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The Joshua Tree vinyl value

The Joshua Tree — U2 album cover
Median ask · 1987 ISX 1127
$48
Typical asks
$34–$65
Basis
10 eBay asks
Live eBay asks, Sep 18, 2026; sold prices usually close lower. How we price

U2 — The Joshua Tree: pressings we track

PressingCatalogCountryNotesAsking
1987 IslandISX 1127CanadaGatefold$34–$65
1987 IslandU2 6Hong KongBlue Labels$34–$65
1987 IslandU26Ireland—$34–$65
1987 IslandU26UKEMI Pressing$34–$65
12 more pressings we track (no quoted eBay range)
PressingCatalogCountryNotes
1987 Island208 219EuropeRC340, Sonopress, No CD Cat#
1987 Island208 219EuropeRC270, Sonopress, No Bass Clef
1987 Island208 219EuropeGatefold, RC270, Sonopress
1987 Island208 219EuropeRC340; Sonopress
1987 Island208 219German Democratic Republic (GDR)—
1987 IslandU26Hong KongGrey tree labels, Gatefold
1987 IslandU26Hong KongBlue tree labels, Gatefold
1987 IslandU26Hong KongGold tree labels, Gatefold
1987 IslandR28D-2066Japan—
1987 IslandR28D-2066JapanPromo
1987 IslandILPC 66South AfricaGatefold
1987 IslandILPC 66South Africa—

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

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

What separates the pressings

Originals, 19878 first-year pressings (UK, Europe, Canada, German Democratic Republic (GDR) and 4 more); any of them is an original. Runout on the UK copy starts “TOWN HOUSE DMM”.
Collector variants1987 Hong Kong: Blue Labels; 1987 Hong Kong: Blue tree labels, Gatefold; 1987 Hong Kong: Gold tree labels, 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 1987 UK pressing it reads “TOWN HOUSE DMM” on side one and “U 26 A-3U-1-1-8” 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 The Joshua Tree is worth the most?

The 1987 originals lead. Scarcer variants (the 1987 “Blue Labels” and the 1987 “Blue tree labels, 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 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 UK pressing the runout reads “TOWN HOUSE DMM”. A period jacket with a later disc inside is still a reissue.

How much is The Joshua Tree worth today?

Sellers typically ask $34 to $65 for the pressings we track; for the 1987 ISX 1127 the median ask is $48 over 10 listings (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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