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How do you know when an LP is a first or early pressing?

Being relatively new to analog, there has been a steep learning curve.
The latest important bit of knowledge has pointed me to the codes stamped in the runout groves, the labels and the sale listings. The questions are how to read the codes, and what to look for on the label and on the sale listings? For instance, a friend guided to to the “pink label” British Island Records pressings. Believe these are all first pressings and the original British. I bought a couple including Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s first album. A pretty good used one cost me $25 which I understand is a good price. I would like to find and buy more of these early, or first, pressings. I understand their sound quality is normally, or frequently, excellent.
mglik

Showing 1 response by terry9

terry9
2,354 posts
 
Mglik, I think that you are correct to be wary of ’hot stampers’. To my mind, the history of a record is a lot more important than its stamper: you know, what kind of blunt stylus was used to play it, if it was used as a dog’s frisby, and so on.

Let me tell you about something that you can control: how clean it is. Once you get into ultra-sonic record cleaning, you’ll never want to go back.

Good luck!
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