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How to check original vs. reissue?

It seems pretty straightforward and I haven't had much trouble identifying original pressings against reissues, but I recently bought a Stevie Ray Vaughan album, which I was convinced was an original pressing. I already owned a copy of the album, which I was sure was a reissue as I bought it shrink-wrapped. When I compared the two, they looked identical with the exception of a slight variation on the label next to the punch hole (FE/AL, FE/BL vs. E/AL, E/BL) and some variance in the inscriptions on the dead wax. Is there a way to verify whether a record is an original pressing? It's relatively easy with records released in '60s and '70s, but might be a bit more difficult with more recent releases. Btw, the record is "Couldn't Stand the Weather."
Thank you for any advice.
actusreus

Showing 1 response by actusreus

actusreus OP
733 posts
 
Thank you all for your input, especially Jarraa for the link; the site is a great resource.

Regarding the record I asked about, I actually was lucky enough to find the answer on eBay. A seller posted a very detailed description of it, including information on the dead wax. Apparently, the original pressing has "Sterling" stamped and "1-AA" inscribed on the dead wax. The record I got has both, while the copy I thought was a reissue does not have the Sterling stamp, and has "2-A" inscribed rather than "1-AA." Interestingly, I could not find my reissue isted on discogs, even though there are quite a few of them.
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