Beatles Original U.S. 1985 Picture Sleeve 'Leave My Kitten Alone/Ob La Di' Mint

$

50

I have been a collector of 45s from the 1950s and 1960s for the past 55 years and have been collecting the Beatles US picture sleeves since they were first issued 50 years ago. I have continuously upgraded my collection over the years.

The Beatles picture sleeves I have listed on eBay are my personal collection. I completed my personal collection many years ago and all of the sleeves listed are original sleeves from the first issued 45s. The highest grade I will give a pic sleeve is M- unless I know it is old store-stock and as new. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

These picture sleeves have been stored in polyethylene sleeve protectors without the record in them since I acquired them. This was to prevent a record label “push” from degrading the sleeve. I also placed a thin piece of acid free poster board inside each sleeve that is the exact size of the inner area of the sleeve before storing the sleeve so as to keep the sleeve free of creases, wave bends, corner bumps, etc. The sleeves have been stored in an area of my listening room (I’m a long-time analog audiophile) that is away from sunlight and room light. My house has always been smoke free.

The pictures of these sleeves on eBay were taken with a high resolution scanner. Using eBay’s mouse-over feature on the scans of these sleeves is the equivalent of looking at the actual sleeve with a magnifying glass. The scans of these sleeves are not cropped. My goal is to give you a complete view of both sides of the sleeve. In scanning the sleeve I have deliberately left a margin around it so you are able to see a close up of the edges and corners of the entire sleeve. I have noted any obvious flaws on the sleeve but the scans of the sleeve speak for themselves.

As every collector knows, unlike their US LP records, the Beatles pic sleeves were not sealed; thus, finding them in mint or near mint condition is extremely difficult. 45 – 50 year old pic sleeves of any artist in mint or near mint condition are virtually impossible to find today. I hope you find something you can add to your collection and enjoy it as much as I have over these many years.

This sleeve is Leave My Kitten Alone/Ob La Di Ob La Da, Capitol B-5439. A lot of Beatles collectors think this is a bootlegged sleeve. It is not. It is an official Capitol sleeve. It is the picture sleeve to an unreleased single. The single was scheduled for release on January 31, 1985 but the release was cancelled for legal reasons. Since Capitol cancelled the release of the single, the sleeves that had been printed up for the 45 sat in a Capitol warehouse until approximately 1,500 of them were found in 1994. That's all the sleeves that ever got out.... 1,500. That's not many. This is one of them and it's a gem.

Grade: Mint

This sleeve is old store stock and as new. The sleeve is perfectly flat with no hint of wear of any kind. There are no bends, creases, folds, or tears. It has no corner bumps, record pushes (there was never a record in it), marks, or seam splits. The sleeve colors are sharp with no fading. This sleeve looks like it just came off the press in 1985.

As I have noted previously, my scanner somehow randomly puts dark blotches and shadows on the white portions of sleeves. Although you see some dark shadow around an edge or two of this sleeve and a shadow along the upper right edge of the front of this sleeve, none of these dark areas are on the sleeve. The white parts of this sleeve are snow white.  I acquired this sleeve in 1994 when the warehouse find became available to collectors. It is flawless.

Please do not remit payment until you receive an invoice. The buyer is responsible for all shipping costs. All shipping boxes and other shipping materials are new. Shipping service within the US is USPS 1st Class Mail and the cost is $4.00.

Shipping costs vary widely outside the US. International shipping service is USPS International. For all locations outside the US please contact me for an exact shipping cost. The buyer is responsible for any customs or import duties. All shipping services include a signed-for receipt.

Satisfaction guaranteed. Notification of intent to return a sleeve must be made within 48 hours of receiving the sleeve and must be returned to me within 7 days of receipt. Shipping costs are not refundable and the buyer pays return shipping. A returned sleeve must be packaged in the same manner in which it was received and I must receive it in the same condition as it was received by the buyer.

Other Listings:

I have Beatles UK LPs, many Beatles US 45s, and many Beatles US picture sleeves listed on Ebay.