MEGA-RARE SWEDEN KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY PYE LP MINT-

$

436

Hello and Welcome!  

Despite being eBay Vintage Vinyl Sellers since 1999, we have recently elected to auction several vintage and extremely rare albums from our personal album collection under this new screen-name. We pride ourselves as collectors, sellers and most importantly, true purists when it comes to this hobby which has turned into a huge on-line business for many folks.   Unlike many eBay sellers of LPs these days, we still feel compelled to write up complete as well as accurate descriptions of our vinyl in order that no surprises will occur, other than happy ones.  This is why we take painstaking efforts to describe every detail of our play-graded LPs, which never seem to disappoint our buyers.   

This week we are proud to offer one of the rarest, if not one of the most coveted, hardest to find, and unique albums by The Kinks up for auction.  This LP comes from our personal collection and is truly one of a kind in terms of its sheer scarcity, overall brilliant condition, as well as its consistent rise in value in terms of a viable financial investment.    

You are looking at an Extraordinary Rare, Archival Museum Quality Conditioned and Near Extinct 1968 FIRST SWEDISH STEREO PRESSING OF THE KINKS: ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY ON PYE RECORDS NSPL 18233.  Based on our 30 years experience as Kinks Vinyl Collectors, this 12 Track Swedish "Village Green Preservation Society" album is far more difficult to locate than the 15 Track UK Mono or Stereo Versions of the same title, and which VG conditioned copies routinely fetch well over 450.00 GBP.  Yet, the following paragraph details just a few of the reasons why the original 1968 Original Swedish Pye Kinks LP is of such importance to the vinyl catalogue of The Kinks and this band's vinyl collectors.  

Unlike the UK and the USA "VGPS" titles, this 12-song album was Ray Davies' initial intended release for the European market.  This soon-to-be withdrawn 12 track variation was only released in Sweden, France, and Norway in October of 1968. Thus, our pressing is one out of the three earliest releases of what would eventually be considered by many to be the Kinks greatest body of work.  Later releases include New Zealand, two months later in December 1968 and one month later, in Italy (January 1969).  Davies and Pye Records had withdrawn before this specific version was manufactured for UK release, thus the re-sequenced 15-song variation was released in England on November 22, 1968 and in the United States in January of 1969.  Apart from song sequencing, this early version differs by the absence of "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains", "Big Sky", "Sitting by the Riverside", "Animal Farm" and "All of My Friends Were There", and the inclusion of "Mr. Songbird" and "Days", the latter which was a #12 UK hit single released in June 1968.  Moreover, the Stereo mixes of "Do You Remember Walter" and "People Take Pictures Of Each Other" were slightly different from the mono mixes.  "Mr. Songbird" would remain unreleased in the USA until 'The Great Lost Kinks Album's "debut" of this track in 1973 five years later! Finally, the Swedish Original First Pressings of "VGPS" ALL had non-gatefold, completely unique Black and White Album Jackets which were not laminated and, perhaps, most importantly, presented with an Exclusive front-side Group Photo.  This photo can only be found on the Swedish Pye Records Pressing of this iconic Kinks title.  

However, what distinguishes our auction copy from any other one which any collector of The Kinks Vinyl Catalogue or British Psychedelic Rock in general "may have" seen on eBay, remains the most crucial dynamic concerning purchasing an album which is, for all intents and purposes, essentially extinct.  This vinyl specimen has been played TWO TIMES since October 1968 and is in true Mint- condition.  Our incredible Swedish Pye Kinks album has been in my partner's family since its October 1968 release date, and was purchased in Great Britain on its first day of release.  It has remained in "Archival" Pristine condition for the last 44+ years.        

 MATRICES/STAMPERS/RUN-OFF WAX DATA: 

Side 1: NSPL 18233 A-1  *T  STEREO   Stampers: 1/AE/3    Side 2: NSPL 18233 B-1  *T  Stampers: 1/AE/3  STEREO   

Our Goldmine Grading of this or any other album entails a Visual Assessment of the Vinyl, Labels, Jacket, Inner Sleeve and Inserts (If Applicable) as well as an Aural Evaluation.  All pre-owned LPs that we put up for auction are first professionally cleaned with our VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine prior to being Play-Graded on a Denon DP 54-F Turntable equipped with a SHURE M97xE Cartridge/Stylus.  Our Pre-Amp is a Denon PMA 750.  Our Polk Audio Speakers allow one the opportunity to hear any sonic distortion, variation in sound quality such as drops in sound levels, detection of the slightest background noise e.g. crackle, clicking, and, of course, jumps.  All of our albums are stored upright and kept in an air conditioned, smoke free environment and are, or have been protected by polyurethane jacket protectors since our acquisition of them.  

VISUAL GRADES

VINYL:  We are ultra-critical evaluators of any vinyl which we buy, sell, and play since we are collectors.  Upon our acquisition of this "First Day" release, we immediately knew that this was an extremely special vinyl, due to its Full Gloss, stunning sheen, and two wax surfaces which were completely free of any lines, marks, scruffs, or even those"wispy"faint "hairlines" which generally punctuate the visual presentation of a 40+ year old LP.  Our photos of the LP, and we took 4 of them, do not even begin to speak to how magnificent this heavy-weight slab of Pye wax is.  We know that this album was played only 2 times, since the original owner was a relative, a genuine vinylist who collected records from around the world, with his only criteria being that the LP's surface was as clean as possible.  We were the ones who played it the second time, and the album actually required a gentle "push" in order to get it set on our turntable's spindle.  Even the most "Mint-Crazy" collector would not hesitate to have this treasure in his or her collection, as this vinyl glistens and its mirror-like dynamics prove that proper care, handling, and storage, were all that was needed in order to preserve the integrity of such a rare, vintage, and a "usually trashed beyond belief" Kinks title.     Goldmine Grade:   M- 

LABELS:  These Swedish Pye Records Labels are Unique (for the record company) in that both sides have a deep, brown, plum background color with the PYE logo and song titles in Silver Print.  Again, there are no signs that this LP was ever played and this is why we emphasize album labels, highlight "spider-marks" or other lines, and show more than one photo of BOTH SIDES of a vinyl's labels in all of our auctions.  As you will see, there is no spindle wear on either side of the labels, no "spidering", and the center hole remains "factory tight"; in fact, this LP's labels are so "new" as we previously stated, that we had to apply some pressure to this LP's center in order to "push" it down to the spindle of our Denon DP54-F Turn-table for a Play-Grade evaluation!  The labels have a "matte" finish, are 100% vibrant in color and font detail, and are free from any signs of writing, rips, tears or, color fading.  Our photos of these stellar Pye labels will do more than justify what was written here.  Goldmine Grade:  M-  

JACKET:  This jacket is different than any other release of The Kinks "Village Green Preservation Society" Album.  First and foremost, this is NOT a Gate-Fold cover.  Second, it is NOT laminated at all and exhibits a flat, 'matte-like' appearance.  As previously noted, the jacket is in Black and White, thus, it is devoid of color!  We believe that the jacket was made, in conjunction with Pye Records, by a Swedish manufacturer named "SIB-TRYCK-TUMBA".  We cannot be sure of this, but the company's print is on the lower right-hand side of the reverse side.  The "PYE" Logo is on BOTH sides of the cover as is the catalogue # NSPL 18233.  This jacket is extremely flimsy--much flimsier than the UK Garrod & Lofthouse Kinks Jackets which are akin to USA poster-board album covers in comparison to this Swedish cover!  It is amazing that this jacket has not sustained ANY damage, other than very minor signs of proper storage during the past 44+ years.  We will mention these details momentarily as we like to start with the front-side of the jacket in our evaluation.  The front cover depicts The Kinks band members in a Black and White photo, standing in a wheat field and, in the background, there is, what appears to be a mansion or a castle.  Minor Ring-Wear is visible--it is actually more like the LP's indentation on the front of the jacket.  We tried to photograph this faint, nearly undetectable wear (we had to use a slight variation in contrast, sharpness, and definition with our camera) in order to show the 2 places on the jacket which seems to be most visible.  There are 2 very faint lines by Kinks co-founder and guitar genius, Dave Davies' (second from right--see photo) shins and the other crease is by the "H" in the title of the LP.  Please note that whilst these are extremely minor details which may not even be noticed by most folks, we must detail EACH and EVERY issue we see with ANY aspect of the jacket.  "The Kinks" (referring to the title) shows only a touch of "foxing" or rather, results from prolonged storage, such as the black font in this small area, exhibiting tiny signs of fade.  Conversely, the album's catalogue number, the word "stereo", and the 'PYE' logo remain as strong and sharp in print as they were 44 some odd years back!  Before leaving the front jacket, it must be noted that the upper right-hand corner shows a "ding" or a push and the bottom corner shows minor "tip" wear.  The spine of the jacket still retains the title of the LP as well as the band's name, although the latter shows some "minor" rubbing.  The spine print is legible and present, yet the actual spine of this jacket is extraordinarily thin, which makes reading the tiny print font a bit hard on the eyes!  The back of the jacket is nearly pure white, has the titles of the songs, and photos of the three LPs that The Kinks released on "TOPP-LP".  As stated before, only the faintest of an LP's indentation can be made out on this beautiful reverse side, and it also is the only issue of note.  Both the top and bottom rims of the album's jacket are in excellent condition, there are no seam splits anywhere on the jacket, and there is no "feathering" by the cover's opening.  It is incredible how well-preserved this flimsy, painfully thin, and extremely light stock "wafer" of an album cover could have even housed this heavy-weight wax, but we do not believe the LP was ever stored inside its jacket; hence, it is fully worthy of our evaluative grade.   Goldmine Grade:  NM-  

INNER SLEEVE:  This vinyl LP has been stored in an antistatic Poly-Lined Inner Sleeve since its acquisition.  It is further protected by a 18 point bond cardboard jacket protector which, in addition to insulating the LP from any environmental effects, also eliminates any possibility of album ring-wear.  We will also include a 3 ml. polyethylene album protector for BOTH Vinyl and the Jacket.

PLAY-GRADE 

We have taken extensive notes on this LP's aural delivery.  We are selling this epic Kinks album "as is" and as such, we have listened to every track on this vinyl more than once.  On May 8th, 2012, we cleaned the LP with our VPI 16.5 RCM and made extremely detailed notes, as it played on our Denon Sound System. 

As mentioned, this was the album's second time on a turntable and it played flawlessly.  Despite years of meticulous proper and sophisticated storage and decades of simply remaining in a climate-controlled environment, there were no instances of static, crackling, snapping, pops or clicks.  "Village Green Preservation Society" is somewhat of a sad, somber album, although tracks like "Picture Book" and Dave Davies' masterpiece, "Wicked Annabella" play with a mixture of ferociousness without losing the clarity made possible by the stereophonic format.  After hearing every track, at differing volume levels, our notes were devoid of statements concerning loss of "highs" or "moments of static", and neither of us heard any background crackling which seem to be unavoidable on LPs from the late 60s or early 70s.  This wax played as close to perfect as possible!  It also should be noted that the Swedish Pressing was never manufactured in the Monaural format--(Please refer to the run-out wax data)   

A major question for the winning bidder will be whether or not to play the album or to store it, as we have, for the past several years.  The Kinks Pye Record albums have only gone up in popularity, but more importantly, have emerged as a solid investment potential.  We have struggled with the decision to part with this vintage collectable, and had times been different, it would have remained in storage, or, if one of us were daring, perhaps make a dash for that "one last listen before putting her to bed."

Too many vinyl sellers say "Bid now and fast because you may never get another chance at it again!"  Most of the time, these are boiler-plate expressions which are applied to every album that is in its waning moments of auction expiration or worse, routinely applied to that same, tired, common album which no one has wanted since it is available all over the planet.  This Kinks Village Green Preservation Society album, the unique 12 track Swedish version, an album which is rarely put up for auction, happens to be one of those examples of a once in a life-time chance to acquire an epic masterpiece of music as well as a sound investment by one of the greatest musical acts of the 20th century.   Goldmine Grade:  M-

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Payment

...is due within 48 hours via PayPal and must be made in US $

FREE USA SHIPPING!

VIA 

USPS 2 Day Priority Mail With Delivery Confirmation/Insurance!

We Do Ship/Post Worldwide; However, International Bidders Will Need to Accept The Following Terms If They Elect To Bid On This Item:

-All Payments Must Be Made Via PayPal and in USD Currency WITHIN 48 HOURS AFTER THE AUCTION ENDS

-Shipping/Posting WILL Require ALL International Bidders to Agree to have this Parcel shipped Via USPS International Express Mail which allows Tracking and Insurance.  

WE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THIS COST SO THAT ALL OF OUR BELOVED INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS NEED TO PAY ONLY $35.00 USD FOR THE BEST SHIPPING/POSTING SERVICE IN THE USA.  THIS METHOD OF SHIPPING/POSTING COVERS TRACKING, DELIVERY CONFIRMATION AND INSURANCE.  YOUR ALBUM (THIS IS BASED ON AN AVERAGE) WILL ARRIVE WITHIN 5-7 DAYS FROM DATE OF POSTING/SHIPPING.   

-Seller Reserves The Right To Cancel Any Bids From Questionable Bidders (Low Feedback Percentage, Blocked Countries).

**WE NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY**

How Your Vintage Vinyl Record Album Will Be Packed

All LPs won from our eBay listings are first professionally cleaned with our VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine and immediately placed in an anti-static poly-lined Inner Sleeve and/or a polyethylene 3 ml Album Protector prior to being professionally shipped/posted.  All Vinyl is separated from its Album Jacket.  We provide a second polyethylene/Mylar Album Protector for the Album's Jacket, Original Inner Sleeve, and any Inserts, if applicable.  Vinyl is placed between 2 cardboard pads or "stiffiners" and sandwiched between these 2 pads.  The pads and vinyl are appropriately secured and placed inside a NEW, TOP INDUSTRY STANDARD VINYL RECORD MAILER.  The Album's Jacket, already protected with a 3 ml polyethylene/Mylar Protector, is then placed on top of the sandwiched vinyl.  If needed, an additional cardboard insert or plastic "cushioning" is placed on top of the jacket's poly/mylar protector.  Finally, we secure the Vinyl Album Mailer and mark the parcel "Handle with Care" as well as "Fragile" in various spots on the mailer.

We've packed thousands of Vinyl Albums, EPs, Old and Fragile 78 RPM records as well as 7" Singles over the Past 15 years.  Our items have been shipped over the entire planet and we have never had a package arrive to a buyer damaged or had any parcel end up missing.  Delivery Confirmation is Applied to All Domestic Packages as well as Insurance for value.  At this point in time, we Ship/Post World-wide (Excluding Italy Due To Their Postal System's Failure to Deliver Packages in a timely rate which is acceptable to eBay)  and We Use Only USPS Express International (Expedited Posting) Mail.  This is the only way a parcel can be Tracked, have Delivery Confirmation Applied to it, and affords us the ability to place Any Amount Of Insurance on the item.  

Any and all questions about this item, will be answered in a timely manner.  We ask that all questions be submitted via the eBay e-mail mechanism.

Have Fun and Bid on this unique LP!

In the next few days, we will be auctioning several extraordinary items from our collection, including:

• One of the RAREST variants of a UK Mono The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band 4Th Proof album

• A Canadian MONO The Rolling Stones Their Satanic Majesties Request Album

• An Authentic 100% Genuine Version 2 STEREOPHONIC  'Introducing The Beatles' on Vee-Jay Records