BLACK SABBATH MASTER OF REALITY 1st UK PRESS VERTIGO SWIRL, OUTSTANDING NM AUDIO

	£		282
	$		374

All my items have a full money-back guarantee - if it's not as described you can return it for a full refund.

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P&P charges for bidders outside the UK: Please note that I send ALL international items tracked and insured, which costs more than the standard airmail rate.

For further information please see below for full P&P and insurance details.

 
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THERE ARE 12 PHOTOS IN THIS LISTING. USE THE SCROLL BAR BESIDE THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE THEM ALL.

Outstanding audio on this original 1st UK pressing of Black Sabbath's classic third album.

This has the following 1st press matrix numbers:

Side 1: 6360050 1Y//1

Side 2: 6360050 2Y//1

The disk, the embossed box cover and the Vertigo swirl inner sleeve are all genuine 1st press originals. The poster is a modern reproduction.

Detailed description
Vinyl: The playing surfaces looks superb and have retained their original high sheen with hardly a mark to be seen. The record has clearly been very rarely played. Under direct, bright light, I could see some fine, whispy hairlines/sleeve-removal marks and a slight surface mark on the first track of side one, but there is absolutely nothing significant anywhere. It is very unusual to find copies of Master of Reality with playing surfaces that look this good. The only thing that detracts from the visual appearance is that the record is not perfectly flat (which was mainly only visible when the record is rotating on the turntable). This doesn't interfere with play or alter the sound*, but needs to be mentioned for the sake of accuracy. I have played the entire record and it sounds fantastic with almost nothing to report. There are several quiet parts on Master of Reality that are hard to find with perfect audio (the two quiet instrumentals, the soft 'spooky' end-section of 'Children of the Grave' and 'Solitude' on side two). On this copy these parts sound superb and most of this album sounds flawless. *The only thing preventing me from play-grading the entire album as Near Mint were some tiny, very soft 'blip' noises in 'Sweet Leaf' (almost inaudible) and in the fade/intro between 'Orchid' and 'Lord of this World', caused by the slight lift in the vinyl, but these are very quiet and only mentioned for the sake of completeness. Certainly, those in 'Sweet Leaf' would probably be unnoticed by the vast majority of listeners. This is a superb example which was a real pleasure to listen to. Almost all of this album sounds flawless, but taking into account the minor issues mentioned above, my strict play-grade would be Excellent plus (Ex+). This is superb audio and I think it would be hard to find one which sounds much better than this.

Labels: Both labels look superb with absolutely no signs of damage, writing, stickers etc and minimal spindle marking, suggesting that the record was very rarely played.

Box cover: Nice and clean with no significant issues. There is some laminate lift near the left hand side, some slight creases and mild wear around the edges and corners, but nothing significant. I have shown all the edges in the photos. This is a very presentable example.

Inner sleeve: Original poly-lined Vertigo swirl inner sleeve, date-coded 0671. No splits or tears and just minor signs of age/use.

Poster: The poster is a modern reproduction of the original 1st press poster. It has six panels and measures approx 27" x 18" (inches). It has never been displayed, hardly ever handled and is in excellent condition.

Detracting features not covered above:  None.

Please check out my other items and take advantage of reduced postage costs for multiple buys.

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Information about descriptions and gradings.
My items are always described accurately and fairly. I always do my best to point out any blemishes which might detract from the item and all photographs are of the actual item you will get. I am aware that different grading systems have different definitions and so I try as much as possible to describe items in plain English, rather than simply using gradings. Where gradings are given these are based on the UK RECORD COLLECTOR GRADING SYSTEM. This grading system differs from some other grading systems, in particular the Goldmine grading system. Please make sure that you are familiar with the UK record collector grading system before you bid.

Play-graded vinyl: Although I don't have time to play them all, I believe that records are for playing and so I try to play-grade records whenever possible. I always state in the listing if I have played a record prior to listing it. If I have play-graded the record I will usually only give a description of how the record looks (i.e. not a visual grading). The grading in the listing will be a play-grading and may be slightly different from the grading that the record would receive from a purely visual inspection. If I haven't play-graded the record, it will be given a visual grading.

Play-grading MONO records: Mono records and stereo records have different grooves. A stereo record produces a stereo sound via both lateral and vertical groove modulation whereas a mono record is not intended to produce any sound from vertical modulation. Playing a mono record with a stereo cartridge will create distortion because it is trying to pick-up the vertical (stereo) part of the signal, whereas this is not intended to be heard on a mono record and so is just noise.  Using a pre-amp with a mono switch will eliminate the noise caused by vertical modulation leaving just the lateral groove signal which is how the record was intended to be heard. Based on the assumption that most people choosing to listen to a mono record will have the right equipment to listen to it, I play all mono records via a pre-amp with a mono switch.  My play-grading is based on how the record sounds when played through a mono switch. If you do not have a mono switch on your amp or pre-amp you will be reproducing the noise from the vertical part of the signal and so the record will not sound as good. This is not any fault of the record, it is inherent to playing any mono record through a system that it was not designed for.

Visually-graded vinyl: A visual grading will identify physical flaws (such as scratches) and can help determine whether a record has been cared-for properly. I always do my best to give a fair assessment of any visible marks on the playing surface, but a visual grading will not identify noise or crackle caused by non-visible sources. Most of the records I sell are between thirty and fifty years old and so it is likely that there may be some background noise even if they look perfect. Please see Terms and Conditions below for my refunds policy for visually graded records.

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I have some very simple terms and conditions. Please read them and ensure that you understand them before bidding. Thank you.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• My items are fully guaranteed - if it is not as described you can return it for a full refund, including postage. Refunds for visually graded records which are returned based upon the buyer's assessment of the record's playgrade, will not include postage costs in either direction.
• Your bid is binding, so please make sure you have READ and UNDERSTOOD the WHOLE LISTING before you bid. I will not accept returns where the buyer has not read or not understood something which is stated/shown in the listing.
  
• I accept Paypal and postal orders (in UK Sterling GBP) for all purchases.  I also accept cheques (in UK Sterling GBP) on orders OVER £50.
• Please pay for your item within three days of the auction closing. If you are intending to bid on other items and wish to pay when they have closed, please contact me to let me know. I reserve the right to cancel any transactions and offer the item to the second highest bidder if no contact or payment is made within three days.

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POSTAGE & PACKING

I care about the records I sell and believe that they need to be carefully and securely packaged to ensure that they survive their journey through the post. Vinyl is removed from the sleeve for posting and the contents will be protected with rigid cardboard stiffeners. Packages are labelled "Do not bend" and securely sealed with "FRAGILE" parcel tape.

I support the use of recycled materials and so I may sometimes use recycled packaging. If you wish your item to be sent in entirely new packaging please let me know before paying for it. Thanks.

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P&P charges

My P&P charges are 'totally transparent'. Please read below and if you have any questions about P&P costs please contact me BEFORE you bid. Thank you.

Sending items costs more than just the stamps on the package, but I try not to charge more for packing and posting your item than it actually costs me to do so. I need to cover the cost of packing materials, plastic sleeves, new inner sleeves (where applicable), transportation, fees and charges associated with sending the item (including fees incurred to receive the cost of postage and, where applicable, currency exchange) etc. To cover some of these expenses I add a nominal figure to the basic cost charged at the post office athough the actual cost to me is always higher than this. I do not view P&P costs as a means of making money.

To quote an exact cost for every LP is difficult because of the wide variance in weight (e.g. Abbey Road weighs around 230 grams whereas Led Zeppelin III weighs around 390 grams). But the majority of single LPs, when packed, will weigh around 550 grams and I have based my P&P rates on this.

Double LPs will be charged as two LPs, triple LPs will be charged as three LPs. Box sets etc will be charged according to weight.

If, when you receive your item, there is a significant discrepancy in your favour, please contact me and I will refund the difference.

UK P&P costs

I offer three UK services. I DO NOT offer 'click and collect' or FREE postage, so please do not select these options if they appear in the invoice. However, any item can be 'collected in person' free of charge.

UK Standard service - items valued below £80 are usually sent using first class recorded post. The cost for this is as follows:

One to three LPs (with a combined total value below £80 and weighing less than 1Kg) = £5.20.

Four to six LPs (with a combined total value below £80 and weighing less than 2Kg) = £7.70.

UK Economy service - items valued below £80 can be sent using second class recorded post. The cost for this is as follows:

One to six LPs (with a combined total value below £80 and weighing less than 2Kg) = £4.70.

UK Special Delivery - Any order valued over £80 will be sent fully insured using Royal Mail Special Delivery and the total cost of this will be £9.35 for one to four LPs and £12.00 for five or more LPs . Please wait for my invoice before paying.

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Airmail (tracked and/or signed) to any country OUTSIDE the UK

Europe

First LP or 12" = £13.60, each additional LP or 12" add £2.20.

Rest of the world (anywhere outside Europe)

First LP or 12" = £17.50, each additional LP or 12" add £3.80.

Please note that overseas orders outside the EU need a customs declaration with the value of the package.

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 If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.