FAIRPORT CONVENTION … Holidays. STUNNING Pink Rim UK LP

	£		26
	$		34

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story - I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested reader – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic , and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Album Title: What We Did on Our Holidays

Track Listing: Fotheringay; Mr Lacey; Book Song; The Lord is in This Place…How Dreadful is This Place; No Man’s Land; I’ll Keep it With Mine; Eastern Rain; Nottamun Town; Tale in Hard Time; She Moves Through the Fair; Meet on the Ledge; End of a Holiday.

Label/Format: Island (Prink Rim).

Label Condition: A lovely clean pair of Pink Rims that only show light(+) and very light spindle traces and no wear around the centre holes. This copy looks lightly played on all the evidence (Please see label scans for all information needed, beauties eh?).

Cat Number: ILPS 9092.

Mono or Stereo: Stereo, not issued in mono in the UK but in the US it was issued for a time in mono (where the cover was totally different too).

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: Even the Pink Rim pressings of this are not common. The pink label versions are quite rare. This masterpiece did not even chart in the UK or US which is a remarkable statistic - how can such beautiful music like this fail to chart? This landmark album is essential, scarce and seldom seen, even on the Pink Rim format.

Original Year of Release: January 1969. this would have been pressed around 1971-72.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9092 A-3U and ILPS 9092 B-4U. The stampers appear to be 1G11 and 1GR

Brief Artist & Album Info: This remarkable band’s second album and first on Island. An album that boasts an embarrassment of influences and riches, binding together to make their own. This was their beatnik phase, treading the psychedelic underground and featuring some stunning gems including Sandy’s beautiful ‘Fotheringay’. Examples of electric traditional songs too in the equally brilliant ‘Nottamun Town’ and ‘She moves Through the Fair’ - neither song, as a by-the-way, was British. Dylan’s masterpiece ‘I’ll Keep it with Mine’ is covered too with a delightful version. Significantly too, Richard Thompson’s development as a unique sounding guitarist and song writer began to bloom. As stated, this remarkable album failed to sell well, and failed to even break into the chart. This would not have been available long on any of the full pink formats and how many copies circulate will be few - available copies in strong condition will be rare. Pink Rim copies in top condition appear seldomly too these days - I would guess sales were still limited. Folk fan or not this record should appeal to all rock and classic vinyl collectors. This is more progressive folk-rock with psych overtones too. It’s my first available copy to offer on the Pink Rim format. This is a strong copy that looks and sounds tremendous. All is explained fully below.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++ - virtually Mint(-) really, single format, laminated front AND back, my recent offered copy on the original format had laminate on the front only. This cover does vary slightly from that one inasmuch it does not have the eye logo printed on it. This one was printed in England by Robor Limited.

Cover Lamination: Very clean and shiny, any dulling is light and minimal. No peeling or dry areas and any creasing is minimal and light which is vitally important. Being a very dark cover, heavy, even moderate creases would ruin this vintage gem - any present are the small, fine hairline types that always occupy the edges - and these are few. This laminate has no indentations and even surface traces are minimal and any pressmarks from the record are light as they possibly get this age - no ringwear I am happy to report.

Cover Front: A bizarre cartoon cover (the US band picture version for me is superior) but this strange, self inflicted micky-take of themselves if pretty wonderful too. This is very attractive with little to really fault. It’s very clean with little wear and even the thin end of laminate area on the edges is neat and unfaded or soiled. A very fine front cover, probably the best I have yet seen.

Cover Back: This back is vastly superior to the earlier version (a huge rarity in itself) as its laminated as well. This, like the front is superb and grades virtually the same.

Top Edge: Virtually unworn.

Bottom Edge: Unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear. Record entered on right outside edge.

Spine and Text: A very strong spine that only states ‘FAIRPORT CONVENTION’ and the ILPS 9092 cat number. Solid and square with little wear, text is near perfect and unworn under the very solid laminate.

Corners: All four show a little minor wear, mostly on the very tips. All still nicely shaped.

Cover Summary: A superb all round example of this classic cover, one that could prove near impossible to find much better. This very attractive item should please all collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++/Mint(-). A superb copy with just the odd light, faint hairline or surface trace, superficial and non-sounding - marks dont get much light anyway. This is a very heavy pressing - no lessening on quality on this later pressing - standards are retained to the highest levels just like the first pressings. Clean, black and retaining fine shine, this copy looks immaculate and will please most collectors.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with little to fault. This plays beautifully and free of any distortion (which is vital), all frequencies are sharp and clear. A fine pressing, any surface sounds are close to zero, this vintage deep grooved copy has very special sound and easily matches the qualities of the earlier copies. The stereo mix and audio qualities will never be beaten. Both channels are clean and unstressed, I feel very sure this record has been played very modestly and has been generally well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this gem - I simply cannot hear this classic often enough. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: Definitive progressive folk-rock the likes that was rarely ever equalled, this album, the first of three masterpieces that included the great Sandy Denny in the line up is a joy from start to finish. Make no mistake, this album is scarce, even on Pink Rim and rarely gets seen, let alone offered in anything like top condition. This plays to a stunning standard with rich detailed and clean sound - crazy as may sound, this sounded even richer than the first pressing I recently sold on Ebay. If, like most, you missed this first time around and you need this masterwork now, this copy I feel sure will delight. Most collectors should treasure this one, its in investment condition and all collectors should love it. Dont think about losing this copy, it might well be a real bargain at a price that’s affordable compared to a full pink copy - unless you treasure seeing a pink copy turning on the deck, you will never know any difference - the cover’s better too. It might a while before another quite this strong gets offered again on any label version. Good luck – Mike.

Payment Details please read carefully:

UK First Class: = £2.50; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £4.00 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £6.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be given.

I accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders own risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.