Vinyl Nostalgia 
As with Revolver, the most expensive pressing of Rubber Soul is one with an error, but generally copies of this album run noticeably higher than later Beatles releases. Two reasons sit behind that: the very short production runs of the earliest variants (one of them was withdrawn after two days!) and the exceptionally high pressing quality of the December 1965 batches.
Second Stereo Pressing
Rubber Soul was released on 3 December 1965, but it’s the rare copies of the second stereo pressing (matrix numbers: YEX 178-3 and YEX 179-3), most likely produced in 1968, that the Rare Record Price Guide rates highest, at £225 (approx. 297 USD) NM, £180 (approx. 238 USD) EX, £112.50 (approx. 149 USD) VG+ and £67.50 (approx. 89 USD) VG. So what makes this edition so special, and so valuable? It comes down to the side 1 label, which carries a typographic error in the title of „Norwegian Wood” (printed as „Norweigian Wood”). The mistake was spotted relatively quickly, the printing plates were corrected, but some batch of records with the faulty labels had already made it into the shops. The second pressing of Rubber Soul ran from December 1965 to early 1969, went through several label revisions, and only a small fraction of copies got to wear this now precious label. We identify them, of course, by the matrix numbers and by the „Sold in U.K. subject…” text in the rim, which no longer appears on the third and later pressings. Keep in mind, though, that it’s only the error that drives the price of this second pressing up, because without the typo (same matrices: YEX 178-3 / YEX 179-3, just the correct spelling) it goes for a mere £60 (approx. 79 USD) NM.
First Mono Pressing
According to the Rare Record Price Guide, the first mono pressing, the so-called Loud Cut, is valued at £250 (approx. 330 USD) in NM, £200 (approx. 264 USD) in EX, and £125 (approx. 165 USD) in VG+. This edition is identified by the matrix codes XEX 579-1 (side 1) and XEX 580-1 (side 2). TheBeatles-Collection notes that this edition uses an earlier, different mix of the whole album than the one we know, marked by a more forward, even aggressive vocal level and heavily dulled bass. Given the critical reaction, production was halted, a new mix was prepared, and in 1966 a new pressing was made and put on sale. The issue affected only the mono version, which is why it’s rated so highly. I recently managed to pick up a Loud Cut copy of Rubber Soul in Poland (label photo of my acquisition on the right) at a very good price. It’s not a unicorn, but it carries undeniable collector value.
First Stereo Pressing
The first stereo pressing of this album (catalogue number: Parlophone PCS 3075) is only slightly cheaper than the Loud Cut edition. According to the Rare Record Price Guide, NM is worth £225 (approx. 297 USD), EX £180 (approx. 238 USD), VG+ £112.50 (approx. 149 USD), and VG £67.50 (approx. 89 USD). Despite the two different labels used across this pressing, the defining features are the matrix numbers YEX 178-2 (side 1) and YEX 179-2 (side 2), together with the Times New Roman typeface used on the labels. From the second pressing onwards, stereo labels switch to a sans-serif typeface from the Monotype Grotesque family or Helvetica.
Finding a first-pressing stereo copy in Poland is tough, but one does turn up on Allegro now and again. It’s worth paying close attention to the condition of the disc in those cases.
Export Version, Sleeve with Small STEREO in the Corner
There is yet another rare version of Rubber Soul, a small export stereo run (with the same catalogue number), whose distinguishing feature is a barely visible black STEREO word printed in the upper right corner of the front sleeve. In reality there are two variants with the STEREO word, in black or in silver (silver is a touch more common, though both are very rare). Even finding a photograph of the record is difficult. I borrowed the illustration on the right from the Yoko Ono Beatles Collection site. The Rare Record Price Guide values this version at £150 (approx. 198 USD) NM, £120 (approx. 159 USD) EX, and £75 (approx. 99 USD) VG+, but the current auction market runs considerably higher. In July 2024, a „silver” version copy sold on valueyourmusic.com for $1303 (around £1000 (approx. 1,322 USD)). Ultimately, the value here comes down to the sleeve itself. Matrix numbers per Yoko Ono: YEX 178-3 (side 1) and YEX 179-3 (side 2), meaning this is a late second pressing (the lacquers were swapped out right at the end) or an early third.
Second Mono Pressing and the Rest of the Editions
The second mono pressing (XEX 579-4 / XEX 580-4, from 1966 to 1969) is valued at £90 (approx. 119 USD) NM and £72 (approx. 95 USD) EX. TheBeatles-Collection distinguishes within this edition a Variation B-1, often misdescribed in collector circles as a CBS pressing, but in fact it’s an EMI pressing on older machines, with the MT tax code (which expired in 1963 but occasionally appears as a typographic error on the labels of Rubber Soul, A Hard Day’s Night and Revolver).
All other editions of Rubber Soul are already much cheaper, valued in Mint at £60 (approx. 79 USD) and below. This applies to the third and fourth stereo pressings, later mono pressings from 1969, and the 1970s reissues.
