The Beatles RARE "Tollie EP" 45 EP w/cover

$

154

Hello Beatle lovers! This auction is for an EXTREMELY RARE Extended Play 45 known as the "Tollie EP", Tollie Records catalog# TEP 1-8901. Obviously, this is not an official release by The Beatles, however, it is as valuable and highly collectible as some of the legitimate Beatle rarities. The information below was taken from www.rarebeatles.com and will explain the history of this EP......The infamous "Tollie EP" - This bootleg EP was custom made by two northwest USA collectors and was released in 1975. Issued with a hard picture sleeve, this was the first fake Beatles record that was designed and passed off as being a newly discovered and previously unknown official release.

The four-track disc included the cuts that Tollie Records (a division of Vee Jay) had released on two separate singles. There were only three legitimate Beatles EPs released in the U.S. in the 1960s, two from Capitol and the VJ EP. So the idea was comically born to "discover the previously unknown Tollie EP".

The cover was painstakingly designed and printed to match the jacket style of the VJ EP, right down to the thickness of the cardboard - measured with a micrometer. The covers, printed in Seattle, were hand-assembled and then later "roughed up" so that no mint copies would be circulated and to add a little "aging". The label color was picked from dozens of shades to exactly match a 1960s Tollie 45 release, with the text and logo matching as well. The artwork was then sent to California for the disc pressing.

The discs were then slowly "discovered" and sold, causing initial excitement in the collecting world. Every top collector at the time believed them to be real. The bootleggers knew that at some point it would eventually be detected as a fake, but wanted to see how long they could fool everyone. Just a few months later it was indeed found to be bogus by several leading Beatles experts. A few minor imperfections in the design of the disc and label gave it away. The main clue was that close inspection of the cover revealed "ring wear" - exposing the fact that the photo was copied from an original Capitol picture sleeve. Since several of the records had been sold for the then-large sum of $150-$200, a full refund was offered by the bootleggers to those who had purchased the EP. Amazingly, not one single person returned their EP, even though upset from being fooled into paying so much for a bootleg. Only a couple known copies have been seen for sale since they came out in 1975!

Pictured below is the rarer "Promotional Copy", and only a few of the ten copies made were ever offered for sale. One hundred copies were pressed of the stock issue of which only ten were released. More than twenty years later, the remaining ninety-five unassembled copies still remain stored in a collection near Seattle.

It had been originally decided that only a few copies would ever be distributed, in order to maintain its uniqueness and rareness. Less than fifteen total copies exist in collectors hands today. In the early 1980s a collector-dealer from California "bootlegged" the Tollie EP and pressed several hundred copies. They were sold at the time for $3.00. Both the cover and the record are noticeably inferior to the "original" 1975 pressing. Later in the 80s, someone pressed a terrible copy of the same 4 songs on a black label "VJ" disc and issued it sans a picture sleeve.......................So, acccording to this information, this copy is one of 10 ever released for sale. The picture cover is strictly graded at M-, only defect is a few small marks on the B-side picture. The record is graded at VG++ on side-1, VG on side-2 due to several tiny scratches and scuffs along the outer edge of the record. I cleaned and played this record, side-1 has a random pop or crackle here and there, side-2 has the same except for quite a few during the first half of "There's A Place" because of the scratches listed above. Here's another weird thing...apparently when the stamper for side-2 was being made, someone made lots of scratch marks across the area where the labels lies. These marks are somewhat visible under the label and coming out from the label across the dead wax area. Keep in mind that these were made before the record was pressed, I'll try to post a pic. Also, you read about a bogus version of the recprd...I have a copy of that record also, auction ending today or tomorrow. Here's your chance to be one of only a few people in the world that have this EP!...........................According to Ebay policy, we accept PAYPAL ONLY. (If this is unacceptable, please message me for further information) Please pay within 7 days of the end of the auction. Otherwise, you’ll be subject to daily invoice reminders via e-mail. Items will be shipped with FREE delivery confirmation for our protection, insurance is recommended for your protection and at your expense as we are not responsible for items received damaged or items never arriving. We always combine shipping on multiple purchases! International buyers: We are not responsible for items that are delayed or confiscated by Customs or any taxes related to Customs. International sales will ship via USPS Express International with return receipt, ONLY! NOTE: If your country does not accept return receipt cards, you will have to pay via cash. Any other requests will be ignored. We always reciprocate feedback. Please message with any questions.  Thanks!