Trans vinyl value
Neil Young — Trans: pressings we track
| Pressing | Catalog | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 Geffen | XGHS 2018 | Canada | — |
| 1982 Geffen | GHS 2018 | US | Misprint, Specialty Pressing |
| 1982 Geffen | GHS 2018 | US | Limited Edition, Misprint, Quiex II |
| 1982 Geffen | GHS 2018 | US | Reissue |
| 1982 Geffen | GHS 2018 | US | Misprint, Specialty Records Pressing |
| 1982 Geffen | GHS 2018 | US | Wakefield Misprint |
| 1982 Geffen | GHS 2018 | US | Misprint |
| 1986 Geffen | 902018-1 | Spain | — |
| 1990 Geffen | 902 018-1 | Germany | Reissue |
| Undated Geffen | 902 018-1 | Europe | Reissue |
10 pressings tracked · 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 1982 US pressing it reads “GHS-1-2018-RE2-SH2 △3294 SLM 1-1 0-1 sm1-3” on side one and “GHS-2-2018-RE2-SH-1 △3294-X SLM 1-2 0-1 sm1-1” on side two. Jackets get swapped over the decades; the runout does not.
- 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 1982 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 Trans is worth the most?
The 1982 originals lead. Scarcer variants (the 1982 “Misprint, Specialty Pressing” and the 1982 “Limited Edition, Misprint, Quiex II”) 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 1982 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 1982 US pressing the runout reads “GHS-1-2018-RE2-SH2 △3294 SLM 1-1 0-1 sm1-3”. A period jacket with a later disc inside is still a reissue.
How much is Trans worth today?
Market prices move, so a static number goes stale fast. Scan the record in the RecordScout app: it identifies your exact pressing from the label and shows a current value range for its 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.