Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World - RARE GERMAN COVER

£ 299

$ 396

£ 299 Sold For

Jul 6, 2008 Sold Date

Jun 26, 2008 Start Date

10 Number Of Bids

Great Britain Country Of Seller

eBay Auctioned at

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Description

DAVID BOWIE The Man Who Sold The World, original 1971 German issue vinyl LP on the blue Mercury label. This is, as if you didn’t know, the rare German version with the fold-out circular picture sleeve and red lyric inner. This is an original LP, with machine stamped matrix numbers as follows: 10 AA6338041 1Y 320 and 10 AA6338041 2Y 320. I'm no expert, but going by Record Collector's grading system, I would give the condition as EX-/EX-. Please read the description for more details.

The vinyl is in great condition with few visible imperfections. The labels have German perimeter text and are clean with sharp silver print and just a few minor spindle marks. The fold-out circular picture sleeve is, as you probably know, highly prone to wear and tear from being folded and unfolded – no such problems with this one. All folds and edges are intact, but there is a little shelf wear. The worst corner is the bottom left, which I have photographed (see pic) but even this is fully intact and untorn. The winning bidder will have the joy of owning what I think is the best Bowie cover after Aladdin Sane. The python-esque illustration is bright and vibrant with no fading and I have always preserved it out of the light in a plastic cover. In all the years I have owned this record I have played it only twice. Once, on the day I bought it from the personal collection of a record store owner just off the Portobello Road, and just now - to check it for this description. I have played it through on a friend’s Pro-ject turntable through a Quad 303/33 combination and B&W speakers. The German pressing is very high quality and the sound is warm and clear. There are very minor crackles on the run-in grooves to the first tracks on each side, but from thereon the music sounds clear, with just the smallest surface noise between tracks. There are two consecutive small pops during Width of a Circle and one slight one during Saviour Machine. One thing that did take me by surprise was the intro to Saviour Machine beginning again after the last notes of The Supermen at the end of Side 2. I don’t know if this is peculiar to all German pressings or just this one! In fact, if anyone else has a German pressing could they let me know if theirs does the same.

All in all, this is a very reluctant sale, but as I’m trying to find funds to buy for a motorcycle, something has to go. I have put a reserve on this, but it’s quite a way south of what this fabulous LP is worth. For posting I will pack the album to survive a nuclear war and must insist on recorded delivery. Winning bidder to pay postage. Postage is £3.50 Royal Mail Recorded Delivery in the UK, for overseas bidders will be more. Payment in UK is by UK cheque or postal order. I will accept paypal but as their charges will eat into my motorcycle fund I would prefer a cheque. Payment outside UK is by Paypal only. Payment must be made within 10 days of auction end. Thanks for looking and ploughing through this long description.

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