VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR - My Room / Still Life 7" M-/EX+ TEST PRESS CRAZY RARE

	£		343
	$		454

Welcome to the World of MacLizardking’s Music.

Greetings music lovers and welcome back to my vinyl listings here on the ‘Bay. We find ourselves in strange and a slightly unnerving times, so, what better treat, than to invest in a little slice of pleasure! I’ve finally ‘fessed-up to myself that I’ve way too many slices of vinyl (yes, it is possible!) hence it’s time, to sell off my remaining 7” collection, as, frankly, I’m rapidly running out of space! Please note, I am not an e-Bay business, just a vinyl enthusiast who lists and dispatches as best I can, but with quality of service and product still my prime mantras from the start to finish of the process. 

Here’s the MacLizardking deal…

·       I grade honestly to a STRICT “Record Collector” grading system, as detailed within the review. 

·       I ONLY sell quality vinyl, some rare, some far less so, but always the best I can find. 

·       If it says “NM”, it means “NM” and “EX” is still a beautiful item, both physically and aurally.

·       Start prices are NOT indicative of condition, so there’s serious potential bargains to be had.

·       Every record is both visually and aurally inspected. The ONLY way to appoint an accurate grading.

·       I l feedback when you pay… no “ransoming” here! You’ve done your bit, so now it’s up to me.

·       I package each item personally and with a ludicrous level of care…practically a work of art! 

·       Each single is rehoused in a new paper sleeve, and all rehoused in a polly-slip with the original. 

·       Please see the final photo within the selection above for an example of my packaging.

·       I strive to provide the VERY best product and services possible, with detailed, accurate descriptions.

·       I do all this as I genuinely love both music and people, and eBay is a fantastic forum for both.

·       PLEASE check my feedback… it even amazes me as to how kind buyer’s comments can be!

Peace, love and, in the ‘20s, good health!

MacLizardking.

MacLizardking is delighted to offer for sale at auction...    

Artiste: Van Der Graaf Generator

Track Listing:

Side A:

·       Still Life

Side AA:

·       My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)

Label: The Famous Charisma Label

Catalogue Number: None

Country of Origin: UK – unstated.

Original Year of Release: 1975 – unstated.

Matrix Numbers (a/b): BB 2   A//1  T  1  1  JONZ  / BB 2  *  B//1  T  1 1   1

Mono or Stereo: Stereo

Introduction and MacLizardking’s Commentary: So, here is the final listing from my 7” collection, and it’s one I’ve truly agonised over parting with, but given the incredible levels of interest on the last sale, it feels right to finish on something really, really special … the rarest of the rare … a “non-existent” Van der Graff Generator single.

At the bottom of a Famous Charisma DJ Promo Box, one of a pair I had bought a decade or so ago as part of a larger collection, I discovered this … a test-pressing, but, obviously, with no label detail what-so-ever. Having investigated and undertaken some serious detective work, I tracked this down to being a 33 1/3 rpm single from Van Der Graaf Generator, dating from circa 1975 (as did most of the other titles in the box) and the “Still Life” album by Peter Hammill and the band.

However, the really interesting thing is, this doesn’t exist! I cannot find any record of this existing anywhere, ever, not on Record Collector, Discogs or, until I parted with the only other copy I’ve seen, even on e-Bay. Within each of the Promo sets, there was a selection of mid-70s pressings, pretty much replicated in each DJ-Box, and, delightfully, there was a second copy of this. 

This is the final opportunity to secure this rarity and hope there’s some VdGG or Peter Hammill fans out there that want this rare and special gem in their collection.

As above, all listings benefit from a careful play-grade on my “every-glitch-audible” set-up of classic wooden Revolver deck and TEAC amp, all pulsing through a rather splendid pair of Mission P-755, rosewood floor-standers.

Detailed Cover & Inner-sleeve Review.

Sleeve grading: M-

Comment: All, as new, but, isn’t ‘new’! Original paper slip, with a miniscule blotch on the seam as pictured.

Record Collector Sleeve Gradings;

M (Mint): “The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition” 

NM (Near Mint): As M, but also as “Sod’s Law” occasionally dictates, with one miniscule physical flaw, that has no effect on the overall quality of the item yet means it’s no longer “perfect”; i.e. a solitary tiny rub-mark or dink. 

M- (Mint Minus): A notch below NM, but indicating a cover that’s still in fantastic condition, though it‘s just possible to see it’s been slid carefully in and out of a collection over the years; i.e. lightest speckled lower edge ware, the odd tiny stress crease to or a whisper of fuzzing to extremities of the corner tips. 

EX (Excellent): “The cover and packaging might have light wear and/or creasing”.

VG (Very Good): “Normal wear and tear on the cover and extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable”.

G (Good): “The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration etc”.

F (Fair): “The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced”.

P (Poor): “The cover or contents will be badly damaged or partly missing”.

Detailed Vinyl/s & Labels Review.

Visual Vinyl grading: M-

Audio Vinyl grading: EX+

Comment: Looks perfect, and plays beautifully, both sides. Infinitesimal surface noise on the intro and a few LIGHTEST, sporadic backgrounds ticks on “In My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)”, all else an utter delight; and am ecstatic to report beside the lightest whisper of top-end crackle on the intro of “Still Life”, before it all gets superbly VdGG-funky, all else perfect. I suspect (due to perfect visuals) these may benefit from a whirl on a pro-cleaner … indeed, the fact this is a slower rpm on a 7” format may also have exacerbated the effect? So, it’s NOT “mint”, but the audio tone is still superb, it plays without skips or interruptions and, indeed, it’s a miracle this even exists! I expect it’s been tossed to the back of a collection with the other, identifiable singles, assumed to be a miss-press, rather than what I now know this to be … a seriously rare Prog-Rock test pressing … of which I have only ever seen TWO in existence and can find no record (pardon the pun) of any other copies! 

Record Collector Vinyl Gradings; 

M (Mint): “The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality.” 

NM (Near Mint): As above, but, as “Sod’s Law” occasionally dictates, with one miniscule physical flaw, as detailed above, that has no effect on the overall quality of the item, yet means it’s no longer “perfect”; i.e. a solitary spindle-mark, production mark or blush, but still aurally perfect.

M- (Mint Minus): Still a truly beautiful vinyl, that it’s just possible to spot that it’s been played before. Possibly the lightest of paper-marks on the physical or even a whisper of crackle on the play-in’s alone, but still practical perfection on the aural.

EX (Excellent): “The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality”.

VG (Very Good): “The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch”.

G (Good): “The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches”

F (Fair): “The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump”.

P (Poor): “The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise etc”.

B (Bad): “The record is unplayable or might even be broken and is only of use as a collection-filler”.

After the auction…

Informed customers are happy customers!

Expect to receive the following mails;

1. Initial “You’ve Won!” invoice e-mail, all offering registration/insurance to £30.00 coverage. 

2. Payment received e-mail. Feedback is also left at this stage. You’ve done your bit, so now it’s up to me!

3. Dispatch notification e-mail; your gem is on the way!

Postage & Packaging Charges and Payment Method: 

P&P Prices:

All postage and packaging costs for this record are detailed within the listing header above and are non-negotiable. Additional items will be costed as per the chart below.

I dispatch Worldwide, with global locations split as follows: UK / Europe / RoW Zone 1  (all none Zone 2) / RoW Zone 2 - Oz, NZ, Papua New Guinea & Singapore.

I will combine multiple items up to a maximum of FIVE discs per package. As per the grid below, an additional 2 or 3 discs are at NO EXTRA CHARGE!

45s

UK

Europe

Zone 1

Zone 2

No
of 
Discs

Type

Standard

Signed For

Standard

Tracked & Signed For

Standard

Tracked & Signed For

Standard

Tracked & Signed For

1

Large Letter

£2.00 

£3.00 

£4.50 

£9.00 

£5.50 

£10.50 

£6.00 

£10.50 

2

Large Letter

£2.00 

£3.00 

£4.50 

£9.00 

£5.50 

£10.50 

£6.00 

£10.50 

3

Large Letter

£2.00 

£3.00 

£4.50 

£9.00 

£5.50 

£10.50 

£6.00 

£10.50 

4

Small Parcel

£4.00 

£5.00 

£5.50 

£10.00 

£7.00 

£11.50 

£7.50 

£12.00 

5

Small Parcel

£4.00 

£5.00 

£7.50 

£12.00 

£10.50 

£15.00 

£11.00 

£15.50 

Please note: Obviously, things are all a bit insane at the moment and trips to the post office a rare, but necessary treat, so I will dispatch as soon as I can, but it might take a little longer than usual – hence the ’10 working day” disclaimer.

I always try to post as quickly as possible after payment is received, but no longer have the luxury of living next door to a post office. Therefore, it’s usually going to be the Saturday morning after you’ve paid that I head from the wilderness to dispatch your beautifully packaged slice of vinyl or two. These costs are for the standard Royal Mail postage rates and for LPs at least £1.00’s worth of bought-for-the-job packaging materials! Each package also takes me considerable time and attention to wrap, but I’m giving you my time and great care for free! As you’ll see when you get the thing, there is no profit and the charges are not negotiable; particularly post sale! A packaging example is included as the final photo in the set within the listing.

Payment Methods:

PayPal is now the ONLY method of choice for either UK or overseas buyers. 

Problems, Refunds & The “Boink” Factor:

·       If the item you win differs from the description above, I will refund your original payment.

·       Refund will be issued on receipt of item in original packaging in the same condition as when dispatched.

·       Proof of dispatch certification is retained for every package. 

·       I take GREAT care with packaging and have only ever had 3 arrive damaged out of over 2500!

And finally…

Whilst this may all appear slightly excessive on the detail front, I do go to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of these listings and promote “service” and “honesty” as treasured commodities as, on rare occasion, I have found them to be lacking in (one or two) others with whom I have dealt on e-bay… however, NOT here! I feel I should also add that I have been professionally involved in either the music or entertainment industry for 20 years and as a fan of all genres of “quality” music since year “dot”…  To verify all this manic attention to detail please do check my feedback, which I go to great lengths to keep positive and my buyers are both cool and kind enough to leave.

 OVER 2500 POSITIVE SALES FEEDBACK RATINGS CAN’T BE WRONG FOLKS!!!

My genuine appreciation for looking at my listing and checking out the blurb. I hope this finds you well, under “blue skies” and at peace with your world, whilst listening to some groovy tunes on the greatest format ever, lovely, lovely warm & natural vinyl! 

Cheers, peace & love, and good health … 

MacLizardking.