How to Identify a Rare “Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” Record

Most of the time, collecting record albums is not like collecting stamps; errors do not make the records more valuable. What record collectors are looking for are pristine, unblemished copies. However, when a mistake means the release of otherwise unavailable songs, loans might have to be taken out to obtain original pressings. Such is the case with the most valuable album out there, one of Bob Dylan’s.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
• Price Guide
• Turntable

1. Know the history. The “Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” was Dylan’s second record, released in late May 1963. Shortly in advance of its release, he was to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” but its producers didn’t like “Talkin’ John Birch Blues.” Instead of changing what he was going to sing on the show, Dylan instead declined to perform. After this happened, a decision was made to change the songs on the record. Some copies were pressed with the “wrong” or “original” songs, but they likely came out with a label that lists the “corrected” song list and order. White-label promos are even more messed up. The deleted tracks to look and listen for include: “Rocks and Gravel,” “Let Me Die In My Footsteps,” “Gamblin’ Willie’s Dead Man’s Hand” and “Talkin’ John Birch Blues.” If your copy plays these songs, it’s worth some money, especially in stereo.

2. Know how to identify a common pressing. The label will be red and say “Guaranteed High Fidelity” on a common mono copy. If it plays what it says (none of the rare tracks included), it’s the corrected, common version of the record, worth only about $40 in near-mint condition (looking and sounding like new) for mono, $50 for stereo. Since the labels of American pressings may belie their contents, the best way to tell if you have a rare version is to play the record and listen for the deleted songs.

3. Check the labels and the cover. If the record cover lists the original songs and plays the “corrected” song list, it’s likely the Canadian pressing worth about $200 near mint. If the label lists the corrected song list but plays the original lineup, it could get $12,000 for a near-mint copy, with “very good” condition grabbing about $4,000. In stereo, if it lists and plays the original tracks, it could sell for $30,000.

4. Appraise a white-label promo. White-label promo records might have original songs listed on labels and timing strips (all will play the corrected song lineup) and can sell for $800-3,000 near mint, depending on which lists the original song lineup. A near-mint white-label promo that plays and lists the standard tracks can even get $500 for the seller; the difficulty comes in finding a promo in that condition.

5. Identify the rare copies without playing the records. Look at the “dead wax” between the grooves and the label. If the numbers end in “1,” followed by a letter, it’s a rare original pressing. Any other number, and it’s the common version of the record. A less-scientific way to identify the rarity is by looking at the width of side one, track three. If it’s the widest, it’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” which, on the common version of the record, is the last song on the side, rather than track three.

6. Understand market factors for rarity. Back in the day, stereo mixes of records were not as common as the mainstream mono records. As well, few near-mint records from the ‘60s still exist, which is why they command higher prices than abundant “well loved” copies. Next, Bob Dylan is an icon, so a rarity from him has some cachet already. All of these factors combined could make an American stereo rare version of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” worth about $30,000. You’re probably not going to find one, because you could count all the copies known to exist on one hand and still have fingers left over. But maybe, as people from that era sell their record collections, more rarities may turn up and hit the market. So it’s worth checking your copy. Consult a price guide, such as the “Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1975," for more information.

7. Decide how to sell. Consigning to auction houses or dealers that specialize in records have a built-in customer base that may bring you a “record-breaking” price, even after commission. If it’s a rare-enough record, its sale might bring enough news coverage to sell it on your own through advertisements in publications that serve that niche.

8. Accurate grading will be paramount to getting the right price and having a happy customer. Consider having a respected dealer or auction house give it a grade, if you don’t deal with buying and selling records on a regular basis.