YES: The Ladder - ORIGINAL LIMITED, NUMBERED EDITION - No. 00003

	£		500
	$		663

YES: The Ladder (Eagle, EDG12088, 1999). Ltd. Numbered edition, no. 00003.
Be excited! This limited edition, heavyweight vinyl, double LP has been sitting quietly in my collection since about 2003 when I was offered around 45 early number copies (Nos. 00002 to around 00045). Sadly, in those days, I could not afford to take up the offer and instead bought just this one copy. No. 00001 was not available, and No. 00002 was in a badly damaged sleeve, so I gave the chap the required £10 for No. 00003. The rest were put out via Record & Tape Exchange in Notting Hill Gate, where many sleeves deteriorated over the six or so months it took for the rest to sell (not that I was monitoring them, or anything!).
So, you've very unlikely to ever see No. 00001, and No. 00002 is in a poor condition sleeve, should it surface. So, here's the next one in line. If only this had been The White Album on this number, I'd never have to work again!
Condition wise, the records were unplayed when I bought this and have only been played twice since - the first time I recorded it straight to CD and the second time was today to play test, just to ensure that there were no flecks of paper from the inners welded to the vinyl, what with the records still having an as new static charge. The sleeve has some light shelf storage at the top and the spine has some creasing. All the copies I saw had similar (mostly worse) creasing - see the photos. All in all, a very nice Christmas present for the Yes lover in your life.
Postage is going to be fairly expensive on this one, so as to ensure correct insurance cover in case of loss or damage in the post. Records will be removed from the gatefold sleeve for postage and some pretty heavyweight packaging will be used.
*    *    *    * Playing surfaces are likely to have light marks from taking in and out of sleeves over the years but these are not mentioned unless obvious (i.e. to the detriment of listening experience or if the record is especially collectable). Condition stated is based on play testing each record, unless stated. All photos are of the record you will be receiving, so please look at these carefully because they can give a better idea of condition of sleeves than my descriptions. Apologies for various reflections of my good self!
The more you buy, the more you save on postage. If you win multiple items, please do not pay until I have invoiced with updated postage. If items are bid above £20 (or multiple items are sold for more that £20), the higher rate of postage will apply so that your wins are correctly insured against loss/damage in the post.
See photos for track details if I have not detailed these. All records/books/etc. from a smoke/pet/Covid-free household. Where possible, packaging will be recycled but sturdy/secure.
Watchers, please note. I do not reduce the asking price if a record is watched but remains unsold. In fact, depending on the amount of obvious interest, I generally put the asking price up for subsequent relisting and generally sell the item at the higher asking price (or higher). If you are genuinely interested, then why not simply bid first time around before I put the price up?
*    *    *    * Conditions tend to be subjective, and with vinyl I won't even use 'Mint' for new, still sealed, un-played records - all records come fresh from the pressing plant with at least some minor imperfection to sleeve, record, inner, etc. So, I start with Excellent for the most part. The majority of LP sleeves from played but well looked after records tend to be what I would call Very Good (which should mean exactly what it says, 'very good'). Judging by most items bought on eBay over the last few years would tend to suggest that my "Very Good" (and, often, my "Good") equates to most sellers' "Excellent".
Tapes and CDs are a bit different. If the cassette casing and labels/CD look as new and the tape/CD plays properly, with no sound imperfections, then I'm not embarrassed about calling it "Mint", though most inlays will be Near New, Excellent or Very Good. I do not include standard jewel cases in the condition - these are easily replaced - but I mention if damaged. In any case, the photos should tell you this.
Note that all records, tapes, books, whatever, are from my own collection and most have been in storage for the last fifteen years or so. Lockdowns, etc., have caused me to revisit and have a bit of a clear out. It's all made me wonder why I have multiple copies of records that I don't even play! There are about 5,000 more items to come from my rambling progressive rock, jazz fusion, folk, folk-rock, blues, 1950s stereo classical and easy listening, psychedelic, reggae, ambient, railway, field recordings, electronic and occasionally just plain 'out there' collection. I've been collecting the stuff since 1966, so now its time for much of it to find new homes.