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A Kind Of Magic vinyl value

A Kind Of Magic — Queen album cover
Asks start at
$33
Basis
4 eBay asks
Live eBay asks, Sep 18, 2026; sold prices usually close lower. How we price

Queen — A Kind Of Magic: pressings we track

PressingCatalogCountryNotesAsking
1986 EMIEMC 240531AustraliaGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMI062 24 0531 1EuropeDMM, Gatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMI1A 064-24 0531 1EuropeDMMfrom $33
1986 EMI1A 062-24 0531 1EuropeDMM, Gatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMI064 24 0531 1EuropeGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMI062-24 0531 1FranceGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMI24 0531 1FranceRedfrom $33
1986 EMI24 0531 1FrancePromo, Die cut sleeve, Red, Gatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMIEU 3509IrelandGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMI64 2405311ItalyGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMIEU 3509Philippines—from $33
1986 EMI24 0531 1PortugalGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMIEU 3509UKGatefoldfrom $33
1986 EMIEU 3509UKDMM, Gatefoldfrom $33
2 more pressings we track (no quoted eBay range)
PressingCatalogCountryNotes
1986 EMIEMS-91168JapanGatefold
1986 EMIEMS-91168JapanPromo, Gatefold

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

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

What separates the pressings

Originals, 198613 first-year pressings (UK, Europe, Australia, France and 5 more); any of them is an original. Runout on the UK copy starts “EU 3509 - A”.
Collector variants1986 France: Red; 1986 France: Promo, Die cut sleeve, Red, Gatefold; 1986 Japan: Promo, Gatefold. 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 1986 UK pressing it reads “EU 3509 - A” on side one and “EU 3509 - B” 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 1986 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 A Kind Of Magic is worth the most?

The 1986 originals lead. Scarcer variants (the 1986 “Red” and the 1986 “Promo, Die cut sleeve, Red, Gatefold”) 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 1986 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 1986 UK pressing the runout reads “EU 3509 - A”. A period jacket with a later disc inside is still a reissue.

How much is A Kind Of Magic worth today?

Sellers ask from $33 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.

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