**Velvet Underground & Nico Vinyl Value 2026 | VinylAI**

> Is your Velvet Underground & Nico a 1967 first pressing? V-5008 vs V6-5008, the Emerson back cover, runouts, the banana sticker and real documented sales.

Source: https://vinylai.app/guides/velvet-underground-and-nico-vinyl-value-guide/ · updated: 2026-10-12

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The Velvet Underground & Nico Vinyl Value Guide: First Pressings, Prices & What It's Worth (2026)

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Buying & Selling

# The Velvet Underground & Nico Vinyl Value Guide: First Pressings, Prices & What It's Worth (2026)

**The Velvet Underground & Nico** came out on Verve in March 1967. Two catalogue numbers matter: **V-5008 is the mono LP and V6-5008 is the stereo LP**. A 1967 US copy that still has its peelable Andy Warhol banana sticker and the first back cover is a serious record: on eBay in May 2025 a West Coast mono stock copy sold for $6,767 and an East Coast promo for $8,500 (both reported by Goldmine). Later pressings with a printed banana and 1980s or newer reissues are common and sell for ordinary money. The highest documented sale connected with the album is $30,000 for a 1966 promo single, and a one-off 1966 studio acetate sold for $25,200; neither is a regular copy of the LP. This guide shows how to read your copy in a few minutes: the catalogue number, the back cover, the runout and the banana.

By VinylAI Editorial Updated October 12, 2026

## Key Takeaways

- The Velvet Underground & Nico was released on Verve in March 1967: V-5008 is the mono LP and V6-5008 the stereo LP.
- First-state US covers show actor Eric Emerson upside down on the back; after his legal threat MGM recalled copies, so later covers have a black sticker or an airbrushed photo.
- Two 1967 mono copies with a complete banana sold on eBay in May 2025 for $6,767 and $8,500 (Goldmine Market Watch, 30 June 2025).
- The highest documented sale is $30,000 for a 1966 "All Tomorrow's Parties" promo 7-inch (Discogs, March 2024, reported by Consequence); a one-off 1966 Scepter Studios acetate sold for $25,200 on eBay after December 2006.

## What a copy is worth: the short answer

Value depends on four things, in this order: **when it was pressed**, **whether the banana sticker is there and unpeeled**, **mono or stereo**, and **condition**. A rough guide that holds across the sales we could verify:

- **Reissues from the 1970s onward** (printed banana, no sticker) and every modern 180-gram LP are listening copies. Buy them for the music.
- **1968–1972 US Verve represses** with the airbrushed back cover sit between the two. They are original-era records, but not the first pressing.
- **1967 US first pressings** with the Eric Emerson back cover and a complete banana are where the money is. Two clean copies sold on eBay for $6,767 and $8,500 in May 2025. A copy with a damaged or missing sticker is worth far less than one with the sticker intact.

We do not publish a price for each grade: the number of public sales is too small to support one. Instead, the sales table below lists the results we could check, with the source and date. Grade the record and the sleeve separately with [Goldmine-standard grading](https://vinylai.app/guides/vinyl-grading-guide/) before you compare yours with them.

## Mono V-5008 or stereo V6-5008

Start with the catalogue number on the spine, the back cover and the labels:

- **V-5008** (printed V/5008 on some labels): **mono**. The one collectors want most: on Discogs about 8,300 users have the 1967 East Coast mono on their wantlist, against about 4,400 for the most common 1967 stereo.
- **V6-5008** (printed V6/5008 on some labels): **stereo**. This is the number most US copies carry, from 1967 through the 1970s represses.

A common mistake online is to call V6-5008 the mono. It is not: the "6" marks stereo, as on other Verve LPs of the period. Some later stereo jackets carry both numbers, and Discogs lists several 1970s copies where a stereo cover holds a mono record or the other way round, so always check the label as well as the sleeve.

The labels on 1967 stock copies read "MGM RECORDS - A DIVISION OF METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER, INC." around the rim. Promotional copies have their own labels (see below).

## The back cover dates your copy: torso, sticker, airbrush

The quickest way to date a US copy is the photo of the band on the back. On the first pressings, an image projected during the band's multimedia shows appears upside down behind them, and it includes the actor **Eric Emerson**. Emerson had not given permission and threatened to sue. MGM, Verve's parent company, recalled copies and stopped distribution until the image could be removed. That gives three back covers, in this order:

1. **Emerson "torso" cover**: the image is visible. This is the first state, and the one collectors pay most for.
2. **Sticker cover**: covers already printed went out with a large black sticker over the Emerson image.
3. **Airbrushed cover**: on new printings the image was airbrushed out. Discogs files these as later 1967–1968 represses.

All three are 1967-era gatefolds with the banana sticker on the front. If your back cover shows no Emerson image and no sticker, you have the airbrushed version or a later reissue. Our guide to [first pressing identification](https://vinylai.app/guides/first-pressing-identification/) explains this kind of evidence for any album.

## East Coast or West Coast: labels and runouts

Verve had the record pressed on both coasts, and the two families look different. Discogs documents them in detail:

|  | East Coast | West Coast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plant | MGM Record Manufacturing Division, Bloomfield, New Jersey | H.V. Waddell Co. |
| Side names on label | "Side 1" / "Side 2" | "Side A" / "Side B" |
| Songwriter credit | Reed-Cale-Morrison-Tucker | L. Reed - J. Cale - S. Morrison - M. Tucker |
| Mono runout, side 1 | `V5008 side 1 MG 558 Rev` plus a stamped block-shaped "S" | `V-5008-S-1 MG-558-REV` |

Stereo copies carry `MGS-558` on side 1 and `MGS-559` on side 2, for example `V6-5008 Side-1 MGS 558 Rev`. The **"REV"** matters. The test pressing from November 1966 has no "Sunday Morning"; the song was added as the opening track and side 1 was recut, so stock copies carry REV on side 1. Discogs lists an early East Coast stereo mispress whose side 1 lacks REV and plays without "Sunday Morning", although the label lists it.

There is no `MGM-V6-5008-1A` style matrix and no "STERLING" stamp on the 1967 records. Sterling Sound appears only on the 1985 remastered reissue.

## The banana sticker

The front cover is Andy Warhol's banana, printed as a **peelable sticker** with the words "Peel slowly and see" next to it. Under the sticker is a flesh-coloured banana printed on the sleeve. The sticker is on all the 1967 US covers, whichever back cover they have. What happens to value:

- **Complete and unpeeled**: the best case. Both May 2025 eBay sales ($6,767 and $8,500) were copies with a complete sticker.
- **Peeled but still present, torn or repaired**: still a first pressing, but buyers pay much less. A mono Emerson copy whose banana had three repaired cuts sold for $1,000 on eBay in January 2012 (archived on Popsike).
- **Missing**: a large drop. The cover is incomplete.

Most reissues from the 1970s onward have the banana printed flat on the cover, with no sticker. Some modern editions add a sticker again, so a sticker alone does not prove a 1967 copy: check the catalogue number, the back cover and the runout too.

## Promos, the test pressing and the acetate

**Promotional copies.** Verve sent out mono promos on both coasts. Discogs lists a West Coast white label marked "D.J. Sample / Not for sale" and an East Coast yellow label marked "Disc Jockey Record / NOT FOR SALE", both with the Emerson back cover and the banana sticker. The top eBay sale in Goldmine's May 2025 report was one of the yellow East Coast promos. See our guide to [promos, white labels and test pressings](https://vinylai.app/guides/promo-white-label-and-test-pressings/).

**The 1966 test pressing.** Discogs documents a single-sided stereo test pressing dated 2 November 1966, with runout `V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558` and no "Sunday Morning".

**The Scepter acetate.** In April 1966 engineer Norman Dolph cut an acetate of the band's early session recordings at Scepter Studios in New York; it holds different takes and mixes of songs from the album. One copy was found at a New York street sale in 2002 and bought for 75 cents (The Globe and Mail, May 2005). An eBay auction in December 2006 ended at $155,401, but the winning bidder did not pay; the acetate was then sold for $25,200. It was offered again through Shuga Records in July 2014 (Paul Fraser Collectibles, May 2014). It is a one-off, not a version of the LP you can own, and it says nothing about the value of a regular copy.

## UK, Canadian and German first issues

- **UK: Verve VLP 9184 (mono) and SVLP 9184 (stereo), 1967.** Not a gatefold and **no banana sticker**: the front of the UK sleeve is the back of the US cover, without Emerson. Printed by Garrod & Lofthouse. Discogs lists a mono variant whose side 2 label misprints the number as "V500B".
- **Canada: Verve V 5008(C), 1967.** Made by Quality Records in Toronto, non-gatefold, with the Emerson image on the front.
- **Germany: Verve 710 004, 1967.** Pressed for Deutsche Grammophon in imported US Emerson covers; some carry a "Stereo 710 004" sticker over the US number.

Discogs lists no 1967 Japanese LP; the earliest dated Japanese vinyl is Verve MV 2060 from 1973.

## Every notable edition in one table

Discogs lists 259 vinyl versions of *The Velvet Underground & Nico*. The table below picks the ones a reader needs to tell apart: the test pressing, the 1967 first pressings by country, coast and back cover, the promos, the first repress, and the reissues that matter. Runout shown is side 1.

| Year | Country | Label and catalogue no. | Format | Runout (side A) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1966 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/14789036) | LP / Single Sided / Album / Test Pressing / Stereo | `V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558` |
| 1967 | Canada | [Verve Records V 5008(C)](https://www.discogs.com/release/5290733) | LP / Album / Mono | `V-5008-S1` |
| 1967 | Germany | [Verve Records 710 004](https://www.discogs.com/release/9409985) | LP / Album / Stereo | `710 004 A, Made in Germany, xx 1966 p` |
| 1967 | UK | [Verve Records VLP 9184](https://www.discogs.com/release/2953013) | LP / Album / Misprint / Mono | `V 5008 A - 2 B 1` |
| 1967 | UK | [Verve Records VLP 9184](https://www.discogs.com/release/6966763) | LP / Album / Mono | `V 5008A - 2` |
| 1967 | UK | [Verve Records SVLP 9184](https://www.discogs.com/release/3334097) | LP / Album / Stereo | `V6 5008 A-2` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/5034045) | LP / Album / Mono / East Coast Pressing, Emerson Torso Cover | `V5008 side 1 MG 558 Rev 15 [block-shaped "S"]` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/1188519) | LP / Album / Mono / East Coast Pressing, Emerson Lawsuit Threat Sticker | `V5008 side 1 MG 558 Rev 12` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/1310278) | LP / Album / Mono / West Coast Pressing, Torso Cover | `V-5008-S-1 MG-558-REV` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/3538574) | LP / Album / Promo / Mono / West Coast Pressing | `V-5008-S-1 MG-558-REV` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/2304996) | LP / Album / Promo / Mono / East Coast Pressing | `V5008 Side 1 mG-558 Rev` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/371471) | LP / Album / Stereo / West Coast Pressing, Torso Cover, Gatefold | `V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558-REV Block-shaped S` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/9675768) | LP / Album / Stereo / East Coast Pressing, Torso Cover | `V6-5008 Side-1 MGS 558 Rev 21 [block shaped S]` |
| 1967 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/6926607) | LP / Album / Mispress / Stereo / East Coast Pressing | `V6-5008 SIDE 1 MGS-558` |
| 1968 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/3820535) | LP / Album / Repress / Stereo / East Coast Pressing, Gatefold | `V6-5008 SIDE.1 MGS-558 REV` |
| 1971 | UK | [MGM Records 2315056](https://www.discogs.com/release/334623) | LP / Album / Reissue / Gatefold | `2315056 A // 1 ▽ 420 1 1 2 0 04` |
| 1973 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/3559116) | LP / Album / Reissue / Stereo / Gatefold | `V6-5008 MGS-558-1-11-1` |
| 1985 | US | [Verve Records 823 290-1 Y-1](https://www.discogs.com/release/3494799) | LP / Album / Reissue / Remastered | `422823.290-1-AS- A̶L̶D̶ HRM STERLING Ⓗ A-2 [triangle w/ dot]` |
| 2000 | US | [Verve Records V6-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/1219423) | LP / Album / Limited Edition / Reissue / Stereo / 180 Gram, Gatefold | `3972 V 65008 -1(A) S 35947 RE DC BQS` |
| 2004 | US | [Verve Records V-5008](https://www.discogs.com/release/1880843) | LP / Album / Limited Edition / Reissue / Mono | `3972-V5008-1 (A) S-52672` |
| 2012 | Europe | [Verve Records 371 710-8](https://www.discogs.com/release/3998987) | LP / Album / Reissue / Remastered / Stereo / 45th Anniversary Edition,180g, Gatefold | `A' JD 102905E1/A www.gzvinyl.com-3717108.A` |

Source: Discogs database, checked 2026-10-12. 21 of 259 vinyl releases of this title are shown, oldest first.

Discogs community counts give a sense of scale: about 2,400 users list the 1967 East Coast mono with the Emerson cover, and about 1,800 list the 1967 stereo. That is uncommon next to most 1960s rock records, but not a few dozen.

## Reissues: what you probably have

- **Early-1970s US Verve V6-5008**: gatefold with the banana printed, not peelable. Runouts like `V6-5008 MGS-558-1-11-1`.
- **UK MGM 2315 056 (1971)**: a Polydor-made reissue with the MGM label. Not to be confused with the 1971 double compilation *Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground featuring Nico* (MGM 2683 006 in the UK), which is a different album.
- **UK Polydor SPELP 20 (1983)** and Polydor 2459 358 in Germany: two of the most widely owned reissues on Discogs.
- **US Verve 823 290-1 (1985)**: remastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, with "STERLING" in the runout and notes by Kurt Loder.
- **Verve V6-5008, 180 g (2000)**: cut by David Cheppa at Better Quality Sound, pressed by Rainbo; no "Peel Slowly And See" on the cover.
- **Verve V-5008 mono (2004)**: limited mono reissue pressed by Rainbo, pastel-yellow cover without a peelable banana, hype sticker "Finally The Original Mono Version".
- **45th Anniversary LP, Verve 371 710-8 (2012)**: 180 g, cut by John Dent, pressed by GZ in the EU, and repressed several times since.

All of these are worth what a new or used reissue costs. If you want the album to play, any of the modern LPs will do; if you want a collectable, it has to be a 1967 copy. Our [original pressing vs reissue](https://vinylai.app/guides/original-pressing-vs-reissue/) guide covers how to tell them apart in general.

## Documented sales

These are the results we could verify. Each one names the source and date:

| Item | Result | Where and when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "All Tomorrow's Parties" / "I'll Be Your Mirror" 1966 promo 7" with picture sleeve (fewer than 10 known) | $30,000 | Discogs, March 2024, reported by Consequence on 16 April 2024 |
| 1966 Scepter Studios acetate (one-off) | $25,200 | eBay, after a $155,401 winning bid fell through in December 2006 (Paul Fraser Collectibles, May 2014) |
| LP, V-5008 mono, East Coast yellow-label promo, Emerson cover, complete banana, VG+/VG++ | $8,500 | eBay, May 2025 (Goldmine Market Watch, 30 June 2025) |
| LP, V-5008 mono, West Coast stock copy pressed by H.V. Waddell, Emerson cover, complete banana, VG+/VG(+) | $6,767 | eBay, May 2025 (Goldmine Market Watch, 30 June 2025) |
| LP, V-5008 mono, Emerson cover, banana with three repaired cuts, EX+ | $1,000 | eBay, January 2012 (Popsike archive) |

We found no auction or press record of a regular 1967 LP selling above $10,000; the highest documented LP sale is $8,500 for the East Coast promo (eBay, May 2025, reported by Goldmine). For selling a copy of your own, see [how to sell vinyl records](https://vinylai.app/guides/how-to-sell-vinyl-records/).

## Check your copy in five minutes

1. **Catalogue number**: V-5008 (mono) or V6-5008 (stereo)? Another number means a reissue or a non-US edition.
2. **Back cover**: Emerson image visible, covered by a sticker, or airbrushed?
3. **Label**: "Side 1/Side 2" (East Coast) or "Side A/Side B" (West Coast)? White or yellow promo label?
4. **Runout**: `MG 558` (mono) or `MGS-558` (stereo), with REV on side 1?
5. **Banana**: sticker present, unpeeled, undamaged?

If you would rather not read dead wax under a lamp, photograph the label with VinylAI: it matches your copy to its Discogs pressing and adds it to your collection.

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Table of Contents

- What a copy is worth: the short answer
- Mono V-5008 or stereo V6-5008
- The back cover dates your copy: torso, sticker, airbrush
- East Coast or West Coast: labels and runouts
- The banana sticker
- Promos, the test pressing and the acetate
- UK, Canadian and German first issues
- Every notable edition in one table
- Reissues: what you probably have
- Documented sales
- Check your copy in five minutes

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- [Michael Jackson Bad Vinyl at 40: 1987 Original, Value and Which Pressing to Buy](https://vinylai.app/guides/michael-jackson-bad-vinyl-value-guide/)
- [OK Computer Vinyl at 30: 1997 First Pressing vs Reissues, Value and OKNOTOK](https://vinylai.app/guides/ok-computer-vinyl-value-guide/)
- [Pink Floyd Animals Vinyl at 50: 1977 First Pressing, Value and Best Edition](https://vinylai.app/guides/pink-floyd-animals-vinyl-value-guide/)
- [Hotel California Vinyl at 50: First Pressing, Value and Which Edition to Buy](https://vinylai.app/guides/hotel-california-vinyl-value-guide/)

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## FAQ: The Velvet Underground & Nico vinyl value

How can I tell if my Velvet Underground & Nico vinyl is a first pressing?

A US first pressing from 1967 has catalogue number V-5008 (mono) or V6-5008 (stereo), a gatefold sleeve with Warhol's peelable banana sticker, and on the back the upside-down image of actor Eric Emerson behind the band. In the runout, side 1 reads MG 558 Rev (mono) or MGS-558 Rev (stereo). Copies with a black sticker over Emerson or an airbrushed back came slightly later.

Is V6-5008 the mono or the stereo version?

V6-5008 is the stereo version. The mono LP is V-5008, sometimes printed V/5008 on the label. The "6" marks stereo, as on other Verve albums of the period. Many listings online get this wrong, and some later jackets carry both numbers, so check the label and the runout too: mono runouts read MG 558 and MG 559, stereo runouts MGS-558 and MGS-559.

How much is an original 1967 Velvet Underground & Nico worth?

It depends on the back cover, the banana sticker and condition. Two 1967 mono copies with the Emerson back cover and a complete banana sold on eBay in May 2025 for $6,767 (a West Coast stock copy) and $8,500 (an East Coast promo), according to Goldmine. A mono copy with a repaired banana made $1,000 in 2012. Later pressings with a printed banana are worth far less.

Is a peeled banana copy still worth anything?

Yes, if the record is a 1967 pressing it is still a first pressing, but buyers pay much less than for a complete, unpeeled sticker, and a missing sticker hurts more than a peeled one. The best results we could verify were all copies with a complete banana. Note that a sticker alone does not prove age: check the catalogue number, the back cover and the runout.

What is the most valuable Velvet Underground & Nico record ever sold?

The highest documented sale we found is $30,000 for a 1966 promo 7-inch of "All Tomorrow's Parties" with its picture sleeve, sold on Discogs in March 2024 (reported by Consequence). A 1966 Scepter Studios acetate, a one-off, sold for $25,200 on eBay after a $155,401 bid fell through in December 2006. Neither is a copy of the regular LP.

Do UK copies of The Velvet Underground & Nico have the banana?

No. The 1967 UK edition, Verve VLP 9184 in mono and SVLP 9184 in stereo, came in a single sleeve whose front is the back of the US cover, without the banana sticker and without the Emerson image. Canada (V 5008(C)) also used a non-gatefold sleeve. Germany (710 004) used imported US covers with the banana and the Emerson image.

Are promotional copies worth more than stock copies?

Usually, yes, if the cover is complete. Verve pressed mono promos with a white "D.J. Sample" label on the West Coast and a yellow "Disc Jockey Record" label on the East Coast. In Goldmine's May 2025 eBay report, a yellow-label promo with a complete banana sold for $8,500, the higher of the two copies sold that month.

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Table of Contents

- What a copy is worth: the short answer
- Mono V-5008 or stereo V6-5008
- The back cover dates your copy: torso, sticker, airbrush
- East Coast or West Coast: labels and runouts
- The banana sticker
- Promos, the test pressing and the acetate
- UK, Canadian and German first issues
- Every notable edition in one table
- Reissues: what you probably have
- Documented sales
- Check your copy in five minutes

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