As with all major bands, Maiden has plenty of rare and hard to find records/ CDs/ promotional material etc. They might not have the same amount of collectibles as say Metallica or Kiss but nonetheless from nearly every corner of the world there is some sort of Maiden item worth getting hold of.
As expected the majority of rare and collectible pieces come from the UK with a few in Europe. However once outside the UK and Europe, Japan and North America hold plenty of rarities followed closely by South America and Asia.
So what makes a Maiden record/ CD rare and thus collectible? What about prices? What about values? And most importantly what is out there to collect? Read on and hopefully you will find out some new and interesting Maiden collectibles.

The Rarest Maiden Record in the World?

is 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT – Japanese 7’’ vinyl promo. EMI TOSHIBA 1984 Of the five Japanese vinyl promo 7’’ this is by far the most sought after. Only issued as a promo this will easily set you back over £1500. Pressed in a very strict run, there are not many copies in existence. Then the rest...

2. TWILIGHT ZONE – brown vinyl miss press UK 1981 EMI5145 This is the big one as only a few copies exist to this day. Count yourself very fortunate to own this vinyl, as there is little chance of getting a copy if you don’t. This will easily set you back a minimum of £2000 plus for a mint copy.

3. BEST OF THE BEAST – UK promo box set. This very impressive box set issued in 1996 to promote the Best of the Beast CD is high on many fans list. Included are double hard cover CD, Steve Harris interview CD, interview video and press kit. All housed in a rather nice Eddie pop out box. Which has to be seen to be believed. EMI employees had to pay £15 for this one! Limited to under one hundred pressings this box set will set you back £200 plus. Very nice item and worth having.

4. THE SOUNDHOUSE TAPES – first ever official Maiden issue. UK 1979 ROK1. The Holy Grail of Maiden collecting. We all know the history on this one. Limited to a run of only 5000 pressings. Those fans looking for a complete set of Maiden UK vinyl should look out for copies of the single with the merchandise sheet enclosed. This issue commands a slightly higher value in the market. Mint copies are still surprisingly not so hard to find so expect to pay anything between £100 - £250 for a copy. No self-respecting fan should be without one. Please be aware of the many different bootlegs available for this record. Feel free to get in touch if you want your copy verified for authenticity. Check the link for more info.

5. WHERE EAGLES DARE – Spanish promo 7`` 1983 ref. 034-P a real rarity this one! Released with a Black sleeve with red text and the Maiden logo and backed with Run to The Hills. By far and away the hardest European promo vinyl to find. Those with a copy should count themselves very lucky indeed. Minimum outlay of £200 for this one.

6. PIECE OF MIND – Korean 5 track LP 1983 The original release ref. OLE 633 of this record had a different cover to that of the UK issue: the inner sleeve picture (the band sat around the table) was used as the front cover, the LP also had only five tracks. A second issue ref. EKPL-0126 was then released basically as the UK copy. Finally a third issue was released by the High Light Record Company which had a blue hew to the cover. Start looking at £140 for a mint copy but worth it.

7. CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS – Japanese 7’’ vinyl promo EMI PRP-1278 This very unsurprising and very plain promo is still difficult to come across in mint condition. Unlike other Japanese promos Madness is a plain white center less disc with only Japanese print. The sleeve is a single piece of what looks like a photocopy of an original colour picture. The sleeve is in black and white. So for an item that is not very pleasing to the eye still expect to pay from £150 to £250!!!! for a copy.

8. FEAR OF THE DARK – UK promo box set EMI 1992. Issued to promote the LP of the same name, Maiden released another great promo box set. It’s all there: interview video, CD, interview cassette and full colour press release. All housed in an Eddie box that glows in the dark! This promo is also numbered. I think there was only 1000 boxes issued. If you want one you’ll have to pay out around £175 - £200 for the pleasure.

9. THE FIRST TEN YEARS – Japanese CD box set. EMI tocp-6181-90. This is, as with most Japanese releases, excellent. Different from the UK CD box. The Japanese box is presented like an LP box but contains CDs and booklet. The CDs are no different from the UK issue but for sheer presentation the Japanese edition is a must have. Now very rare in mint condition. Make sure there is no damage to the outside obi strip and you are onto a winner. It will however set you back at least £700 for the pleasure.

10. LIVE + ONE! – Greek 9 track LP EMI GREECE 1984 062-2600481 Withdrawn mini LP with all tracks in Latin! The Greek issue has 5 more tracks than the Japanese issue of the same name. The live picture sleeve cover is a classic stage moment between ‘Arry and Paul D’ianno. There was actually two releases both of which were withdrawn from sale hence their collectability. Both copies are basically the same with 9 tracks carrying the same reference number ref. 062-2600481. The front cover is a live photo of the band on stage whilst the rear cover is black with blue text, this is where the variation occurs one has the tracks in English and the other in Greek. For this prices start at around £100.
How’s that for starters then? I have spared going into exact details. Simply because it spoils the excitement when you eventually pick up the item. So that’s about the rarest and hardest to find but if I have wetted your appetite for more try these beauties:

11. Piece of Mind – US pic disc with stickered sleeve £50 -£75
12. The Evil That Men Do – Japanese 7’’ vinyl promo £150 - £175
13. Wrathchild – Japanese 7’’ vinyl promo £175
14. Prowler – Japanese 7’’ vinyl promo £200
15. Prowler – Japanese 7’’ £100
16. Wrathchild – Japanese 7’’ £150
17. Maiden Japan – Venezuela 12’’ with different pic sleeve to UK issue £400 - £600 Released as a 4 track EP ref. 25149, the rear cover is basically as the standard UK issue except the text varies slightly, what makes this a collectable is the front cover completely different from the UK! It is a superb Derek Riggs piece of artwork: Eddie holding the decapitated head of Paul D’ianno!, Rather apt as this was his last Maiden release!
18. Brave New World – Tommy Vance voice over 5 track CD in custom sleeve. For some reason extremely rare and much sought after. Copies currently go for around the £50 - £100 mark . Showing that there is no let up for new issues.
19. Live After Death – Peruvian Clear vinyl £200+
20. The Angel & The Gambler – US promo CD What makes this rare is that Angel was never released in the US. Very few copies out there. So expect to pay over £50 for this one. And as US promos go this is a cracker.
21. The Soundhouse Tapes - re issue USA only CD. Ultra rare in a strict limited run. Minimum £100.
22. The Story So Far Box sets - 2 x 5CD career retrospective box sets in custom box. Minimum £250.
23. Wasting Love Canadian Promo CD - 2 track Canada only issue with picture sleeve different to USA Promo CD

Prices last updated 28.03.07 All prices in GBP (Great British Pounds)

Of course that’s just a small list. There are many more singles, CDs, vinyls, test pressings, promo issues, press kits, videos, laser discs, t-shirts, bootlegs etc, etc but if you have all the above or just some then you can be well chuffed.

UP THE IRONS!
Chris

Trooper Sounds