Like A Virgin (white vinyl) by Madonna, released on Sire Records, November 1984, value £50

SOME readers have expressed dismay to discover that certain coloured records including picture discs in their collection do not have high monetary value? All I can say is, " Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger!" Coloured vinyl has been around far longer than we can imagine. In the 1930s Columbia records released a number of 78 rpm records, mostly in blue, though all records are in effect, coloured vinyl, mostly black. The trend for colour was when record companies realised that prospective buyers were more likely to buy one, simply because it was unusual. When the fifties came, following on from the advent of rock 'n' roll and teenage pop music, record sales soared through the roof, though most records were pressed in black vinyl because it was more cost effective.

Coloured vinyl reappeared in the sixties; in 1960 the entertainer Diana Dors released an album Swingin' Dors in red vinyl, now valued £100. Other acts, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, The Yardbirds, Simon and Garfunkel released limited copies; perhaps you may have a copy of The Beatles Abbey Road in red vinyl? value £5,000. These rare pressings usually sell for higher prices than the original releases.

Like A Virgin became the first album to exceed five million sales by a female artist; it went on to total 21 million sales. Madonna has since become an icon for female pop stars, thanks to her ability to musically and artistically reinvent herself. Her ever changing look and style of dressing has also been a major influence on young women of all ages. The title track, combined with her overt sexuality, caused waves of controversy on its release, in her defence, she said, "I was surprised by how people reacted to Like A Virgin, because when I did that song, to me, I was singing about how something made me feel a certain way, brand new and fresh. Everyone interpreted it in a carnal way, that's not what the song is about."

The 'material girl' has become the highest selling female recording star of all time with 300 million records sold. Despite recently turning 60, her iconic status and personality appears to indicate that old age is something she has no time for,