BLACK SABBATH Master of Reality VERY RARE Orig UK 71 Vertigo Spiral WITH POSTER.

	£		310
	$		411

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: BLACK SABBATH

Album Title: Master of Reality.

Producer(s): Rodger (Roger) Bain.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Sweet Leaf; After Forever; Embryo; Children of the Grave.

Side 2: Orchid; Lord of This World; Solitude; Into the Void.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Full spiral format on side one and small spiral above the outline Vertigo on sides two. Unique black label on side two of this album (Please see scans).

Label Conditions: Two of the finest Spirals I have ever seen on this title. Very clean, fresh and attractive examples for one of the most popular and very best Swirls albums ever. The large spiral on side one is beautifully defined with no ‘speckle’ and the design unblemished right to the hole rim. Also minimal handling traces on the very revealing black side two, just three or four super-fine traces on this unforgiving label. Spindle marks are few and faint on side one also, and this copy appears very little played.

Cat Number: 6360 050.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 125 grams. A typical weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity and Contents: This album is not that scarce in terms of units sold, this was a ‘popular’ Spiral album, but – and a huge BUT – this copy has an attractive box cover with fine shape retained and offering very few of the usual issues this fragile cover mostly have. Also, and even a bigger ALSO, this copy includes the now highly prized and getting very rare and elusive poster. This one is UNMOUNTED with NO pin-holes, tape or adhesive marks – this one has hardly aged and looks fantastic (more on that further down). A superb record visually and for a change, one that plays very well with not too much unwanted. This title often crackles badly especially on the quieter songs of which there are more than usual for a Black Sabbath album. The astonishing power and depth of this band on vinyl will never be beaten. It is complete with the original, later format ‘black’ Spiral inner which is also in super condition, dated coded 0671, this is one of the earliest you will ever find in this album. A copy I feel that will please most collectors and certainly those who have been after a ‘poster copy’ for ages. Finding a complete copy with all pieces in strong conditions is getting more and more difficult. Most will have some element damaged or more commonly missing – the poster is now highly sort after and genuinely getting rare and genuine unmounted, undamaged, uncreased and unfaded examples are never easy to locate. One of the most desirable and best rock posters ever – dark and sinister – and they are really getting mighty hard to find now with so many mounted on walls, ripped, torn, shabby or most often – MISSING! This poster alone is fast becoming one of the most sort after rock inserts ever and many Spiral copies offered will not include it. Let’s be honest here, WHO wants this album without the poster? - almost like offering a car with no engine. I know you cannot play a poster, but this is an integral part of the album, and I for one, will rarely, if ever offer this album without it. Do not underestimate how difficult locating a complete copy of this album is now becoming.

Original Year of Release: June 1971.

Matrix/Stamper Nos: 6360050 1Y//1 420 1 1 6 / 6360050 2Y//1 420 1 2 1 3

Musicians: Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals; Tony Iommi – guitar, synthesiser, flute, piano; Geezer Butler – bass guitar; Bill Ward – drums, percussion.

Brief Artist & Album Info: ‘ALRIGHT NOW, WONT YOU LISTEN!!’ Ozzy bellows out after the repeated heavy cough at the start of this metal masterpiece. A smoked drug reference on the classic ‘Sweet Leaf’ and then the band kick in – HARD with a massive floorshaking heavy riff – the classic Black Sabbath trademark. Ozzy is in blistering form on this their third album, but this typically was not well received on issue, Black Sabbath it can be argued were never fashionable even at the peak of their powers – time has long since put that right. Heavy power chords and riffs dominate with very dark lyrics. Side one’s unnerving ‘Children of the Grave’, warning of the horrors of nuclear conflict and destruction – Bill Ward’s drums dominating in the mix, culminating with the very eerie whispered Children of the Grave line that shimmers from speaker to speaker with spooky guitar effects – the Sabbs at their most chilling. My personal favourite Black Sabbath album, very dark and menacing with very sinister, eerie overtones. Real heavy rock, no-one did it better than the early Black Sabbath originals. Eight songs of the very best – but not all is heavy. This album includes a trio of more untypical quieter numbers proving this band were more versatile than many suggest. Side two opens with ‘Orchid’, a short but beautiful instrumental with Iommi playing Spanish guitar. The delicate and haunting ‘Solitude’, one of the band’s most difficult tracks on vinyl, often has loud crackle and even distortion. Here it has no distortion at all and barely any unwanted sounds at all. It even has flute and that lovely delicate bell in the background can be heard with distinct clarity, I can imagine this subtle detail could even be lost on a worn copy or missed on a less revealing system – it’s the fine details that sets the quality albums apart. This is a powerful sounding copy of this classic album, and this one mostly plays superbly, best played as loud as possible. This is one of the few copies I have had that plays ‘Orchid’, without crackle, largely the same for the much longer ‘Solitude’. A few sporadic clicks on ‘Orchid’ and so hard to avoid totally, and the odd one here-and-there on the album, but compared to most I have heard, this one of the best, certainly for some considerable time, and if anyone owns a first issue Spiral copy of this that plays absolutely pristine with nothing unwanted, treasure it, because few ever will, that is simply being honest. The box cover was one of those that even when purchased new often had blemishes – I remember my own copy, it had a crease on the front and large areas of non-adhesion. I would think a high percentage had laminate problems straight from manufacture day, and more so when put into shop racks and flattened. How many covers were ever laminated atop of embossed surfaces?, it’s a sure-fire recipe for disaster and very unusual for any cover to attempt it. Any length of stay in a rack pressed up against other records would have soon crushed an even new copy. Many resemble ‘normal’ covers these days, being equally as flat – we have all seen for sure. Many found today are clearly flattened copies that have been ‘rammed’ back into shape. As much as people try to do this, this usually fails miserably. Attempting to do so can actually make the laminate lift and blister badly and anyway, within a short time, it simply reverts back to flat again with the sharp foldlines broken and definition lost. This one is in very nice shape and retains much of its original boxiness, and unlike most-all seen, the edges have only quite gentle tilt, it really does retain much of its original shape and I will insert a thick stiffener inside to make sure it does not get crushed in transit. I always advise collectors to store the record outside of this quite badly designed ‘box’ cover to avoid keep pulling open the ends to access. Being honest, this is not a favourite Spiral cover as wear and damage is almost inescapable if the record remains stored inside (as most-all were, and still are). The top flap has to be opened for access and these become tatty, misshapen and damaged, it’s almost unavoidable. In real terms, this one is somewhat above average and the laminate is exceptional with barely any lifting at all (except a little around the embossed lettering on the front which is totally normal, here actually far less than average in fact). Laminate cannot lie dead flat up against raised areas, some things are impossible. I have taken my front picture without flash in front of a window to try and show the details of the embossing and the quality of the adhesion to best advantage for viewing. The stripes are my blinds just to be clear. Any flash will washout the details from the shiny surface (and this one retains a very nice shine and freshness), I hope this will show what this one actually looks like – as they say, ‘If you got it, flaunt it’.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): this being the original box format with the top and bottom opening flaps. Embossed front lettering and laminated both sides. This has the ‘VO Price Code’, boxed on the back top right of the back. It was printed and made in England by Howards. Few available copies these days will better it significantly for good looks. A cover that does not survive record fair treatment, crushing and stacking and is horribly vulnerable to compression and damage. Practically all these are totally flat, badly creased with unsightly laminate problems, non-adhesion issues are rife on most, often with huge, ugly blisters. Many were like it from day one, and is often considered ‘normal’ by sellers, but what a joy to see one without any large blisters as such at all. A cover of this design could never guarantee full adhesion around the thicker box edges. Often the flaps are badly torn or the top entrance split and tatty, this has avoided any real damage or splits and remains neat. It retains it’s ‘boxiness’ and fine box shape and evidence strongly suggests this has not been forced back into shape, any tilt minimal with the edges uncrushed and erect. It came from a very discerning collector and it remains attractive. This includes a lovely and correct later style ‘black’ swirl inner that is date-coded June 1971. Also a superbly clean unmounted original UK poster. Who would truly want a copy of this metal classic without it?

Lamination: Front & Back: Both sides are laminated as are the edges. To laminate an embossed cover as per the front of this is unusual and probably not wise. But against the odds, this looks very impressive with near full adhesion apart from natural traces on the raised letter areas, but even here, this is way better than most and has nothing unsightly here. The front spine edge has just one tiny blister and a trace near a spine edge crease with is quite small and light. Overall, the back is very similar with a mere sliver and no blisters as such at all. A fine shine is retained with freshness and minimal traces of dulling, even under light. Barely any creasing away from the fragile edges, and even here, there are very few and these mostly quite fine and light. Importantly, no peeling with even the folds still laminated. Forcing these into shape will cause damage to these areas, I have in the past seen such efforts, so I am quite confident this one has remained largely as seen for many, many years.

Edges – Left & Right: These edges are solid and fixed being closed, the left is the spine with the text. The right is solid and uncrushed with just a few very fine laminate hairlines. The left is very similar with again a few mostly fine hairlines, just one a fraction thicker. All the text is present as can be seen on my close-up picture, a gentle crease near the bottom corner with a tiny tip peel (I had to check t his under a magnifier to confirm, it is very minor indeed). All other areas of these edges retain full laminate and they remain upright and uncrushed with barely any hint of distortion to the box shape, gentle tilt only, and I do mean gentle.

Edges – Top & Bottom: Both these edge are flapped and open making them very delicate and prone to getting mishaped and damaged. The bottom is generally neat and fills the open space well, any compression light and again not crushed. Like the top, it retains all laminate with no scuffs and near full adhesion, slight thickening to the back panel being critical, this is the storage edge in most cases and few will avoid traces at the very least. Most owners will remove the record via the top edge, and this has survived well, even the back card end is quite crisp and neat, there are no tears or splits to any part of this cover (or repairs). Regarding shape, almost the same as the bottom one with just a small rub on the very right corner. There is no easy way of opening this top flap for record access, and over time, this will damage the top areas of the cover which has been avoided here, all good indication the record and poster have hardly been removed over the years.

Corners: Allowing for the near impossible task these corner face from no support from opening flap ends, these have faired well with just a small rub on the top right ‘working’ entrance flap. With no tears, repairs or real damage, these retain fine to very fine shape, most of the vertical ones even better. All very commendable for difficult and fragile areas.

Cover Summary: An attractive example, I truly do not think a ‘perfect’ one will exist today, and this one will give most a strong run for their money. It may be a long time before a much better UK cover for this album gets offered – and with fewer and fewer surfacing and being made available, the task gets ever more difficult. Just finding one with so few laminate issues and retaining a true boxy shape and not flattened or crushed is a real achievement. Just a few traces to remind of what an impossible task this is to use and store for over 42 years, this is very solid and attractive, it should please many, if not most Spiral and Black Sabbath collectors.

The Spiral Inner: EXCELLENT: with the correct later ‘black’ format Swirl style format and date coded 0671 (June 1971). This is still fully polylined with a neat clear window – a couple of tiny nick split repairs – even the lining is ultra clear. Just one small right edge split, I neatly repaired to stop it potentially widening in the future, you would hardly even know. Barely any creasing and even ruffling is minimal. Generally clean with only gentle edge darkening to remind of age. This Spiral inner itself becoming sort-after in it’s own right, it is a strong one, beware of other, more common earlier Spiral inners being swapped for this. The ‘black’ format inners were made in far fewer numbers and only came with a select few original Swirl albums.

The Poster: MINT(-): and guaranteed ORIGINAL. Posters cannot be played of course, but they sure can be looked at and enjoyed, no copy of this album is COMPLETE without it. One of the most collectable and sort-after inserts for rock connoisseurs, would anyone really not want this album without it? This is a beauty and has never been mounted and all evidence suggests, barely even handled. Probably undergraded Mint(-) – if this can be found much better these days, well good luck. Matt finished on premium quality paper and folded nice and straight and square – not all were. When folded, this is a near perfect parallel square. All the manufacturer’s folds are exactly in the right places and what a difference it makes – the finer details are so important. This has a genuine freshness and feel (even smell) of a brand new poster, it has no ageing signs at all with no fustiness or age toning (even the white back is incredibly clean, practically as made, please see my picture again). The fold lines are totally unstressed and strong, no weak parts and barely even a hint of ink loss or whites on these folds which tells me this poster has not been unfolded too many times (if indeed at all). Unmounted, unfaded, this is real dark with very deep, fresh colour, just as the day it was made, this has intentional bleakness and its impact has remained untarnished. Clean, crisp edges and corners with no thickening or feathering, any fine ruffle is natural and minimal. Even the back is practically perfect with no marks to be seen. Probably one of the most mounted or used posters ever issued, I remember wall-mounting mine the day I bought it – and why not – that is what they are designed for, to be used? You will not find this famous dark poster much better than this I feel certain – Oh Lord YEAH!

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): this being very critical. I can only see a tiny few ultra fine and faint hairlines which of course, have no sound. One tiny mark near the start of side two has a few, mostly light sporadic clicks as mentioned above. It is incredibly fine and quite surprised any audio affect being honest, not even easy to seen it, but I view all my records under a very bright desk lamp. Very clean with fine shine, intense black and solidly pressed. Clearly very modestly played and better-pressed than most other copies I have heard. Known to be a ‘crackler’ as many dealers and collectors will know, this has minimal surface noise, just a few sporadic clicks (mainly gentle ticks really) a very fine example of this real metal masterpiece, it should please many, if not most collectors (unless near impossible perfection is mandatory), good luck with that.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This vintage Spiral record mostly plays even above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Massively powerful sound that is clear and clean and devoid of the (often) significant crackle found on so many. ‘Embryo’, ‘Orchid’ and ‘Solitude’ the most challenging. Sound quality is superb when played on a quality system, with a wide dynamic range and very heavy sound – volume is essential for maximum fidelity and pleasure. A dynamic and powerful rock classic with grinding basslines, classic power-riffs, awesome drumming and of course Ozzy sounding young and fresh – this guy in his early Sabbath years was phenomenal. His charismatic doom-laden vocal style was never bettered as much as others tried. Any surface sounds are minimal, even on the delicate moments, but as stated several times already, a few sporadic ticks here and there, but not many. The lack of echo or breakup on ‘Orchid’ and ‘Solitude’ was refreshing as the majority of copies have it, and any crackle on these two delicate songs was minimal to none. It can be pretty unbearable on some copies and almost no examples will play these tracks dead silent. Listen for that beautiful detail on the gentle chimes and subdued bell throughout, it could actually be missed on systems not up to the job but is present throughout. The trademark heavy tracks sound amazing and few copies will play much better than this overall. When played on a quality system, the guitar and bass can be heard clearly apart instead of just a wall of sound. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played only lightly and has been generally well stored and looked after. No pressing rasps or distortions, the sound throughout if focused and clear, no groove wear or degrading of the sound clarity was noted. Little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this legendary rock classic – over time, I almost expect issues with the album that is known to be inconsistent for pressing quality, so a few clicks were of no real issue for this listening – I would rather that than persistent crackle or distortion – by far the better of the two vinyl evils. This copy will prove difficult indeed to find significantly better, and I can be very sure, many, if not most will not better this one – and will a near perfect poster be included within a very neat cover and splendid (and correct, date-coded) inner?

End Piece: This really is a very fine all-round example and merits strong recommendation, it could prove very difficult to find much better. A rare opportunity as these are becoming ever more difficult to find as demand exceeds supply. Few original posters are found like this as most were heavily mounted resulting in creasing, marks and fading, many torn down with corners missing or badly torn, even discarded – this was a poster to display and most were (but not this one). The amount of copies of the album offered without the poster proves the point. The Spiral four are often criticised for not being terribly well produced, all I can say to that is these listeners haven’t heard them on a decent system. Sure Paranoid is a little muted at times, particularly the title track. But this album has an inbuilt power and quality brings it out (as well as volume). Total silence on the quiet songs is almost unrealistic, but this has far more pluses than negatives and unless silence is mandatory, this generally excels. Sometimes a few minor clicks or blemishes have to be accepted on the lesser-offered items. The bass grinds and rattles with awesome power, even testing out larger systems - it can shake the foundations, the drums pound and the cymbals crash, the guitars soar into sheer manic nirvana and of course Ozzy’s blood curdling screams speak for themselves - Oh Lord Yeah!!! Forget your lightweight soundalikes, nobody does it better than vintage Black Sabbath. This stunning lesson in gloom was rarely bettered, even by them. In rock music terms, Ozzy was, and still is – Lord of this World.

PLEASE NOTE: this record will be insured to the maximum permissible anywhere in the world at only standard priority mail cost.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 10,000+ items sold in over 12 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.