I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

The Jam : The Gift A2 / B1 1st Press 1982 w/ Candy Striped Outer Bag

This first pressing is stunning!  Both sides play 'as new' with no background of any kind.  No ticks, clicks, pops or static this really is audio of the highest standard.  Just remembered I did hear one tick in the dead wax between a couple of tracks!  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is exceptional and it honestly plays like it has never seen a turntable before.  There is in fact only very minimal spindle wear so based on this and the sonic quality I suspect it has only been played a handful of times at most.  It has certainly been so well looked after over the last 42 years.

As you can see it includes the increasingly rare Candy Striped Bag which is in excellent condition overall with most of the wear being on the fold over section at the top which is common.   The cover itself is in perfect Mint condition (how rare is that!) and the lyric inner has only very minimal wear and still grades as Near Mint-

POLD 5055 A // 2 ▽ 420 R 1 1 3  ARUN (etched)

POLD 5055 B // 1 ▽ 420 R 1 1 9  ARUN (etched)

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The candy striped outer bag is Ex-

The cover is Mint

The lyric inner is Near Mint-

The labels are Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a superb glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can only see a small number of insignificant faint hairlines which obviously have no affect on the audio.  The labels are incredibly clean and have only the bare minimum of faint spindle wear.

Play grading

The 'spoken' intro on 'Happy Together' is perfect with not even a single dust tick and Weller's opening vocal plays to perfection also.  From then on it plays as per an un-played vinyl - exceptional clarity and depth and no background whatsoever.  From start to finish this is Mint in every way.

'Ghosts' plays to the same standard with no interference.  Foxton's deep bass adds so much depth to this classic track and again there is zero intrusion on the audio.  I cannot emphasise enough just how pristine the audio is!  The final note / fade out has no background that's a measure of the clarity on offer here.  Another Mint track.

'Precious' keeps up this fine start and plays with stunning precision with no interference.  Incorporating many funk elements the audio is Mint

The opening vocal on 'Just Who Is The 5 O' Clock Hero' is flawless and it progresses in exactly the same way.  Once again you can only admire the sonic quality - this is clearly a record that has been so well looked after and hardly played.  Mint

'Trans-Global Express' ends the side with genuine quality.  Driven by strong percussion each note is so clean and precise and it certainly does not suffer from last track syndrome.  There is no inner groove distortion, no background at all, and Mint is again very much deserved.

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'Running On The Spot' is another track that can be described 'as new' as there is no background of any kind.  Mint

'Circus', the one track penned by Foxton, plays with stunning quality from start to finish.  This instrumental grades as Mint

'The Planner's Dream Goes Wrong' also plays to perfection with sublime clarity, power and depth.  Mint

The classic 'Carnation' plays like a dream!  The opening vocal section could not play with any greater precision and the mid instrumental is just as impressive.  Every section plays with crystal clear audio and... you know the grade.  A stunning version.

The classic and unmistakable intro on 'Town Called Malice' plays with stunning precision and Weller's opening vocal is faultless.  This sonic quality is prevalent throughout - the clarity and definition of the audio is comparable to a brand new vinyl not one that is 42 years old!  Mint

'The Gift' ends the album with audio we have come to expect now i.e. no interference and a sonic quality that could not be any stronger.  There is no distortion here and the power and depth of the audio is very impressive indeed.  A Mint conclusion to a stunning album.

In summary this first pressing plays with stunning quality and zero interference.  There is not even a hint of light static the playback is immaculate in every way and you would not be disappointed if you had just bought this record brand new!  The clarity and depth of the audio is first class and with the rare Candy Striped Outer Bag this will grace any high end collection.  Not forgetting the pristine cover and near perfect lyric inner!

The Candy Striped Bag, Cover & Lyric Inner

The rare and highly collectable pink / white outer bag is in excellent condition considering how they are often found.  There is one small 'loss' and a tape mark on the front and the back is very clean indeed.  The fold over section at the top has some wear, a little tearing on each side, but there is nothing that really stands out.  I have taken a number of photos to show this.

The actual cover is in beautiful Mint condition and I have never seen one as pristine as this.  Nothing more to add!

The lyric inner is in great condition with only minimal ringwear at the top and bottom and minimal creasing in the top left corner.  This is on the main lyric side.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

The record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

POLD 5055 A // 2 ▽ 420 R 1 1 3  ARUN (etched)

POLD 5055 B // 1 ▽ 420 R 1 1 9  ARUN (etched)

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!