Album value
The Velvet Underground — Loaded.
First-press value.
The fourth and last studio LP with Lou Reed, released on Cotillion (an Atlantic subsidiary) in November 1970. The original pressing is uncommon — Cotillion folded the catalog into Atlantic within months and most surviving copies are early Atlantic reissues.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1970. The US first-press shipped on the Cotillion red-and-orange label.
- US stereo catalog: SD 9034
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1970 Cotillion red-and-orange label is the first-press signal — Atlantic-imprint reissues use the red-and-plum design
- Original sleeve has the specific 'Cotillion Distributed by Atlantic Records' credit on the back
- Catalog number SD 9034 is the first-press indicator; later Atlantic-distribution reissues used a SD-7-prefix series
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) | $80–200 |
| 1970 first-press (VG+) | $40–80 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $15–30 |
What pushes to the top: Original Cotillion sleeve and label in NM.
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 Cotillion red-and-orange design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches SD 9034. 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 (Cotillion red-and-orange), the catalog number (SD 9034), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1970 Cotillion red-and-orange label is the first-press signal — Atlantic-imprint reissues use the red-and-plum design.
Original Cotillion sleeve and label in NM brings the top of the NM range, typically $80–200.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Loaded 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.
Loaded was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The SD 9034 pressing is the reference.
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