PINK FLOYD Dark Side of the Moon. UK 73 Complete MINT

	£		145
	$		192

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: The Dark Side of the Moon .

Track Listing: Speak to Me; Breathe; On the Run; Time; The Great gig in the Sky; Money; Us and Them; Any Colour You Like; Brain Damage; Eclipse.

Label/Format: EMI (Orig Black and turquoise blue format).

Label Condition: A nice pair of mint examples. They don't come better, these are like new because they ARE - new. A virgin record, labels to match. A couple of tiny manufacture marks near the centre hole is the only minor flaw on what are perfect labels. Intense black with the beautiful turquoise blue fill to that famous triangle - you may just never see these looking like this again (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Cat Number: SHVL 804.

Mono or Stereo: Stereo.

Country of Manufacture: Gt Britain

Rarity and What’s Here: Well like The Beatles and Stones, in terms of numbers sold this album is pretty common. But, and this is a pretty big BUT - how many very early copies will survive unplayed? - a record, cover (a fragile one to say the least), 2 posters (never unfolded), intact stickers with the backs - ever be found like this? One of the rock heavyweight masterpieces ever made - one of the most cherished and loved bands and album ever - a hi-fi reference recording and groundbreaking sound and some of the best progressive rock music made bar none - Unplayed!! It takes a copy like this into the almost rare category - this album always shows up at fairs, what does the cover look like? - faded, creased, ringworn - this is pretty much Mint! The record, more often than not a reissue, god knows how many times this was repressed - often marked, spindle ridden labels, fingermarks, dulled black and sounding less than perfect. Posters missing or mounted or torn - stickers (what stickers are they?) or tatty and creased. The sealed cover had the sticker too, I retained this as its part of the early pressing. This copy even has a mint, pure white original inner. This record had never been removed from it, it clung like a limpet on a rock. Not since that unplayed Sgt Pepper I sold some time ago have I handled a cover with gloves - DON'T LAUGH - this matt finished black cover has only to be picked up once by sweaty fingers to leave a irremovable finger mark on it (and the UK at the moment is hot and humid). This precious cover has barely a finger mark trace and barely a mark at all - this goes straight into a heavy duty protective cover as soon as this grading is complete. This cover is pretty much 99.95 per cent perfect and finding them like this - even from new - was never easy. Shop handling and customer handling soon made even a ‘New’ cover look ‘Used’, these creased easily and the black soon became rubbed and adorned with finger prints. The two posters are mint, unmounted of course and only now unfolded for the first time for my pictures. The stickers are fine too, virtually mint also, one has a microscopic dink on one edge only. If you need this one in your collection (if you don't have it already), or simply wish to upgrade to one of the best copies probably in existence, well its here, and how many survive in this condition must be relatively few. A gorgeous item and put as simply as possible, one of the greatest albums ever made by none.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: SHVL 804 A-10 and B9. The word Harry in etched on to the run out grooves.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Quite honesty I never thought I would ever see this record, one of the most popular in recorded music history looking quite like this again. A copy that came to be UNPLAYED, yes true. Its now been played once by myself simply for grading, more of a pressing quality check really and also how can anyone not want to hear the greatest progressive rock album ever made as virgin vinyl? This again like the two stunning CBS albums I am offering came direct to the original owner, but it was not the only one, hence unplayed. This still was sealed with the sticker on the front - I have taken off the wrap, how else can I access the contents? - I have retained the original sticker still attached to a small part of the of the wrap. This is an early pressing and the experience of hearing this from an unplayed copy - totally devoid of any distortion or groove wear was astonishing - I can hardly believe its been round 30 years since I bought my copy and this was almost a nostalgia trip experience. There is hardly need to describe the music, how many people reading this will not be familiar with this magnificent work? An album that spent months in the charts but strangely and almost bizarrely never made No 1 - it peaked at 2 (in the UK). The ultimate concept progressive album, light years ahead of its time - little before or since came close to matching it - it made this band mega-stars and little was the same after that. You could search the fairs and the Net for a long long time before you find a copy to match this one - for looks and sound it does full justice for this album’s historical importance - don't settle for less.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-). Gatefold format, unlaminated. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. Even harder to find nice than Led Zeppelin’s second album, its similar in feel but being black even more prone to dreaded rubbing, fading and ringwear. Not this one!!!

Cover Front: Superb and this looks stunning, One of the most famous covers ever made, you need a top copy - this album demands it. This is graded hyper-critically: This is clean, unrubbed, no fingermarks or ringwear. It has a few hairline crease traces mostly near the spine edge - where the spine takes the strain of the contents, most covers have a few and that’s the real nice ones. A microscopic pressmark under the flat edge of the prism but its near invisible. Importantly, there is no chipping on the black which ruins this front. Surface marks are almost conpicuous by their total absence - this front is unlikely to be found looking much better than this ever.

Cover Back: The back is virtually the same as the front - if anything even better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Perfect, I could not even open this to the full extent for my picture, being opened before I did not want to risk creasing the spine too much with pressure. This was even quite stiff to open as far as I did.

Top Edge: Unworn.

Bottom Edge: Virtually unworn, the merest hint of a faint rub.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Near perfect, the most vulnerable edge on this fragile cover, a pin-prick nick near the very bottom of the front flap. Record entered on right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and square with no wear, no text ever printed on this one.

Corners: All four show little wear at all. All still nicely shaped, a faint tip crease to the front bottom, but get your magnifying glass out to see it.

Cover Summary: An incredible example, I have never seen this devoid of edgewear or chipping and this is as close as it ever gets. This strong item should please all collectors.

Posters: Close to perfect, untorn or mounted, their first time being exposed or unfolded.

Stickers: Both near perfect too, the crackbacks are still very solid and clean.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint or as close as they ever get. A superb visual copy . Super clean, shiny, jet black and very solidly pressed. This appears unmarked to me and looks really lovely. A copy played once by myself. Visually a sublime record that should please all collectors again.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Sound quality throughout is astonishing, how wonderful to hear those clocks and chimes, cash registers and best of all, those incredible female vocals on ‘The Great Gig in The Sky’ totally devoid of groove wear and distortion. This even today is pure hi-fi nirvana,and will still sort out the real quality systems compared to old tin boxes. Stereo imagery and dynamics still astounds and with such clean unworn sounds minus pops and ticks this thrills better than any CD version. Okay the odd minute trace of surface sound on the odd quiet segment, but almost too few to mention. The silent opening to the ever increasing volume of the heartbeat plays really quiet - not total dead silence, that is almost unreasonable, but again as close as it gets. Remember this was issued in 73, not a great time for vinyl due to the oil crisis, but this copy is generally a super pressing I will put this copy up against any other and feel confident to beat the huge majority. A copy this clean and fresh is one to be proud of, a rare and priceless copy.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: I have little add really, if you need a complete early pressed DSOTM that is not even run in yet - just the one play, well it could almost be the only one you ever get offered like this. Like the Hendrix album sold recently, this is almost too good to sell, I feel sure this will increase in value fast, but there you go - its here, don't let is go – Mike.

Having the Powerseller Logo: This is recognition from Ebay for the highest possible customer services, satisfaction and quality, it should reassure any potential bidder that all items are described, graded and shipped to the highest standards possible. Customer care of the highest order is a standard feature here and I am proud to have achieved this recognised standard of excellence from Ebay with help from collectors and buyers from all over the World - I thank you all.

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3.00; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £5.50 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOTprofit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more and I often actually lose money on this part of service - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be worthwhile.

I can accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders OWN risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.