( 
)There was once a time when Tori Amos' extensive back catalogue of collectables was so desirable in the music collecting community that a book called "Tori Amos Collectibles" was even published in mainstream press. With the advent of digital music sharing, modern Tori collecting has gone wayside. What once was highly valuable and priced in the hundreds can now be obtained for a trifle.
Gone are the days when a vinyl copy of "Y Kant Tori Read" would sell for $200+. Now they frequently pass through ebay for less than $50 apiece. Still it seems fans are willing to shell out that much or more for bootlegged compact disc copies. Often they are fooled into buying a compact disc that is labeled as an "import", when in fact it is a cheap pirated copy. The easiest way to assure that the copy you are bidding on is legitimate is to ask the seller to describe the CD itself as well as the artwork. If the CD is not silver with a red ring around the outer edge, it is a fake.
Another popularly misrepresented "YKTR" item is the alleged "promotional picture disc"; alleged to be a German promo copy of the album, it looks professionally made and appealing, but do not be fooled - it is a worthless bootleg! Poor souls probably shelled out hundreds of dollars for this when it first surfaced, but use some simple logic. Why would a record company produce an expensively made picture disc to promote an album in Germany that sold less than 8,000 copies in America? There were NO official foreign pressings of "Y Kant Tori Read".
In the current market, you should not be paying more than $100 for a vinyl copy of "YKTR", and that is if it is in extremely mint condition. For a copy in used condition, pricing of $40-80 is average and acceptable. You should be prepared to spend around $50 for any one of the 7" or 12" vinyl promotional singles issued for the album. For a cassette copy, be prepared to spend around $80, and for an original compact disc, a reasonable asking price falls in the $150-200 category. For an original compact disc, sealed and in the original longbox, say goodbye to at LEAST $500.
Beware of a company called EIL or "esprit." They have been long known to charge outrageous amounts for Tori collectables, and they have recently moved their sales to ebay. If you search for "Y Kant Tori Read" you will find their CD copy listed for sale at a staggering $1200. If you search for Tori items on ebay and you see something you are seeking listed by them, do not waste your money. Rest assured someone else is selling it - or will be - for much cheaper.
Once upon a time Tori's singles, particularly those issued in Europe or in Limited Edition, could easily fetch between $50-100 on their own. That era is over. Here is a very generic but reliable ranking on what you should be paying for each "type" of Tori single:
Cassette singles: unless the casette single in question is excrutiatingly rare (such as the Y Kant Tori Read single for "Cool On Your Island,") most cassette singles should fall into the $2-15 range. Expect to pay $2 or less for any American cassette singles, which are very common; pay more for European singles, especially those from 1992-1996.
Vinyl singles: you would think that vinyl singles would be of greater value based on the fact that they are made in fewer quantity than CDs, but it simply isn't the case. Vinyl is not desirable to most - only to devoted fans or those who specifically collect vinyl. A jukebox 7" should sell for $5 or less. Any other 7" singles, almost all of which are exclusive to Europe or international markets, should range between $5-25. Don't pay more than $20 unless the item is very rare, such as the misprinted "Crucify" 7" single.
American CD singles: Tori has never released a truly limited edition American CD single. One of her earliest singles, "Winter," states "Limited Edition" on the front, but for reasons never explained this was simply not the case. Copies of this single can still be found new and unopened in major record retailers! An American CD single should not set you back more than $2 for a used copy, or $5 for an unopened copy in mint condition.
Import CD singles: Tori's CD single catalogue is vast and spans the globe. Titles repeat with alternate track listings or artwork from country to country. Most import CD singles have a value of $15-25, depending on rarity. Assume that the older the release date, the higher a cost to pay. Don't be fooled by those who bought their collection in 1996 when it was more valuable: what once sold for $50 now sells for $10, and their loss is your gain.
Limited Edition CD singles: The value of "limited" singles has been destroyed by the digital music market. The UK limited edition version of "Silent All These Years" once sold for $100 or more, but can now be easily obtained for $20-30. Unless you are desperate for a certain item, don't get into a bidding war that takes you up to $50. It *WILL* resurface on ebay at a lower cost.
Albums: The value of Tori's major album releases really boils down to condition, country of origin and status. A regular release is not going to be as valuable as a promotional one, and a promotional one not as valuable as a promo with alternate artwork, and so forth. You should really use your judgement when buying an album, remembering the three rules of desirablity: uniqness, quantity and accessability. If it exists in a smaller quantity, has features that were not made available on the commercially sold edition, and is not easy to come by, it is more valuable.
Ultimately the Tori Amos collector has to remember the cardinal rule of all collectors: it is only worth what you think it is worth. The reason people are still trying to sell their collections for $100 an item is because they are precious collectables (that they probably paid a fortune for 10 years ago.)
The sad truth is that the decline in Tori's commercial popularity has rendered the value of her collection dead. People can log online and steal the audio files, and there is less desire to own the merchandise. Work these facts to your advantage and buy wisely and prudently, and you can amass a collection of great rarities at a fraction of the cost you may once have paid.
Gone are the days when a vinyl copy of "Y Kant Tori Read" would sell for $200+. Now they frequently pass through ebay for less than $50 apiece. Still it seems fans are willing to shell out that much or more for bootlegged compact disc copies. Often they are fooled into buying a compact disc that is labeled as an "import", when in fact it is a cheap pirated copy. The easiest way to assure that the copy you are bidding on is legitimate is to ask the seller to describe the CD itself as well as the artwork. If the CD is not silver with a red ring around the outer edge, it is a fake.
Another popularly misrepresented "YKTR" item is the alleged "promotional picture disc"; alleged to be a German promo copy of the album, it looks professionally made and appealing, but do not be fooled - it is a worthless bootleg! Poor souls probably shelled out hundreds of dollars for this when it first surfaced, but use some simple logic. Why would a record company produce an expensively made picture disc to promote an album in Germany that sold less than 8,000 copies in America? There were NO official foreign pressings of "Y Kant Tori Read".
In the current market, you should not be paying more than $100 for a vinyl copy of "YKTR", and that is if it is in extremely mint condition. For a copy in used condition, pricing of $40-80 is average and acceptable. You should be prepared to spend around $50 for any one of the 7" or 12" vinyl promotional singles issued for the album. For a cassette copy, be prepared to spend around $80, and for an original compact disc, a reasonable asking price falls in the $150-200 category. For an original compact disc, sealed and in the original longbox, say goodbye to at LEAST $500.
Beware of a company called EIL or "esprit." They have been long known to charge outrageous amounts for Tori collectables, and they have recently moved their sales to ebay. If you search for "Y Kant Tori Read" you will find their CD copy listed for sale at a staggering $1200. If you search for Tori items on ebay and you see something you are seeking listed by them, do not waste your money. Rest assured someone else is selling it - or will be - for much cheaper.
Once upon a time Tori's singles, particularly those issued in Europe or in Limited Edition, could easily fetch between $50-100 on their own. That era is over. Here is a very generic but reliable ranking on what you should be paying for each "type" of Tori single:
Cassette singles: unless the casette single in question is excrutiatingly rare (such as the Y Kant Tori Read single for "Cool On Your Island,") most cassette singles should fall into the $2-15 range. Expect to pay $2 or less for any American cassette singles, which are very common; pay more for European singles, especially those from 1992-1996.
Vinyl singles: you would think that vinyl singles would be of greater value based on the fact that they are made in fewer quantity than CDs, but it simply isn't the case. Vinyl is not desirable to most - only to devoted fans or those who specifically collect vinyl. A jukebox 7" should sell for $5 or less. Any other 7" singles, almost all of which are exclusive to Europe or international markets, should range between $5-25. Don't pay more than $20 unless the item is very rare, such as the misprinted "Crucify" 7" single.
American CD singles: Tori has never released a truly limited edition American CD single. One of her earliest singles, "Winter," states "Limited Edition" on the front, but for reasons never explained this was simply not the case. Copies of this single can still be found new and unopened in major record retailers! An American CD single should not set you back more than $2 for a used copy, or $5 for an unopened copy in mint condition.
Import CD singles: Tori's CD single catalogue is vast and spans the globe. Titles repeat with alternate track listings or artwork from country to country. Most import CD singles have a value of $15-25, depending on rarity. Assume that the older the release date, the higher a cost to pay. Don't be fooled by those who bought their collection in 1996 when it was more valuable: what once sold for $50 now sells for $10, and their loss is your gain.
Limited Edition CD singles: The value of "limited" singles has been destroyed by the digital music market. The UK limited edition version of "Silent All These Years" once sold for $100 or more, but can now be easily obtained for $20-30. Unless you are desperate for a certain item, don't get into a bidding war that takes you up to $50. It *WILL* resurface on ebay at a lower cost.
Albums: The value of Tori's major album releases really boils down to condition, country of origin and status. A regular release is not going to be as valuable as a promotional one, and a promotional one not as valuable as a promo with alternate artwork, and so forth. You should really use your judgement when buying an album, remembering the three rules of desirablity: uniqness, quantity and accessability. If it exists in a smaller quantity, has features that were not made available on the commercially sold edition, and is not easy to come by, it is more valuable.
Ultimately the Tori Amos collector has to remember the cardinal rule of all collectors: it is only worth what you think it is worth. The reason people are still trying to sell their collections for $100 an item is because they are precious collectables (that they probably paid a fortune for 10 years ago.)
The sad truth is that the decline in Tori's commercial popularity has rendered the value of her collection dead. People can log online and steal the audio files, and there is less desire to own the merchandise. Work these facts to your advantage and buy wisely and prudently, and you can amass a collection of great rarities at a fraction of the cost you may once have paid.
Guide created: 04/27/06 (updated 09/04/08)
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