BLACK SABBATH MASTER OF REALITY 1971 UK 1ST PRESS MINT ORIG POSTER, SUPERB AUDIO

	£		460
	$		610

BLACK SABBATH - MASTER OF REALITY

A highly sought after copy (especially in condition as wonderful as this) of this increasingly rare 1971 original UK very first pressing heavy metal/rock classic, on the coveted Vertigo swirl label, STEREO 6360 050

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  6360050 1Y//1 420 with stampers "11", "25"  and "04 "at 2 o'clock, 2.30 o'clock and 7.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2  6360050 2Y//1 420 with stampers "12", "21" and "04" at 11.30 o'clock, 12 o'clock and 4.30 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent plus (I'm sure that many would say "near mint"). Both sides of the vinyl (nicely solid and completely flat, by the way) have retained their original beautiful, jet black lacquered sheen and impressive luster - gorgeous! Under a bright light and with close scrutiny a couple of very, very light paper scuffs come into view but these are purely superficial - there is nothing here that is "feelable" or below the surface and nothing to intrude upon the truly amazing audio quality. I have no hesitation in grading the overall condition of this vinyl as excellent plus - a real "gleamer" in fact, and a record which has obviously had only a few plays. Remarkable, especially considering this to be a record that is now 48 years of age and that was bought to be played over and over again. There can't be many 1st pressings left in as good a condition as this.

The labels are near mint (NM). In fact, pristine and difficult to fault in any way with not even the usual one or two faint spindle trails. No "nicks" or marks, just the beautiful, mesmeric Vertigo logo on the side 1 label and all text upon the matt textured background, along with the Vertigo swirl logo, perfectly intact on side 2. Who could ask for more?!

The iconic Mike Stanford designed laminated (front and back) boxed outer sleeve, printed by Howards Printers, is excellent (EX). Truly one of the most iconic early 70's sleeves and there can't be too many left in condition as impressive as this. Each edge remains rigid with no scuffing whatsoever, and each corner remains a perfect right angle with no rubbing/scuffing. There is no creasing, no rips or tears, and no fraying on the edges. On the front side there is the usual sporadic laminate lifting adjacent to the embossed writing with a 4cm diagonal laminate crease at the top right corner and a small area of laminate lifting towards the top edge. On the reverse side there is an area of  laminate lifting towards the right hand edge (see photo) and a small but clearly visible sticker residue mark located at the top left corner. In other words not quite perfect but still a solid excellent condition overall, especially considering that the aforementioned blemishes are minor, if not trivial. A joy to behold and difficult to believe that this boxed cover is almost 50 years old.! 

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent plus (EX+). Difficult to fault in any way with wonderful tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies, which along with it's superbly glossy appearance and brilliant condition suggests that this record has had only a few plays. No clicks, no skips, no background interference, crackle or distortion - silence even during the interludes -  just brilliant heavy metal stereo on beautiful vinyl. 1st press Vertigo swirl vinyl condition and audio quality is now rarely found as good as this.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. SWEET LEAF

2. AFTER FOREVER

3. EMBRYO

4. CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE

Side 2 :

1. ORCHID

2. LORD OF THIS WORLD

3. SOLITUDE

4. INTO THE VOID

Comes with ORIGINAL, 46cm x 68.5cm, 38gram large folded, 6 pane colour poster which is in near mint, unused condition. Beware of reproduction/replacement posters which are easily obtainable and weigh in excess of 50g...this is the ORIGINAL poster!!

Comes with original poly-lined Vertigo swirl inner sleeve with "MADE IN ENGLAND" and "British Patent No..." text, with no splits or tears, no creasing, no age discolouration and still 100% fully functional...amazing!! 

Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly beautiful condition copy of this monstrously rare and highly sought after 1971 UK very first press prog rock gem - worthy of gracing any serious vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value. One of the most sought after UK 1st press large Vertigo swirls!

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 64 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £5.00, Royal Mail 1st class, tracked and signed for; 

Continental Europe £11 and Rest of the World £15, both Royal Mail 1st class/Airmail, tracked and signed for.

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

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. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler