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The Beatles' The Collection from MFSL Original Master Recordings, I would have to say. This is my one and only prize. Played once or twice, the second time recorded on VHS Hi-Fi. They just sit there all nice and new!

My 10s/10s shaded dog Scheherazade (LSC-2446). Compared it to the vaunted white dog and 1s versions, we all felt the 10s to be unbelieveable.

I have a pristine original pressing of The Gilded Palace of Sin by the Flying Burrito Brothers that I really enjoy. The remastering for the CD is just plain worng. As far as cultural value is concerned, that would be Nirvana's Nevermind. Had that not come out when it did, I probably would have stopped listening to music. Neither of these are worth much money, but they have great value to me anyway.

I've got some old Hank Williams 78s that my parents had. I don't really know how rare they are, and they're probably not that valuable, either.

I buy records for the music they contain; if I can get extra tracks and/or a better sound on a reissue, I'll keep the reissue and damn the rarity! I do have some valuable ones though; some of my Dad's old 78s. Knowing that you are hearing Rachmaninoff play Rachmaninoff is a hell of a thought, especially when you are listening to it through a wooden needle amplified by a 4' wide horn.

Jolly What? by The Beatles and Frank Ifield.

78 RPM 1929 RCA recording of my gramps' Finnish dance band. He died a decade before I was pressed.

These things are cheap plastic, of little intrinsic value. They are worth only what we add to them by listening. On that measure, I have hundreds of truly priceless recordings. Whatever "collecting" is about, music has little to do with it.

An old 45 of John McCormack singing "Macushla" b/w "Too ra loo ra loo ra." Call me sentimental.

The Louis Bellson Quintet on Norgran Records MGW-1011. This is Louie's third album as a leader. Also Happy the Man's self-titled white label AR 4120 on Arista Records.

In the grand scheme of things, it's probably not that rare, and not very valuable in money terms, but the record I'd most hate to lose or ruin is Richie Beirach & George Mraz's LP "Rendezvous" from the early '80s—wonderful piano/bass duets.

The orignial Realtime label LP For Duke by the Bill Berry All-Stars.

A Beatles unpeeled butcher cover (plus one rather sloppily peeled copy).

The original 78 album of Porgy & Bess recorded in the studio, with the stars, Todd Duncan and and Anne Brown singing all of the solo parts along with a chorus.

A live Zeppelin bootleg on LP called Mudslide.

You mean in MONEY?!? What a silly measure of the value of a piece of our lives!

Indigo Spirit by The Brave. Very rare composition of Jazz, Blues, Gospel, and Classical mixed in such a way as to evoke multiple emotions. Some of the most sonically intoxicating music I've heard in a long time. It is on the "top shelf" of my listing. More musicians should follow the example of The Brave and break free of the "Top 40s" mentality. We will all then share in the true creativity of the musicians behind the music, and not what the record companies want us to think what is "popular."

Buddy Hollys-That'll Be the Day (album, mono).

I don't have a clue. There could be something, but that's not why I collect music.

MFSL With the Beatles LP.

I have the complete collection of original Pink Floyd albums dating back from 1967 to The Wall. They are all in excellent condition. I also have a number of RCA Victor Red Seal and Angel albums.

I am largely ignorant of market values, perhaps my mint British pressings of Family's Songs from a Doll's House or Beatles For Sale, but I was thrilled recently to find a DCC reissue, sealed and in mint condition, of Aqualung for well under $10 in a box of used records.

The rarest album? Maybe my copy of Automatic Man or my absolutely pristine LP by The Rasins (the head songwriters of which joined up with Adrian Belew to form The Bears. But I'd have to say that the real prize is a beautiful copy of the first Mama Lion album, Preserve Wildlife where Lynn Carey shows us all how to feed one lucky lion cub.

Beth Orton Superpinkymandy

Henry Mancici: A Tribute to James Dean, a 45 with vf picture sleeve? Or maybe Martha and the Muffin's Cheeses and Gum! Oh, sorry, thought ya said weird.

It has to be Sleepy Time Again. It's a compilation of lullabys, some of which are so sappy they are nausiating. But my toddler daughter likes them and she sleeps to it! Sleep, beautiful sleep! A toddler sleeping through the night is priceless.

I have two: I have a boxed set of all the Beatles' LPs I bought in the early '80s which contains a rarities album with some interesting songs, such as "She Loves You" in German and "Penny Lane" in both mono and stereo. The other is not valuable per se, but I do hold it in great regard, it is a performance by the Cleveland Symphony of Debussy's La Mer—a live recording of a I performance I attended (I did not know about the recording, but I was invited to the concert by a dear friend while visiting Cleveland).

Last I looked, that would have to be CSN&Y Deja Vu on MFSL. Either that, or David Bowie The Man Who Sold the World on a sealed Mercury. I won't get rich with these!

Anything old I have is worn. But that's a good thing.

I purchased one of the RCA Red Label pressings of the Tomita version of Holst's "Planets" before it was recalled/taken off the market. The story I heard at the time was that Tomita/RCA had paid no royalties to Mr. Holst who was apparently very much alive and incensed when he heard it.