Album value
Carly Simon — No Secrets.
First-press value.
Carly Simon's third album, released by Elektra in late November 1972 and recorded at Trident Studios in London with producer Richard Perry. "You're So Vain" went to No. 1 and the album held the top of the Billboard 200 for five weeks. It is certified Platinum, so originals are easy to find; a clean 1972 copy usually sells for $8–20.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1972. The US first-press shipped on the Elektra butterfly label.
- US stereo catalog: EKS-75049
- UK first-press: Elektra (UK) K 42127
- RIAA certification: Platinum (US)
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Elektra butterfly identification guide.
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Carly Simon vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- First-run labels carry Elektra's 15 Columbus Circle, New York address
- Runouts show the Columbia plant that pressed it: CSM for Santa Maria, CTH with T1 for Terre Haute, CP for Pitman
- Originals came with a printed inner sleeve carrying lyrics and credits; check it is present before paying a complete-copy price
- Some 1974 Pitman represses carry a dated runout such as ESR-TD-1-22-74
- A quadraphonic edition, EQ-5049, exists and trades at about the same price as the stereo LP
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 |
|---|---|
| 1972 first-press (NM) | $10–$25 |
| 1972 first-press (VG+) | $4–$10 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $3–$10 |
What pushes to the top: Columbus Circle-address first pressing with the lyric inner sleeve and a cover free of ringwear.
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 Elektra butterfly label design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches EKS-75049. 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 · Elektra butterfly label
Carly Simon — Anticipation
1971 first press: $3–$8 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1975 · Elektra butterfly label
Queen — A Night at the Opera
1975 first press: $15–$30 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1972 · Rolling Stones Records
The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main St.
1972 first press: $25–$80 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Elektra butterfly label), the catalog number (EKS-75049), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. First-run labels carry Elektra's 15 Columbus Circle, New York address.
Columbus Circle-address first pressing with the lyric inner sleeve and a cover free of ringwear brings the top of the NM range, typically $10–$25.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. No Secrets reissues from later decades trade at $3–$10 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
No Secrets was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The EKS-75049 pressing is the reference.
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