Item Description
Hello and Welcome Despite being eBay Vintage Vinyl Sellers since 1999, we have elected to auction off much of our personal album collection under this screen-name.
We pride ourselves as collectors, sellers and most importantly, true purists when it comes to this hobby which has turned into a huge on-line business for many folks.
Unlike many eBay sellers of LPs these days, we still feel compelled to write up complete as well as accurate descriptions of our vinyl in order that no surprises will occur, other than happy ones.
This is why we take painstaking efforts to describe every detail of our play-graded LPs, which never seem to disappoint our buyers.
We use the GOLDMINE GRADING SYSTEM IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF ANY ALBUM WHICH WE LIST ON-LINE.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE, YOU WILL FIND THE GOLDMINE GRADING SYSTEM We are offering the Extremely Rare, Top Quality and Magnificent 1969 UK 1st Variant Turquoise Plum Label Superhype Music and Jewel Music Pressing of Led Zeppelin s Debut Album aka Led Zeppelin I on Atlantic Records 588171.
This specific label variation DOES have the coveted Super-hype and Jewel Music credits which are only found on the 2000 initial albums of the exquisitely rare Turquoise Jacket pressings.
What makes this copy extraordinarily scarce is that it also possesses what are commonly referred to as the uncorrected matrices in the run-off wax of both sides, which are present on the initial and far scarcer first run of the 300 to 400 heavyweight A/1-B/1 LPs pressed by Atlantic-Polydor records.
Our specimen is one of these monstrously rare examples of the UK Turquoise Led Zeppelin I albums which present with the machine stamped matrices of 588171 without any crossing out of the first or usually the second numeral 8 .
Later Turquoise pressings and even very early examples of the Orange Titled Second Variant cover exhibit what are deemed the Corrected Matrices which are described as the Second Variant of the Led Zeppelin I Plum Labels Series and possess a numeral 8 etched in or, more aptly described as scrawled on top of the original numeral 8 or even a squeezed and crossed off 8 generally the second numeral 8 from the catalogue number 588171.
All this aside, this album is considered to be the Holy Grail of all Led Zeppelin albums as the scarcity of this Turquoise variant cannot be underscored enough.
MATRICES/STAMPERS/ RUN-OFF WAX DATA Side 1: 588171 A 1 112 /Side 2: 588171 B 1 5 ? 3 Our Grading of this or any other album entails a Visual Assessment of the Vinyl, Labels, Jacket, Inner Sleeve and Inserts If Applicable as well as an Aural Evaluation.
All pre-owned LPs that we put up for auction are first professionally cleaned with our VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine prior to being Play-Graded on a Denon DP 54-F Turntable equipped with a SHURE M97xE Cartridge/Stylus.
Our Pre-Amp is a Denon PMA 750.
Our Polk Audio Speakers allow one the opportunity to hear any sonic distortion, variation in sound quality such as drops in sound levels, detection of the slightest background noise e.g.
crackle, clicking, and, of course, jumps.
All of our albums are stored upright and kept in an air conditioned, smoke free environment and are, or have been protected by polyurethane jacket protectors since our acquisition of them.
VISUAL GRADES VINYL: This is a heavyweight slab of wax which under normal daylight conditions presents with Full Gloss and the High Sheen found on albums which received only the best of care over a 44 year span.
Only under the highest level of halogen lighting were we able to detect extremely faint and wispy bag removal surface scruffs on both sides of this majestic album.
Both surfaces of this iconic LP were absolutely free of groove-wear, devoid of ANY feel-able scratches, showed no hairlines and both sides glistened as an album which had been used quite sparingly and always stored in its unique poly-lined Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous British Patented Inner Sleeve.
The album is completely free of warping and had always been stored in a separate poly-lined, anti-static generic inner sleeve which was housed OUTSIDE of its famous Turquoise jacket and it was carefully placed upright in its archival polyethylene album protectors--one for the vinyl and one for the beautifully laminated MacNeill Press, Ltd.
manufactured jacket.
We cleaned the wax this morning 07/20/13 with our VPI Record Cleaning Machine to ensure that our visual rating of the LP would be as accurate as possible.
As tempted as we were to assign this stunning specimen a Goldmine Grade of NM, a rating which most sellers and collectors would have been satisfied with, we felt that the tiny scruff-marks on each side and, again, only these purely superficial marks were only visible under the most intense halogen lamps we have always used to assess an album s visual presentation, we elected to use what we felt best defined the album s visual assessment more accurately and used the Grade of Excellent .
LABELS: The Atlantic/Polydor UK Orange and Purple Plum First Variant Superhype/Jewel Music labels are, in general, probably the most beautiful ones ever manufactured by Atlantic Records.
Our copy s label on Side 1 showed only a few extremely faint, innocuous spider-lines near the spindle hole and showed that this LP was played extremely sparingly.
Side 2 s label presented with virtually no spider-lines whatsoever.
Let us make this abundantly clear to anyone who is reading our write-up of this legendary LP.
This is a Top Copy First Variant Turquoise Led Zeppelin I which is being scrutinized from a Collector s eye, not a pair or two in this case of those by a record dealer who doesn t care or may not even understand how vital every aspect of this album s condition is to a Led Zeppelin fan or vinylist.
Side 2 s label shows the Superhype Music credits to tracks 1, 2, 3, 5 and track 4 is credited to Jewel music and original songwriter, Willie Dixon.
Dixon is also credited as the songwriter on Side 1 s You Shook Me , which is track 4.
The other tunes, which Led Zeppelin and Manager Peter Grant would later be sued for copyright infringement or simply not crediting to the original songwriter, are under the Superhype designation.
All the colors of these Plum labels are first vibrant with the two primary colors of orange and then, soothing with the deep purplish color or Plum .
The Black Type-face font remains sharp and bold.
The surface of both labels are free of any writing, rips, or fading print.
These Plum Labels are simply magnificent with the three-tiered color composition, counting the center band of white, which makes one wonder why the USA Atlantic Record Company didn t use this same style on Led Zeppelin s first four American Releases.
In terms of grading the labels, Side 1 s must be a notch lower than Side 2 s, based on Side 1 exhibiting those wispy spider marks a tad more than the as new appearance of Side 2.
Goldmine Grade: Excellent Side 1 NM Side 2 JACKET: This jacket may be the one of the most recognizable and certainly iconic covers in music history.
Printed and Made by MacNeill Press Ltd., London, S.E1., this is a fully laminated Jacket, somewhat flimsy by nature, and a cover which is quite prone to serious damage, in our experience.
However, we are speaking about OUR Turquoise copy, and this specimen s jacket is one which is virtually perfect On the front-side, there is a nearly invisible crease on the upper left side, 3 half-moon laminate creases at the most and this jacket shows the most mild of tip wear on the 2 left corners.
There are no signs of ring-wear on either side, a phenomenon which we ve never seen on a jacket this old and fragile The aforementioned crease on the front-side is more prominent on the back-side, manifesting as a crease by the photo of Robert Plant.
Otherwise, we are speaking to a Pristine example of a Turquoise Led Zeppelin I album jacket which has its famous Silver band which runs perfectly along the bottom rim and it is perfectly intact as is the cover s spine, which has retained all of its structure, laminate, and displays the name of the band, the record company, and the catalogue number.
There are no signs of feathering on the lip, where the LP is generally stored.
There are no seam spits, signs of laminate lifting, or any other flaws that we could detect on this incredibly preserved jacket.
It ranks as one of the best Led Zeppelin I jackets we have ever handled or owned.
Goldmine Grade: NM- INNER SLEEVE: Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous and this one has the correct 2 British Patent Numbers 800513 978939.
Its only sin may be the slightest signs of Browning due to organic aging see photo .
Otherwise, we are talking about a 100 intact poly-lined Original and Correct Inner Bag for this 1st variant Turquoise Led Zeppelin album.
There are no splits, rips, writing, or any damage whatsoever to this original issue inner sleeve.
The poly-liner is in superb shape see below paragraph .
Goldmine Grade: NM- As an aside, the LP is housed in an anti-static, poly-lined generic Inner Sleeve, which is further protected by a card-board jacket protector which eliminates any chance of the album causing unsightly ring wear to the jacket, even though all components are always separated during storage.
The original Inner Sleeve will remain stored inside of the album s cover during transit.
We will ship/post the vinyl in the generic inner sleeve see How We Pack Your Vinyl Section.
PLAY-GRADE This copy of Led Zeppelin 1 was play-graded Its second time under our ownership on 07/20/13 after receiving its VPI 16.5 Cleaning an hour earlier.
This is worthy of mention, for any LP which receives a Professional Vacuum Cleaning, must be allowed to air-dry for no less than 20 minutes in order to allow a full drying prior to playing.
We believe that an LP should air dry for at least an hour in order to avoid the occasional static which can occur as a result of this process.
Plum Led Zeppelin LPs are a listening experience like no other, particularly if anyone has ever listened to Led Zeppelin II--and I am speaking to the Mega-Rare UK Livin , Lovin Wreck Misprinted First Variation which is, in many Zeppelin fans opinion, the most powerful sonic listening experience of ANY Led Zeppelin album anywhere.
Obviously fewer fans have had the chance to listen to the Ultra-Scarce Turquoise Led Zeppelin I album, which is in and of itself an experience which defies mere words.
This is a monster rocking album one which is only rivaled by the LZ II Wreck copy and may even surpass it in terms of its sheer ferocity, masterful production and the collective talents of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and, of course, Peter Grant.
We played our copy quite loudly in order to be able to pick up any distortions in audio delivery, background crackling or other distractions, and to fully experience the superior stereo separation of our UK Turquoise LZ Debut LP, the one LP which blasts the USA pressing of the same title, including the White Label Sample Copy, out of the water on every level.
This vinyl played flawlessly on our system and if we heard 3 barely audible moments of static throughout the two sides, it was only due to our looking for aural distortions.
Instead, we were treated to hearing the hardest rocking band as of 1969 of four gifted and accomplished musicians, including Robert Plant s vocals which were actually a musical instrument during this rare period of Led Zeppelin s career.
This integration of voice, guitar, harmonica, bass, drums and even organ, meshes perfectly on the now-properly credited Willie Dixon epic blues number, You Shook Me .
Our Polk Speakers seemed to enjoy the interplay between Jimmy Page s defiant guitar and John Paul Jones s steady, yet counter offering of sizzling bass lines on Page s Dazed and Confused , one of a few tracks which confirm drummer John Bonham s justified position as a co-owner of Led Zeppelin s overall sound.
All this, without so much as a crackle , a click, or any loss of highs which sometimes occur with vintage vinyl LPs.
Is there any other Led Zeppelin album which features John Paul Jones s bashing bass running head to head with John Bonham s drums as well as Jimmy Page s still-respectful guitar on nearly every track? Zeppelin s hit off this album, Communication Breakdown , came across with the punch that used to be solely relegated to the mono format, yet, in this one track, the stereophonic formulae which Jimmy Page and Executive Producer, Peter Grant, managed to revolutionize, seemed to make Mono obsolete forever.
Similarly, it is the acoustic ballad Babe I m Gonna Leave You which may showcase how superb the stereo production on this vinyl truly is.
Two different guitars, both obviously played by Page, are so distinct, so rich in their different notes and at the same time, not dominating a song which Plant s voice so whimsically echoes the human pain of separation.
Our copy delivers on both spectrums, meaning the switch-off between the soft and, suddenly thunderous, louder notes of music in a manner which was more sonically advanced than anything ever previously recorded.
Many critics of this Led Zeppelin LP have pointed to the band stealing songs from the blues-masters e.g.
two tracks on this LP were written by Willie Dixon, for example, and still other uncredited artists would serve Grant and Page with lawsuits, demanding their share of the album s enormous world-wide success--meaning royalties, of course.
Others point to the recurring themes of lost love, overt lust, out of wedlock children and even extending flirting with demonology and black magic to lengths never before explored by ANY rock band, including The Rolling Stones.
All that aside, the Turquoise Led Zeppelin I album has remained one of the most coveted vinyls in history, specifically for the unsurpassed aural delivery which, again, is still only available on the UK Plum Label versions of these titles.
We have heard the other two variants of Led Zeppelin I, and, to be perfectly honest, there truly is a discernible difference in sound quality between the Turquoise unique variant and the other, later pressing.
This album allowed the planet to listen to how incredible the vinyl format can be, with the technology which clearly wasn t available during the beginning of The British Invasion, the psychedelic era of the mid-1960s, or even the final two albums released by The Beatles.
Led Zeppelin I did not let the music die at all.
They simply revolutionized it.
Goldmine Grade: NM Payment ...is due within 48 hours via PayPal and must be made in US .
If another Payment Method is Needed, Seller Must Be Contacted PRIOR to Making a Bid.
International eBayers MUST USE PayPal USA SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING USPS 2 Day Priority Mail With Insurance and Delivery Tracking Worldwide Shipping/Posting/Handling See Exclusions WE NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY OR BRAZIL Canada: 35.00 For USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY PARCEL TO BE DELIVERED TO CANADA WHICH WEIGHS 4 POUNDS OR MORE AND/OR IS VALUED AT 400.00 USD OR MORE MUST BE SHIPPED VIA USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL WHICH VARIES IN COST.
EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES PROVIDE A 3-5 DAY DELIVERY TO MOST CANADIAN DESTINATIONS, PERMITS USD INSURED COVERAGE AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION.
Rest Of The World: 55.00 For USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY INTERNATIONAL PARCEL EXCLUDING CANADA WHICH WEIGHS 4 POUNDS OR MORE AND/OR IS VALUED AT 400.00 USD OR MORE MUST BE SHIPPED VIA USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL WHICH VARIES IN COST.
EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES PROVIDE A 3-5 DAY DELIVERY TO MOST OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, PERMITS USD INSURED COVERAGE AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION.
WE WILL REFUND ANY EXCESS POSTAGE CHARGES TO OUR BELOVED INTERNATIONAL EBAYERS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF PAYMENT.
HOWEVER, THIS VINYL ALBUM IS IRREPLACEABLE SINCE IT IS TRULY A HISTORIC PART OF CLASSIC HARD ROCK HISTORY.
WE ARE TAKING EVERY PRECAUTION NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SAFEST, FASTEST, AND BEST UNITED STATES POSTAL SYSTEM DELIVERY TO THE WINNING BIDDER OF THIS LEGENDARY VINYL ALBUM.
IT WILL REQUIRE FULL INSURANCE COVERAGE AND OUR APPROXIMATE POSTAL COSTS ARE LOW ESTIMATES .
NEVERTHELESS, WE AGREE TO PAY ANY EXTRA COSTS FOR THE MANDATORY INSURANCE COVERAGE THAT THIS ICONIC LED ZEPPELIN I TURQUOISE ALBUM WILL REQUIRE.
-Seller Reserves The Right To Cancel Any Bids From Questionable Bidders Low Feedback Percentage, Blocked Countries, eBAY Policy Violations .
How Your Vinyl Will Be Packed All LPs won from our eBay listings are first professionally cleaned with our VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine and immediately placed in an anti-static poly-lined Inner Sleeve and/or a polyethylene 3 ml Album Protector prior to being professionally shipped/posted.
All Vinyl is separated from its Album Jacket.
We provide a second polyethylene/Mylar Album Protector for the Album s Jacket, Original Inner Sleeve, and any Inserts, if applicable.
Vinyl is placed between 2 cardboard pads or stiffeners and sandwiched between these 2 pads.
The pads and vinyl are appropriately secured and placed inside a NEW, TOP INDUSTRY STANDARD VINYL RECORD MAILER.
The Album s Jacket, already protected with a 3 ml polyethylene/Mylar Protector, is then placed on top of the sandwiched vinyl.
If needed, an additional cardboard insert or plastic cushioning is placed on top of the jacket s poly/mylar protector.
Finally, we secure the Vinyl Album Mailer and mark the parcel Handle with Care as well as Fragile in various spots on the mailer.
We ve packed thousands of Vinyl Albums, EPs, Old and Fragile 78 RPM records as well as 7 Singles over the Past 15 years.
Our items have been shipped over the entire planet and we have never had a package arrive to a buyer damaged or had any parcel end up missing.
Delivery Confirmation is Applied to All Domestic Packages as well as Insurance for value.
At this point in time, we Ship/Post World-wide Excluding Italy and Brazil Due To Their Postal System s Failure to Deliver Packages to their citizens within a reasonable period of time which is unacceptable to eBay and to us.
We apologize in advance for these necessary exclusions.
Any and all questions about this item, will be answered in a timely manner.
We ask that all questions be submitted via the eBay e-mail mechanism.
Have Fun and Bid on this unique LP GOLDMINE GRADING MINT M These are absolutely perfect in every way.
Often rumored but rarely seen, Mint should never be used as a grade unless more than one person agrees that the record or sleeve truly is in this condition.
There is no set percentage of the Near Mint value these can bring it is best negotiated between buyer and seller.
NEAR MINT NM OR M- A good description of a NM record is it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.
In other words, it s nearly perfect.
Many dealers won t use a grade higher than this, implying perhaps correctly that no record or sleeve is ever truly perfect.
NM records are shiny, with no visible defects.
Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any spindle marks from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable.
Major factory defects also must be absent a record and label obviously pressed off center is not Near Mint.
If played, it will do so with no surface noise.
NM records don t have to be never played a record used on an excellent turntable can remain NM after many plays if the disc is properly cared for.
NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.
NOTE: These are high standards, and they are not on a sliding scale.
A record or sleeve from the 1950s must meet the same standards as one from the 1990s or 2000s to be Near Mint It s estimated that no more than 2 to 4 percent of all records remaining from the 1950s and 1960s are truly Near Mint.
This is why they fetch such high prices, even for more common items.
VERY GOOD PLUS VG or EXCELLENT E A good description of a VG record is except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint.
Most collectors, especially those who want to play their records, will be happy with a VG record, especially if it toward the high end of the grade sometimes called VG or E .
VG records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience.
Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK.
Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole.
There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.
VG covers should have only minor wear.
A VG cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split less than one inch long at the bottom, the most vulnerable location.
Also, a VG cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking.
Covers with cut-out markings can never be considered Near Mint.
Very Good VG Many of the imperfections found on a VG record are more obvious on a VG record.
That said, VG records which usually sell for no more than 25 percent of a NM record are among the biggest bargains in record collecting, because most of the big money goes for more perfect copies.
For many listeners, a VG record or sleeve will be worth the money.
VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape.
They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records.
Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail.
When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song s intro and ending.
But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.
Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label.
Many collectors who have jukeboxes will use VG records in them and not think twice.
They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.
VG covers will have many signs of human handling.
Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming.
Some more creases might be visible.
Seam splitting will be more obvious it may appear on all three sides, though it won t be obvious upon looking.
Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tag on it, too.
Good G , Good Plus G or Very Good Minus VG These records go for 10 to 15 percent of the Near Mint value, if you are lucky.
Good does not mean bad The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along.
But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably.
A Good to VG cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft.
If the item is common, it s probably better to pass it up.
But if you ve been seeking it for a long time, get it cheap and look to upgrade.
POOR P and Fair F Poor P and Fair F records go for 0 to 5 percent of the Near Mint value, if they go at all.
More likely, they end up going in the trash.
Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them.
Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want to cry.
Only the most outrageously rare items ever sell for more than a few cents in this condition again, if they sell at all.
On Jul-24-13 at 20:40:02 PDT, seller added the following information: Several eBayers have e-mailed us, asking why there are only six 6 pictures of the album.
We hope that the following answer will address this issue: Please note that we have 12 photos of our UK Led Zeppelin I Turquoise Album.
All 12 of our photographs can be viewed in either Specific Detail by clicking on the Right Arrow Next to the Visible Pictures or in an Enhanced as well as Enlarged Format by clicking on ANY of the pictures.
These features have been recently introduced by eBay.
