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
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.
A 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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