Moody Blues A QUESTION OF BALANCE UK LP 1ST PRESS 1W/1W W/INSERT NEAR MINT

	£		82
	$		109

THE MOODY BLUES - A QUESTION OF BALANCE

IN   MINT! MINUS!! PLAYTHROUGH CONDITION

VERY FIRST PRESS

STUNNING  NEAR MINT 1ST ISSUE SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:THRESHOLD THS3 
• MATRIX:XZAL-10009P-1W / 10010P-1W
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 2B HI / GF AC 
• PLAYED 1-2 TIMES SINCE 1970
• VERY FIRST PRESS WITH THE 1W/1W MATRIX NUMBERS
• FIRST ISSUE COVER WITH THE FLAP SLEEVE

THIS LP HAS COME FROM AN INCREDIBLE RECORD COLLECTION, WHERE THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD PROTECTED THE ALBUMS FROM THE VERY DAY OF PURCHASE BY PLACING THEM INTO PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVES. THEREFORE VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE RECORDS THAT I WILL BE LISTING FROM THIS COLLECTION WILL HAVE MINT, MINT MINUS OR AT THE WORST NEAR MINT SLEEVES!

THE INNER SLEEVES HAVE ALL BEEN KEPT FLAT AND UNWRINKLED AND FURTHER ENHANCE THE COLLECTION.

THE VINYLS ARE ALSO IN THE MOST AMAZING CONDITION POSSIBLE, WITH A FEW HAVING NEVER BEEN PLAYED, AND AGAIN THE GRADING’S VARY BETWEEN MINT AND NEAR MINT...NOTHING LOWER.

THE RECORDS WERE PLACED INTO THOSE RECORD BOXES WITH HANDLES ON THEM, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN KEPT AWAY FROM EXTREME HEAT OR SUNLIGHT AND COLD.

FINALLY THERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER TITLES IN THIS COLLECTION, SO PLEASE CHECK BACK DAILY FOR THE LATEST FROM THIS AMAZING SELECTION OF 197O'S ROCK ALBUMS

A FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES

THE SLEEVE

THE VERY FIRST PRESS MUST BE MADE BY GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE

SECOND PRESS ISSUES WERE ROBERT STACE

THE FRONT SURFACE HAS A TUCK IN FLAP WHICH WHEN CLOSED SITS INSIDE THE REAR SURFACE (SECOND PRESSES DIDN'T HAVE THE FLAP)

THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SLEEVE IS FOUND ON THE ACTUAL FLAP (I.E WHO MADE IT AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS A DECCA RECORD ETC)

SECOND PRESSES HAD THIS INFORMATION ON THE FOOT OF THE REAR SURFACE

THIRD PRESS SLEEVES HAVE (INSERT INCLUDED) TO THE RIGHT OF THE REAR SURFACE JUST BELOW THE CATALOGUE NUMBER.

FIRST AND SECOND PRESSES DO NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION

THE RECORD

THE LABELS MUST BE WHITE, SECOND PRESSES ARE BLUE

THE MATRIX NUMBERS OF A VERY FIRST PRESS WILL END IN 1W ON BOTH SIDES

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE WHITE AND MAUVE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE WHITENESS OF THE BASE COLOUR IS JUST PERFECT. NO MARKS OR STAINS, OR SIGNS OF HANDLING, JUST WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT ON A RECORD THAT HASN'T HAD MORE THAN A FEW PLAYS. THE MAUVE LOGO'S AND TYPEFACE ARE ALL PRISTINE AND UNRUBBED. THE SPINDLE HOLE IS TOTALLY UNWORN, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A TINY PAPER NICK ON SIDE TWO.

JUST 3-4 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

ABSOLUTELY GLEAMING PRISTINE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. HAS A MIRROR LIKE FINISH TO IT, AND LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS AT ALL ON THE DISC IN DAYLIGHT . UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE SOME ULTRA FINE WISPY HAIRLINES CAUSED BY CLEANING CLOTH, AND A VERY LIGHT SPORADIC RAINBOW PATTERN (NON SOUNDING)

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM DOING WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THE ALBUM PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND AS I MENTIONED AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LISTING, THE RECORDING IS VERY LOUDLY PRODUCED, AND THE QUALITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS REALLY MAGNIFICENT,

THE VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, MEANING THAT WHAT LITTLE PLAY IT HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE DISC PLAYS WITHOUT ANY EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE AND NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER EITHER

THERE IS THE ODD SECOND OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD DURING SOME OF THE LINKING GROOVES AND A COUPLE OF THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES

I HEARD NO MORE THAN 1-2 TINY LITTLE STATIC TICS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL MINT MINUS FOR THE PLAYTHROUGH!!!

DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A FULL LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

THIS IS THE GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE WITH THE TUCK IN FLAP

FINDING A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE THATS HASN'T GOT SEVERE WEAR TO THE FLAP, AND RING WEAR TO THE FRONT, IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. BUT HERE WE HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS  PERFECT. NO LOSS OF THE COLOUR ON THIS UNLAMINATED SURFACE,WHERE ALL OF THE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT. THE FOUR CORNERS ARE JUST PERFECT. SHARP AND VERY SQUARE

THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY ZERO!!! LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

SO THE FLAP SITS AT THE TOP EDGE OF THE COVER WITH THE PICTURE THE RIGHT WAY UP. IT FOLDS OVER THE OPENING EDGE AND FORMS A SPINE COVERING THE OPENING EDGE, AND THE FOLDS BACK INTO THE TOP OF THE REAR SURFACE AND TUCKS INTO THE REAR SURFACE JUST BELOW THE TOP EDGE (HOPE THAT MADE SENSE)

THE FLAP IS ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE

THERE IS ONE OTHER FEATURE THIS FLAP HAS AND THAT IS THAT THERE IS A TINY PUNCH OUT PIN HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLAP. VIRTUALLY EVERY COPY I HAVE SEEN HAS THE HOLE PUNCHED OUT AND THE SMALL DOT OF CARDBOARD IS LONG GONE. THIS ONE HAS IT IN ABSOLUTE MINT UNTOUCHED CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THE HOLE IS THAT THE OWNER IF THEY WISHED COULD HANG THE SLEEVE IN IT'S FULLY OPENED POSITION. LIKE YOU WOULD PIN UP A CALENDAR

THE SPINE FORMED BY THE FLAP IS FLAT AND UNSQUASHED. THE TYPEFACE IS ALL PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE IS NO RUBBING ANYWHERE, AND EVEN THE TIP ENDS ARE PERFECT

THE TWO SIDE EDGES (TOP AND BOTTOM ON MOST SLEEVES) ARE ALSO BOTH IN PERFECT UNRUBBED CONDITION

THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH WOULD BE THE SPINE ON A NORMALLY SITED SLEEVE IS ONCE AGAIN JUST PERFECT

THE REAR SURFACE IS AGAIN IN SUPERB CONDITION, AND UNRUBBED, RICH AND VIBRANT COLOUR NO MARKS OR CREASE LINES WHATSOEVER. IT IS HER THAT WE FIND THE ONLY FLAW ON THIS OTHERWISE MINT SLEEVE. THE SLIT THAT THE FLAP TUCKS INTO HAS AT SOME PINT BEEN PRISED OPEN TO HARD AND BOTH FAR EDGES HAVE TORN. NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE THE CARD OFF THE SLEEVE HOWEVER. I HAVE STUCK THEM BOTH BACK INTO PLACE. OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A TRULY PRISTINE PAIR OF PANELS

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN  UNSPLIT CONDITION., THE BOTTOM TWO CORNERS HAVE LIGHT CREASES, AND THERE IS A LITTLE GLUE AGEING TO THE TOP EDGE

THE POSTER INSERT IS IN MINT CONDITION AND WAS HOUSED INSIDE THE FRONT SIDE OF THE GATEFOLD. IT MAY HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTICED AND REMOVED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER, BECAUSE IT IS JUST MINT!!!!

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT!!!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY