Thrift Shops Might Have These Vinyl Records Worth up to $2,500

John Marshall, otherwise known as Mighty John The Record Guy, is one of America's top vinyl record appraisers and each month he delivers a list of popular records that are worth over $100, and could by chance turn up at your local thrift shop.

Marshall's effort kick-off 2026 includes a list of 14 records that if found, could deliver some real cash if you put the record up on the open market.

Marshall says there are a few very important things to consider. First, the values he gives are for records that are in excellent shape. Secondly, often times it's vitally important to have the original picture sleeve included with the record and sometimes, the sleeve is worth more than the record itself. It's also important to make sure the record is not a copy - which can often times be found on EBAY dubbed as the original, and whether or not the record was recorded in mono or stereo is also important sometimes.

Mighty John has a record guide available for sale on his website that can be delivered on a thumb drive that lists the current values of over one million records.

Here's January's list: 14 records worth over $100 to kick-off the new year.

Year	Label	Recording Artist	Title	Value
1965	Parrot LP	Tom Jones	It’s Not Unusual (cover: “Just Tom Jones”)	$25.00
Cover variant affects value — this version is the “just Tom Jones” cover.
1965	Parrot LP	Tom Jones	It’s Not Unusual (cover: Tom Jones + band behind him)	$100.00
Higher-value alternate cover: Tom Jones with a band behind him.
1978	Atlantic 45	AC/DC	Whole Lotta Rosie	$125.00
1961	RCA	The Tokens	The Lion Sleeps Tonight (mono)	$25.00
This song traces back to a 1939 recording in South Africa in the Zulu language as “Mbube.”
1961	RCA	The Tokens	The Lion Sleeps Tonight (stereo)	$125.00
Stereo pressing commands a premium vs. mono for this one.
1965	Capitol 45	The Beach Boys	Barbara Ann (w/ picture sleeve)	$150.00
“w/ ps” = with picture sleeve (often the value booster).
1965	Tamla LP	Marvin Gaye	How Sweet It Is	$200.00
Collector trivia often notes Marvin added an “e” to “Gay” — sometimes tied to admiration for Sam Cooke.
1968	Colgems LP	The Monkees	The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees (stereo)	$25.00
The album contains the #1 hit “Daydream Believer,” written by John Stewart (Kingston Trio).
1968	Colgems LP	The Monkees	The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees (mono)	$600.00
Mono pressing is the big-money version here.
1970	Decca 45	The Who	Young Man Blues (w/ picture sleeve)	$700.00
Picture sleeve is a key driver on 45 values.
1957	Willie Nelson 45	Willie Nelson	No Place For Me	$750.00
Early/obscure singles can skyrocket—condition matters a lot on this tier.
1968	Savage LP	The Beatles	Savage Young Beatles (yellow cover)	$125.00
Same title, different cover color = very different pricing.
1968	Savage LP	The Beatles	Savage Young Beatles (orange cover)	$1,500.00
Orange cover is the heavy hitter on this one.
1966	Warner Bros. 45	David Bowie	Can’t Help Thinking About You	$2,500.00
David Bowie’s birth name was David Robert Jones; he adopted “Bowie” to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees.

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Filed Under: Mighty John the Record Guy