I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

Blossom Toes : If Only For A Moment A3/B2 1st Press Marmalade 1969

This classic album is of course very collectable and that isn't surprising when you know how good all the tracks are!  This particular first pressing plays to a very high standard with only minimal interference towards the end of 'Love Bomb' on S1 during the quiet vocal section.  As for the rest of the album - wow!  There is very little static and the clarity, depth and power of the audio is so impressive.  The vinyl has hairlines only and has no scratches - it has not been overplayed and the vast majority does indeed play with Near Mint / Mint audio.

The laminated cover has some wear but there is nothing that stands out as such.  The original 'Plastic Bags...' inner sleeve is very clean with only minimal wear.

608010  A // 3  1 1 2

608010  B // 2  1 1 2

The audio on S1 is Near Mint- (T1 Mint- / T4 Ex+ with one brief VG section)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (T2 intro Ex+ / T3 & T4 Mint-)

The cover is VG++

The original inner sleeve is Ex-

The labels are Near Mint-

Visual description

This vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a strong glossy sheen with no actual marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can see some hairlines but they are superficial as they have no affect on the audio, none of them stand out either.  In a more 'forgiving' light the vinyl is visually stunning!  There is just one tiny mark / hairline scuff at the at the start of S1 but again this has no impact on the audio.  The Marmalade labels are very clean with only minimal faint 'marking' in the centre and only a little spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'Peace Loving Man' plays so clearly with only a hint of barely audible static for the first couple of seconds.  The first two verses from Belshaw play perfectly and the following chorus is equally as strong.  It proceeds in the same way - the psychedelic mid section is superb as is the next vocal section.  Belshaw's voice has such a unique quality and lends itself perfectly to this classic track.  Interspersed with a very melodic chorus this is a stunning version.  The instrumental end section with incredible guitar work from Cregan has no intrusion and it grades as Mint- at the very least.

'Kiss Of Confusion' plays with real quality from the get go.  The intro is faultless and Godding's first quiet vocal is nigh on perfect with barely any static.  It then plays with great clarity with just the one static click near the half way point.  The following instrumental has only very minimal background static and if you're not listening intently you would miss it.  The remainder plays with tremendous clarity and power and Near Mint- is a fair assessment of the audio.

The intro on 'Listen To The Silence' is so clean with such strong, deep audio and the opening vocal is as impressive.  The first very quiet 'chorus' plays with stunning clarity - there is barely any static and the guitar section that follows has only a couple of light ticks.  As the volume increases the playback is phenomenal and the next quiet / silent section is so clean with barely any background.  The instrumental / vocal finish could hardly play any better and again Near Mint- is deserved.

The quiet intro on 'Love Bomb' plays so clearly for the majority with barely any static and only a couple of light clicks towards the end.  The gentle guitar piece that follows plays beautifully and Godding's first vocal has just one mega light tick.  From then on the audio is so strong and there is only a little interference during the quieter section close to the end, there are some light ticks here and 3/4 static clicks at the end but it still plays clearly.  The final guitar section is superb and if there is any inner groove distortion it is kept to an absolute minimum.  I will grade the majority of the track as Ex+ and that quiet section as VG and it is still a very impressive version.  Blossom Toes were a great band and their vocal skills were very much part of that, something very much in evidence during this classic track.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

'Billy Boo The Gunman' has only minimal light static at the start of the intro and the opening vocal section has no intrusion.  The clarity of sound on the first chorus is superb and it continues in much the same way.  There are a couple of minor statics during the mid vocal but very quiet and totally non-intrusive.  From start to finish there are no clicks or pops and the sonic quality is hugely impressive.  Another strong track, the musicianship is superb and that is very much in evidence during the instrumental sections.  If you win this just listen to the end section, wow!  A Near Mint version.

The quiet intro on 'Indian Summer' plays very clearly with only a little static and Cregan's opening vocal section is so clean, the playback is stunning when you consider how quiet it is.  As the pace and volume pick up the audio is as impressive strong and the following instrumental is flawless.  I can get a little over-enthusiastic at times but I can be forgiven when the audio is as good as this and especially on such a classic album!  There is no interference - the next quiet vocal / instrumental section plays beautifully with next to no static and to the end it plays with stunning precision.  The intro is Ex+ but it has to grade as Near Mint from that point on and to be honest the majority is better than that!

The intro on 'Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head' has barely any static and the unmistakable vocal of Belshaw is strong and clear throughout.  Great Sitar work from Phillips and there is no interference here at all.  Quite a 'busy' track and yet the audio does not suffer for it, every note is still so clean and 'fresh' and I would say Mint- is deserved here.

One tick in the dead wax and then 'Wait A Minute' plays with genuine quality from the get go, exceptional clarity.  The first vocal is perfect and it continues in the same manner.  Once again there are no clicks or pops and the quieter vocal passages really do play with outstanding clarity, I detected only a couple of mega light ticks and they hardly deserve a mention as they are so quiet.  The mid instrumental is faultless and the next vocal section is of course so quiet and yet there is no background to be heard.  Superb!  The remainder of this classic does not let the side down either - powerful audio and no inner groove distortion either it really could not play with any greater distinction.  A sublime Mint- version in my humble opinion.

In summary this very collectable album plays with stunning quality and there is really only one brief section on S1 that you would say is intrusive.  Aside from that the clarity and power of the audio is up there with the best I have heard.  I have sold 4/5 of these over the years but never one as 'clean' as this.  With only the bare minimum of very quiet static the sonic quality is so impressive.  It's regarded as one of the classics from the 'psychedelic' era and I am not going to disagree!  The vocals and musicianship are so strong and my only regret is they didn't make more records!  A stunning album in so many ways.

The Cover & 'Plastic Bags...' Inner Sleeve

The fully laminated MacNeill cover has some shelf wear but there is certainly nothing that stands out.  I was going to grade as EX- but perhaps VG++ is more likely.  The edges have hardly any rubbing and the thin pinched spine is very clean with only a 3/4 minor 'crease' marks, it remains 100% legible.  The four corners have only a little, just a touch more bottom right, and the opening edge is superb with barely any handling wear.  The front cover has a little ringwear, some small crease lines next to the spine as is common and also some laminate creasing mainly top left and bottom right but again it does not stand out.  The back cover is very similar.  In summary a very strong example overall with just some typical age related wear.

The original poly-lined inner (dated 0470) is in excellent condition with no side splits and only light creasing.  It has minimal age related fading around the edges and just a few faint spots.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

608010  A // 3  1 1 2

608010  B // 2  1 1 2

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!