Album value
The Who — Quadrophenia.
First-press value.
The Who's second rock opera, released October 1973 as a double LP on Track in the UK and MCA in the US. Original copies shipped with a 44-page bound booklet of black-and-white photographs and Pete Townshend's notes — complete-booklet first-presses are uncommon and bring premiums.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1973. The US first-press shipped on the MCA black label.
- US stereo catalog: MCA2-10004
- UK first-press: Track Records (UK) 2657 013/4
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- Original 1973 MCA black label is the US first-press signal — by 1977 MCA shifted to the blue label
- 44-page bound booklet was tucked in the gatefold; most surviving copies have it torn or missing
- UK Track Records running-figure label is the first-press indicator for the UK pressing
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 |
|---|---|
| 1973 first-press (NM) | $50–150 |
| 1973 first-press (VG+) | $25–60 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $15–30 |
What pushes to the top: Intact 44-page booklet + NM gatefold.
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 MCA black design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches MCA2-10004. 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 (MCA black), the catalog number (MCA2-10004), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. Original 1973 MCA black label is the US first-press signal — by 1977 MCA shifted to the blue label.
Intact 44-page booklet + NM gatefold brings the top of the NM range, typically $50–150.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Quadrophenia 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.
Quadrophenia was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The MCA2-10004 pressing is the reference.
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