BEATLES - Sgt PEPPER - 1st UK PRESS MONO - SUPERB WIDE SPINE COVER & CUTOUTS

	£		230
	$		305

Please read the Terms and Conditions lower in the listing about payment, postage costs and insurance BEFORE placing a bid. Thank you.

I am happy to answer any questions, but please read the listing carefully before sending a question or placing a bid. I try to provide comprehensive details and information in every listing so the answers to most questions should be found below.

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During nearly eight years of trading on ebay, I have received around 2,600 positive feedbacks from over 2,000 individual customers, almost all from the sale of vinyl records.  Until recently I had 100% positive feedback, but I have recently received a totally unjustified negative feedback. Please see my page if you want the full story.

I take great pride in ensuring that my items are always described accurately and fairly. All my items come with a full money-back guarantee - if it's not as described, you can return it for a full refund. 

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PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE 12 PHOTOS IN THIS LISTING. USE THE SCROLL BAR BESIDE THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE THEM ALL AND USE THE 'ZOOM' FACILITY TO GET A CLOSE-UP VIEW.

The Beatles records that I am currently selling were all owned by the same person. She was not a 'record collector', just an original Beatles fan. All these albums were bought new and therefore have had only one owner before I acquired them. Although the records have been played, they have been well looked-after, and the covers, in particular, are among some of the best examples that I've seen.

Each album individually is a very collectable example, but together they make up one of the nicest original Beatles collections that I have come across.

Lovely example of this 1st pressing which is complete throughout and includes one of the finest wide-spine covers that I have seen. Most copies of Sgt Pepper have the standard-width spine, but a small number feature the impressive wide spine, which is flat and square and approximately 8mm wide.

This has the following 1st press matrix numbers:

Side 1: XEX 637-1

Side 2: XEX 638-1

Detailed description
Vinyl: The vinyl looks great and has retained its original high sheen. It has clearly been well cared for. Under bright light, hairlines, sleeve removal lines, fine slide-lines, fine marks and scuffs were visible, including a handful of more prominent marks on each side, but there is nothing bad anywhere. I have played the entire record and it sounds excellent, with a warm, 'fat' bass sound which is perfectly demonstrated in the opening track. There is some background noise and crackle which can be heard in the quiet parts and the run-ins/outs, fades, silent grooves and intros and the occasional random click and there were a few places on side one and once on side two where I noticed a soft tic for a two or three revolutions but there was nothing that lasted longer than that with the exception of some clicks that could be heard for six revolutions in the fade to 'Fixing a Hole' and intro to 'She's leaving home', but there is nothing loud or overpowering anywhere. Other than this there was a brief hiss at the start of 'Fixing a hole' and a bit of fuzziness on some of the later tracks on side one and in 'A Day in the life'. 'She's leaving home' is always hard to find with perfect audio on original copies of Sgt Pepper but this one is better than many I've heard although this track individually would grade only around VG+ or Ex-.  But all these issues are minor and this is a superb example which was a real pleasure to listen to. Some tracks play Near Mint and this copy has the cleanest example that I've heard of 'Within you without you' on an original copy of Sgt Pepper, but generally, both sides grade slightly better at the start than they do at the end. Side one would have been graded around Excellent (Ex) until the end of 'Fixing a hole', but overall I would play-grade side one as Excellent minus (Ex-). Until the last track I would have graded side two as an EASY Excellent (Ex) approaching Excellent plus (Ex+), but because of some slight fuzz in 'A Day in the Life' I would play-grade side two as a safe Excellent (Ex). So the summary play-gradings are side one Excellent minus (Ex-) and side two Excellent (Ex), but much of each side is better than these overall gradings.
Labels: Both labels look great with no damage, writing, stickers etc, just spindle marking. The KT tax code is on the side one label.
Sleeve: The sleeve is really nice and clean with no damage, writing, splits, tears or stickers etc and just light signs of use. There are some oxbow laminate creases, mainly near the rear opening and small creases around the edges and corners. Inside the gatefold, the inner spine is slightly squashed near the middle but this copy does NOT have any evidence of vertical creasing often caused by attempts to straighten-out the wide-spine when it has become flattened. This copy shows no indication of any flattening and the spine remains solid and square. I have examined the sleeve very carefully and there are only two other issues worthy of note. The first is a half-inch crease near the centre of the front opening which looks like a tear at first glance. However, I have inspected it from inside and out with a magnifying glass and confirm that it is crease and NOT a tear. The other issue is a small graze/scuff above the text 'Garrod &' in the printers credit on the rear sleeve, which has been carefully touched-in, so that it is hardly noticeable, but this is a very minor issue and both of the points have been mentioned purely in the interests of total acccuracy and honesty. There is nothing else to say about this superb cover, which is easily the best Sgt Pepper wide spine that I have ever seen.
Edge wear: top/spine/bottom/opening/opposite edge: minimal/minimal/minimal/minimal/minimal. There is virtually no wear to the edges apart from at the corners. The spine is solid and firm and the text is all 100% readable.
Corner wear: There is light-to-moderate corner-wear but nothing prominent or unsightly.
Cutouts: The original dark green cutouts sheet has a soft crease running along the bottom edge from where it has been caught inside the fold of the cover, but no other issues and minimal signs of handling etc.
Inner sleeve: Original red and white inner sleeve has no splits, tears or damage, just some creasing and minor signs of use. This is one of the best ones I've seen.

Detracting features not covered above:  None. This is a superb example with the best wide spine cover that I have ever seen.

Please check out my other items and take advantage of reduced postage costs for multiple buys.

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Information about descriptions.
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.

Play-graded vinyl: I play grade records where possible but I don't have time to play them all. I always state in the listing if I have played a record prior to describing it.

Visually-graded vinyl: Unless specifically stated in the listing, vinyl is visually graded.  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.

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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.

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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 send some items in packaging which has been previously used or which has been made from other cardboard packaging. If you wish your item to be sent in entirely new packaging please let me know before paying for it. Thanks.

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P&P charges

I need to cover the cost of postage and packing materials, but I try not to charge more for packing and posting your item than it actually costs me. I do not view P&P costs as a means of making money.

However, 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 500-550 grams and I have based my P&P rates on this.

Occasionally, you may end up paying a few pence more than it actually costs me and occasionally you may end up paying a few pence less than it actually costs me. If there is a significant discrepancy in your favour I will refund the difference.

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.

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) = £4.50.

First 7" or CD = £2.50, each additional 7" or CD add £0.50


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 £8.55 for one to four LPs and £11.40 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.

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Airmail (with tracking and insurance) to any country OUTSIDE the UK

Europe

First LP or 12" = £11.95, each additional LP or 12" add £2.00.

First 7" or CD = £8.80, each additional 7" or CD add £0.60.

Rest of the world (anywhere outside Europe)

First LP or 12" = £15.95, each additional LP or 12" add £3.50.

First 7" or CD = £10.00, each additional 7" or CD add £0.90.

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.

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 If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.