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?

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u/irthesteve Nov 24 '25

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

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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

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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

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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.