Beatles 63 FIRST XMAS UK FAN CLUB FLEXI & OUTER MAILER

	£		698
	$		925

BUY WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE FROM ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED BEATLES SPECIALISTS IN THE WORLD – REPUTED FOR OUR QUALITY, HIGH STANDARDS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE!!

Summary:

With both the Disc and the Yellow Gatefold Sleeve in the MOST OUTSTANDING CONDITION, any Beatles collector will be the envy of their fellow collectors to own this REMARKABLE example. In all our 13 years of trading as a Beatles Specialist, we have NEVER OFFERED ANOTHER IN THE PRISTINE CONDITION OF THIS ONE.

If that’s not enough, ENHANCING the INVESTMENT POTENTIAL further, the disc has been CAREFULLY PRESERVED IN ITS ORIGINAL OUTER MAILING ENVELOPE for almost 46 years and has never seen the light of day until now!

'Sincere Good Wishes for Christmas and The New Year', issued in December 1963, was the FIRST and is considered the RAREST of the Official UK Beatles FAN CLUB Christmas Fan Club Flexi Discs. There were seven Beatles Xmas Fan Club flexi discs issued between 1963 and 1969.

Initially only 25,000 of these 1963 Flexi Discs were pressed and were mailed out FREE to all the current members of the UK Beatles Fan Club during December 1963. Once fans were aware of the ‘free’ disc from the Fan-Club, more and more people applied to join, and consequently the Fan Club were unprepared for all the extra subscriptions it received. Therefore, in addition to the first 25,000 Christmas flexis mailed out initially in December 1963, they also made an extra run of flexi-discs - this time WITHOUT the Gatefold sleeve to save time - which were mailed out in February 1964 with a letter of apology and an explanation from the Club. Therefore, the total of 1963 Christmas flexis made, both with and without sleeves, was just over 30,000 copies.

Collectors will, therefore, no doubt appreciate what a thrill it is for us to have the opportunity of offering this TOP DRAWER example FIRST ISSUE with its Original Gatefold Sleeve AND Outer Mailing Envelope!

Detailed Description:

The Original First Issue 7" Flexi Disc is on the Custom, White Background with Blue Print Official Beatles Fan Club label, printed with the Fan Club logo and catalogue number LYN 492. Interestingly, the Beatles recorded this Christmas Flexi on 17th October 1963, the very same day as they recorded their hit single ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ and ‘This Boy’.

Stamped Matrix:

The official stamped matrix in the trail out groove reads LYN 492-1U.

The Disc is protected in its STUNNING, ORIGINAL Yellow Gatefold Sleeve. This was the ONLY Flexi Disc to have been issued by The Beatles Fan Club which opens out to incorporate the Official Christmas 1963 Beatles Fan Club National Newsletter, printed within the Gatefold section the sleeve. The first paragraph of the Newsletter confirms that the initial run of this EXCLUSIVE disc will NOT be made available elsewhere, and stating that only 25,000 have been pressed (see relevant scan).

ENHANCING the collectibility and desirability of this FIRST Official Beatles UK Fan Club Christmas Flexi Disc is that, AMAZINGLY, it is still protected in its Original Brown Mailing Envelope in which it was mailed out in back in December 1963, and even has its Original Card Stiffener which was placed within the mailing envelope to support the disc/sleeve from damage in transit! The outer mailing envelope displays a Postal authorities stamp reading ‘London, N.W.1’, (from where it was mailed) together with a mailing date of ‘9 Dec 1963’.

Condition:

As you will see from the detailed scans provided, the Custom ‘Beatles Fan Club’ record label is in EXCEPTIONAL mint condition. It looks NEW and it is truly REMARKABLE that the label looks like it would have done when it was first printed back in 1963 – absolutely NO soiling, NO dulling to the white background and NO fading to the Blue print – WE REALLY CANNOT FAULT IT – Simply SENSATIONAL!

The Original 7" Flexi Disc playing surface is mint. The disc LOOKS NEW and VERY FLAT, and we can only assume that the disc has NEVER BEEN PLAYED.

It would be virtually impossible to find a better example of this Original YELLOW Gatefold sleeve, which apart from two tiny, non-descript corner ‘taps’ to the top and bottom left hand corners - you will see from the scans that these are hardly noticeable - it is unjust to grade the sleeve in any less than 99% mint condition. These sleeves are usually prone to wear and tear - after all it was only constructed from thin card - and the yellow color is prone to fading, BUT NOT THIS ONE! This sleeve has been so carefully sheltered from light and pollutants over the years, in its original outer mailing envelope, that it still maintains its VIVID DEEP YELLOW color and is STILL VERY FLAT. UNBELIEVABLY there is NO discoloration or age spotting, NO soiling, NO creasing, NO tearing, NO handwriting, NO edge splitting to any part – HARD TO FAULT IT - EVEN THE TWO ORIGINAL STAPLES within the Gatefold Sleeve (where the record is stored) ARE STILL SHINY WITH NO RUSTING.

The Original Brown Mailing Envelope (in which the disc was sent to the Fan Club Member back in 1963) is torn horizontally across the front, top and bottom seams, but has survived (the recipient was obviously keen to open the envelope quickly to get at the Flexi!) There is an official ‘DO NOT BEND’ sticker adhered to the front of the sleeve, together with the Fan Club Members printed address, and the original 1963 postal authorities date stamped which clearly reads ‘9 Dec 1963’. Please ntoe that it is considered VERY RARE for any of these Original Outer Mailing envelopes to have survived, as most were thrown away once the disc was received..

By far the FINEST example of this RARE and COMPLETE 1963 FIRST FAN CLUB Set that we have offered in the past 13 years – it would NEVER REQUIRE UPGRADING. One can only speculate how many have actually survived in this PRISTINE condition – certainly VERY FEW – An EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE!!

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