Rare Record Collection Stolen, Includes Four Metallica Albums Worth $3,000

Police in the small Australian town of Castlemaine, Victoria, are asking for the public's help in tracking down a stolen record collection and music equipment estimated to be worth around $150,000. The theft occurred sometime between Sept. 19 and Sept. 28 earlier this year.

"Once inside the property, it is understood [the burglars] stole around 1,000 rare collectible LP records, amplifiers, speaker cables and other stereo equipment," the Goldfields Crime Investigation Unit stated in a press release on Dec. 25.

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While the press release doesn't state all of the specific records that were stolen, it does provide a list of artists and the estimated value of those albums, including four Metallica pieces worth about $3,000.

Other artists in the stolen collection include AC/DC, Marillion, Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Black Sabbath. The total amount of individual LPs in the collection is believed to be around 1,000.

Victoria Police have shared photos of the missing items (seen above) which show some of the Marillion albums as well as the AC/DC Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 Australian box sets.

The only Metallica vinyl seen in the photos is the deluxe box set reissue of Ride the Lightning that came out in 2016. While it is no longer available for purchase, the box set is still somewhat easy to find online, at least in the U.S.

Watch Unboxing Video of Ride the Lightning Box Set

Metallica recently wrapped up 2022 with their final live show ahead of the release of next year's 72 Seasons. The concert took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and was the band's third Helping Hands benefit show. It featured an acoustic set followed by an electric set; the latter included the live debut of "Lux Æterna."

Watch Metallica Perform "Lux Æterna" Live in Los Angeles