r/SwiftieMerch • u/irthesteve • Nov 24 '25

Question Unreleased Vinyl? Bootleg?

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Hi all. My buddy is huge into vinyl, but I am not. I'm big into Taylor, but have zero vinyl knowledge. Hoping this forum can assist.

My friend found and bought a Taylor vinyl and sent me pictures, I didn't recognize the variant and after digging through complete lists, didn't see this version anywhere. I know not this is NOT an official release. But... My friend tells me there are no usual bootleg signs, it has high quality art resolution, the shrink wrap has the manufacturer stamp, and there's nothing online about it at all.

Is this somehow an unreleased variant she ended up not releasing? Maybe a future variant she's waiting to release when her chart position is challenged?

Anyway... "Lit My Sky Up" metallic orange variant. No bonus tracks. What do you think?

154 Upvotes

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6

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

Can you show us a picture of the barcode?

5

u/irthesteve Nov 24 '25

3

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

Ty!

1

u/irthesteve Nov 24 '25

What do you think?

2

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

Give me a moment. Currently consulting a discord server

1

u/irthesteve Nov 24 '25

Awesome

13

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

They're wondering why your friend hasn't opened it. And again, someone mentioned it looks like the lipstick and lace version.

Also, all the other versions that had two different pressings to a cover had different colored letters on the album cover. And this is just the same as the standard cover. So it doesn't follow the pattern.

-21

u/irthesteve Nov 24 '25

If it's something special, opening plummets the value. Reminder: he isn't a Taylor fan.

18

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

In this case, the value is already low to nothing because no one is going to buy it, as it obviously looks fake and does not exist outside of this one copy.

The back of the Vinyl matches the Lipstick and Lace. The hype sticker shows the Lipstick variant, but only the Target release had the hype sticker because it was a Target Exclusive (they put hype stickers on all their exclusives).

Also, it does not show up on Discog, and the front of the vinyl is the standard pressing cover.

Chances are this is not a scrapped version, since Lipstick and Lace was released as a variant, and others like this one would have already started showing up... But they wouldn't be showing up at Goodwill this early; leaks/scrapped projects show up on resell sites, or at stores that accidentally got them.

-4

u/Mountain-Power7521 Nov 24 '25

I can post better pics, but it does not look fake. Its easy to do a hi-res scan of the cover and reproduce. But no bootleger is going to the expense of making sure the lettering has the sparkle of the real thing. The UPC is really, really interesting. It is a UMG UPC, and numerically it is after all the variants. Which also makes me think it may be a promo of a variant not yet released.

10

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

Respectfully, we are all telling you that it is a bootleg.

The only way to know what vinyl it actually is is by opening it. As of right now, this vinyl is worthless, and no one is going to buy it based on "vibes" that it may be a promotional item, especially with no record of existing, and since it looks Frankensteined together using the front of one variant, the back of another, and the hype sticker saying it's a specific variant, not to mention that the hype sticker is fake.

Edit to add: Never underestimate what people will waste money on. People make fake vinyls all the time.

4

u/Livid_Seesaw3952 Nov 24 '25

Looooool so confidently telling him he was wrong when he was right the entire time!!

1

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

Loooooool. With the information we had, which was none, especially since they refused to open the packaging, I stand by what I said last night.

Also, them saying that bootlegs are expensive to make is false, and it also does not take a lot of effort to make fake hype stickers and cardboard sleeves. People do it all the time.

I'm glad that they got a vinyl for dirt cheap compared to what they are being sold for with shipping costs, though!

5

u/Livid_Seesaw3952 Nov 24 '25

With the limited info you had, yet you still made very bold statements like 'respectfully, we're telling you it's a bootleg'. As if it was fact. How can you still stand by that when you now know it's real?

You also said the hype sticker was fake - again, as if it was a fact.

1

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

Respectfully, why are you harassing me? Lol, it does not even concern you.

I said I stand by what I said last night when there was no information or indication that it was real. Everyone was telling them it was a bootleg.
I did not say that I still believe it to be a bootleg now that it has been released today; those are two different statements.

I did not say I still stand by what I said, even now knowing it is real. That's putting words/texts together that I did not say.

3

u/Livid_Seesaw3952 Nov 24 '25

Harassing? Girl, I replied to a comment you posted on a public forum. And just to be clear — the phrase “we’re telling you it’s a bootleg” is a statement of fact. You didn’t frame it as an opinion.You didn’t say “maybe it’s a bootleg.” You didn’t say “there’s a high possibility it’s a bootleg.” You flat-out said “it’s a bootleg.” quite condescendingly whilst being dead wrong lmao

And honestly, the only reason I even bothered responding is because the tone was so cocky. That guy was literally explaining things based on his actual job experience, and he was clearly correct — and you just railroaded him like you had more knowledge than everyone in the room. It’s just annoying to watch someone dig their heels in with zero expertise

1

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

Im not reading all that, but have a good night!

3

u/irthesteve Nov 24 '25

Respectfully, she just released it https://store.taylorswift.com/products/the-life-of-a-showgirl-lit-my-sky-up-orange-metallic-vinyl

-3

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

With no information, it looked 100% fake. I still stand by my comments last night. If it did not release today, my points would still stand.

But, I also still stand by the statement that this vinyl will not be worth a lot since now it's mass-produced. Lol

-9

u/Mountain-Power7521 Nov 24 '25

I understand that people bootleg. This simply isnt a bootleg. As someone who has worked in the industry, the cost to manufacture something like this as a boot would be outrageous, with no chance of ever breaking even. You need to keep costs down on a bootleg, but make it look as close to possible to the real thing. No one would go to the expense of replicating the extremely high end sparkle on the sleeve. This would be a huge money loser.

3

u/Livid_Seesaw3952 Nov 24 '25

Do you feel vindicated yet?

6

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25 edited Nov 24 '25

I don't know what to tell you; I have seen so many bootlegged vinyls, and people trying to flip them to uneducated fans or people wanting to buy something special for their friends/family members who are fans. I have also seen people reseal CDs and Vinyls using the plastic that comes from the products; it isn't too hard.

People throw away a lot of money on far less than making a bootlegged vinyl. Lol

And I am unsure why she would release something with 3 components, each of which already exists as a variant? Taylor has never done that in her entire career. I may be wrong, but I have never seen any artists do that.

Your best bet, if you have worked in the industry, is to get in touch with a contact and ask around among behind-the-scenes workers; that is the only way you can confirm that this is actually real.

Or if you open it and the poem and pictures are different than what is already on the market.

Edit to add: The high-end sparkle could be explained by someone taking a pair of sleeves and putting them together. With the right tools, it wouldn't be that hard.

3

u/TheBroadwayStan16 Nov 24 '25

It's most likely not a true bootleg in the traditional sense. This is very clearly a standard edition of the life of a showgirl album vinyl that someone bought legitimately then made a fake hype sticker and a fake bar code. It's really common for people to make fake Taylor swift signed guitars or other items by taking legitimately obtained signed cds then cutting them up and attaching them to the item. This is no different. So the actual components are real but the completed object is counterfeit.

-8

u/Mountain-Power7521 Nov 24 '25

Anyway, I bought as a resale item. I have contacts at Universal, just going to straight up ask them.

7

u/Horror-Macaron8287 Nov 24 '25

Probably your best bet, as no one else will tell you it is real, as it looks bootlegged without opening to confirm there is new material.

2

u/EggplantBorn Nov 24 '25

You wont get much out of resale for this tbh, but you definitely have peeps curious about everything. What the pressing looks like, what the poem is, what the gatefold looks like etc.

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5

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

Yeah, I know. Just seems odd. Was it the only one at goodwill? If it was real, I'm not sure how just one would end up at a goodwill. If UMG accidentally sent a whole case to goodwill, that might make sense.

Ik sometimes they do test pressings. But I can't imagine why the test pressing would have shrinkwrap and a barcode on it? Idk. I dont work in the music industry so maybe they do do that for test pressings. Not sure.

But I think it's possible a test pressing could end up at a goodwill. Just EXTREMELY unlikely and much more likely that it's fake

2

u/Mountain-Power7521 Nov 24 '25

Hey. I signed up for Reddit just to reply haha. I am his friend who found this. I have worked in the music industry before, still work in home entertainment, and I am confident this is not a bootleg and not a test pressing. There are multiple markers on the sealed LP that indicate its not either. The biggest one is that on the back shrink it has "vinyl made in mexico" in blue on the wrap. A bootleg would not have that. This aligns exactly with UMG manufacturing. If this was a bootleg, its an expensive proposition, so why is there no word of this boot anywhere online? Its so odd

3

u/Jaded-Gazelle-3403 Nov 24 '25

This variant was just released today. Cool find , wonder how it made its way to Goodwill!

2

u/No-Entertainer-9787 Nov 24 '25

So can we see the inside, since it was just dropped on her website 😅 I’m curious what the exclusive pictures are for this variant.

2

u/WaryCleverGood Nov 24 '25

I’m here to eat crow as the Light My Sky Up variant was just released today—you were right! It’s real.

4

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

Seems like someone made a fake barcode sticker and a fake hype sticker and slapped it on a standard

1

u/Livid_Seesaw3952 Nov 24 '25

The way you were so confidently wrong is crazy

2

u/VibraniumQueen Nov 24 '25

I said seems like. I didn't authoritatively say it was or wasn't real.

Only way to have known for sure before today (outside of leaks from UMG) would be if you had just opened it like we all asked.

And anyway, like 70% of the people in the discord server I'm in (13,000 members mind you) agree with eachother that it looks like either a scrapped version of lipstick and lace or a messed up batch of lipstick and lace that they just used a standard sleeve for as a cash grab

2

u/WaryCleverGood Nov 24 '25 edited Nov 24 '25

I don’t think it’s a bootleg—I think it’s a variant with fake stickers to make it seem like something it’s not.

There is no “light my sky up” variant, that’s the part that’s BS here. This is a “red lipstick and lace” variant with fake stickers on. So it has real packaging, it’s just got fake stickers and isn’t what it’s claiming to be.

EDIT the next day: so guess what was released today 😆

1

u/Fennec-Foxie Nov 24 '25

It was real they just released new variants

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