DAVID BOWIE LOW - 1st UK PRESS - SEALED MINT UNPLAYED VINYL - UNBELIEVABLY RARE

	£		400
	$		477

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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The price might seem high, but this is a unique opportunity to acquire a guaranteed mint and unplayed copy of one of the most important records of all time.

This is a first UK pressing of Low which has never been played.

Although American records are easy to find sealed, it was unusual in 1977 for UK records to be sealed.

This was bought in the first month of release from one of the few shops that sealed their records and I never opened it. The cover has some small issues, but all the contents are mint and sealed, and have remained untouched and entirely encapsulated for nearly 40 years.

For the purpose of listing it, I partially opened the shrink wrap (on 12th April 2016) so that I could confirm that this was a genuine first UK press. I opened part of the shrink wrap at the opening, very carefully using a sharp blade. The shrink wrap still seals about four inches at the top of the opening - more than enough to prevent the record from being taken out, so that it is still obvious that it has never been removed.

Looking inside the opening (using a torch) I was able to confirm that this has orange RCA labels and is complete with the track list insert and the fan club leaflet. Crucially, I was also able to see that the date-code on the inner sleeve is 11-76, confirming that this is one of the absolute earliest copies and so pretty-much guaranteed to have the very rare and desirable first press A1/B1 matrix numbers (although this could only be 100% confirmed if the seal was fully opened and the record removed and examined).

This is probably a one-off, unique opportunity to own a GUARANTEED mint and unplayed first UK pressing of Low.

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 play it on, 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 items I sell and believe that they need to be carefully and securely packaged to ensure that they survive their journey through the post.The contents will be protected with rigid cardboard stiffeners and all packages are labelled "Do not bend" and securely sealed with "FRAGILE" parcel tape.

I support the use of recycled materials and so I may 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, 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 these expenses I add a nominal figure to the basic cost charged at the post office. For UK sales I add £1.10, for European sales I add £1.90 and for transactions outside Europe I add £2.30. These are nominal amounts and the actual cost to me is always higher than this. I do not view P&P costs as a means of making money.

UK P&P costs

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Airmail (with tracking and/or signature) to any country OUTSIDE the UK

Europe

First item = £11.70, each additional item, add £1.50.

Rest of the world (anywhere outside Europe)

First item = £14.90, each additional item, add £2.00.

Customs declaration for overseas orders: Please note that for overseas orders outside the EU I need to complete a customs declaration and must enter the value of the package on the declaration.

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 If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.