The Who TOMMY UK LP 1ST No 21263 LAMINATED JUST ONE PLAY EVER PERFECT MINT AUDIO

	£		343
	$		454

THE WHO - TOMMY

IN THE MOST PRECIOUS CONDITION

FIRST UK PRESS WITH LAMINATED SLEEVE AND NUMBERED BOOKLET (21263)

A FINAL UPGRADE COPY IN EVERY WAY

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1 /  B//1   613014 A//1 13   /  B//1  11
• 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 LAMINATED 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 AROUND THE BORDER
• I AM ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER UP ONE OF THE BEST COPIES OF THIS COLLECTIBLE VINYL YOU WILL EVER COME ACROSS. I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THIS VINYL CANNOT BE BETTERED FOR SOUND QUALITY AND APPEARANCE, WITH A SLEEVE THAT IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE TOP EXAMPLES LEFT IN COLLECTIONS. CLEARLY BARELY PLAYED AND VERY CAREFULLY STORED SINCE 1969

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 JUST ONE MINUSCULE SPIDER LINE CLOSE BY INDICATING THE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PLAY THAT THIS 1969 SET HAS RECEIVED

A WORD ABOUT THE DISCS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE IDENTIFIED 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 HEAVYWEIGHT 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 APART FROM JUST ONE OR TWO OF THE FINEST WISPS

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.

FOR THOSE THAT REGULARLY WATCH MY LISTINGS, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I OFFER A SERVICE WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO, IF YOU WISH HEAR THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH BEFORE DECIDING TO MAKE A BID. I DO THIS BECAUSE IT IS WHAT I WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO TO CONFIRM THE LP PLAYS THE WAY I WANT IT TO. YOUR CHOICE IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN BUT IT'S THERE FOR YOU TO AID YOUR DECISION

SO THE FIRST THING TO SAY ABOUT THE REPRODUCTION IS THAT IT IS TOTALLY FREE FROM ANY DISTORTION MEANING THAT THE ONE PLAY THE RECORD HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAS A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS.

SECONDLY, THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE, JUST A PERFECT AS NEW 1ST PRESS STEREO REPRODUCTION ON ALL FOUR SIDES

NO LOUD CLICKS AND NO MORE THAN PERHAPS ONE OR MAYBE TWO TINY STATIC TICS THROUGH ALL FOUR SIDES

FINALLY NO STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND ANYWHERE AT ALL

A PERFECT REPRODUCTION IN EVERY WAY

FOR ME THIS HAS TO GRADE MINT!!!

PLEASE TAKE A LISTEN THOUGH 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 WHICH 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 1ST 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.

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 STICKOUT 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 THAT'S 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) AND NO LAMINATE LIFT EITHER BY THE SPINE WHICH IS EQUALLY HARD TO HAVE IN THIS CONDITION NO LINES EITHER ALONG THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES AND NO LAMINATE THUMB LINES ANYWHERE AT ALL.

THE ONLY MINUSCULE BLEMISH ON THE FRONT IS A REALLY SMALL SPECK OF LAMINATE LIFT ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP

THE  SPINE IS JUST PERFECT. TOTALLY FLAT AND 100% UNSQUASHED AND ALL OF THE LAMINATE IS PERFECTLY ADHERED, EVEN THE TWO LEADING EDGES WHICH ARE ALWAYS WORN ARE JUST MINT!!! THE TOP TIP END HAS A MINUSCULE SPECK OF RUB

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE FRONT. 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 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.

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  LOW NUMBER OF 21263

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED , AND UNSPLIT.

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 MINUS, AND I THINK I AM BEING CRITICAL AT THAT GRADE, MANY WOULD GRADE THIS MINT I AM SURE

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

GARRY