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25 Most Valuable Cassettes of All Time

The most expensive cassettes sold on Discogs include rare demo recordings, promotional releases, and a variety of self-released tapes.

Cassette tapes continue to attract a wide variety of collectors, from young music fans on a budget to lifelong tape enthusiasts — some of whom are willing to go the extra mile to find the perfect addition to their collection.

Below are the 25 most expensive cassettes ever sold on Discogs. All prices have been converted to USD (United States Dollar); some may fluctuate with the exchange rate. Cassette box sets have been omitted from the list to keep the focus on highly collectible individual cassettes.

While most of these cassettes aren’t currently available in the Discogs Marketplace, you can add any of them to your Wantlist to get notified when they resurface. Explore the top 25 most valuable cassettes below.


#1

Deftones

Deftones

1992

When Deftones‘ first self-titled cassette popped up on Discogs in May 2024, it sold for $5,000. According to the writing on the cover, the band only created 15 tapes.

Interestingly, the cassette shell refers to the band as “The Deftones,” which isn’t how the band refers to themselves in any other official capacity. The shell also has the band’s first manager Dave Park’s phone number printed on it. Musically, the cassette has the same four songs on each side.

Sold for $5,000

Deftones
Deftones
1992
Rock, Post-Hardcore
Cassette, Limited Edition
Shop

#3

The Versace Experience – Prelude 2 Gold

The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince)

1997

The Versace Experience – Prelude 2 Gold was originally given away to attendees of the Versace collection show at Paris Fashion Week in 1995. Never intended for sale, the cassette features excerpts of several tracks from Prince‘s seventeenth album, Gold, and a handful of tracks from the NPG Orchestra and Prince’s jazz-funk band, Madhouse.

For roughly 25 years, this promo version was the only physical way to hear the album. In 2019, the Prince Estate, NPG Records, and Legacy released a reissued version for Record Store Day. For the reissue, the involved parties released four versions: two clear cassette shells for Europe and the U.S., respectively, a white cassette shell version in Japan, and a purple version limited to 1,000, sold exclusively at Electric Fetus record shop in Minnesota.

Sold for $4,651.16


#3

Xero

Xero

2013

Before Linkin Park, there was Hybrid Theory. Before Hybrid Theory, there was Xero.

Made up of Mike Shinoda, Dave Farrell (bass), Rob Bourdon (drums), Brad Delson (guitar), Joesph Hahn (samples/scratching), and Mark Wakefield (vocals), Xero only released one cassette sampler. Failing to see success, Wakefield left, the band turned into Hybrid Theory, and soon after, Linkin Park.

Two cassette versions exist, one with a baby cover, released in 1997, and the other with a shopping cart cover, released in 1996. Few copies of either cassette exist, making them sought-after among fans.

Currently, no other versions of the baby cover are available in the Discogs Marketplace, but one copy of the shopping cart cover is available for $5,470.78.

Sold for $4,500

Xero
Xero
1997
Rock, Alternative Rock, Nu Metal
Cassette, Sampler
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#4

“Adult Diversion”

Alvvays

2013

Alvvay‘s “Adult Diversion” single is certainly the newest release in the top part of the list. The band sold this cassette while on tour in 2013. Since the release dropped before the band signed to Polyvinyl, not many copies of the tape exist, making this an extremely rare grail for the indie-pop darlings.

Sold for $3,423.36

Adult Diversion
Alvvays
2013
Indie Rock, Shoegaze
Cassette, Single
Shop

#5

Split Personality

Various

1992

Split Personality‘s value comes from its lore and ultra-limited run status. Psycho was an early figure in the Memphis rap scene. Besides rapping, he also produced tapes by fellow trailblazers like Gangsta Pat and Tommy Wright III.

The fact that the EP is unavailable on streaming platforms adds to the mystique. It’s become an oft-talked-about release on the Memphis rap message boards, only spoken about in speculative tones. Several videos on YouTube claim to feature the whole tape, however, the scene’s fans often enter the comments, stating that they are remixed versions.

Sold for $2,200

Split Personality
Psycho
1992
Hip Hop
EP, White Cassette
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#6

Sold for $2,189.01

Demotape
Bushido
1999
Gangsta
Cassette, Album, Limited
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#7

Sold for $2,087.81

Ghost
Ghost
2009
Doom Metal, Heavy Metal
Cassette, Single Sided, Limited
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#8

Sold for $1,800

Tha Intro
Dirty D
1994
Hip Hop, Gangsta
Cassette, Album
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#9

Sold for $1,648.35

Year Zero
Buck 65
1996
Hip Hop, Jazzy Hip-Hop
Cassette, Album
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#10

Sold for $1,578.95

Boc Maxima
Boards Of Canada
1996
Electronic, IDM, Ambient
Cassette, Mixed
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#11

Sold for $1,538.46

De La Viande Pour Le Disco
Various
1995
Electronic, Rock, Pop, Noise, Indie Rock, House, Lo-Fi, Avantgarde, Ambient, Shoegaze, Experimental
Cassette, Compilation, Limited Edition
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#12

Sold for $1,500

Opération Beurre de Pinottes
Céline Dion Music By Lewis Furey
1985
Pop, Children’s, Stage & Screen, Chanson, Soundtrack, Story, Vocal
Cassette, Album
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#13

Sold for $1,500

Tha Surpents Step Son
Lil Gin
1995
Hip Hop, Gangsta, G-Funk
Cassette, Album
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#14

Sold for $1,400

Tracks From The Slim Shady EP
Eminem
1997
Hip Hop, Gangsta, Hardcore Hip-Hop
Cassette, Promo, Sampler
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#15

Sold for $1,350

The Last Chapter
Children Of The Corn
1996
Hip Hop, Gangsta
Cassette, Album
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#16

Sold for $1,318.68

Concept
IAM
1990
Conscious
Cassette
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#17

Sold for $1,300

Midnite News
Ohama
1982
Synth-pop, Darkwave, Minimal
Cassette, Album, Limited Edition
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#18

Sold for $1,299.99

Floral Shoppe
Macintosh Plus
2012
Electronic, Funk / Soul, Abstract, Funk, Vaporwave, Experimental
Cassette, Album, Limited Edition
Shop

#19

Sold for $1,250

Da Proof Iz In Da Puddin
Livin’ Proof
Hip Hop, Funk / Soul, Contemporary R&B
Cassette, Advance, Album, Promo
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#20

Sold for $1,250

Phish
Phish
1987
Rock, Experimental
Cassette, Album
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#21

Sold for $1,250

Primus
Primus
1984
Rock, Alternative Rock
Cassette, Single Sided
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#22

Sold for $1,200

Taste Of The Threat
Triple Threat
N/A
Hip Hop, Gangsta, G-Funk
Cassette, Maxi-Single
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#23

Sold for $1,200

Demo
Nirvana
1990
Grunge, Alternative Rock
Cassette, Promo
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#24

Sold for $1,200

Finna Boom
Governer Productions
N/A
Hip Hop, Gangsta, G-Funk
Cassette
Shop

#25

Sold for $1,200

The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
1989
Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock
Cassette
Shop

KEEP DIGGING

Dozens of cassette tapes laid out

About the Most Expensive Cassettes on Discogs

A list of the most expensive releases ever sold features items that were purchased and paid for on Discogs. Although most people come to Discogs to buy new records from independent sellers around the world, some collectors are on the hunt for rarities that sell for high prices due to their scarcity. 

Discogs is the world’s largest online music database and marketplace. Dedicated contributors catalog releases in the Database and sellers use this information to list items for sale in the Marketplace. On the right side of each release page, you’ll find useful statistics about the lowest, median, and highest price paid for the item you are viewing.

All prices have been converted to USD (United States Dollar). Some prices may fluctuate with the exchange rate; the prices on this list reflect the current exchange rate while the prices on the release pages reflect the exchange rate at the time of sale.

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