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)
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Columbia two-eye identification guide.
The dead wax carries a second set of clues. Decode the columbia matrix numbers.
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.
Keep checking the shelf
More first pressings worth knowing.
Nearby years, matching labels, and more records by the same artist.
1968 · Columbia two-eye
Johnny Cash — At Folsom Prison
1968 first press: $20–$50 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1965 · Columbia two-eye
Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited
1965 first press: $40–$100 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1970 · Cotillion red-and-orange
The Velvet Underground — Loaded
1970 first press: $40–$80 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA 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