Groundhogs - Scratching The Surface Vinyl LP - 1968 First Issue Mono

	£		33
	$		44

Selling-up my record collection. There are a few valuable ones amongst them. This is a first-issue copy of the 'Hogs very first album, which I got secondhand in the early seventies.

Pictures are my own photos of the items for sale. Photos are part of the description, have a good look.

Cover - Both sides laminated, in good but not great condition. Front - A little piece missing from the lamination and the picture, top left. There is a little impact above and to the right of the guy with the long blond hair. Lamination has lifted along the spine, as we often see. Several "scallops" from taking record out with big clumsy hands. Some ringwear, but mostly still shiny lamination. An old bend to bottom left corner. Edges are good, spine is good, and even the opening is not torn or deformed. Back - Good - lamination has again lifted along much of the spine, and a little loss at top right, where lamination doesn't get to the edge. Creases at top and bottom of the opening, and a small damage at bottom left by the opening, next to the Liberty symbol.

Having described faults in tedious detail, still pretty good

Record - Not the best, not the worst. Side 1 has a nasty looking gouge to track one, and lots of surface marks, including a little area which looks like a multiple meteor strike (you'll see). Side 2 has a (proper) stylus scratch on track 1, and various other surface scratches. NOT scratched all over.

I thought it might be appropriate to do a play test on it. Records from the sixties could take a good deal of punishment and still play well. This record does not skip or catch at any point, and the general sound is very good - sounds just like the Groundhogs (of that era). On side one, you hear some crackles and noises here and there, but nothing excessively loud. Side 2 played very well, I only heard one short spell of crackling.

A mint copy of this would be well into three figures - my start price is pretty moderate.

When I'm checking for damage on records, I look at them carefully with my reading glasses on, in good daylight. This method detects any bits of damage that will affect what you hear when listening to it - and lots that are not audible. Using a spotlight or direct sunlight shows more surfacey marks sometimes, but I don't do that - records are for listening to, not trying to see your face in.

Postage at cost within UK - £2.95. Combined postage is available.

I'm happy to send this overseas, see below for details, if bidding from outside UK.

Dispatch will usually be "next day".

Collection in person is welcome.

I don't mail things personally, to countries outside the UK - ( I mean it, don't ask) - but I am happy to use E-Bay UK's Global Shipping Program, for sending things abroad.

Under this scheme, I send the parcel to an e-bay depot in UK, and they forward it to the overseas buyer.

They have a tracked courier service, for the journey from their UK depot, to the buyer.

This means that I can ONLY accept payments through e-bay (Pay Now button), and I can't send invoices. Combined postage may or may not be possible through the Program - if e-bay shows combined postage for their courier job, I'll do combined postage for the transit inside UK. I can't see information about this until you pay.

International buyers should be able to see a postage cost to their country, you may have to input your location, if your country is included in the scheme.

If your country is not mentioned, please do not bid.

International postage to the following countries will be shown (this is the latest list that I've seen - lotta countries!)

Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria Canada Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Israel Italy Japan Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands New Zealand Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand Turkey Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden, United States, Antigua & Barbuda Aruba Bangladesh Barbados Belize Bermuda Bolivia Brunei Darussalam Cambodia Cayman Islands Dominica Ecuador Egypt French Guiana Gibraltar Grenada Guadeloupe Guernsey Iceland Jersey Jordan Liechtenstein Macau Maldives Martinique Monaco Montserrat Nicaragua Oman Pakistan Paraguay Peru Reunion Saint Kitts & Nevis Saint Lucia Sri Lanka and Turks & Caicos Islands

International postage plus applicable customs charges will probably be shown to buyers in the following non-EU countries - E-Bay collects customs duty for the receiving country: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Russia and USA, and wherever else import duty is appropriate - e.g. Norway.

I WILL DEFINITELY NOT post to countries that are not included in the above lists, and I don't send to China.