The Who TOMMY UK LP 1ST NUMBERED BOOK LAMINATED 100% MINT SLEEVE & PLAYS MINT

	£		686
	$		909

THE WHO - TOMMY

IN OH MY GOD MINT!!! CONDITION

FIRST UK PRESS WITH MINT!!! LAMINATED SLEEVE AND NUMBERED BOOKLET

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1  /  B//1   613014 A//1   /  B//1
• THE MARKINGS OF A TRUE FIRST PRESS SET ARE THAT THE SLEEVE HAS TO BE LAMINATED. ONLY THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF THESE LP'S CAME WITH A FULLY PLAINED SLEEVE. THERE ARE MANY REISSUES AND ALL HAVE A NON LAMINATED SLEEVE. THE DISCS INSIDE ALSO VARY FROM PRESS TO PRESS, BUT ONLY -1 MATRIX NUMBERS ARE TRULY 1ST ISSUES, AND THE LABEL HAS TO BE A MATT BLACK SURFACE WITHOUT ANY RIDGES IN IT EITHER , PLUS THERE MUST BE NO MENTION OF ' SET NUMBERS ' ON THE LABEL
• I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU JUST HOW EXCITED I AM BY BEING ABLE TO OFFER THIS INCREDIBLE 1ST PRESS TOMMY ALBUM UP FOR AUCTION. I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN SOME SUPERB EXAMPLES OF THIS SET BEFORE, BUT I TELL YOU NOTHING I HAVE EVER SEEN COMPARES TO THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THIS 2 LP SET. IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT DID WHEN IT WAS FIRST RELEASED AND YOU COULD EASILY BE FOOLED INTO THINKING IT WAS PRESSED IN 2013. EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHY IT IS TILL IN MINT CONDITION, AND INDEED HOW IT IS STILL IN THIS INCREDULOUS STATE. LOOK ENOUGH WAFFLE JUST READ ON AND LISTEN PLEASE!!!!

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS ONE MICROSCOPIC SPIDER LINE CLOSE BY INDICATING THE ONE PLAY THAT THIS 1969 ORIGINAL 1ST ISSUE SET HAS RECEIVED

A WORD ABOUT THE DISCS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE LAMINATED BY THE FACT THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF EACH LABEL THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS 'DOUBLE ALBUM' UNDERNEATH IT AND IN BRACKETS (RECORD 2) ETC., AND NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE ST 33 MARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL.

 WHEREAS LATER PRESSES HAD  IN  BRACKETS (SET NUMBER 2657-002) ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDER ST 33

THE VINYL

SUPERB ORIGINAL HEAVY DISCS. BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE . THEY LOOK AS GOOD TODAY AS THEY DID BACK IN 1969. NO HANDLING LINES OR ANY SUPERFICIAL MARKS WHATSOEVER, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SEE

PLAYING THE RECORD

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 WHOLE DOUBLE ALBUM SET FROM START TO FINISH. AS I DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, IN THE FIRM BELIEF THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID.

THIS IS ASERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM THIS FIRST PRESS SET IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS BOTH CRISP AND CLEAN SOUNDING. THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC, AND NOTHING OTHER THAN SILENCE IN THE LINKING GROOVES.

NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE AND BARELY A SPLIT SECOND OF STATIC IN A COUPLE OF THE LINKING GROOVES AND MOST SILENT PASSAGES

 A ONE (TWICE NOW) PLAYED 1969 SET AT MOST THATS ONE PLAY EVERY 22 YEARS!!!

HOW THE HELL HAS THAT HAPPENED???

I DIDN'T HEAR MORE THAN ONE OR TWO DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE 4 SIDES,(SIDE 3 FIDDLE ABOUT) AND I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS VINYL MINT!!!!

I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THIS SET COULD NEVER BE SURPASSED IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND REPRODUCTION

PLEASE PLEASE !! TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF 

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE? THIS ONE HAS SAT INSIDE A PLASTIC COVER FROM NEW!!!

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS FULLY LAMINATED AND AS IT IS A TRI GATEFOLD IT MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SURFACE AREAS ARE VERY THIN AND FLIMSY WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN SERIOUS CREASES, FOLDS AND BENDS TO THE LAMINATE, BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY IS THE SPINE AND THE AREA WHERE THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE COVER. SO STARTING WITH THAT, WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON MOST EXAMPLES IS A TORN OPENING EDGE, AND THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT BOTH ALBUMS SIT INSIDE THE SAME POCKET WHICH HAS THE OPENING EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD BY THE SPINE, MEANING THAT THE LP'S HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY SLID INTO THE POCKET VIA THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT THE OUTSIDE, THE SLIGHTEST WRONG BIT OF PRESSURE TRYING TO GET THEN IN OR OUT ALWAYS RESULTED IN A TORN OPENING EDGE.THIS ONE IS TOTALLY UNSPLIT AND RAZOR SHARP!!!

THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE ON MOST COPIES THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL SPINE, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY TORN. THIS IS COMPLETELY DUE TO HOW THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE POCKET, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE POCKET ( I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO) THEN THE VINYLS PROTRUDE A LITTLE NEAR THE SPINE AND WHEN THE SLEEVE IS CLOSED THE VINYL ACTS LIKE A DULL BLADE AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WEARS THROUGH THE SPINE.

ANYWAY THATS WHAT MOST COPIES WILL HAVE SUFFERED. THIS COPY IS TOTALLY UNBLEMISHED

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR.THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, FOLDS OR BENDS ANYWHERE, AMAZINGLY, NO ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLY THERE ARE NO LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE EITHER (UNHEARD OF)

THERE ARE NO LINES ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES ANYWHERE. THIS IS A TOTALLY PRISTINE, CREASE FREE MINT EXAMPLE!!!

THE  SPINE IS JUST UNTORN. UNWORN, JUST MAGNIFICENT, NO LAMINATE LOSS, FLAKE, PEEL, LIFT OR ANYTHING, AND IT IS STILL HIGHLY POLISHED. INCREDIBLE (SORRY TO KEEP USING THIS WORD, BUT IT JUST IS!!!)!  

ALSO WORTH A MENTION IS THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE EXPOSED EDGES AS WELL AS THE SPINE ARE IN MINT CONDITION, NO CRACKS TO THE LAMINATE AT ALL AND EVERY UNLAMINATED EDGE IS UNRUBBED AND UNFEATHERED.

THE REAR SURFACE GLEAMS LIKE THE FRONT SURFACE AND HAS NO LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE AT ALL!!. IN FACT THE ONLY THINGS WORTH A MENTION IS ONE TINY SPECK OF  WHITE ALONG THE VERY BOTTOM EDGE, AND THREE NEAR INVISIBLE LINES ACROSS THE TOP LEFT CORNER TIP

THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING AND FREE FROM ANY  LINES  I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF ALL THREE LAMINATED SURFACE FULLY OPENED OUT, AND I HOPE YOU CAN SEE WHAT SUPERB CONDITION IT IS IN.AGAIN THIS ONE NORMALLY CREASES BADLY BECAUSE IT OFTEN GETS CAUGHT WHEN FOLDING THE SLEEVE SHUT AND MANY WILL HAVE A BEND LINE IN IT, BUT THIS ONE IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!

I HAVE ALSO TAKEN A PICTURE OF THE TRIFOLD INNER SURFACES AND ONCE AGAIN THEY ARE IN SUPERB UNMARKED CONDITION. THE FAR RIGHT SECTION IS THE POCKET THAT HOUSES THE VINYL, AND THERE IS A CLOSE UP OF THE EDGE THAT THE LP'S SLIDE INTO TO SHOW IT IN IT'S MINT CONDITION

THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT COMES INSIDE THE SLEEVE IS IN MINT FLAT CONDITION AND CONTAINS THE UNIQUE  NUMBER: NUMBER '59278'

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED , AND UNSPLIT.A LITTLE RECORD SHAPE, BUT BOTH STILL PERFECTLY WHITE

ANYWAY WHO EVER WINS THIS LP WILL I AM CERTAIN BE JUST AS AMAZED AS I AM RIGHT NOW HOLD WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A VAULT COPY OF THIS ICONIC WHO ALBUM

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE MINT!!!!  IT IS JUST THAT BRILLIANT

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

GARRY