Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenades / Volume Two Divertimento No. 2 In D, K.131 / Divertimento No. 1 In E Flat, K.113

About this record

The dead wax carries the runout ZAL.8342 and ZAL-8343-1W K JT 1, which tie this US London release to a Decca pressing plant in the UK rather than to an American plant. The sleeve and label say the record was made in England by The Decca Record Co. Ltd., and the release notes add that it is the first US release and a reissue of a 1968 Decca SXL 6366 recording, previously assigned the catalogue number CS6590 but never issued under it.

Demand is light but present: 4 collectors want it and 62 have it in their collections.

What drives its value

The price guide puts this pressing at 10.90 USD in Mint, 9.76 USD in Near Mint, 7.46 USD in VG+, 5.16 USD in VG, 2.87 USD in G+, 1.72 USD in G, 1.15 USD in Fair and 0.57 USD in Poor. The market snapshot shows a lowest current listing of 1.49 USD, with 12 copies for sale, so the spread a buyer faces runs from that 1.49 USD floor up to the 10.90 USD Mint figure, and most of the difference lies in grade rather than in scarcity.

Because this is a stereo reissue of a Decca recording, it sits among other pressings of the same material, and its UK-made Decca origin, the first US release status and the reissue history all shape how a buyer reads its position against those alternatives. The 62 owners against 4 wanters suggests the record is widely held, so condition and provenance are the main reasons one copy commands more than another.

How to appraise this pressing

Start with the label: this is the red/orange London Records label with silver lettering, carrying the copyright notice at the top and the words MADE IN ENGLAND and THE DECCA RECORD CO.LTD. Confirm the catalogue number STS 15170 (also printed as STS.15170) on the spine and label.

Then check the dead wax for the matrix strings ZAL.8342 and ZAL.8343, and the full stamped forms ZAL-8342-3W K JT 2B and ZAL-8343-1W K JT 1, which identify the pressing plant as Decca Record Co. Ltd. in the UK. Look for the small pressing ring that the release notes describe.

Since the notes record a first US release, a copy lacking the London label, the UK Decca wording or these matrix strings is likely a different pressing and should be checked against the other listed pressings before pricing. Grade the disc under the standard scale used in the price guide, reading both sides for playing surface wear, then compare to the Mint, Near Mint, VG+ and VG figures above.

Further reading: grading a record, how to sell vinyl.