Is your record a first pressing? What “first”, “early” and “original” mean

Is my record a first pressing?

Match the runout on both sides to one pressing listed on Discogs. That tells you which pressing you have. To call it a first pressing, the earliest cut and stamper marks, the label and the sleeve all have to point to the first run. Often the most you can say is “original pressing”.

Not sure how to read the code? Our step-by-step guide to reading a runout walks through one part by part.

What do “first”, “early”, “original” and “reissue” mean?

First pressing

Copies from the first lacquers and stampers of a release, in its first production run.

Early pressing

Copies from the first months of a release, not necessarily from the first stampers.

Original pressing

Any copy from a record's original release era, as opposed to a later reissue.

Reissue

A later release of the same album, often with a new cut, plant, label design or sleeve.

What the dead wax can and can't tell you

The dead wax is the smooth ring between the last groove and the label. Its code names the release and the side, plus marks that change between pressings: the cut, the stamper and the plant's job number. Here's what each part of the code means.

• It can tell you which pressing you have, which cut was used and often which plant pressed it.
• It can't tell you whether your copy came from the first box shipped, what condition it's in, whether it's genuine or what it's worth.

Reissues can even share a barcode. The 2013 and 2021 pressings of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories do, but side A reads BD11929-01 A2 on one and BH72536-01 A2 on the other. See how to read this Daft Punk runout.

How to judge whether yours is a first pressing

1. Match both sides. Find the pressing whose runout matches side A and side B. If none does, it may be unlisted or a different release.
2. Check the year and the plant. A pressing from the release year, at the label's usual plant, is original era.
3. Check the cut and stamper marks. The lowest marks known for that release point to the first run. Read the traps below first.
4. Check the label and the sleeve. Label designs, addresses and sleeve printing changed over time, and collectors date pressings by them.
5. Call it. If all four agree, it's likely a first pressing. If only some do, call it an original pressing. If the runout matches a later year, it's a reissue.

Three traps

• A1 isn't proof. A rejected lacquer means a first pressing can start at A2 or -2, and some labels never used 1.
• Big releases had several firsts. Major labels pressed one album at several plants at once, so first pressings can differ only in plant marks.
• Stamper numbers narrow it, not prove it. Plants made several stampers from one master and wore them out in turn, so a higher number can still date from the first weeks.

Once you know the pressing

• Value: that pressing's Discogs sales history shows what copies actually sold for.
• Condition: our condition guide covers what to look for on the disc and sleeve.
• Duplicates: with your collection in Teca, scan a sleeve in a shop to see if you own this pressing, another pressing, or neither.

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