Swan's She Loves You has typically been regarded as the first U.S. sleeve issued, although some collectors now believe Capitol's rush release of I Want To Hold Your Hand in December 1963 preceded the Swan sleeve. Since that time, there have been more than 50 Beatles sleeves issued by a variety of different record companies, mostly Capitol. Valued from a few dollars to thousands, upper grade copies of most titles always sell instantly and continue to rise in price. More details on the sleeves are provided at the end of the pricing charts. Below is a complete list of all picture sleeves issued in the U.S. from 1963 to present, along with their current value, photo, and other information. Values listed are in U.S. dollars, for strict near mint copies, and DO NOT include the associated disc. Copies in lower grades are worth significantly less. Most of the
1960s Capitol sleeves were pressed at two different plants - The West coast plant manufactured sleeves with a dropped-center thumb tab at the opening, while the East coast plant issues had a straight-cut top. These are known as either "West coast" or "East coast" sleeves. Next to the price we have listed a "W" for West coast values, an "E" for East coast values, and W/E to designate that both variations exist and that the values are the same.
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| Company | Number | A Side | B side | Released | NM Value | ||||
| Atco | 6308 | Ain't She Sweet (Some copies were cut out with a drill hole through the sleeve, which reduces the value by 50%. All copies with a curved cut at the top of the sleeve are fakes. Known counterfeit loses smooth continuity of print and graphics - as found on the original.) | Nobody's Child | 07-06-64 | $550.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5964 | All You Need Is Love | Baby You're A Rich Man | 07-20-67 | W/E - $75.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5235 | And I Love Her | If I Fell | 07-20-64 | W/E - $150.00 | ||||
| United Artists | UA-745 | And I Love Her (Artist is George Martin with instrumental versions from soundtrack LP, A Hard Day's Night. Picture sleeve features photos of The Beatles.) | This Boy | 05-17-65 | W/E - $250.00 | ||||
| Vee Jay | DJ No. 8 | Ask Me Why (This promotional title sleeve is the rarest Beatles picture sleeve. It was issued in 1964 to promote the VJ EP, Souvenir of Their Visit To America) | ---- | 1964 | $15,000.00 | ||||
| Apple | 2531 | Ballad of John & Yoko | Old Brown Shoe | 06-05-69 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5150 | Can't Buy Me Love (Produced in limited quantities, one of the rarest and most popular Beatles picture sleeves. For more information, visit our Can't Buy Me Love page. | You Can't Do That | 03-16-64 | $650.00 | ||||
| Vee Jay | 587 | Do You Want To Know A Secret | Thank You Girl | 03-23-64 | $160.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5371 | Eight Days A Week (East coast copies are far scarcer than the West coast issues, which turned up in large quantities in the late 1970's. That quantity is now somewhat depleted, causing a slow increase in the value.) | I Don't Want To Spoil The Party | 12-15-65 |
W - $50.00 E - $115.00 |
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| Capitol | NR-58497 | Free As A Bird | Christmas Time Is Here Again | 1996 | $5.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 4506 | Girl (Manufactured for the unreleased 45, never commercially released. For more information, see our page on the Girl picture sleeve in our Beatles Rarities section.) | You're Going To Lose That Girl | 10-77 | $20.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 4274 | Got To Get You Into My Life | Helter Skelter | 05-31-76 | $5.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5222 | Hard Day's Night | I Should Have Known Better | 07-13-64 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| United Artists | UA-750 | Hard Day's Night (Artist is George Martin with instrumental versions of Beatles songs from the movie. Picture sleeve was issued with photos of The Beatles. One of the rarest "Beatles" picture sleeves due to a small press run.) | I Should Have Known Better | 1964 | $1000.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 2056 | Hello Goodbye | I Am The Walrus | 10-27-67 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5476 | Help! | I'M Down | 07-20-67 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5327 | I Feel Fine | She's A Woman | 11-23-64 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5112 | I Want To Hold Your Hand (The West coast copies for this original issue are much scarcer than the East coast copies) | I Saw Her Standing There | 01-13-64 | W/E - $135.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5112 | I Want To Hold Your Hand (custom picture sleeve issued for promotion only, distributed in New York by radio station WMCA. Front of sleeve is same as standard release above, back of sleeve has photo of 6 WMCA Dee Jay's. Issued with the commercial copies of the single in 1964. Our scan shows 2 copies that were sold several years ago in the Pacific Northwest. A clearer scan of this sleeve will be added soon) | WMCA Good Guys | 1964 | $3,500.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5112 | I Want To Hold Your Hand (Capitol's 20th anniversary re-release of the original single. Same photo as original 1964 sleeve. Distinguishable by the small date "1984" printed on the lower left hand corner of sleeve and by the absence of the cigarette in Paul's hand, as found on the original.) | I Saw Her Standing There | 2-10-1984 | W/E - $8.00 | ||||
| Capitol |
5112 (NR-58123) |
I Want To Hold Your Hand (Capitol's 30th anniversary re-release of the original single. Nice replica of the original thumb tab version. To tell the difference note the oval Capitol logo on the sleeve. The original does not have periods placed at the end of the small print "REG. U.S. PAT. OFF." The reissue has the periods added. Issued in a clear mylar sleeve with a small round 30th Anniversary sticker adhered to one side with a UPC sticker on the other side. Deduct 30% if bag is missing). | I Saw Her Standing There | 02-94 |
$6.00 $10.00 w/ mylar bag |
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| Capitol | 5234 | I'll Cry Instead | I'm Happy Just To Dance With You | 07-20-64 | W/E - $200.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 2138 | Lady Madonna (original copies included a fan club flyer ($25.00). Another sleeve that is almost impossible to find without ring wear. Near-perfect copies without this wear are valued at near $175.00.) | The Inner Light | 03-18-68 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | B-5439 | Leave My Kitten Alone (Produced in limited quantities, this was to be the first single from the aborted Sessions album which was shelved due to legalities. This sleeve was the only finished product from the project. For more information, see our detailed page on the Kitten sleeve. | Ob-La-Di, Ob-La Da | 01-18-85 | $75.00 | ||||
| Apple | 2764 | Let It Be | You Know My Name | 03-11-70 |
W - $110.00 E - $125.00 |
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| Apple | 2832 | Long And Winding Road (To date just two West coast copies have been verified to exist, one coming from a former Capitol records employee, which was sold in 1996 for $375.00. One of the hardest sleeves to find without ring wear, near-perfect East coast copies without this wear would be valued at $150-200.) | For You Blue | 05-11-70 |
W - $300.00 E - $150.00 |
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| Tollie | 9008 | Love Me Do | P.S. I Love You | 04-27-64 | $250.00 | ||||
| Capitol | B-5189 | Love Me Do (Capitol's 20th anniversary issue) | P.S. I Love You | 11-19-82 | $5.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 7-PRO-79551/2 | Love Me Do (Capitol's 30th anniversary issue, promo only limited edition available only with mail-in offer from Capitol Records in Nov. 92. Reportedly 5000 made. Some copies issued with a gray 3" x 5" card {$20.00} from Capitol thanking them for responding. Original 9" x 12" mailer {$8.00} has Capitol mailing label.) | P.S. I Love You | 11-02-92 | $20.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5255 | Matchbox | Slow Down | 08-24-64 | W/E - $135.00 | ||||
| Capitol | B-5100 | Movie Medley | Fab Four On Film | 02/82 | $20.00 | ||||
| IBC | (no #) | Murray The K & The Beatles (Due to the manner in which this was distributed, most of these sleeves have staple holes. These holes, if clean with no resultant tears, do not detract from the value. Copies without holes would be valued at least 60% higher.) | Interview | 1964 | $150.00 | ||||
| IBC | (no #) | Murray The K & The Beatles (Reissue) | Interview | 1979 | $10.00 | ||||
| MGM | K-13213 | My Bonnie | The Saints | 01-27-64 | $200.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5587 | Nowhere Man | What Goes On | 02-21-66 | W/E - $90.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 4347 | Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da | Julia | 11-18-76 | $8.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5651 | Paperback Writer | Rain | 05-27-66 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5810 | Penny Lane (Known counterfeits have inferior quality photo and print, straight cut top, and perforated outer edges.) | Strawberry Fields Forever | 02-13-67 | W/E - $150.00 | ||||
| Vee Jay | 581 | Please Please Me (Issued with several different variations of the single but most often with the first issue - black with colorband and oval logo. Known counterfeit has a curved cut at the top while original is straight cut. Photo print on fake is faded and blurry. For more information, see our VJ-581 page. | From Me To You | 01-30-64 | $600.00 | ||||
| Vee Jay | 581 | Please Please Me (promotional title sleeve, "The Record That Started Beatlemania", issued with promotional copies of this single) | From Me To You | 1-64 | $3,000.00 | ||||
| Capitol | NR-58544 | Real Love | Baby's In Black | 1996 | $5.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 4612 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | With A Little Help From My Friends | 08-14-78 | $25.00 | ||||
| Swan | 4152 | She Loves You (Although the single was originally released in September 1963, picture sleeves did not appear until the black label reissue in late 1963/early 1964) | I'll Get You | 09-16-63 | $175.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5407 | Ticket To Ride | Yes It Is | 04-19-65 | W/E - $150.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5555 | We Can Work It Out | Day Tripper | 12-06-65 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Vee Jay | (no #) | "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" (This sleeve was issued with many Vee Jay and Tollie Beatles singles during the Christmas seasons of 1964-1965) | ---- | 1964 | $125.00 | ||||
| MGM | K-13227 | Why (This is the second of two Beatles picture sleeves issued by MGM. Known counterfeit is only 7" wide - which does not allow a disc to fit in!!) | Cry For A Shadow | 03-27-64 | $450.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5715 | Yellow Submarine (Due to its dark cover, this is one of the hardest sleeves to find without disc ring-wear. Close to perfect copies without this wear would be valued at up to 3 times the NM price listed here. Known counterfeits have only the die-cut top, photo and print quality is inferior.) | Eleanor Rigby | 09-08-66 | W/E - $150.00 | ||||
| Capitol | 5498 | Yesterday (Known counterfeits have inferior quality photos and print, and are straight cut) | Act Naturally | 09-13-65 | W/E - $125.00 | ||||
| Capitol | RB-2637 | You Can't Do That (Title sleeve/mailer, 7-1/4" square manila envelope with red print. Known counterfeit has a smaller opening flap of 1-5/8" whereas original is 2-1/16". The fake also has heavier darker red print, only discernible when compared to a verified original) | KFWBeatles Interview | 06-64 | $1,000.00 | ||||
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Usually one side of the country or the other would provide the original artwork for the picture sleeves. The other side would then receive a 2nd generation print or negative of the artwork with which to construct their sleeves. This resulted in sometimes drastic photo quality/resolution differences among sleeves of the same release. Here a a few of the extreme examples:
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| Company | Number | Title / Songs | Released | NM Value | |
| Polydor | PRO-1113-7 | Ain't She Sweet / Cry For A Shadow / My Bonnie / The Saints (promotional copy only, given away free by Polydor and Gramercy Pictures to promote the movie BackBeat) | 1994 | $25.00 | |
| Capitol / App. | NR-58348 | Baby It's You / I'll Follow The Sun / Devil In Her Heart / Boys (From Live At The BBC, this 4-track EP features 3 songs not released on the album) | 4/95 | $4.00 | |
| Capitol | SXA-2080 | Beatles Second Album Compact 33 (Issued for use in jukeboxes, contains 6 tracks from the LP, hardcover jacket with blank back) | 1964 | $600.00 | |
| Capitol | SPRO-2905 | Capitol Souvenir Record (Promotional issue only, compilation EP, includes I Want To Hold Your Hand. This EP was issued to celebrate the grand opening of Capitol Records Jacksonville pressing plant.) | 1965 | $500.00 | |
| Capitol | EAP-2121 | Four By The Beatles (The first of only two commercially released Beatles EP's issued by Capitol) | 05-11-64 | $275.00 | |
| Capitol | R-5365 | 4 By The Beatles (The second of only two commercially released Beatles EP's issued by Capitol) | 02-11-65 | $175.00 | |
| Capitol | SXA-2047 | Meet The Beatles Capitol Compact 33 (Issued for use in jukeboxes, contains 6 tracks from the LP, hardcover jacket with blank back) | 1964 | $750.00 | |
| Capitol | PRO-2548/9 | Open-End Interview with The Beatles (Promotional issue only, issued to promote the Meet The Beatles album. Contains an open-end interview with the group and 3 LP tracks.) | 2/64 | $1200.00 | |
| Capitol | PRO-2598/9 | Second Album Open-End Interview (Promotional issue only, issued to promote The Beatles Second Album. Contains an open-end interview with the group and 3 LP tracks.) | 4/64 | $1000.00 | |
| Capitol | SXA-2108 | Something New Compact 33 (Issued for use in jukeboxes, contains 6 tracks from the LP, hardcover jacket with blank back) | 1964 | $850.00 | |
| Vee Jay | EP 1-903 | Souvenir of Their Visit To America (The only Beatle EP issued by Vee Jay) | 03-23-64 | $75.00 | |
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