Ride The Lightning vinyl value
Metallica — Ride The Lightning: pressings we track
| Pressing | Catalog | Country | Notes | Asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Elektra | 9 60396-1 | US | Reissue, Specialty Pressing | from $200 |
15 more pressings we track (no quoted eBay range)
| Pressing | Catalog | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 New Electric Way | 193371 | France | Reissue |
| 1986 New Electric Way | 2337 | France | Reissue |
| 1986 Music For Nations | MFN 27 P | UK | Picture Disc, Reissue |
| 1986 Music For Nations | MFN 27 | UK | Reissue |
| 1987 Music For Nations | MFN 27 | Europe | Reissue |
| 1987 Music For Nations | MFN 27 DM | UK | Limited Edition, Reissue |
| 1987 Music For Nations | MFN 27 DM | UK | Limited Edition, Reissue, Gatefold |
| 1989 Vertigo | 838 140-1 | Europe | Reissue |
| 1989 Vertigo | 838 140-1 | Europe | Reissue, DMM |
| 1989 Vertigo | 838 140-1 | Spain | Reissue |
| 1990 Sung Eum Limited | SEL-RP 2026 | South Korea | Reissue |
| 1991 Vertigo | 838 140-1 | Spain | Reissue |
| 1992 Vertigo | 838 140-1 | Greece | Reissue |
| 2001 Vertigo | 838 140-1 | Europe | Reissue, 180 Gram |
| 2002 Vertigo | 838 140-3 | UK | Picture Disc, Unofficial Release, Red/Orange |
No quoted range right now (why). Scan your copy in the app for a current read.
49 pressings tracked, 16 shown · catalog of 974,753 releases, August 2026
What separates the pressings
How to identify your copy
Three checks, in the order worth doing them.
- 1
Match the catalog number. It is printed on the spine and the record label. Check it together with the country against the pressings table above: the same number can appear in more than one country.
- 2
Read the runout. The code etched in the dead wax near the label names the exact pressing. On the 1984 US pressing it reads “ST-E60396-1-A-SP” on side one and “ST-E60396-1-B-SP” on side two. Trust the etching over the jacket: covers get traded around, dead wax stays put.
- 3
Grade the condition. A clean copy and a worn one of the same pressing sit several grades, and several multiples, apart. Grade record and sleeve separately; see our grading guide.
Do not price the cover. A later disc in a 1984 jacket is a reissue, whatever the sleeve says: the pressing lives in the runout etching and on the label.
Questions
Which pressing of Ride The Lightning is worth the most?
Early pressings lead — the earliest we track are from 1984. Scarcer variants (the 1986 “Picture Disc, Reissue” and the 1987 “Limited Edition, Reissue”) can beat an ordinary early copy. After that it is all condition: the gap between near mint and VG is usually larger than the gap between pressings.
How do I tell which pressing I have?
Match the catalog number on the spine and label against the table above, check the country, then read the etched code in the runout groove. On the 1984 US pressing the runout reads “ST-E60396-1-A-SP”. A period jacket with a later disc inside is still a reissue.
How much is Ride The Lightning worth today?
Sellers ask from $200 for the pressings we track (eBay, Sep 18, 2026). Sold prices usually close lower. Scan your copy in the app for the range on your exact pressing and condition.
Not sure which pressing you have? Photograph the label and RecordScout names it, then shows a current value range for its condition.
Open in the App StoreFree to try, iPhone, no account.