Superb. Pink Floyd's A2/B2 "Dark side of the moon" solid blue. UK 1st. + extras

	£		1,850
	$		2,208

ON THE 23rd OF MARCH OF THIS YEAR, 2023, IT WAS THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RELEASE OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND ICONIC ALBUMS OF ALL TIME. IN CELEBRATION OF THIS OCCASION, I AM OFFERING FOR SALE A QUITE STUNNING COPY OF THIS ALBUM. 100% ORIGINAL AND GENUINE IN EVERY WAY. TO MAKE THE SET EVEN BETTER, I HAVE INCLUDED A HOST OF EXTRAS TO MAKE THIS A TOTALLY UNIQUE AND VERY RARE SET. WILL YOU EVER SEE A COLLECTION LIKE THIS AGAIN?? DO NOT MISS OUT.  

PLEASE NOTE:-

My highest grading for an opened album is excellent plus (Ex+). I do not use the grading near mint or mint unless the album is either still sealed or that I know for a FACT that it has never been played.

This collection contains 3 albums, amongst other associated memorabilia.

 The main event, "Dark side of the moon" is superb, and grades my highest Ex+. The 50th anniversary album is still sealed and grades mint. The live recording album is guaranteed played once and grades Ex+. 

So for sale here is a super copy of Pink Floyds iconic "Dark side of the moon" album.

Comes with all the attributes of a 100% all original first UK pressing.

Blue tinted gatefold cover, sealed to left hand side and without the round hype sticker, as per earliest press.

Solid blue triangle on the labels.

Matrices are A2 and B2.  

Black poly lined inner sleeve.

Both posters printed on less glossy paper than later issues, with the narrow border to pyramid poster.

Both postcard/stickers, first issue diagonal brown lines across the reverse, FASPRINT crack-back.

Early mother/stampers.  5 / GDR and  1 / GGA.

Also with the superb album, I am including the following items.

1. A fully factory sealed copy of the 50th anniversary album as shown in my photos.

2. A quite stunning double album of the live concert at Wembley in 1974, the "Dark Side of the Moon" concert. Mastered from the BBC radio tapes, pressed on grey and cream 180 gram vinyl.

3. A DVD of the making of the "Dark Side" album.

4. The John Harris book, "The dark side of the moon", the making of the Pink Floyd masterpiece.

5. A replica sticker of the iconic solid blue label.

6. A pen with the heartbeat and triangle prism logos.

I am quite sure there probably has never been a collection like this put up for auction before, and most likely never will be again. 

This needs to go to the home of a true Pink Floyd fanatic who will enjoy and appreciate exactly what is on offer here.

Suffice to say that these Dark Side albums appear quite regularly on eBay, and are not quite as "rare" as some people like to claim!

What is very rare and unusual to find is a copy with the vinyl in truly exceptional condition like this one. All original and genuine first UK issue, with the less glossy posters unlike later very glossy ones, 2 stickers with crack-back on the rear, and correct blue tinted cover sealed to the left hand side, including the correct black poly-lined inner sleeve. All in a really gorgeous condition and also sold with a host of extras.

I will give a detailed description of each part, but please note, this is a visual grading only for cover and extras. The vinyl itself has been carefully listened to and play graded on a Linn/Naim/B&W system. The play grading will be comprehensive with anything worthy of note detailed in full. You will receive exactly what my grading suggests. Please check out my sellers feedback for some rare and expensive Pink Floyd albums I have sold in the past, and the top notch feedback I have received from delighted buyers.

The cover:

                 Original and genuine blue tint to the cover. Very different to the black covers of later issues. Left hand side is sealed. Top and bottom edges and spine have some colour loss from shelf-wear. Inside the gatefold is superb and the cover in general has light colour loss from being shelved against other albums. A very very solid example.

Conservative grading is a healthy VG+. 

Inner sleeve:

                     Really nice example of the black poly-lined inner. Lovely and black. No splits to any edge. The poly lining is fully attached. For total clarity, it has very minimal wrinkling with age, but really all this does is to stop me grading it as Ex+, and knocking it down half a grade.

I grade the inner sleeve as a very strong Ex.

Posters:

            Both posters are present. Both are in super condition with just the fold marks and the odd wrinkle present. The pyramid poster has the narrow borders as per first issue. The band poster has been trapped in the hinge of the cover at some time, so has light creasing. Again, for clarity, there is some discolouration due to age on the back sides. No pin holes. No blue tack. No splits, rips, tears or issues.

I grade both posters as Ex.

Postcard/stickers:

                             Both postcards are present. Both unused. No pin holes, sticky tape, blue tack. There is a crease to the darker one where it has caught in the hinge of the cover, the lighter one is perfect.

I grade these at Ex and Ex+. 

The labels:

                 The iconic solid blue prism labels are in amazing shape. There are only 3 or 4 spindle marks per side, very very clean and almost completely unmarked. This copy has been played rarely since day one. Purely because of the couple of minor spindle trails.....

I grade the labels as Ex+.

The vinyl:

               (VISUAL) Really the vinyl is the cream of this copy. On a purely visual based assessment, I am happy to grade as excellent plus. The only mark I can see is a tiny hairline at the start of "Money" and another at the end of the same track, running into "Us and them". As my play-grading below shows, these have absolutely no impact on the sound quality whatsoever. The vinyl has a depth of shine and a gorgeous black lustre. I have been lucky enough to own several of the first pressings over many years of collecting, but seldom have I seen one as clean as this. 

As this is a visual assessment, I grade as a solid Ex+.

(PLAYGRADE):

From the off, this is a first class example. The sound quality is at the very top of the scale. The clarity, power and detail is the best I have heard outside of the UHQR copy that you need a mortgage to find and pay for. I have no doubt most would grade this as near mint. Even a brand new LP will have the odd sound between tracks or in quiet moments. I never have and never will use a near mint grading unless it is a new and sealed copy. This album starts with the notoriously difficult heartbeat intro. This plays as near silently as you could hope, and has just 2 very soft "dust pops" on the intro to "Breathe" and another 2 at the end of the same track. Hardly even worth a mention, but I want to be totally accurate. I was blown away with the clarity and detail that came from the grooves. The whole album plays superbly. As far as these albums go, this would be hard to top and certainly in my mind it is of final upgrade quality. The bass detail is pretty amazing. Little pieces not heard before kind of jump out. This is a seriously great sounding copy with no issues whatsoever. Almost perfect! Such a bonus having side 2 pressed from the very first mother. As a play-grading, I have no problem at all grading the entire album as Ex+. My highest grading for an album that is not sealed.

As a complete and original first UK pressing with the A2 and B2 matrix numbers, correct blue tinged cover, both posters and stickers, I really have to grade overall as at least excellent. Somebody is going to be very happy!!

The DVD and book are both graded as excellent. The sticker and pen are brand new, mint.

I will post overseas. Postage within the UK will be paid by myself. I will send Royal Mail special next day delivery. If an overseas ebayer wants this, please contact me before bidding to discuss postal options. By default I use Ebays "Global shipping programme" which may not seem cheap, but it covers full insurance and import/export charges. I DO NOT make anything on the postage. I charge the exact cost (often less) that I pay. I DO NOT charge for packing materials and I try to use recycled packing anyway. By mutual consent with the winner if he lives overseas, I will post by other means. This can be discussed after the auction ends. Once I know the winning bidders country of residence I will give an accurate postage cost.

I also dress all my albums in a brand new heavyweight plastic cover and a brand new anti-static inner sleeve.

All vinyl is packed outside of the cover and 2 stiffeners are used in transit.

I have sold many valuable vinyls over the years and am often credited with Fort Knox style packing.

Please bid with peace of mind that what you see is what you get.

If you have any questions, require extra photos, please just ask.

Album will be posted same day I receive the funds if early enough, or at worst the next day.