Buddy Holly First Album: The "Chirping" Crickets

$

199

The "Chirping" Crickets:  Brunswick, BL 54038, Buddy Holly's First Album: Textured Cover:  This is it Holly collectors, the very first Buddy Holly Album, not the smooth cover reissued by Coral but the textured cover album, very rare, and a big bonus, autographed by Niki Sullivan.  The album was first issued November 27, 1957. And I guarantee the autograph is authentic as I saw him sign it myself just before I bought it.  I lived in Overland Park, KS, from 1975 until 2006, near the Missouri border.  Niki Sullivan lived just over the border on the Missouri side then too but at the time I did not know it.  One day I was in my favorite store in which to buy old LP and 45 RPM records, The Record Exchange at 4200 Broadway St., Kansas City, MO, near the Plaza, when I saw a crowd gather around a man.  I listened in and discovered it was none other than Niki Sullivan himself, escorted by the store owner at the time, Ron Rooks.  Ron had the greatest vintage record store I had ever seen. Anyway,  I watched as Niki Sullivan autographed the cover and later left the store, I did not get to meet him personally.  I bought the album right then and there, paid a lot, more than twice what I am starting the bidding at.  Niki Sullivan has long since passed away, but this has been my most treasured Holly collectible since that day.  Enlarge the picture of the area where Niki Sullian autographed it and you will see the "texture" of the cover, also in a couple of the other pic's you can see the "texture" in the cover of the album.  The Record Exchange has since closed and been sold as Ron Rooks tragically died suddenly after moving the store to a new location.  Anyway, I am 66 now and it is time to let my collectibles go to others to hold for awhile (my wife calls my collectibles "stuff).  We both went to college at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX, Holly's home through High School.  I will not sell it for less so don't ask, I have been to the Holly museum in Lubbock several times and will donate it to them if no one bids on it. I paid over $600 for this album.  The cover has brilliant color, in fine condition, seam separation of 5 inches at bottom right of cover, paper jacket for vinyl is plain white and looks too clean to be original, so it might be a replacement. I do not have a turntable and have never played it, I gave it a visual inspection and see a couple of small nicks here and there but nothing major, but again I can not play it.  If I can find someone with a turntable and get a chance I will play it and update this description.  I took the best photos I could of the vinyl so you can see what I see and this album should be framed and displayed not played, too rare to play in my opinion.     I will ship to US destinations only, no international bids please.  Buyer pays postage of $10.00 priority mail (pay no attention to the $4 that shows in shipping cost as EBAY is still living in the dark ages thinking a record of any sort can not cost more tha $4 to ship and will not let me enter more, even priority mail!!!!), insurance included at my cost.  Accept Paypal only and only from a verified US account, payment must be forwarded within 3 days of auction closure. (I started this item at the wrong price of $275, I meant to start it at $199, so I just changed it. My mistake, did not catch it before now. Sorry 4-29-2011)