The Rare '70s Album Pressing That Became A Collector's Treasure

While it's an album that sold 3 million copies, one particular pressing of the the Doors' 1971 LP, "L.A Woman," makes it a rare '70s album turned collector's jackpot, characterized by a unique sleeve, liner, and packaging combo. There are hordes of the album floating around, but only the one with a cutout on the cover can command a fortune or cost die-hard Doors fans a fortune.

"L.A. Woman" was the sixth studio album overall by the Doors and the final one completed before the tragic death of Jim Morrison at age 27 in July 1971. It features the legendary frontman singing and crooning through Doors classics like the title track and the hits "Love Her Madly" and "Riders on the Storm." He also factors into the image used on the cover, which, if pressed at a facility in the American Midwest in the first run of the album, might be worth hundreds of dollars.

Of all the editions of the Doors' "L.A. Woman" initially pressed and distributed around the world in 1971, it's the copies from a smaller run made at a record plant in Terre Haute, Indiana, that are sought-after gems for collectors and potentially lucrative pieces of merchandise for vinyl sellers. Labeled with the production number EKS-75011 for the U.S. market by Elektra Records, authentic copies of "L.A. Woman" come ensconced in a cardboard record sleeve with a burgundy background, "Doors" in white, the album title in black, and a cutout window. Inside of that sits an image of the four Doors, rendered in a striking half-tone and in front of a golden-yellow treatment. That backing is on the liner that holds the record inside the sleeve, making it all mildly interactive. An unopened version may still be wrapped in plastic and bear a sticker promising the inclusion of the Doors hit "Love Her Madly."

Tricky and expensive to manufacture in such a manner, what copies that have survived largely intact for more than 50 years can bring in a significant price. Per Discogs, a mint or near mint version may be worth anywhere from about $500 to $750, while one in very good condition can fetch from about $300 to $80. It may not be one of the most valuable classic rock vinyls from the '70s, but it's not nothing.