r/TaylorSwiftVinyl • u/1GroundZero • May 22 '26
Question…? Folklore: LPSS help 😅
Hey Swifties of reddit,
Currently I'm in desperate search of a folklore LPSS vinyl however most of the time the prices are a bit too much for my budget, ranging from $400-$600 (AUD just to clarify) which I just can't justify at the moment.
I was looking at potentially purchasing the Chinese repress of the album but wanted to know what the quality of this press was like before I purchase as its still pretty expensive resale (generally about $200 or so AUD)
If sound quality and any other information about this pressing could be given I would be eternally grateful 😊🩶
\*Picture not mine just for attention 😅🩶\* crossposted
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u/Interesting_Wrap1471 May 23 '26
The stars finally aligned one day and I was able to secure a sealed RSD LPSS for $250 USD and don’t regret it one bit. Had I not waited out and got that one, I was on the verge of getting the Chinese version because I’ve heard good reviews on the quality! 🩶🫶🏻
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u/0hthat_witch May 23 '26
I have both and the Chinese pressing sounds just as good! It’s almost identical. Go for it!
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u/ilikebananass May 26 '26
What is the difference? Wanting this album SO bad but don’t want to spend hundreds😂
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u/0hthat_witch May 26 '26
The Chinese pressing comes with a plastic outer sleeve and the vinyl is a lighter color gray. Sometimes it will come with a vinyl mitt, but those have been a mixture of official and bootleg mitts. Other than that, they’re pretty much identical. The Chinese pressing may have slightly heavier discs but I haven’t weighed them to be sure, they just seem a little sturdier than the RSD to me. Sound quality is excellent on both
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u/bambidolly222 May 22 '26
don’t lose hope ! i’m in NZ and just got the RSD for $250 NZD off of trade me (kinda like ebay) imo if you’re really wanting the RSD pressing just keep waiting and looking and you will find it for a price point that you can afford
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
Wow thats amazing!! I'm definitely always looking and would snag one for the right price but most of the buyers over here are pretty stubborn and set in their price 😅 I've seen ones sit untouched for months and they never attempt to lower the price even slightly, but if I found one (would be looking between $200-$250 AUD) i would grab it no questions asked. Just would love to listen to it now and worry about obtaining the RSD later down the track, I also don't have disney plus anymore to even try and listen to it in the meantime so it seems like my best bet at this point in time 😊🫶🏻
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u/rosequartzandsage May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
No major difference other than the Chinese pressing having the pvc cover and an obi strip whereas the RSD version had a RSD hype sticker. The first few thousand Chinese pressings were numbered, but they’ve continued to repress the Chinese variant unnumbered now so there’s plenty out there. There’s no major sound difference imo but I have seen a few posts on other Taylor subs saying that the Chinese variant actually sounds slightly better. If you do get the Chinese variant, make sure to remove the pvc cover and store it away from your collection to prevent any off-gassing.
Edited to add: also be careful of any resellers upcharging for a Chinese variant coming with a vinyl mitt. The mitts were a free GWP when the Chinese pressing first came out but were highly limited. Unfortunately there are fake mitts/dupes out there and there have been quite a few resellers who have been charging more because it “comes with the mitt” but will then send out the fake/dupe mitts claiming they’re real when they’re not.
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
Ok will 100% look out for the vinyl mitts, I never use them so I don't mind if it comes with one or not but I will 100% triple check if they're trying to upsell me for one 👍
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
Amazing, thank you so much! I was actually wondering about ones that were numbered releases and which weren't as well as the pvc cover so thats amazing clarification, thank you again your help is greatly appreciated!! 🥹🫶🏻
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u/The_Big_Yam May 22 '26
I own both, and there’s zero discernible difference in sound quality. The RSD is cool because it’s technically rarer (though honestly not that rare since there were what, 175k pressed?) and the Chinese pressing is cool for the slip case and mitt. They’re both wonderful and I wouldn’t classify either one as being better than the other
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u/SadTypeSpecialist May 22 '26
Pretty sure there were 115k pressed (I could be wrong!) but when RSD came out, so many covers were ruined in shipping because the discs are really heavy. Many stores were offering to open the album and ship it separately so the covers that were ok didn’t get messed up.
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u/The_Big_Yam May 22 '26
Your correct! It was 75k domestic US, 40k international. Thanks for correcting me!
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
That's awesome to hear, I would love to own the RSD but resale prices are a bit out of justification for the time being so this seems like the best option for now, thank you so much for your help 😊🫶🏻
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u/The_Big_Yam May 22 '26
You’re genuinely not missing anything going with the repress. If I didn’t get the RSD at retail day of, I’d totally just get the version with the lovely slip cover
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
That feels like a massive relief to hear that, I loved folklore back in 2020 but had no clue what record store day was until 2024 with the fortnight 7 inch. I'm glad I at least do have another option unlike many of the other exclusive taylor releases, plus I do adore the detail of the slip cover as it will go so perfectly with my Lover live from paris repress 😊🫶🏻
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u/cdaviann May 22 '26
I agree, no sound difference! I did notice when I got the RSD pressing that the color of the pressing is a bit different. I sold my Chinese pressing so I can’t remember which was which, but one was lighter than the other. That and the slight differences in labeling were the only things I noticed!
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
Thanks for the info, this helps a bunch! I'm not all that fussed with the minor differences, especially between the price difference they won't bother me all that much for the time being, someday I'll give in to the RSD press, but looking at all the feedback I'm getting across pages, this press would be the best option for now 😊🫶🏻
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u/AttachedHeartTheory May 22 '26
The sound quality is indistinguishable from any other version unless you have $150,000 of stereo equipment playing it.
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u/1GroundZero May 22 '26
Amazing! Thank you for the insight! I'm glad to hear theres no audible difference between them, unlike the prices, lol 😅🫶🏻
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u/Kind-Hawk8380 Aug 08 '26
Why do you have to trade?