Rolling Stones STICKY FINGERS UK LP 1ST ERROR GATEFOLD SLEEVE 1-2 PLAY NMINT-

	£		185
	$		245

ROLLING STONES - STICKY FINGERS

IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY CONDITION

FIRST PRESS WITH THE MOST INCREDIBLE SLEEVE

THE VERY VERY RARE MISPRESSED GATEFOLD SLEEVE!!!!

• CATALOGUE:ROLLING STONES COC 59100
• MATRIX:COC59100 A3 / B3
• 1ST PRESS NUMBERS
• ROLLING STONES RECORDS ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX BOTH SIDES
• TML ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX  BOTH SIDES

I have been fortunate enough to find two of these rarities in the past few weeks. I sold the first copy a few weeks ago, and here is the second, in the same incredible condition

THIS IS THE SLEEVE THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN. A PRESSING ERROR ALLOWED A FEW COPIES OF THE ICONIC STICKY FINGERS TO LEAVE THE FACTORY WITH A GATEFOLD SLEEVE INSTEAD OF THE TOP OPENING SLEEVE.

IT IS CLEAR AS SOON AS YOU EXAMINE THE SLEEVE THAT IT ISN'T ONE THAT HAS HAD THE RIGHT SIDE SLIT TO LOOK LIKE A GATEFOLD, AS THERE IS NO RESIDUAL GLUE OR CARD ON THE FLIMSY TOP SURFACE. IT IS JUST A FACTORY ERROR AND ONE OF THE HARDEST STONES ALBUM TO COLLECT.

AS SOON AS YOU SEE THE BACK OF THE ZIP YOU REALISE THAT THIS WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A GATEFOLD SLEEVE, ALTHOUGH ON THIS  YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE ANDY WARHOL INSERT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE ON THE STANDARD ISSUE

THE OTHER INCREDULOUS FACT IS THAT THIS ALBUM HAS ACTUALLY NEVER BEEN ON A TURNTABLE UNTIL TODAY. TO FIND THE RARE SLEEVE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, BUT TO FIND ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC ALBUMS OF ALL TIMES THAT HAS ACTUALLY NEVER BEEN PLAYED IS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

JUST A WORD ON THE DISC ITSELF. UNPLAYED DOESN'T MEAN MINT OF COURSE AND THIS PARTICULAR ALBUM IS WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING NOISE AND CRACKLE EMBEDDED INTO IT DUE WHOLLY TO THE CHEAP VINYL OR VINYL SUBSTITUTES THAT WERE USED IN MAKING IT. THIS ONE DOES HAVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND IN PARTS WHICH I WILL IDENTIFY IN THE DESCRIPTION BELOW,

THIS COPY HOWEVER IS BATTER THAN ANY I HAVE HEARD AND GRADES NEAR MINT FOR SIDE ONE AND EXCELLENT PLUS FOR SIDE 2

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE YELLOW STONES LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLES. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALL CLEAR AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE ARE JUST 1-2 MINUSCULE  SPIDER LINES AROUND EITHER SIDE OF THE HOLE, AND TO FIND THEM I HAD TO USE A MAGNIFYING GLASS, IT'S CLEAR THIS LP HAS HAD ONLY A COUPLE OF PLAYS EVER

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND SHEEN AND LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS IN DAY LIGHT, APART FROM ONE TINY NEAR INVISIBLE HANDLING LINE ON SIDE 2 . AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE MORE FINE HANDLING LINES AND A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE LP FROM START TO FINISH AS I DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I JUST KNOW THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING  ABID.

THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THE FIRST THING TO SAY ABOUT THIS VINYL IS THAT THE CLARITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS PURE FIRST PRESS. EACH NOTE IS HEARD VERY CLEARLY AND THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION AT ALL THROUGHOUT ANY PART OF THE PLAY , BUT WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM AN UNPLAYED VINYL.

AS I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE LISTING, THE VINYL HAS A HISTORIC FLAW WHICH IS THAT IS HAS EMBEDDED STATIC AND SOME LIGHT BACKGROUND. TOTALLY DUE TO THE HOPELESS VINYL THAT WAS USED TO MANUFACTURE THIS ALBUM

THIS ALBUM PLAYS BETTER THAN MOST I HAVE HEARD

SO THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO LOUD CLICKS

THE VINYL USED FOR THIS ALBUM WAS OF SUCH POOR QUALITY THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY COPY YOU WILL EVER HEAR WILL HAVE VARIOUS DEGREES OF STATIC AND TICS PRESSED INTO IT.

HAVING SAID THAT THIS PARTICULAR COPY IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST I HAVE EVER HEARD. EVEN 'WILD HORSES' WHICH IS HISTORICALLY THE MOST PROBLEMATIC TRACK IS FREE FROM ANY OF THE REALLY BAD STUFF

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IS SOME STATIC LIKE VINYL NOISE AND A FEW LITTLE TIC LIKE IRRITANTS, DURING THE PLAYTHROUGH, BUT AGAIN ON THIS COPY IT IS MINIMAL. I HEARD SOME STUFF WHILST TYPING THIS OUT BECAUSE I SIT NO MORE THAN 18 INCHES FROM MY SPEAKERS, BUT WHEN I MOVED AWAY TO NORMAL LISTENING DISTANCE (SIX FEET) I COULD BARELY MAKE ANYTHING OUT AT ALL

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS PLAYTHROUGH NEAR MINT MINUS, BUT IN REALITY FOR THIS ALBUM SPECIFICALLY IT WOULD BE NEAR MINT!!

IT IS THAT GOOD

BUT TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST SLEEVES TO COLLECT EVER!!

FOR ALL THE REASONS I LISTED AT THE VERY TOP OF THE AUCTION

THE FRONT SURFACE IS JUST AMAZING. FIRSTLY LETS START BY SAYING THE THE ZIPPER WORKS PERFECTLY. GOES ALL OF THE WAY UP AND ALL OF THE WAY DOWN, AND IT DOES IT WITHOUT ANY EFFORT WHATSOEVER

THE BELT BUCKLE IS TOTALLY CREASE FREE!! CANNOT BELIEVE IT MYSELF BUT THERE IT IS. ABSOLUTELY MINT!!!!! EVEN THE SMALL TAB ABOVE THE BELT WHICH ALWAYS CREASES IS JUST PRISTINE ON THIS COPY

THE WHITE AREA OF THE SLEEVE IS STILL VERY VERY WHITE AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THE SLEEVE HAS JUST NOT BEEN OUT OF THE OUTER PLASTIC MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES.

THERE IS NO LOSS OF COLOUR TO THE BLACK AREAS EITHER. THERE ARE TWO SMALL ZIP DENTS JUST BELOW THE ZIPPER ITSELF

THE FRONT SURFACE HAS NO CREASES BENDS OR ANY OTHER ANOMALY. NOT EVEN THE SMALL LINES THAT FORM NEAR THE SPINE. JUST A VERY LIGHT TOUCH OF AGEING DOWN THE LEFT SPINE

THE BOTTOM EDGE IS 100% FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR. THE SPINES ARE ALSO PRISTINE WITH EVER LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE AND NO RUBBING OR WEAR TO EITHER OF THEM

THE TOP OPENING EDGE IS AGAIN JUST PRISTINE. IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THE LP HAS HARDLY BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE

ITS ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THE SLEEVE HAS NO RING WEAR OR EVER RECORD SHAPE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD (FEELS WEIRD TYPING THAT!!) REVEALS THE COMPLETE ANDY WARHOL IMAGE, WHICH IS IN ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE CONDITION, AS IS THE REAR OF THE ZIPPER

THE REAR SURFACE IS JUST AS CLEAN AND SPECIAL AS THE FRONT . USUALLY THIS HAS MANY DENTS IN IT CAUSED BY THE ZIP WHICH WHEN THE LP'S WERE STACKED IN BOXES FROM THE FACTORY, PRESSED INTO EACH OTHER CAUSING THE DENTS AND SCRATCHES ON THE REAR SURFACE. THIS ONE IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER ONE I HAVE SEEN, WITH JUST THREE PIN PRICKS, WHERE THERE ARE USUALLY MULTIPLE DENTS AND  TWO MORE JUST ABOVE AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE LEFT POCKET

 THE INSERT WITH THE PICTURE OF THE BAND ON ONE SIDE AND THE RED TONGUE ON THE OTHER. THIS IS ALSO IN MINT CONDITION, AS IS THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THE SLEEVE MINT MINUS

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY