Album value
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Déjà Vu.
First-press value.
CSNY's only studio LP, released March 1970 on Atlantic. The original 1970 first-press shipped in a textured-paper gatefold sleeve made to mimic leather, with a separate lyric insert. Clean copies with intact texture and lyric insert bring premium prices.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1970. The US first-press shipped on the Atlantic red-and-plum label.
- US stereo catalog: SD 7200
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Atlantic red and plum identification guide.
The dead wax carries a second set of clues. Decode the atlantic pressing-plant codes.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- Original 1970 Atlantic red-and-plum label is the first-press signal — by 1973 Atlantic shifted to the red-and-green design
- Textured-paper gatefold sleeve was made to mimic embossed leather; reissues used flat paper stock
- Original lyric insert was a separate paper sheet — often lost from surviving copies
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) | $40–$150 |
| 1970 first-press (VG+) | $20–$60 |
| Sealed authenticated original | $300–$800 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $15–$30 |
What pushes to the top: Textured gatefold intact, lyric insert present.
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 Atlantic red-and-plum design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches SD 7200. 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.
1971 · Atlantic red-and-plum
Led Zeppelin — Untitled (IV)
1971 first press: $50–$150 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1968 · Atlantic red-and-plum
Aretha Franklin — Lady Soul
1968 first press: $20–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1967 · Atlantic red-and-plum
Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
1967 first press: $30–$80 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Atlantic red-and-plum), the catalog number (SD 7200), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. Original 1970 Atlantic red-and-plum label is the first-press signal — by 1973 Atlantic shifted to the red-and-green design.
Textured gatefold intact, lyric insert present brings the top of the NM range, typically $40–$150. Authenticated sealed first-press copies reach $300–$800 when verified by Heritage Auctions or a specialist dealer.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Déjà Vu reissues from later decades trade at $15–$30 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Déjà Vu was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The SD 7200 pressing is the reference.
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