Black Sabbath Masters Of Reality Box Sleeve UK Vertigo 1st Press +Rarer Sticker?

	£		46
	$		61

August is going to be big month for me, River.Dog Records as I sell a fair chunk of some of my rarest records, starting next week, there will be some big hitters of loads of genres, PROG, PSYCH, BEAT, FOLK etc. etc. etc.  There will be records of Legendary rarity such as DOGFEET, some mid hitters too, like Vertigo swirl rarity Dr Strangely Strange's Kip Of The Serenes (mislabelled version!), some very limited and highly sought after private presses, such as the extremely elusive (and lovely) TICKAWINDA, there will be Psych/Freakbeat rarities covered with such items as the extremely rare Yardbirds German EP Heart Full Of Soul, The Eyes UK single Man With Money, unheard of UK pressings of Linda Van Dyck (Seduction Song), to my knowledge NEVER released in the UK, and never documented, but there's a UK demo "A" copy (on Gemini Records) going to show it's self this month! And other undocumented demo UK psych 7"s such as, did you ever wish The Crystal Mansion pressed their often talked about track "The Thought Of Loving You" in the UK... well, another original yet to my knowledge undocumented, "A" label demo coming up this month! Plus where would record collecting of the 50s/60s/70s be without some extremely rare Beatles pressings thrown in for good measure, SOLID CENTRES of early UK singles, to my knowledge undocumented overseas presses (has anyone seen a South Rhodesian "Ain't She Sweet", with scroll Polydor labels and a tri-centre? I could be wrong, but I certainly never have caught wind of it on any forums!), Gold Label, Red Labels, Box Set, etc... And some surprises thrown in! This week's listings are really just a billboard to get the right sort of people looking this way! Next week, the condition and rarity will climb significantly! I will update this listing throughout the week, but please watch this space for some REAL rarities! Who knows by the time you read this I may already have started to list some of the real rarities... so check out my other items! eTo make sure you don't miss anything over this month (and indeed future months- we haven't even touched on Soul and Ska in the above list!), please be sure to add me to your favourites list! More information about this item to follow below...! (I am happy to combine items for reduced postage- whatever my postage calculator says!)
Here is Black Sabbath's 3rd album, on first UK pressing, and on the hugely collectable Vertigo Swirl label. Recording started in February 1971 and the LP was released in July, this may sound quick for the time, but in actual fact it was seen as a more leisurely recording schedule, as they were given more time (and money) off the back of the success of their second LP, Paranoid, and the title track's release as a single, (still a huge evergreen hit to this day). Though their drug intake was also upping in a big way, as well as shifting towards coke etc. Many suggest this is their finest released LP (I'd argue that in favour of their stunning debut! But to each his/her own! And this in my book is a close second!). Wherever you stand on this debate, it cannot be denied that this is a really great album, and one of their strongest! A very hard one to acquire, and as many of the extravagant/experimental packagings of Vertigo releases, this one almost invariably suffers in it's own way, this one, having been released as a deep spined/edged "Box" sleeve, is almost invariably crushed/ battered/missing tabs. Whilst this copy has been a bit crushed, it's certainly not as bad as most you see, all tabs are present, fully laminated, and pretty square sides, very happily, in this case, the box has shifted to the side, rather than been crushed and sent a crush-fold down any side, therefore, I think with the right amount of patience, and attention to detail, one might be able to rectify this into a pretty damn nice Box again! The box is a rare stickered copy (I have been unable to ascertain if they all had these from the start, or if a few later copies were stickered with the new WWA code, but I have NEVER had a copy with this sticker on the reverse before!). The sticker is at the top right hand corner of the back side of the sleeve, and goes directly over the 6360 050 code (though it has become a little translucent with age and this can now be read faintly through it), and reads "WWA 008", the replacement code. This is definitely an original UK Box sleeve, (embossed and fully laminated), and has the printing credit at the bottom right "Printed and made by Howards Printers (Slough) Ltd". Perhaps someone else can shed light on this for me, but as I say, I have had a few copies of this box sleeve version over the years, and NONE have had this sticker on... (see photo 4) The inner is there rarer "inverse" (that's black back-grounded as apposed to the usual white back-grouded) Vertigo swirl inner-sleeve. I wasn't sure at first if this was the original one or not (as the collection I bought this from YEARS ago had a few Vertigo Swirls, some of which didn't have the right inners in), but after research I have fully clarified that this was originally released with this inverse inner, and, as this was the one I found it in, it stands to reason, that this is the original inner! The record also has the inverted swirl and background colours on the track listing B-side. This version features Embryo on the label, and no writer's/publishing credits on the labels. Box-sleeve Condition: VG, apart from being a bit flattened/skewed, and a little rub through the laminate and printed surface in one 6mm by 3mm point (visible in the first photo at 3 o'clock of the front cover), this is a pretty nice cover!Really nice laminate sheen throughout, a few cracks in the laminate along edges where flattening has happened, however this hasn't led to peel-back etc, just neat cracks. No cracking/breaks in the laminate elsewhere (other than the 6o'clock rub abrasion already mentioned), very little edge wear on either side OR BOTTOM! Which is very surprising for a slightly flattened Box Sleeve such as this, the corners are likewise, surprisingly strong, with just the slightest feathering. The top opening mouth is pretty damn nice too! Slight handling wear/yellowing to the inside edges, and a little rub-wear to the non-laminated last millimetre-ish edge, a tad more feathering at the top corners than the bottom (strangely!), though still good! Both side spines nice and rich in colour and laminated, the left hand-side is the one with the title/name/catalogue number, and this is Perfectly legible! Nice! The Inner Sleeve: VG, again nice condition, hard to find even without this record, this negative swirl inner is an important addition to any Prog/specifically Vertigo collection! In pretty nice condition, it is clean, with just a bit of age yellowing, but no liquid stains etc. The seams all hold great, absolutely no wear-throughs at all, sturdy crisp edge folds! A small 1 cm rip (though no paper missing) at 6 o'clock from the die-cut-centre-hole of side 1, and 2, 2.5 cm rips at the same place on the back, there are 2 very slight nicks in the top edge, one about 5mm, the other about 3mm, on the back side edge, both fairly central, very slight. Asign of slight foldbacks along the top opening edge. and a storage crease to the bottom left hand corner (where it has lived indie it's sleeve, very slightly bunched for a long time). The poly inner lining has started to come away from the paper along the top edges, though still holds in. Not dated in the bottom corner, this is a "Made In England British Patent No. 800153 & 973939" copy. The Record Condition: G+/VG-, visually, though the audio on the Aside is pretty strong, compared to how the surface looks, a little background noise in quieter sections and very occasionally audible clicks/pops will be heard in places throughout play, though this is noticeable more significantly during the B side. Visually there are many surface marks/light scratches etc, though nothing feelable, there are enough to warrant a VG-! I've tried to catch the worst ones in the light in the photos (there are definitely more on the B-side). The Labels: VG, there is a little rubbing fade near the centre-hole of the B-side label, but more significantly there is a faint turquoise name on the small swirl, though it's so faint, it's hard to make out what it says, possibly "Dooise"...  either way, that lowers the grade significantly, apart from that, a little handling discolouration, possibly a good clean may help this a bit, a couple of light rub lines at about 5o'clock on the B-side label, general spindle rubs near the central holes, visible when held into the light. This copy is very playable, though is not an UPGRADE copy, what is interesting from a Vertigo collector's point of view is the polarised inner sleeve, necessary to any Vertigo collector's collection! And more importantly the possibly very rare stickered sleeve, also if the sleeve were coaxed back to Box-status that would also be a pretty nice copy, and I think is better than most you'd see!
DEADWAX INFO/MATRICES ETC:
Side 1:
6360050 1Y//1\/420 11(second "1" backwards)  14 04
Side 2:
6360050 2Y//1\/420 12 22 04   ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK!

PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IN ADVANCE TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT! SOME COUNTRIES COST ALOT!

I INSIST ON ITEMS OVER £30 BEING SENT INSURED, AT THE COST OF THE WINNING BIDDER, PLEASE WAIT FOR AN INVOICE IF THE ITEM GOES OVER £30, OR YOU REQUIRE IT TO BE SENT OVERSEAS, MANY THANKS!

I WILL OF COURSE MAKE COMBINED ITEM POSTAGE DISCOUNTS!

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BIDDING!

My Grading system:

Based on a slightly stricter version of the Record Collector, Rare Record Price Guide system.

I Don't believe in Mint, I almost only ever hear it from sellers who don't know the grading systems, therefore, you won't hear me using "MINT". If an Item is sealed I will state it as such, but still will only go as high as EX+.

EX+: Sealed, or seemingly NEVER played, if EX+ were to ever spill over to an item that may have been played a handful of times, but incredibly carefully, I will explain this thoroughly!

EX: The top end really, someone has very much cared for this record, else forgotten they've had it! Again only played with reverence, and not played much!

EX-: Very similar to EX, but slightly more realistic, many cared for collections may have a few EX- discs in them, though usually they'll be those James Last records your Auntie bought for you and (hopefully) you've never listened to since!

VG+: Again a very well looked after record, though with noticeable surface marks/hairlines when caught in the light, the worst one may hear is the lightest, very occasional background noise, often not even this on many players!

VG: Same as above, except more surface marks,  and a little more audio background noise, though certainly not detracting from the listening experience. A good playing copy for someone who buys to play the record.

VG-: A little worse, still very listenable, and plays though fine, though might not be the end of the world, if someone drunkenly adds a few more surface marks to it one night! Background noise will be there in some form!

G+: "Good" doesn't really mean good does it?! G+ means it still plays though, though someone in the room, un-used to records (and probably born when minidiscs were already a thing of the past!), will probably make a comment about the crackliness.

G: You won't want to use your best stylus on this one probably! We're definitely in "filler" territory now, unless it's a particularly rare copy, this is a party copy, you shouldn't mind when this one gets a scratch, (you might not even notice!).

G-: If crackling gives vinyl it's "warm" sound, then this one is beginning to become a fire hazard! The likelihood is you won't catch me selling a record at this condition or less, unless there really is special cause (rarity/signed/mispressed etc.). 

I often won't even grade things lower than a "decent playing copy" (VG-), though if they don't play through or are warped etc (even if they do play through), I will mention "JUMPS", "WARPED" etc. etc. either in the title, or near the beginning of the item's description, so there can be no doubt!

I endeavour to be as meticulous as possible when grading, and almost always play test the entirety of every LP and 7" I'm selling (often I make an MP3 back-up of it too... yes I know it's obsessive), but I'm sure one of these days I will overlook something, or someone will have reason to question my gradings (so far I have only had the honour of being told that I'm shooting myself in the foot by undergrading! If an honour, that is!), in which case please do contact me, and we will sort the issue out! 

Please check out my other rare punk/new wave/indie in my other items!

And I'll be listing loads more over the next few weeks so be sure to add me to your favourites list and check in regularly

Alittle about me!

I've collected records for about 20 years, and now have TONNES! I want to go travelling for as long as I can, and as such don't want to have too many possessions to have to store, I also need dosh to travel as freely as I'd like, and therefore selling the bulk of my collection seems the best of both worlds! I love records and will still keep buying them, I'm sure, but I really need to downsize in a big way! I do have some seriously RARE records to list over the next few months, and will price them to sell, so please do watch this space!

And if you're at all unsure, please check my previous feedback for tales of satisfied customers, many of whom return again and again!!

I will of course, if you aren't ENTIRELY happy with your item offer you a full refund upon a quick return of the item, in exactly the same condition I sent it out in, I wont however cover the postage costs- just in order to put off any time-wasters, I hope you understand. I do have here some REAL MEGA-RARITIES, and I understand perhaps your confidence in me might not be complete, as I haven't listed for a while, which is why I offer this offer of full re-embursment. However I am not a fan of the trend of people trying it on and asking to keep the item but want a partial re-fund, I haven't had it happen to me, and want to keep it that way, so please don't try that, I will happily offer your full winning bid money back upon the safe return of the item, and I think that's fair. 

I am very strict with my grading, having been a collector myself for many years, and I try to include as much relavent information as possible on sales, however if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask, I will gladly resond as soon as I can.

One thing I would ask is that the winning bidders do leave feedback, as it's annoying when people overlook it.

I happily offer reductions of postage costs on multiple-items, 

I try grade using direct sunlight which shows up more than anything (hence where poss I take my photos in direct sunlight too), however living in the Pennine Hills, contrary to popular rumour it isn't sunny here EVERY day! So when this isn't always possible, as a backup I also use a 100 Watt lightbulb, though when poss I try to use both.

I feel my grading system is stricter than many I see used, but the sellers I respect on Ebay and elsewhere seem to be of the same mind as me, I'd much prefer to be known as someone who undergrades and you can get a good record from, than someone you have to wonder, "actually is their VG+ quite what I'd expect from that?". Hope I can win you over! 

(SOMETIMES I MAY COME ACROSS A RECORD OF SIGNIFFICANT RARITY/DESIRABILITY THAT MAY HAVE A JUMP/STICK IN IT. IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT I THINK SOMEONE MAY WANT IT (EG. IT'S COVER'S IN GOOD NICK, OR IT'S A PRIVATE PRESSING/PROMO OF LIMITED AVAILABILITY) I'LL CLEARLY MARK THIS IN THE TITLE "JUMPS" OR "WARPED" ETC.)

Good luck and Happy Bidding! Loads more punk/new wave etc. etc. every genre really to come over the next 2 months! so...

River.Dog.