The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers German 1st Press w Orig UK Stampers Doug Sax

$

80

Sticky Fingers

German 1st Press Beautiful toploader Die Cut Warhol Cover w Large Zipper

COC 59100

Pressed with Original UK STAMPERS

T.M.L Doug Sax

Complete w heavy card stock insert

This is the genuine 1st German Pressing from 1971, this is NOT the Electrola 1C edition. I have seen previous auctions list that edition as the 1st press, this is not accurate. The 1st edition is COC 59100. As such this pressing  uses the original UK metal parts.

These UK lacquers were cut in LA by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab in 1971. His hand etched T.M.L scribe is in the deadwax.  Also in the deadwax is Rolling Stones Records (hand etched).

If you look at other UK auctions it is apparent that the A4/B4 combo is more common, this is the A3/B3 deadwax combo, a potentially earlier stamper. The UK deadwax is very conspicuous, it was pressed in the CBS factory, with their distinctive and uniform machine stamped font.  It matches the UK 1st press of this LP in my personal collection. This was first LP for the newly founded "Rolling Stones Records" label, with a distribution deal with Atlantic, however Atlantic never owned their own pressing plants and as such subcontracted their pressing work on both sides of the Atlantic. Interestingly most Atlantic UK pressings of the era were done by Polydor.

Lastly that lacquer was then sent to the Deutsche Grammophon pressing plant in Hanover , Germany. Evidenced by their distinctive machine stamped "Pressed in Germany" deadwax evident on both sides of this LP.

Deadwax:

Machine Stamped A3 

hand etched T.M.L Rolling Stones Records

Machine Stamped Pressed in Germany

Visual Grade: Strongest VG++ under a bright light you can't see anything but a few very faint sleeve scuffs. There is also a little mark unique to these LPs were the zipper was. This isn't a scratch or anything that would affect play. Very Clean. Even other , reputable dealers here would most likely grade this as NM. LP has been cleaned on a VPI record cleaning machine and placed in a new MFSL poly lined inner sleeve.

Jacket: Beautiful Strongest NM-  No wear or faults visible. Warhol's iconic artwork is impeccable, with the top loader design, complimented by the large zip zipper. Die Cut Belt Line, on slightly thicker card stock than the flimsier UK pressing which uses the same design.

Insert: unlike the US, which used a traditional paper inner sleeve the European originals utilized a hard card stock insert. This is very clean and tight NM shape, I don't see any flaws. Again the German paper stock is thicker and sturdier.

About the seller:

I am first and foremost a collector. I treat this entire experience as such, and enjoy sharing these pieces.  My goals is to provide the absolute best pressings with all the detail, knowledge, skill and love they deserve. I have been a serious collector, and have traveled the world to accumulate some amazing LPs. I sell regularly on private sites online, and have built a steady group of repeat, highly satisfied customers. I will occasionally sell on EBay when I have some really nice items to share. I take this very seriously, and have impeccable 100% feedback for the items I have sold. I take pride in my work, and my past auctions will show up in place like Popsike etc.

The majority of what I sell is high quality, 1st pressings.  My personal love for vinyl comes from my goal to acquire the best sounding copies of my favorite musicians. I have extensive knowledge of which LPs are indeed the “best Pressings”, true 1st pressings, and have in most cases heard many copies of these LPs which have enabled me to know which ones sound best. I am happy to past this all on to you.

I have never had a dissatisfied customer with over a 1000 positive transactions. I can count the number of returns and exchanges over the years on one hand. I credit this to my level of detail, attention to quality, and making sure the entire transaction is positive. With that in mind here is a tone of detail about the process

On VINYL Grading:

Let’s talk about grading. I know you’re thinking, jeeze, another EBay record seller with his own special take on record grading, let’s just go to the Goldmine standard, cut the crap and be done with it.  Sounds great but if you don’t understand how I grade based on the Goldmine standard, and considering how people use  these terms on this site, I think a more in depth discussion will help you understand what your record will sound like when it arrives.

I think it is also helpful to understand how your copy compares to other LPs pressed during the same production run. I have a strong working knowledge and familiarity with the vast majority of titles I sell. Why? Because I love the music and want what you want the best sound. Some titles no matter how clean of condition play with more surface noise than others based on who pressed the LPs, and what company they used to produce the copies. As a collector, I have typically heard a bunch of the same pressings, and can comment on sound and how it relates to condition. This can be helpful so you don’t spend the rest of your life trying to track down a copy that plays cleaner, when such a pressing doesn’t exist.

First and foremost, let’s just say 99.9% of all records sold on EBay are over graded at a ridiculous level. As a passionate collector of LPs, this really sucks, you typically have to build this inflation into your purchasing decisions, “If it’s sold as a VG++ record, it’s probably really VG+” even if they are good seller with 100% feedback.  I strive to avoid this; my customers are unanimous in their praise for my grading. I grade conservatively, honestly and in detail. I want to give you as much information as possible about the condition of the vinyl, so you will ultimately know how it sounds.

It is also helpful and informative to understand visual grading as well as play grading. When time permits I try to provide both. Obviously with sealed LPs, or records sold as unplayed, I don’t want to diminish their value by opening/and or playing them. As such I can’t comment or know how they will sound.

Let’s run through visual grades  first. Like any of the other Real sellers on this sight, I grade under a bright light, so I can see any imperfections accurately.

NM: This Record will show no post factory blemishes what so ever. Not even a sleeve scuff. It was probably stored in some type of poly lined inner sleeve, and rarely if ever played, or owned by a total collector or someone with really good preservation instincts but limited musical taste. A lot of these records were purchased with a discount or out of curiosity but rarely if ever played.

VG++:  This LP is often the best you will find of many pressings in my experience. This LP may have some light sleeve scuffing and or inaudible light marks. Will still often have a very high gloss, and will look like new. This grade is often assumed by other sellers to be NM, because the defects may be inaudible.

VG+:  Some lighter marks: this LP has been played and enjoyed but has been well kept, and was probably at least put back in its original inner sleeve. This seems to be my average grade for someone who for the era did a pretty good job of taking care of their records. Lighter scratches/ marks etc.

VG:  This record has marks, scratches etc. this is probably the average condition LP from the 60s/70s. Not completely ruined, but definitely loved and enjoyed and played to death. May not have been stored in a sleeve, removed from the LP a bunch. Often times you can find a lot of value at this grading point. I’d rather have a VG original than some BS made form a cd reissue, and with rare collectible records often the only way to find a reasonably priced copy without spending a few hundred bucks.

I may on occasion sell a record in lesser shape than VG if it’s extremely rare, valuable, and or collectible.

Jackets, Art, inserts etc

Jackets are a lot more straight forward.  I try to take good high res pics to capture it, but will mention any issues; here are my thoughts on grading:

NM: Often times in shrink, the shrink it pretty much fully intact, I’ll try and mention and price, hype stickers etc.  This jacket should have pristine art, as you would have found it in the store: No bends, ring wear, tears, stains, mold damage, writing, seam splits, delamination etc.

VG++: really clean, maybe some slight imperfections like tiny initials in ball point, very slight ring wear etc

VG+: Might have a name written but not typically huge, , fairly standard ring wear (not obscuring the majority of the art) might have some very minor seam splitting scuffs and marks etc.

VG: Tears , split seams, writing, ring wear that starts to dominate the art etc. stains etc

Inner sleeves tend to always separate at least an inch or so at the 6 o’clock point, they also tend to fold, and often left the factory this way. I don’t send a whole lot of time on inner sleeves, or grade them, but I will mention them and their condition. If they have mold starting I will not include them to contaminate the record. If there was custom art/inner sleeve that came with the title I will typically point this out, and mention if it is included or not.

If the record was issued in a generic sleeve, I may include it, but not always, I try to provide recycled Poly lined protective sleeves when possible in order to protect your record when possible.

As far as cool inserts, posters etc, I will include one when possible, I will make mention of this. If the listing doesn’t include mention of this don’t assume that it does include the original inserts.

SHIPPING:

I ship records properly. I will always ship 12” LPs in LP specific mailers. These are new, or in perfect shape on the rare chance I use a recycled mailer.

I take the LP and place it an inner sleeve, OUTSIDE of the LP to prevent seam splits. I have the jacket, Record in sleeve, and any inserts all inside a protective outer sleeve.

I also ship the vast majority of the time with 2 12x12 cardboard inserts to protect your LP. On the odd chance I don’t have cardboard inserts I will use bubble wrap material to ensure the Lp(s) is safe in transit, and won’t incur any damage.

That said I do not incur any responsibility for damage caused by the shipping agent. If you want to insure your package, please let me know and we can discuss costs.

With shipping materials combined with USPS Media Mail, this runs a total of $4.

There are additional costs to ship outside the US. I typically ship 1st class airmail.

I can ship any expedited / insured method you may prefer, at an additional cost.

I will ship to most anywhere in the civilized world, my preference is the US. If I get a sketchy vibe from you I reserve the right to sell the LP to the next highest bidder.

Payment:

PayPal Only. You must pay me within 48 hours of the auction close.

In Closing:

I try to keep all the “rules” to a minimum; I treat people with respect the way they like to be treated. I have put these rules in place based on my experiences as a seller to prevent any drama. Life is way to short to deal with BS. I have a regular job for that J. I am not selling garbage or some faceless commodity. These are historical artifacts, art of the highest order. I spend my valuable time to ensure I do things right with a collector’s perspective in mind. I am reasonable and friendly guy. Please communicate and together I will realize the market value for my LPs and you will get the best possible experience in buying used vinyl via the internet.

If you made it this far you should probably be listening to a record instead. Thanks for viewing my auction.

WCE