Album value
Junko Ohashi — Magical.
First-press value.
Released in Japan by Philips on July 1, 1984, Magical gathers tracks from Point Zero, Tea for Tears and Tasogare with two songs found only here. Original single-LP copies now sell for $250 and up on Discogs. Universal and HMV have reissued it as a 2×LP every year since 2022, and most copies in collections now are those reissues, worth $40 to $90.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1984. The Japanese first-press shipped on the Philips label.
- Japanese stereo catalog: 28PL-79
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- The 1984 original is a single LP, catalog 28PL-79, with six tracks a side. Its labels read 28PL-79A and 28PL-79B, and the release-date code 'N·7·1' and a ¥2,800 price appear on the issue
- Complete originals came with an obi strip and an insert. Dealers note 'no obi' when it is missing, so check before paying for a complete copy
- Every reissue is a gatefold 2×LP on Universal Music with HMV, catalog prefix PROT-: PROT-7148~9 (2022), PROT-7247 blue (2023), PROT-7279/80 clear (2024), PROT-7341/2 cobalt blue (2025) and PROT7372/3, a numbered 45 rpm 180g edition of 1,000 (2025)
- The first HMV reissue prints a December 8, 2021 date on the back cover, though it did not ship until February 2022
- Discogs lists no unofficial vinyl, only bootleg cassettes from Indonesia. The usual risk is a reissue described as an original, so count the discs and read the catalog number
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 |
|---|---|
| 1984 first-press (NM) | $250–$500 |
| 1984 first-press (VG+) | $120–$250 |
| HMV 2×LP reissues (2022–2025), NM | $40–$90 |
What pushes to the top: A clean 28PL-79 original with obi and insert; the 1984 promo issue with the same catalog number has sold once on Discogs, at $400.
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 Philips design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches 28PL-79. 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.
1984 · Warner Bros.
Van Halen — 1984
1984 first press: $10–$20 in VG+ condition.
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1982 · Epic
Michael Jackson — Thriller
1982 first press: $10–$25 in VG+ condition.
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1985 · Warner Bros. white label (ghosted shields)
Dire Straits — Brothers in Arms
1985 first press: $8–$20 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Philips), the catalog number (28PL-79), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. The 1984 original is a single LP, catalog 28PL-79, with six tracks a side. Its labels read 28PL-79A and 28PL-79B, and the release-date code 'N·7·1' and a ¥2,800 price appear on the issue.
A clean 28PL-79 original with obi and insert; the 1984 promo issue with the same catalog number has sold once on Discogs, at $400 brings the top of the NM range, typically $250–$500.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Magical reissues from later decades trade at $40–$90 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Magical was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The 28PL-79 pressing is the reference.
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