first pressings of Motown 45s?????

[IMissFlo93]

Do you happen to have first pressings of hit Motown 45s when they came out?

What were the catalog numbers?


How can you tell?


I am looking for hits from 1963-1966 hits generally from all the Motown, but Supremes hits is my cup of tea. Feel free to discuss first 45 pressings of any Motown artist you'd like.

[DWSheffer]

Yes, all of the records in my collection are first pressings/originals, but I didn't buy them when they were originally released, I'm 43 years old. I don't know what you mean by catalog numbers, but Motown discographies are plentiful on the internet, just do a search.

If you're interested in starting to collect records, you should go to the nearest used record shop and see if the owner might be interested in "schooling" you some on what to look for. Most Motown and subsidiary label records are plentiful, so you shouldn't have any problems finding original pressings. The bigger issue is finding some of the scarcer early titles in collectible condition, and by early titles I mean well before your date of 1963 releases. You can also do lots of research on the web regarding record collecting. If you want without a doubt first presses, buy white label promos. Record collecting requires more knowledge than what anyone can provide in a nutshell, so doing good research and hooking up with local collectors/dealers would be in your best interest.
Good luck with your collecting.....
Darin

[lockhartgary]

I can remember when record collecting involved mail order catalogs. The internet was a game changer. Like DWSheffer said, doing the research and educating yourself is the best option. One can get scammed very easily.

One thing to be aware of is that a disc could be released on the then-current label stock AND older label stock because the pressing plants wanted to use the older stock before switching to the newer designs. Don't know if older label releases in this case would be more valuable.

Years ago a teacher of mine gave me a copy of Mary Wells "Bye Bye, Baby". I still have it somewhere.