Matt Bianco – Matt Bianco

About this record

Stamped into the dead wax, the runout R/S Alsdorf 240 880-1 places this Matt Bianco LP at the Record Service plant in Alsdorf, Germany, a detail that separates it from the UK release catalogued as WX 35. Pressed in 1986 on WEA, it carries the same label name on three catalogue variants, so the plant and matrix are the only reliable way to tell which edition you hold.

Its European origin is the reason the matrix string matters, because the pressing history here is more layered than a single release date suggests.

What drives its value

Across the price_guide the spread runs from a P copy at 0.95 USD up to an M copy at 18.05 USD, with VG+ at 12.35 USD and VG at 8.55 USD. The lowest_price figure of 0.5 USD sits against 435 copies currently listed for sale, so a cheap listing does not signal scarcity.

Demand is steady rather than urgent: 4952 collectors have this in their collection and 139 want it, with a community rating of 3.78 from 349 votes. The main other_pressings entry is the 1986 German WEA issue under catalogue 32 379-0, which means a Europe-labelled copy competes with that release for the same buyers.

Condition, not edition alone, drives most of the gap between a 12.35 USD and an 18.05 USD sale.

How to appraise this pressing

Begin with the label and catalogue. A copy reading WEA with 240 880-1 in the dead wax and the runout R/S Alsdorf 240 880-1 A 2XX is the Alsdorf pressing; the sibling listings WX 35 and WX35 belong to the UK issue.

Check the back cover for the price code: this entry is recorded with WE 381, while a similar entry carries WE 321, so the code is a useful cross-check. The R/S Alsdorf strings in the runouts are stamped, while the remaining text is etched, so examine the impressed lettering under raking light to confirm the stamped marks.

Many French market copies carry a sticker on the front promoting two singles; its presence or absence tells you the market of origin. Grade the disc against the price_guide tiers, judging the vinyl surface and sleeve separately, and factor in whether the printed inner sleeve is present.

Further reading: grading a record, how to sell vinyl.