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.
This is a complete, original example of this famous 1st pressing which looks superb throughout.
Please study the photographs and use the zoom facility to get a really good look.
This has the following original features:1st press Dick James black and gold labels with the early grooved style label on side one and the ZMT tax code on side two 1st press matrix numbers, 1st mothers and 7th and 10th stampers1st press E.J.
Day cover with the Angus McBean credit in line with the end of the word songs on later copies it lines up with the g 1st press poly-lined Emitex inner sleeve with Patents applied for and Made in Great Britain later ones say Made in England .
The 1st press matrix numbers, mothers and stampers are as follows:Side 1: XEX 421-1N 1 H Side 2: XEX 422-1N 1 GD Detailed description Cover: The 1st press E.J.
Day cover looks superb with only light signs of age and use.
The laminated front is really nice and shiny with wear at the corners and some creases mainly along the bottom edge and at the top opening corner but there is nothing prominent anywhere.
The unlaminated rear is really clean, with very few marks and all the flipbacks are complete and intact.
The rear flipback is perfect although there is some minor damage wear/scuffs along the edges of the top and bottom flipbacks mainly the top one - please see photos.
The only note-worthy flaw is a small area at the centre of the top where a name has been rubbed out, but even with these minor issues this is still one of the best backs I have seen on an original first press cover.
Edge wear: The lamination is fully intact and there is minimal wear to the edges and spine, apart from at the corners.
The spine is solid and firm and the spine text is all 100 readable.
There are no seam splits anywhere.
It is very hard to find these first press covers with edges as good as this.
Corner wear: There is noticeable wear to the corners, especially at the top of the spine.
The opening corners have worn through to tiny corners splits just a few milimetres but they are not prominent or unsightly.
Labels: This is a superb pair of 1st press black and gold labels with Dick James credits and the ZMT tax code on side two.
Note that the side one label has the old-style groove near the edge.
The labels have no writing, stickers, tears etc and only light signs of use around the centre holes see photos .
Unlike many copies, there is no inking-in anywhere on these labels.
Vinyl: This is among the best-looking copies I have seen.
The vinyl looks superb and has retained its original high sheen with few marks.
Certainly NOT the birds-nest of lines often seen on original copies of Please Please Me.
This one has clearly been very well cared for.
Under bright light, there are whispy sleeve-removal lines and some hairlines and fine marks, but there is nothing significant anywhere.
There is also a tiny pressing blip about one milimetre at the very beginning of the sides most noticeable on side one, but also on side two but this has minimal audible impact see below .
I have played the entire record and it sounds superb with hardly any clicks anywhere.
I have played this record twice: once with the mono switch on and once using a normal stereo set-up Please see below under Play-grading MONO records for clarification .
For the sake of completeness, I would mention that there is some background noise in the quiet parts and the run-ins/outs, fades, silent grooves and intros and the occasional random click.
On the mono play-through I heard just the feintest noise from the pressing blip I was listening through headphones and even then it was barely audible, so I doubt that most people would actually notice it .
Apart from this I heard five clicks in the silent groove at the end of I saw Her Standing There and two small clicks in A Taste of Honey - and that is all In common with almost every copy of this that I have ever listened to, there was some fuzziness in places, especially towards the ends of the sides and in particular in There s a Place and Twist and Shout .
Without this fuzziness I would probably have play-graded both sides as Excellent plus Ex , with the mono switch on but taking everything into account my play-grade would be Excellent Ex for both sides, with side one being a SAFE Excellent.
As would be expected, on the stereo play-through there was a bit more background noise in places, more fuzziness especially near the ends of the sides , a few small clicks that weren t present in the mono play-through and those that were, were slightly more prominent.
So, for the stereo play-through the pressing blip caused nine very soft clicks on side one and seven on side two but only very soft noises on each side , the clicks in the silent groove at the end of I saw Her Standing There could be heard for eight revolutions including at the very beginning of the intro to Misery , and there were three small clicks in Ask Me Why and a couple of additional clicks in A Taste of Honey that I didn t hear in the mono play-through.
But even with these additional noises the stereo play-through would have been around Excellent Ex if it wasn t for the addition of some more-prominent fuzziness, in particular towards the ends of the sides and especially in There s a Place and Twist and Shout .
So, taking everything into account, I would play-grade the stereo play-through around Very Good plus VG for both sides, although the last two tracks were a bit more fuzzy than the rest and so probably grade lower.
When listened to in mono, as it was intended to be played, this is a superb example and even when played on modern stereo equipment this is still an enjoyable example which was a pleasure to hear.
Inner sleeve: Original 1st press poly-lined Emitex inner sleeve with Patents applied for and Made in Great Britain has no seam splits or tears, just some slight discolouration from age and minor signs of use.
This is a very nice, original inner sleeve.
Detracting features not covered above: None.
This is a complete and original exmple which looks superb throughout.
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 listen to 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 mono equipment or a mono switch 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.
