As the UK is on lockdown and we are all spending a lot more time in our homes, now is the ideal time to search through your vinyl collection for some hidden gems. Original mint condition LPs sell for incredible sums these days. From psychedelic progressive rock rarities to limited edition pop gems, click or scroll through 55 of the most valuable UK records and check your collection.

The Joshua Tree was released right around the time CDs started to become popular. Though previous records had done well, it was this album which propelled the band to mega stardom, along with lead singer Bono’s passionate performance at Live Aid in 1985. Original, mint condition quality copies of this album will get you about £80. 

Keith Tippett was one of the most successful composer and bandleaders of the British free jazz movement, and Dedicated to you, but you weren't listening was one of his big successes as part as The Keith Tippett Group. This original UK pressing features the original inner swirl and is in tip-top condition, which is how it fetched £100 at auction.

Crazy about the Spice Girls back in the 1990s? You probably owned every CD the girl group released, but if you snapped up the Spiceworld album in vinyl format in 1997, you could be in the money. Mint copies sell for up £200 these days.

In goes without saying that artist autographs bump up the value of a vinyl, and it's definitely the case for All Mod Cons by punk rockers The Jam. This 1970s album was auctioned off for £200 by record specialists Omega Auctions.

The world's most valuable autographs, and how to spot a fake

The Kinks topped the UK charts with Sunny Afternoon in 1966 from this, their fourth LP. Original mono pressings sell for up to £300. It won’t do that much for you, but it could pay for a nice sunny afternoon (or night) on the town when lockdown ends.

From the band’s debut album, My Generation, this song was released as a single in the UK without their permission. While the song didn’t perform particularly well in the UK charts (it hit the Top 20 in Sweden though) a number of copies were printed. It's worth having a root through your collection for the 7” single though, as it's worth up to £400.

Released on MGM Records in 1968, typographical errors meant copies of this 7” single were mistakenly credited to Jethro Toe. Fortunately, the band couldn’t put a foot wrong, and produced some of the best albums of the era. Promo copies of this single, of which there are a few floating around, go for up to £400.

A seminal heavy metal album that inspired the genres of doom metal and stoner rock, Black Sabbath's third LP is a bona fide classic. First pressings of the 1971 album, which include a poster, are worth up to £450 in good nick.

This collaboration between Massive Attack and Burial was limited to just 1,000 vinyl copies when it was first released in 2011. The copies feature a screen-printed cover designed by Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, who some people believe is the man behind street artist Banksy.

Surprisingly valuable old stuff you might have at home

Remember buying this LP way back when? Clear vinyl copies of the band’s 1987 Music for the Masses album are highly sought after, reaching around £500 in mint condition, or £200 for a used copy. 

Rare, numbered UK copies of the Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 album with extra tracks sell for up to £500. A highly popular album at a time when vinyl was in decline, collectors are buying this up in droves in part due to its fantastic artwork.

The third single from Genesis, Where the Sour Turns to Sweet, was released in 1969 and failed to chart. Owing to the song's lack of mainstream success, relatively few copies were printed, but today it is in high demand and mint condition first pressings go for up to £500.

Metal bands have long issued their work in vinyl form. First pressings of Metallica's eponymous album (sometimes called The Black Album), which was released in 1991, can reach up to £590. Limited editions on the Simply Vinyl label are the most valuable.

The first major group to eschew singles, Led Zeppelin insisted that fans buy whole albums if they wanted to listen to them. BBC Sessions, released in 1997, includes many previously unreleased recordings. Mint edition vinyl copies aren’t worth thousands yet, but hold on to them and in a few years they could be giving your bank account "a whole lotta love" as they are currently valued at up to £700.

Original pressings of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Axis: Bold as Love are known to fetch into the hundreds, particularly mono copies with black or silver labels. Despite being recorded in a hurry – the band’s label insisted they do two LPs in 1967 – it went on to become highly acclaimed, and performed well in the charts. Copies have sold for up to £800.

Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet vinyls have been considered some of the most collectible albums in British jazz for some decades. This copy of Shades of Blue had a light surface mark, but it still sold for £800 at auction.

The late George Michael's third solo album has pride of place in many a music lover's CD collection, but if you're lucky enough to own the album in vinyl form, you're sitting on a tidy investment. Mint copies of the 1996 LP are worth up to £900.

A much-loved acid folk record, Bread, Love and Dreams was Edinburgh duo Amaryllis' final album. A minuscule number of LPs were released in 1971, and first pressings are highly desirable among collectors, fetching up to £1,000 apiece.

Valuable Disney merchandise you might have at home

Now exceedingly hard to find, this self-titled psychedelic progressive rock album from 1969 is prized among serious collectors, who will pay up to £1,100 to snag one. Mint copies from the initial pressing command the highest prices.

One of the rarest British psychedelic rock albums, Odessey and Oracle, was released in 1968, and while it wasn't especially popular at the time, the LP is now a cult classic. Mono copies from the first pressing, which are mega-scarce, sell for up to £1,175.

Another highly sought-after psychedelic progressive rock rarity, Love and Poetry is the debut studio album of Northern Irish band Andwella's Dream. Copies from the first pressing are worth up to £1,500.

This progressive rock gem from 1975 is the only studio album by Newcastle quintet Kestrel, and collectors will stump up wads of cash to obtain a copy. Thanks to its rarity and enduring cult following, the LP is worth up to £1,500 in mint condition.

Infused with groovy melodies and blissful harmonies, this album by acid folk duo Agincourt is highly regarded by fans of the genre. Between 50 and 99 copies were pressed in 1970, making the LP insanely rare. Mint copies have sold for up to £1,700.

Pristine first pressings of this folk album from 1971 have gone under the hammer for up to £1,700. Stereo rather than mono copies are the most valuable, and even used specimens can fetch several hundred pounds.

Just 900 copies of this album by folk singer Vashti Bunyan are thought to have been produced, and collectors struggle to find pristine examples on sale. When mint condition copies of the 1970 LP do come on the market, they go for up to £1,800.

This psychedelic progressive rock album from 1969 has appreciated in value significantly over the past few years. These days, a mint condition copy of the cult LP from the first pressing will set you back up to £1,800.

The ultimate 7" for collectors of Madonna's music, Lucky Star was released in the UK in September 1983 as the Queen of Pop's second single and only reached 171 in the charts (it was re-released the following March, hitting the number 14 spot). Copies of the original release sell for big money.

This album sold a lot of copies. However, original mono pressings with a 3D lenticular sleeve are much harder to come by. Should you stumble upon one, it could be worth upwards of £2,000.

Love is Strange was due to be released as a single in 1971 from Wings' third studio album, but Paul McCartney pulled the bluesy cover in favour of Give Ireland Back to the Irish. A small number of copies did actually get through, and each of these is now worth up to £2,000.

Madonna’s cover for 1992’s Erotica was predictably controversial (reproduced here from a CD). It was pulled, but not before a number of issues were printed. A copy with the risqué cover could earn you £2,000. Not bad money in this Material World.

People are always willing to dig deep into their pockets when it comes to Bowie merchandise, especially if it's for charity. Unicef adopted the glam rock star's album The Next Day and produced a limited number of copies on blue vinyls.The fundraiser records were sold, and re-sold, through various platforms, and one managed to hit £2,050 on eBay.

Seasoned producer Wil Malone has worked with everyone from Black Sabbath to Massive Attack, but before the Londoner devoted himself to making other artist's records, he released this eponymous album. Only 200 copies of the 1971 LP were pressed and fewer than 30 are thought to have survived.

Mono original copies of this 1969 LP with a red inner sleeve and poster are worth keeping an eye out for. They could earn you up to £500. Factory-sealed copies fetch even more, sometimes up to £2,200.

It's not only Bowie music that has been raking in the donations for Unicef – the charity's blue version of The Sensual World had fans bidding into the thousands before the deal was sealed at £2,200. There were 50 Kate Bush albums released as part of the charity's vinyl-based campaign, and as the first pressing, this one was of particularly high value.

First pressings of The Dark Side of the Moon can cost up to £2,200. One of the most popular albums of all time, it was an immediate success upon release and has possibly the most iconic album artwork of all time. Copies with a solid blue triangle on the LP are the ones you want to look out for as they are particularly valuable.

Eat the Music was intended to be the lead single from Kate Bush's Red Shoes album in the UK but, at the last minute, EMI decided on Rubberband Girl instead. However, a handful of singles slipped through the net before they were recalled, and these rarities are now worth up to £2,300 each.

Avant garde German band Organisation was made up of Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, who went on to form Kraftwerk. Organisation's 1969 album has been hailed a proto electronica classic, and mint copies sell for up to £2,400.

The Who changed their name to the High Numbers for a short period in 1964, releasing a single called Zoot Suit under the moniker. The 7” track was produced in low numbers. These days, a mint copy will sell for up to £2,500.

Original first pressings of David Bowie's 1971 album are worth up to £2,500 in good condition. These copies feature matrix numbers, a textured cover and a misprint on the label ('Tony' is incorrectly spelled 'Tonny').

The debut album from the Maytals, Never Grow Old is a ska classic that does what it says on the cover. Copies from the first pressing from 1964 are especially thin on the ground and can fetch up to £2,800 at auction.

A progressive rock treasure, Dr. Z's epic concept album was barely released in 1971. Only 71 copies are thought to have been pressed, and mint condition examples are almost unheard of. They are worth up to £3,400.

One of the rarest records on the Vertigo label, this 1971 LP by singer-songwriter Linda Hoyle was limited to just 300 copies. Mint examples of the album, which blends jazz with folk and psychedelic rock, are worth up to £3,600.

Bristol band Folkal Point's self-titled debut has been dubbed the holy grail of folk music. Only 500 copies of the 1972 LP were pressed, half of which were destroyed in a flood, along with the master tapes. Collectors wouldn't think twice about paying up to £3,600 for one of the surviving copies.

Copies of 1974’s Diamond Dogs with original artwork are rare but very valuable. The initial sleeve, depicting David Bowie as half man and half dog, was pulled after the depiction of Bowie with a dog's private parts was deemed obscene. In 2013, a copy was sold for £3,700. Check your collection, as if your copy has the original artwork you're barking up the right money tree.

This psychedelic progressive rock album has been voted the number one most collectable rock record of all time by Q Magazine. The extremely rare LP was released in very limited numbers by Decca back in 1971. Mint condition copies sell for up to £4,100.

Boasting Andy Warhol cover art, this rare 1956 recording of waltzes by 19th century Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, which is performed by the Century Symphony Orchestra, is worth up to £4,400 in pristine condition.

Forever Amber's The Love Cycle is widely regarded as one of the most amazing psychedelic albums of all time by fans and critics alike. Just 99 copies were pressed for the LP's initial release in 1969, and these pressings are worth up to £4,700 a pop.

Discover the world's most valuable stamps

Just 1,000 copies of Joy Division's first EP were pressed and the controversial covers, which feature a member of the Hitler Youth banging a drum, were hand folded by members of the Manchester band. Mint copies of the 1977 EP are worth up to £4,700.

The Sex Pistols’ second single God Save The Queen shocked the British establishment and caused a major stir. A first pressing of the UK single on the A&M label, before the record was unceremoniously withdrawn by worried execs, sold for £6,000 in 2015. 

Early UK Parlophone pressings of the Beatles’ debut album are extremely valuable. If the LP has a black and gold Parlophone label and songs credited to Dick James Music Company rather than Northern Songs (like most copies), you could be looking at selling it for around £6,000.

Simply one of the rarest psychedelic progressive rock albums in existence, this 1970 self-titled LP by A Fleeting Glance is almost worshipped by collectors of the genre. Less than five copies are known to exist, and the last one to come on the market made just under £6,400.

First pressings of Led Zeppelin's debut album feature turquoise typography over the iconic image of the Hindenburg air disaster, which was later changed to red, as well as an erroneous 'Superhype' credit on the label. The very first pressing sold for £7,100 in 2013.

This near-mythical album by psychedelic progressive rock band Dark was restricted to just 40 copies. Gatefold copies are the most valuable – not long ago, a mint example sold for £8,350 at auction.

This privately pressed psychedelic progressive rock masterpiece was limited to 99 pressings, and copies show up every now and again, so keep your eyes peeled. A pristine mint copy that was picked up in a secondhand shop for £1 sold for a whopping £10,000 in 2016.

Next time you're out record shopping, have a root around for an original copy of the so-called White Album, which will have a gatefold cover, a printed number and the original Apple logo. If you’re privileged enough to own a low-numbered copy, it could earn you up to £10,000. Suddenly, a near-flawless album just got even better.

Got any American records in your collection? Here are the valuable US vinyls you might have at home