Anyone have any idea why older CDs of Elton John's albums sell for so much?

[Neon Sparkle]

A month or so ago I found a copy of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road for $1 in a Pawn Shop by my work, so I picked it up seeing as I'd wanted that album for awhile and it's not often you find a crown jewel album in the sea of forgettable 90's dreck that place has.

Well today I was at Walmart and I noticed they have some sort of 40th anniversary edition 3 disc version that just came out, and now I really want it but I didn't pick it up. Anyway I just glanced on Amazon at the different editions they have and I noticed that the particular 1990 pressing I have is listed for like $99 and after a quick look I noticed all of the older editions of his albums on CD seem to go for alot. Usually older CDs go for pennies to a couple of bucks used, so now I'm wondering why these are so desirable.

I was considering listing mine on Amazon and getting the new edition for $11 at Walmart, but I would like to find out what is so special about the 1990 edition before I get rid of it.

[kaoskat]

Maybe they are rare?

[StoryDreamer]

Ebay has them pretty cheap though; did you check there?

[NoDivision]

I'd guess it's because they're out of print now - which means there are no official new listings with prices set by the record label, so individual sellers on amazon can ask whatever the heck they want for it.

[hathorcat]

I take a salt shaker of salt with the prices some market place sellers list things for on Amazon. Some of them are wild! I would guess its out of print and perhaps not available new from regular retailers and therefore marketplace sellers hike the price up to ridiculous levels. Check out the price of some G3s on Amazon just to see how sellers judge items - they work on the basis of something being available with a retailer or from the original supplier - if both of these are a no then they assume something is very valuable and up goes the price.

[goddessofpeep]

Items that are sold by individuals on Amazon can have crazy prices.  I've seem some common G3 ponies on there for $50-$100+, when you can easily buy the same pony on ebay or here for around $3.  I've also seen some reasonable prices, and even a few bargains.  It's all up to the seller, and some sellers are a bit more realistic and reasonable than others.

I tend to check ebay for more accurate pricing.  Check completed auctions that actually sold.  Some sellers set their prices too high, and those are the auctions that just keep cycling over and over again on ebay.   The sold auctions is where I look for accurate prices, the crazy priced auctions are what I show my dad when he thinks he's made a thrift store find:p 

A quick ebay search of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1990" shows a few completed auctions ending in the $5-$8 range.  There may be international editions or special editions that are worth more.  International editions in particular can go for big bucks, especially if they contain rare bonus tracks.  I don't know if this album has special versions or not.  There seems to be a deluxe version released in 2004 as a 30th anniversary edition as well.   

[Neon Sparkle]

I just bought the 40th Anniversary edition at Walmart. I can't even find a date on the version I found at the pawn shop but I assume it's the 1990 edition because I know it's not the 1983 edition which was spread across 2 discs and it's not the remastered edition from the late 90's. It's definitely an edition from the earlier 90's and the whole album is on 1 disc.

Oh well, If it's not really worth that much I'll probably just keep it as a spare then, I just found it odd that it was listed on Amazon for so high.

Based on eBay search results, this seems to be an album that has had quite a lot of re-releases and deluxe editions over the years. The new one I just bought is supposed to be a brand new remaster and has a bunch of bonus tracks.