GENUINE 1ST STATE STEREO butcher cover BEATLES Yesterday & Today CAPITOL ST-2553

$

4,000

DESCRIPTION:
In honor of its upcoming 50th ANNIVERSARY, Wax Museum Records is proud to offer THE HOLY GRAIL of Beatles collecting--a 100% guaranteed AUTHENTIC STEREO FIRST-STATE butcher cover! 
This is one of the VERY few copies pressed in stereo. Those that were released were sent out in June of 1966 only as promotional copies to disc jockeys and reviewers before being recalled. Because the copies that Capitol did receive back were considered "used", they were all DESTROYED, not "pasted over" with the new cover slick. The stereo "paste-overs" that exist today were created from Capitol's stock of covers that had been intended for commercial distribution, but never sent out.
This particular copy was sent to popular Sacramento deejay Johnny Hyde, program director at KROY and former host of KXOA's "The Gear Hour", a nightly program of British invasion hits. When Johnny received Capitol's recall letter for the album, he knew he had a keepsake on his hands, so he kept the disc for airplay, and took the cover home. Of all the records in Johnny Hyde's massive collection, this was the only one he kept his entire life. He passed it along (in a frame) to his son, from whom Wax Museum Records acquired it in 2013. It is being offered here as a cover only, with no disc--exactly as Johnny Hyde owned it. 
This cover bears every every hallmark of authenticity. It has the correct construction, materials, texture, color, EVERYTHING! The number "5" on the back indicates it was printed in Capitol's Los Angeles facility. There is no indication that it was ever "pasted over" or "peeled." It has a "clipped" corner at lower right--the reason for this is uncertain. Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that this is any sort of promotional marking. It was probably clipped by a well-meaning Johnny to eliminate some damage to the corner. His son has no recollection of the cover EVER having its fourth corner. Some light writing on the back reads "Album #1" and "Pg 1". This is most likely a reference (again by Johnny) to one of the many price guides that have listed this as the #1 MOST VALUABLE RECORD IN THE WORLD--probably making note of that fact on Page 1 of the introduction.
The "butcher cover" is without a doubt THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS RECORD. It's story is LEGENDARY, even among people who've never collected records. Everyone knows about it, and a few lucky collectors own it, but almost NO ONE has ever even SEEN  a TRUE FIRST-STATE STEREO copy! Only a handful are known to exist, and it's YEARS in between the times that any of them come up for sale. In terms of supply vs. demand, THIS IS THE WORLD'S RAREST AND MOST DESIRED RECORD! Imagine having the bragging rights to be able to say that you actually OWN one!
We are very excited to offer this MAJOR piece of ROCK & ROLL HISTORY, and have set an appropriately high minimum bid. So this item is, of course, for SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY! Yes, there are more perfect specimens that have been documented, but DON'T WAIT for one of them to come up for sale, for that day may NEVER come! You may never get another chance to own THE HOLY GRAIL OF BEATLES RECORDS!
Again, this item is 100% FULLY GUARANTEED by Wax Museum Records to be AUTHENTIC in every respect. Please see the photos, as they are part of the description for this lot. Thank you for reading, and GOOD LUCK BIDDING!

CONDITION:
Cover is VG+. The spine and seams are fully intact with no splits, tears or flaking--there is only very light edge wear. The corners are sharp and solid with only a very slight bump at upper right. Where the lower right corner has been clipped, there is a very slight bend (detectable only from the back), some minor edge wear, and a loose, creased corner of the front slick has been glued back down. The front has no ringwear--almost no wear of any kind--and is very new-looking. The back has very light wear, some light soiling and the aforementioned writing. Overall, this cover displays beautifully, and has been very well preserved these past 50 years! 
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
No reserves on Wax Museum auctions...EVER.

International bidders welcome!

All photos are of the actual item being sold--stock photos are never used.

Goldmine grading standards for condition are conservatively applied (please see below for grade descriptions). Whenever possible, all records are examined in direct sunlight, then fully auditioned and play-graded. I am one of the few sellers on eBay who is not afraid to use the term MINT when the records REALLY ARE.

Wax Museum Records guarantees your satisfaction with condition, or return the item for a full refund (sorry, partial refunds are not available). Please see our feedback for assurance of accuracy and excellence in product and service. 

All buyers will pay only ACTUAL shipping costs. USPS Media Mail (uninsured) or Priority Mail (insured up to $50) options are available. Additional insurance can be purchased on request, and is recommended. Wax Museum Records cannot be responsible for delays or damage caused by freight carriers.

Combined shipping discounts are provided for multiple lot winners.

All records will be safely packed in sturdy LP shipping boxes with cardboard stiffeners, with discs OUTSIDE of jackets to prevent splitting of seams.

GOLDMINE GRADING STANDARDS

MINT (M) These are absolutely perfect in every way. Often rumored but rarely seen.

NEAR MINT (NM OR M-) NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks.” Major factory defects also must be absent. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (EX) VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking.

VERY GOOD (VG) VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise. Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won’t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written on it or stamped a price tag on it, too.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+) or Very Good Minus (VG–) The record still plays through without skipping, but it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage. A Good to VG– cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing.

POOR (P) and Fair (F) Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them. Covers are heavily damaged.