Item Description
All my items have a full money-back guarantee - if it s not as described you can return it for a full refund.
But .
.
.
I know that this should be common sense .
.
.
.
.
.
please ensure that you have read and understood the description before placing a bid.
Thank you.
Unbelievably, there are people who bid on listings sometimes hundreds of pounds without even reading the description .
P P charges for bidders outside the UK: Please note that I send ALL international items tracked and insured, which costs more than the standard airmail rate.
For further information please click on the icon or see below for full P P and insurance details.
THERE ARE 12 PHOTOS IN THIS LISTING.
USE THE SCROLL BAR BESIDE THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE THEM ALL.
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE Here is a really outstanding example of this 1st pressing which is complete and original throughout, with the original posters and stickers, the original black poly-lined inner sleeve and the correct, original midnight blue cover.
This is also the best-sounding copy I have ever come across.
Sadly, most of the buyers who have shelled out hundreds of pounds for a 1st pressing of Dark Side of the Moon have not got the real deal .
This is because almost all of the copies which are sold on ebay as first pressings are simply a first pressing disk and cover, matched up with posters and stickers from later copies.
It is not surprising, because the stickers and posters from the first pressing were generally used as they were intended they were stuck on walls etc and so they are now very scarce and the many millions of re-issued copies of the album offer plenty of cheap substitutes.
However, the first pressing posters and stickers for Dark Side of the Moon are completely different from the later copies, but because they are now so scarce many people haven t even seen the genuine examples and so are unaware that they are getting common copies from later issues.
What I have here is a 100 complete and genuine 1st pressing.
The only way to guarantee that you have original posters and stickers is to make sure that they are the earliest examples from the very first-pressed copies.
These genuine first pressing stickers and posters are hard to come by, but they are very easy to identify because they are completely different from all later issues.
To identify original posters you simply need to examine the paper they are printed on.
If it is thick and fully matt even on the printed side then the posters are definitely from an original first pressing.
If your posters have any sort of sheen or gloss they are from a later issue, and if the paper is a white, rather than cream, then your posters are from a much later copy.
Similarly, the original stickers are easy to identify.
On the rear, the die-cut lines in the backing paper run horizontally in a wavy-line pattern and the only word printed on them says PERMANENT .
If your stickers have diagonal lines and say Crack Back , Fasprint etc they are from a later issue even if they also say the word Permanent .
Crack Back stickers from much later copies have the word Removable on them.
The copy I m selling here is a complete and genuine first pressing with the correct earliest first-pressing posters and stickers.
The posters are fully matt on both sides and the sticker backs are die-cut with a horizontal wavy-line pattern and have only the word PERMANENT printed on them.
The disk has the following 1st press matrix numbers: Side 1: SHVL 804 A-2 Side 2: SHVL 804 B-2 The gatefold sleeve is midnight blue and the inner sleeve is black, poly-lined and printed with the patent numbers and says Made in Great Britain .
Finding a complete, genuine first pressing like this, is not easy, but finding one which also plays to the incredible high standard that this one does, is almost impossible.
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE Detailed description Vinyl: The vinyl has retained its original high sheen with very few marks although, in normal light there are a couple of more-prominent LOOKING marks visible on side two which have no audible impact and under bright light, additional fine hairlines and sleeve-removal marks were visible, but there is nothing with any audible impact anywhere.
I have played the entire record and it sounds fantastic with almost nothing to report.
For the sake of completeness I would mention that there is some soft background noise which can be heard in the quiet parts and the run-ins/outs, fades, segues, silent grooves and intros and the occasional random click, but this is EASILY the best 1st pressing DSOTM that I have ever heard.
Please note that this copy does NOT have the pressed skip in Money often found on first pressings - there are no jumps or skips anywhere on this record .
Like most Pink Floyd albums Dark side of the Moon has lots of quiet and sparsely arranged passages and because of this it is very hard to find an original copy which genuinely plays Near Mint all the way through and there are some passages which are always difficult on original vinyl copies of this album e.g.
the long-fade explosion noise at the end of On the Run , the heart-beat fade-in at the beginning and fade-out at the end of the album, the intro to Us and Them etc , but this copy is the best I ve heard.
Much of it play-grades Near Mint, but to cover a handful of very soft crackles in the fade to The Great Gig in the Sky at the end of side one and some tiny soft tics in the heartbeat fade and run-out at the very end of side two I would play-grade the album overall as a SAFE Excellent plus Ex , although I m sure that most people would simply say it sounds Near Mint.
This is an outstanding example and I think it would be very hard to find one which sounds better.
Labels: Both labels look great with no damage, writing, stickers etc, just some light spindle marking.
Sleeve: It is very hard to appreciate the colour of the cover in photographs, but this is the original midnight blue cover with sealed but not folded under left edge.
It is not as obviously blue as some I ve seen, but it is definitely not a true black.
This is the best one I have ever seen.
It is nice and clean with no writing, splits, tears or stickers etc and just minor signs of use.
There is virtually no wear or ring wear, just some shaping around the disk and a few light creases.
The only issue that stops this from being near-perfect is some creasing to the bottom leading corners which are presumably the result of the cover having been dropped or bashed on this corner, but this is the only note-worthy blemish on an otherwise near-perfect cover and even taking it into account this is still the best one I ve seen.
This is a superb example of a cover that is extremely difficult to find in decent condition.
Edge wear: There is no wear to the top and bottom edges and spine, apart from towards the corners.
There are normal signs of use at the opening and opposite edge.
Corner wear: There is moderate wear to the bottom leading corners, but minimal wear to the other corners.
Inner sleeve: This is the original black, poly-lined inner sleeve.
It has no splits, tears or damage, just some minor shaping around the disk and minimal signs of handling and use.
This is one of the best I ve seen.
Posters: These are the original fully matt posters.
They have never been on display and so have no pin-holes, sellotape, blu-tac etc.
They have no tears, splits or damage, and minimal signs of handling or age, I think it would be hard to find a better pair of original matt posters.Stickers: These are the original stickers with wavy-line die-cut backing and just the word PERMANENT printed on them.
The pale day sticker has a small crease in one corner and is slightly discoloured, but they are both unused and have no major issues.
Detracting features not covered above: None.
This is a superb, complete and original example which sounds amazing I think it would be very hard to find another one like this.
Please check out my other items and take advantage of reduced postage costs for multiple buys.
Information about descriptions and gradings.
My items are always described accurately and fairly.
I always do my best to point out any blemishes which might detract from the item and all photographs are of the actual item you will get.
I am aware that different grading systems have different definitions and so I try as much as possible to describe items in plain English, rather than simply using gradings.
Where gradings are given these are based on the UK RECORD COLLECTOR GRADING SYSTEM.
This grading system differs from some other grading systems, in particular the Goldmine grading system.
Please make sure that you are familiar with the UK record collector grading system before you bid.
Play-graded vinyl: Although I don t have time to play them all, I believe that records are for playing and so I try to play-grade records whenever possible.
I always state in the listing if I have played a record prior to listing it.
If I have play-graded the record I will usually only give a description of how the record looks i.e.
not a visual grading .
The grading in the listing will be a play-grading and may be slightly different from the grading that the record would receive from a purely visual inspection.
If I haven t play-graded the record, it will be given a visual grading.Play-grading MONO records: Mono records and stereo records have different grooves.
A stereo record produces a stereo sound via both lateral and vertical groove modulation whereas a mono record is not intended to produce any sound from vertical modulation.
Playing a mono record with a stereo cartridge will create distortion because it is trying to pick-up the vertical stereo part of the signal, whereas this is not intended to be heard on a mono record and so is just noise.
Using a pre-amp with a mono switch will eliminate the noise caused by vertical modulation leaving just the lateral groove signal which is how the record was intended to be heard.
Based on the assumption that most people choosing to buy a mono record will have the right equipment to listen to it, I play all mono records via a pre-amp with a mono switch.
My play-grading is based on how the record sounds when played through a mono switch.
If you do not have a mono switch on your amp or pre-amp you will be reproducing the noise from the vertical part of the signal and so the record will not sound as good.
This is not any fault of the record, it is inherent to playing any mono record through a system that it was not designed for.
Visually-graded vinyl: A visual grading will identify physical flaws such as scratches and can help determine whether a record has been cared-for properly.
I always do my best to give a fair assessment of any visible marks on the playing surface, but a visual grading will not identify noise or crackle caused by non-visible sources.
Most of the records I sell are between thirty and fifty years old and so it is likely that there may be some background noise even if they look perfect.
Please see Terms and Conditions below for my refunds policy for visually graded records.
I have some very simple terms and conditions.
Please read them and ensure that you understand them before bidding.
Thank you.
TERMS CONDITIONS My items are fully guaranteed - if it is not as described you can return it for a full refund, including postage.
Refunds for visually graded records which are returned based upon the buyer s assessment of the record s playgrade, will not include postage costs in either direction.
Your bid is binding, so please make sure you have READ and UNDERSTOOD the WHOLE LISTING before you bid.
I will not accept returns where the buyer has not read or not understood something which is stated/shown in the listing.
I accept Paypal and postal orders in UK Sterling GBP for all purchases.
I also accept cheques in UK Sterling GBP on orders OVER 50.Please pay for your item within three days of the auction closing.
If you are intending to bid on other items and wish to pay when they have closed, please contact me to let me know.
I reserve the right to cancel any transactions and offer the item to the second highest bidder if no contact or payment is made within three days.
POSTAGE PACKING I care about the records I sell and believe that they need to be carefully and securely packaged to ensure that they survive their journey through the post.
Vinyl is removed from the sleeve for posting and the contents will be protected with rigid cardboard stiffeners.
All packages are labelled Do not bend and securely sealed with FRAGILE parcel tape.
I support the use of recycled materials and so I may sometimes use recycled packaging.
If you wish your item to be sent in entirely new packaging please let me know before paying for it.
Thanks.
P P chargesMy P P charges are totally transparent .
Please read below and if you have any questions about P P costs please contact me BEFORE you bid.
Thank you.
Sending items costs more than just the stamps on the package, but I try not to charge more for packing and posting your item than it actually costs me to do so.
I need to cover the cost of packing materials, plastic sleeves, new inner sleeves where applicable , transportation, fees and charges associated with sending the item including fees incurred to receive the cost of postage and, where applicable, currency exchange etc.
To cover these expenses I add a nominal figure to the basic cost charged at the post office.
For UK sales I add 1.10, for European sales I add 1.90 and for transactions outside Europe I add 2.30.
These are nominal amounts and the actual cost to me is always higher than this.
I do not view P P costs as a means of making money.To quote an exact cost for every LP is difficult because of the wide variance in weight e.g.
Abbey Road weighs around 230 grams whereas Led Zeppelin III weighs around 390 grams .
But the majority of single LPs, when packed, will weigh around 550 grams and I have based my P P rates on this.
Double LPs will be charged as two LPs, triple LPs will be charged as three LPs.
Box sets etc will be charged according to weight.Depending on the precise weight of your parcel, you may occasionally end up paying a few pence more or a few pence less than it actually costs me, but if there is a significant discrepancy in your favour I will refund the difference.
UK P P costs UK Standard service - items valued below 50 are sent using first class recorded post.
The cost for this is as follows: One to four LPs with a combined total value below 50 5.20.
UK Special Delivery - Any order valued over 50 will be sent fully insured using Royal Mail Special Delivery and the total cost of this will be 9.35 for one to four LPs and 12.00 for five or more LPs .
Please wait for my invoice before paying.Any order valued below 10 can be sent using second class standard mail, free of charge.
Airmail with tracking and insurance to any country OUTSIDE the UK Overseas orders will ONLY be sent fully insured.
I include insurance on all invoices.
Basic insurance for items valued up to 50 is included in the costs below.
EuropeFirst LP or 12 13.60, each additional LP or 12 add 2.20.
Rest of the world anywhere outside Europe First LP or 12 17.50, each additional LP or 12 add 3.80.
Overseas orders valued between 50 and 500 will be insured for an additional 2.90.
For overseas orders valued over 500, please contact me.
Overseas orders weighing more than 2kg or valued over 500 may be split into two or more packages as appropriate so they can be sent using Royal Mail s Small Packet Rate, so please wait for my invoice on larger multiple purchases.
Customs declaration for overseas orders: Please note that for overseas orders outside the EU I need to complete a customs declaration and must enter the value of the package on the declaration.
If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.
Thanks for your interest in this listing and for taking the time to read these details.
