Important Vinyl Update … The Artist: The Beatles. The Album: The Beatles (The White Album). The Store: Plan 9. The Price: $9.

My big sister Cary is the coolest person I know. From an early age, she had awesome taste in music, and was always willing to help me see the light. But of all the recommendations she’s given me over the years, I’m thankful for one above all others: the Beatles. Her Beatles obsession began in middle school, and while mine wouldn’t kick in until much later, she passed on an appreciation for their songs as sacred texts, along with a few of the Beatles posters that once covered her bedroom wall-to-wall. My vinyl collection also didn’t start until long after hers, and it was actually a story I heard on All Songs Considered while driving home for Thanksgiving that made me so eager to seek out my own copy of the White Album.

In 2008, The Beatles (a.k.a. the White Album) turned 40, and to mark the occasion, Bob Boilen and others shared their memories of the album’s release. The story was so inspiring, that when I spotted a copy while flipping through records at Plan 9, I grabbed it and held on for dear life. As you can see, it’s not pretty. It pops in a few places, thanks to more than a few scratches. I should have expected as much for $9. But it contains something no high-dollar, mint-condition copy ever could – the excitement I felt when I found my copy, complete with its own serial number, No. 2282072. Maybe one day I’ll buy a nicer, mono version to keep safe and pass on to my kids, but I’ll never stop cherishing the $9 White Album that helped me fall deeper in love with collecting the sacred texts my sister taught me to revere.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite songs from the album, “Dear Prudence.” Did you know Paul plays the drums on this one? I KNOW, RIGHT?