Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor's Version)

Sounds great, but mine has three lil warps right next to each other on disc 2 so the cartridge goes for a roller coaster ride lol (still plays fine though) Also, some black spots in the yellow

My copy had the “made in ” sticker, and had a slightly darker cover registration compared to the “made in ” copies on the shelf, but has MPO stampers in the runout of both discs. No marbling and solid/not opaque. Anybody else experience this?

I found a brand new copy for $35 shipped from Ebay. Shop around.
Don't order online from Target unless you like crushed jackets. They ship in literal bags. BAGS.
You can check online if they have stock at your local store before making the trip.

My German copy is completely opaque, with no marbling even when held up to bright light.
It's flat as a pancake, and just a tiny bit off-center. I've never had issues playing off-center or slightly warped records though.
In reality, you shouldn't have problems either unless a dish warp is so severe that your stylus is nearly tracking sideways, or if a ripple is so pronounced that it's bouncing your stylus out of the groove.
that analog will always be imperfect. Just shake it off.

The disks looked pretty clean out of the box, but during first play my stylus dug enough lint out of the grooves to cause major static and distortion.
If this happens to you, wipe down your records and brush off your stylus.
Just keep your stylus clean in general. I give mine a quick brush every time I flip sides.

I've experienced absolutely zero inner groove distortion, which is surprising given that this has 9 more tracks than the original vinyl did, but on the same 2 disks.
It also means that you won't have to be up and down every 9 minutes to flip the record. I wish more artists did this. Less waste and less work. It can obviously be done well, as this pressing proves.

Mastering is fine. I prefer whatever they did with Midnights, though.
I have to adjust the volume on different tracks, and I experienced a bit of ear fatigue with the more energetic tracks.
Still a good time all the way through, and sounds open and full.

The French presses seem to outnumber the Germans by about 4 to 1.
I don't think tracking down an Optimal (German) over an MPO (French) press is that big of a deal. They're both the same mix/master from the same laquer, so any perceived difference in sound will come down to a pressing defect or a dirty record.
Sure, you MAY be less likely to receive a defective disk from Optimal. But if your MPO is already fine, you'll get no benefit from trading it in for an Optimal.
And hey, at least they're not from GZ.

Which hype sticker is on the shrink wrap depends on where it was sold - not where it was made.
Albums sold in the US will have a Target Exclusive sticker. Outside of the US will have the basic "Tangerine Edition" sticker. This goes for both French and German variants.
They also have different barcodes which you can scan using the Discogs search bar.
When it doubt, the runouts will tell you for sure.

I hope this answers some of the more common questions.

Play-tested on the following equipment:
AT-LP120X turntable
VM95ML cartridge
VMN95 microline stylus
Rega Fono MM MK5 preamp
Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
Paradigm Reference Servo-15 subwoofer

My copy sounds excellent from start to finish, though the records feel a little flimsy. The color (not marbled) looks very pretty. Recommended!

Usually I'm not terribly impressed by Target vinyl, but this one is great. No surface noise at all, and the Made in has GORGEOUS marbling. Target vinyl shipping is still awful, though, so go buy in store if possible.

Great pressing quality. No a pop or crackle to be heard on my.copy.

Target still has a truck load of this particular pressing for $39.99. I didn't buy it because I thought too expensive. Until I looked here!

is the opaque made in the more common one?

My Target Exclusive copy has a "Made in " sticker with a matrix number that slightly matched the MPO pressing on the website, however, the barcode and the hype sticker matches this pressing and not the MPO pressing. Does anybody else have the same thing as me?

This listing is for the ones with the Made In sticker. If your version says Made in it’s the one in the below link from MPO. It doesn’t have the target sticker but the matrix numbers match the target made in ones.

https://discogs.sitiosdesbloqueados.info/release/28638304-Taylor-Swift-1989-Taylors-Version