Beatles "THE COLLECTION" Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab NM/NM #19,495

$ 900

$ 900 Sold For

Dec 15, 2013 Sold Date

Nov 15, 2013 Start Date

1 Number Of Bids

USA Country Of Seller

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Description

The Beatles - The Collection
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Original Master Recordings
Condition: NM/NM

I am selling this set for a private collector who purchased this set new in the early 1980s, played each album once to record them, and then put the set away in a controlled environment for safekeeping until today. The set includes the following:

All 13 original Beatles releases -- 14 LPs with a total of 192 songs -- first issued in England on Parlophone and Apple labels from EMI Records
A 38-page Artbook with full-color images of original LP covers, backs and gatefold artwork, plus the story of the MFSL recording and production of this set.
Certificate of Limited Warranty & Certificate of Authenticity, hand-signed and numbered: 19,495
Geo-Disc for ultra-precise alignment of your turntable's cartridge -- reportedly within 3/1000th of an inch accuracy, for optimum playback potential.

ABOUT THE ALBUMS: Released for just a few years, beginning in 1982, "The Beatles: The Collection" is a limited edition boxed set of the group's 14 original disc releases, which were first issued in England on the Parlophone and Apple labels from EMI Records. Created by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MFSL), these recordings were exclusively transferred directly from The Beatles original recording studio master tapes to master lacquer discs. The discs were then refrigerated and flown from MFSL to Yokohama, Japan, for plating and pressing at the Victor Company. Here, they received the meticulous attention to precision and purity to produce these superior grade albums. The enduring value of these boxed sets is due to MFSL's legendary quality control standards, exclusive half-speed mastering system, and use of the world's highest quality vinyl, which ensured that every note, every nuance was immaculately preserved --- and that each album will many times longer than any conventionally produced LP. The following titles are included:

Please Please Me - MFSL 1-101
With the Beatles - MFSL 1-102
A Hard Day's Night - MFSL 1-103
Beatles for Sale - MFSL 1-104
Help! - MFSL 1-105
Rubber Soul - MFSL 1-106
Revolver - MFSL 1-107
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - MFSL 1-100
The Beatles - MFSL 2-072 (Sides A/B)
The Beatles - MFSL 2-072 (Sides C/D)
Yellow Submarine - MFSL 1-108
Abbey Road MFSL 1-023
Magical Mystery Tour MFSL 1-047
Let It Be MFSL 1-109

ABOUT THE COVERS: The albums are protected within a 3-part system -- a cover, a folded insert-board, and a sleeve.

Covers: At a glance, the covers look identical, but look closely and you will see that each cover is unique, because each cover features a reproduction of the actual log sheet used by the producers and engineers who worked the respective master tapes for that particular album. (The cover for "Please, Please Me," is shown in photos 3, 4, and 5). The log sheets, themselves, are fascinating, as they document the exceedingly small number of people who'd had contact with these tapes since the 1960s.
Insert-boards: Inside the covers are folded insert boards simply printed with the words, "Original Master Recordings," and "The Beatles" and "The Collection."
Sleeves: Within the insert boards are the semi-transparent sleeves, described by MFSL as, anti-abrasive, anti-static "rice paper" sleeves.

CONDITION: This set has never been exposed to damaging heat, moisture, mold, cigarette smoke, cooking odors, or any of the other ills that often beset vintage items. When you open the box and inspect the inserts and the vinyl, you smell.... nothing. There are practically zero odors, aside from the very faint memory of the original printing inks. As already noted, these albums have been played only once -- after original purchase in the early 1980s, to record them -- then put away for safekeeping, where they have remained for the past 30 years. A visual inspection of the vinyl confirms this history, as they appear flawless. I have graded the vinyl Near Mint (NM) and have also graded the covers Near Mint (NM), with the following conditions noted:

There are various degrees of age-related tanning to the paper/board surfaces of this set, especially to the "folded insert boards" inside each cover and to the white protective cover on the Artbook. This tanning is NOT due to incorrect storage, but inherent to the set and due specifically to out-gassing from the styrene box and/or components in the set -- some of which were apparently not made from acid-free materials. The most notable instance of tanning is on the white protective Artbook cover (see photo #7) where you can see the square, tanned area that mirrors the styrene upright that sits adjacent to the Artbook inside the box.
The Geo-Disc has never been used and, until my inspection, its package never opened. So it is in original condition. Made of a different type of vinyl than the LPs, the Geo-Disc does have a slight odor of old vinyl but is presumably otherwise mint.
The sleeves are slightly wrinkled/creased, which I believe is inherent to these papers. Because these albums were handled only once (and by a very meticulous audiophile, at that) before coming into my care, I believe that this is the nature of this particular "rice paper" sleeve material, and not due to improper handling or care. I have viewed photos of sleeves from other Near-Mint MFSL albums on the market and have seen the same creased appearance.

I have opted to not photograph and document every instance of tanning. If these details are a concern to you, please query me for more specifics before purchasing. I have described these in good conscience and to the best of my ability. If there any other details you need, please ask. I want all parties to be pleased with the sale of these special recordings.

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