Track Tape - Kraftwerk: Autobahn

This recent eBay sale is a pretty neat tape. It's a Columbia House tape club version of Kraftwerk Autobahn.  The tape was still sealed and sold for $70.

The quadraphonic version of this tape is worth at least a couple hundred dollars, probably more if still sealed.

$510 for a Michael Jackson Thriller 8 Track Tape

This past week an eBay seller sold the Michael Jackson Thriller album, pictured at left, for $510. This was a Columbia House tape club release, still in original shrink wrap. The album was released in 1982, so it isn't even one of the scarcest Jackson albums out there. Did someone really pay $510 for it?

Also this week, a seller offered a lot of Michael Jackson 8 tracks with Thriller included with Off the Wall, ABC, and Maybe Tomorrow. Now these tapes weren't sealed, but the whole lot brought in a whopping $15.  ...and the seller of this lot even had the correct keywords "Michael Jackson Thriller 8 Track Tapes" in the title.

I've noticed that it seems to be, or nearly so, easier to find sealed Record Club tapes from the 1980's than other popular titles from the 1970's. And certainly much easier than finding Leer Jet flat packs in their original containers. I believe (just my theory) that this was due to the fact that many people in the 1980's started the transition to cassette tapes or CD's, but were still subscribed to the tape clubs. Then when tapes arrived, they had already purchased the album in another format (when it was originally released) and so did not open the tapes.

Anyway, look for a flood of Thriller 8 tracks on eBay in the coming weeks once people start seeing that someone supposedly paid $510 for one.

Rare 8 Track Tape - Night Ranger: Midnight Madness

This sealed copy of the 1983 Columbia House Record/Tape club released Night Ranger, Midnight Madness recently sold for $50.

Other 8 tracks from this week that sold for decent prices included:

Def Leppard: Pyromania - $45
Beatles: White Album (2 Tape Box Set) - $45
Various: Steppin Out, Disco's Greatest Hits - $41
Beatles: 1st Live Recordings, Live at Hamburg - $38
Thin Lizzy: Self-Titled - $36
David Bowie: Tonight  - $31
Kiss: Ace Frehley (Sealed) - $32
Kraftwerk: The Man Machine - $30
Jimi Hendrix: Smash Hits (Sealed) - $30
Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene - $30
Kiss: Kiss - $30
George Harrison: All Things Must Pass (2 Tape Box Set) - $27
Funkadelic: Self-Titled (Sealed) - $27
Various: American Graffiti Volume 1 - $26
Foreigner: Agent Provocateur - $25
Tammi Terrell: Irresistible (Sealed) - $25
Rolling Stones: Milestones (UK) - $25
Rolling Stones: Rock N' Rolling Stones (UK) - $25
Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (UK) - $25
Black Sabbath: Self-Titled - $25
Beach Boys: Surf's Up (Sealed) - $25
Kiss: Dressed to Kiss (Sealed) - $25
Bryan Adams: Cuts Like a Knife - $25

Rare 8 Track Tape - Michael Jackson: Bad

This copy of Michael Jackson, Bad, sold recently on eBay for $153. It was one of those deals where the seller listed it with a title that might lead the buyer to believe it was factory sealed, but it was not. Still, it was in very nice condition. Bad was released in 1987, which makes this one of the last few tapes ever produced, and makes the $153 price tag seem a bit log. I've certainly never seen one in person.