Album value
Nick Drake — Pink Moon.
First-press value.
Drake's third and last album, released by Island in the UK on 25 February 1972. It was also the only one of his three albums released in the US while he was alive, as Island SMAS-9318 made and distributed by Capitol. US sales were about 6,000 copies before Volkswagen used the title track in a 1999 Cabriolet commercial, then rose to 74,000 in 2000. The UK first pressing is the copy collectors want.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1972. The UK first-press shipped on the Island pink-rim 'palm tree' label.
- UK stereo catalog: ILPS 9184
- US issue: Island, made by Capitol SMAS-9318 (1972)
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Island pink label identification guide.
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Nick Drake vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- The UK first pressing is on pink-rim 'palm tree' labels in a matt gatefold with lyrics, with a powder-blue polylined Island inner sleeve carrying the Basing Street address
- On the first sleeve the back reads 'Printed and made by Tinsley Robor Group Ltd.', with 'island records ltd basing street london w11' under the logo. A later sleeve reads 'Printed in England by Robor Limited' and just 'island records'
- A-1U/B-1U runouts alone do not prove a first pressing. The 1975 blue-rim/orange reissue (IRM before ILPS in the runout) and the 1978 EMI-pressed blue-label reissue use the same cut
- The 1972 US original, SMAS-9318, comes in a gatefold with a Capitol manufacturing credit. Discogs median about $300, with sales up to about $620
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) | $800–$1,300 |
| 1972 first-press (VG+) | $300–$600 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $25–$200 |
What pushes to the top: UK first sleeve with the Tinsley Robor credit and Basing Street address, the blue Island inner present, and a near-mint record.
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 Island pink-rim 'palm tree' design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches ILPS 9184. 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 · Island pink-rim 'palm tree'
Nick Drake — Bryter Layter
1971 first press: $250–$550 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1969 · Island pink 'block' logo
Nick Drake — Five Leaves Left
1969 first press: $450–$900 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 (Island pink-rim 'palm tree'), the catalog number (ILPS 9184), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. The UK first pressing is on pink-rim 'palm tree' labels in a matt gatefold with lyrics, with a powder-blue polylined Island inner sleeve carrying the Basing Street address.
UK first sleeve with the Tinsley Robor credit and Basing Street address, the blue Island inner present, and a near-mint record brings the top of the NM range, typically $800–$1,300.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Pink Moon reissues from later decades trade at $25–$200 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Pink Moon was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The ILPS 9184 pressing is the reference.
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