Album value
Simon & Garfunkel — Bridge Over Troubled Water.
First-press value.
Released January 1970 on Columbia, the duo's fifth and final studio LP became the best-selling album of 1970. RIAA-certified 8× Platinum. The original Columbia two-eye stereo first-press is the collector reference; clean copies are uncommon because the album was played hard.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1970. The US first-press shipped on the Columbia two-eye label.
- US stereo catalog: KCS 9914
- RIAA certification: 8× Platinum (US)
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1970 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal — by 1971 the design shifted to the 360 Sound era
- Original Bob Cato gatefold sleeve has the band photograph on slightly glossier paper than reissues
- Catalog number KCS 9914 (stereo) or CS 9914 (earlier stereo run) is the first-press
The matrix runout etched in the dead wax is the definitive identifier when label and catalog number both look era-correct.
03
What it's worth
Recent sold-listing ranges. Pressing, condition, and current market all move the number.
| Pressing & condition | Recent sold |
|---|---|
| 1970 first-press (NM) | $25–80 |
| 1970 first-press (VG+) | $12–40 |
| Sealed authenticated original | $200–500 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $10–25 |
What pushes to the top: Sealed two-eye first-press with original hype sticker.
Sources: Discogs sold listings (90-day window), Popsike.com auction archive, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.
04
If you have one
Pull the record. Check the label first against the Columbia two-eye design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches KCS 9914. Then check the matrix runout in the dead wax. All three lining up is the first-press confirmation.
Or scan with Crown Vinyl. The app reads the label, catalog number, and matrix runout from a single photograph, returns the exact pressing, and pulls a current value from recent real sales. Free on the App Store.
A few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Columbia two-eye), the catalog number (KCS 9914), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1970 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal — by 1971 the design shifted to the 360 Sound era.
Sealed two-eye first-press with original hype sticker brings the top of the NM range, typically $25–80. Authenticated sealed first-press copies reach $200–500 when verified by Heritage Auctions or a specialist dealer.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Bridge Over Troubled Water reissues from later decades trade at $10–25 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Bridge Over Troubled Water was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The KCS 9914 pressing is the reference.
Free to startNo adsPrivate by defaultCloud syncBuilt for iOS