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Bad vinyl value

Bad — Michael Jackson album cover
Median ask · 1987 1033235
$114
Typical asks
$40–$287
Basis
15 eBay asks
Live eBay asks, Sep 15, 2026; sold prices usually close lower. How we price

Michael Jackson — Bad: pressings we track

PressingCatalogCountryNotesAsking
1987 Epic450290 1AustraliaGatefold$40–$130
1987 Epic1033235Costa Rica—$65–$287
1987 EpicEPC 450290 1EuropeGatefold$40–$130
1987 EpicEPC 450290 1EuropeGatefold incl. Calendar$40–$130
1987 Epic450290 1Ireland—$40–$130
1987 CBSCBS 450 290-1IsraelGatefold$65–$287
1987 EpicEPC 450290 1ItalyGatefold$40–$130
1987 EpicEPC 450290 1 (SE)SpainGatefold$65–$287
1987 Epic450290 1UKGatefold$40–$130
1987 EpicE 40600USCarrollton Pressing, Gatefold$65–$287
6 more pressings we track (no quoted eBay range)
PressingCatalogCountryNotes
1987 EpicOE 40600CanadaGatefold
1987 EpicOE 40600CanadaMisprint, Gatefold
1987 EpicEPC 450290 1GreeceGatefold
1987 Epic30·3P-858JapanLimited Edition, Picture Disc
1987 Epic30·3P-858JapanLimited Edition, Picture Disc, Promo
1987 EpicBAD L1South AfricaGatefold

No quoted range right now (why). Scan your copy in the app for a current read.

52 pressings tracked, 16 shown · catalog of 974,753 releases, August 2026

What separates the pressings

Originals, 198712 first-year pressings (US, UK, Europe, Australia and 8 more); any of them is an original. Runout on the US copy starts “AL 40600”.
Collector variants1987 Canada: Misprint, Gatefold; 1987 Japan: Limited Edition, Picture Disc; 1987 Japan: Limited Edition, Picture Disc, Promo. Short runs like these often bring more than a standard early copy.
JapanPressed to high standards and collected separately; a copy with the original obi strip is a different record to collectors than one without.

How to identify your copy

Three checks, in the order worth doing them.

  1. 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. 2

    Read the runout. The code etched in the dead wax near the label names the exact pressing. On the 1987 US pressing it reads “AL 40600” on side one and “BL 40600” on side two. Jackets get swapped over the decades; the runout does not.

  3. 3

    Grade the condition. The same pressing can be worth several times more in near mint than in VG. Grade the vinyl and the sleeve separately — our grading guide shows the standard scale.

A 1987 jacket with a later disc inside is a reissue in an original sleeve. Judge the pressing by the runout etching and the label, never by the cover.

Questions

Which pressing of Bad is worth the most?

The 1987 originals lead. Scarcer variants (the 1987 “Misprint, Gatefold” and the 1987 “Limited Edition, Picture Disc”) 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 if I have a 1987 original?

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 1987 US pressing the runout reads “AL 40600”. A period jacket with a later disc inside is still a reissue.

How much is Bad worth today?

Sellers typically ask $40 to $287 for the pressings we track; for the 1987 1033235 the median ask is $114 over 10 listings (eBay, Sep 15, 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.

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