Colson Baker—the guy you know as Machine Gun Kelly—is a walking paradox. One day he’s the skinny kid from Cleveland rapping at light speed, and the next, he’s standing on top of a pink police car holding a guitar. This shift didn't just change his career; it completely broke the market for machine gun kelly vinyl. If you go looking for a copy of Tickets to My Downfall at your local record shop today, you’ll probably find an empty slot where it used to be. Or maybe a $100 price tag on a "limited edition" marble press that originally cost thirty bucks.
It's wild.
The demand for physical MGK media is actually a pretty fascinating case study in how "stanning" a celebrity translates into physical assets. For a while, vinyl was a dead medium. Then it became a hipster thing. Now? It’s basically the new merch table. For MGK fans, owning a record isn't about the analog warmth of the audio. Not really. It’s about owning a piece of the era. Whether it’s the neon-pink pop-punk phase or the grittier Hotel Diablo days, these records have become genuine collectibles that hold their value better than most stocks.
The Pink Explosion: Why Tickets to My Downfall Changed Everything
Before 2020, MGK was a respectably successful rapper with a dedicated core fanbase. But when he teamed up with Travis Barker for Tickets to My Downfall, everything shifted. The aesthetic was loud. It was pink. It was very, very marketable. This album is arguably the most sought-after machine gun kelly vinyl for a reason. It wasn't just an album; it was a cultural pivot point.
Retailers like Target and Walmart caught on fast. They started pumping out exclusive colorways. You had the standard black, sure, but then came the "Pink Smoke" editions, the "Translucent Pink," and the Target-exclusive marbled versions. If you’re a completionist, this is a nightmare. If you’re a casual fan, it’s just cool to have a record that matches the cover art. Honestly, the resale market on Discogs for some of these specific pressings is getting out of hand. Some of the early 2020 pressings that people bought for $25 are now sitting in the $80 to $120 range. That's a better return than you'd get on almost any other modern rock record from that same year.
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The sound quality on these pressings is surprisingly decent, too. Often, modern "pop" vinyl is mastered poorly, sounding flat or compressed. But because Barker produced this, the drums actually have some kick to them on the needle. It sounds raw.
Chasing the Rarities: From Hotel Diablo to Mainstream Sellout
If you think the pop-punk stuff is hard to find, try tracking down a mint copy of Hotel Diablo. This 2019 release is often cited by "day one" fans as his best work. It’s dark, introspective, and captures a very specific moment in his life before the Megan Fox headlines and the genre-swapping. Because it was released right before the massive vinyl boom of the 2020s, the initial pressing numbers weren't astronomical.
Finding a copy of Hotel Diablo on vinyl today feels like a treasure hunt.
Then you have Mainstream Sellout. By the time this dropped in 2022, the "vinyl resurgence" was in full swing. The production was scaled up. There were even more variants—silver, clear with black smoke, "standard" pink. It’s easier to find, but collectors still obsess over the "limited" stickers. It’s a bit of a game. You’ve got people buying three copies of the same album just because one has a slightly different shade of vinyl inside. Is it overkill? Maybe. But that’s the nature of the beast when you’re dealing with a fanbase as loyal as the "EST" crew.
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What to Look for Before You Buy
Buying machine gun kelly vinyl online is a bit of a minefield if you aren't careful. You’ve got bootlegs, warped records, and "scalper" prices that make no sense.
First, check the weight. Most modern MGK pressings are 140g or 180g. If it feels flimsy like a thin piece of plastic, you might be looking at an unofficial European "import" (which is just a fancy word for a bootleg). These often pop up for his older rap mixtapes like Lace Up or Black Flag. Official vinyl for the early rap era is extremely scarce. Most of what you see on eBay for those early titles isn't authorized by Bad Boy or Interscope.
- Condition Matters: Look for "Media: Mint / Sleeve: Near Mint" on sites like Discogs.
- The "Hype" Sticker: Serious collectors want the original sticker on the plastic wrap.
- Gatefold vs. Single: Some editions of Mainstream Sellout come in a gatefold (opens like a book), while others are single sleeves. The gatefolds usually hold more value.
Don't just jump at the first price you see. Use the "Price History" feature on Discogs to see what people actually paid last month. Just because someone listed a pink Tickets to My Downfall for $200 doesn't mean it's worth that. Usually, the "sold" prices are much more reasonable.
The Future of MGK Collecting
The rumor mill is always spinning about a possible Lace Up 10th or 15th-anniversary official reissue. If that ever happens, expect the internet to break. There is a massive hole in the machine gun kelly vinyl market for his hip-hop roots. Right now, the focus is heavily on his rock era because that’s what sold the most units physically. But as nostalgia for the 2010s rap scene grows, those early records are going to become the "holy grails" of the collection.
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It's also worth noting that Baker is moving back toward a more rap-centric sound lately. This "full circle" moment usually triggers a spike in interest for the older catalog. If you see an older record at a reasonable price, grab it. It won't stay reasonable for long.
The most important thing to remember is that vinyl is a physical asset. Unlike a Spotify stream, you own it. If the power goes out, you’ve still got the music—provided you have a hand-cranked player or a battery backup. But more than that, you have the art. The 12x12 canvas of an MGK album cover looks a lot better on a wall or a shelf than a tiny thumbnail on a phone screen.
Actionable Steps for Collectors:
- Verify the Pressing: Before buying, check the matrix runout numbers (the etchings in the center of the record) against the entries on Discogs to ensure you aren't paying "limited edition" prices for a standard repress.
- Storage is Key: Because many MGK records use colored PVC, they can be more prone to "off-gassing" if stored in cheap PVC sleeves. Invest in high-quality acid-free inner sleeves like MoFi or Rice Paper.
- Local First: Check independent record stores before big-box retailers. You’ll often find used copies in "New Arrivals" bins for half the price of a new one at a corporate chain.
- Avoid Crosleys: If you’re actually going to play these records, avoid the "suitcase" players. They have heavy tracking force that can wear down the grooves of your expensive pink vinyl over time. Get a deck with an adjustable counterweight.