Elton John "Border Song" Singapore foldover pic sleeve

	£		148
	$		196

ARTISTE, RECORD TITLE  AND LABEL

ELTON JOHN

Philips PF 346704 (Pressed In Singapore )

TRACK LISTING

Side 1:  1) Border Song

Side 2:  1) Bad Side Of The Moon

BACKGROUND TO THIS RECORD:

A Singapore only 1970 foldover picture sleeve with the back cover listing his name as well as the tracks in black lettering on a white background. As RRPG 2008 lists a mint UK copy at 25 pounds, which incidently is on the DJM label and not Philips as well as not housed in a picture sleeve,  I suppose indicating a starting price at 9.99 pounds with no reserve seems fair enough.

GRADING RESULTS:

I would rate the cover as Excellent .Other than some slight creases as well a small chip on the paper on the bottom left hand side,  there are no tears, writings etc  on the cover.

The vinyl is in a Near Mint shape visually. There are no visible surface scratches on both sides. The labels are clean with only a couple of faint spindle marks on each side. Tracking at 1.7g on my Naim Aro arm and Lyra Clavis  cartridge, the playing on both sides was generally Near Mint.

How I Clean and  Grade my Records

Cleaning: Cleaning is usually done on a Clearaudio cleaning machine and/or VPI 17.5 using Loricroft L’Art du Son cleaning fluid

Playback Equipment: Playback is through a Linn LP12 turntable/Armeggedon/Naim Aro tonearm/Lyra Helikon SL cartridge and through a brace of active Naim 250s/135s into Naim DBL speakers. For 45s I use a second Linn/Lingo/Aro/Lyra Clavis.

I use both Goldmine and Rare Record Price Guide grading system as a guide and came up with the following:

·       Mint  I only use this for sealed items. The record is virtually unplayed and is in a brand new condition. Cover is pristine. Up till now, I have never used this grading and, chances are, never will, due to my conservative nature in matters of record grading.

·       Near Mint  Very little or negligible flaws. Faint lines or very faint creasing  on laminated covers visible under a strong light is acceptable but nothing serious. Records which show some signs of having been played such as very faint spindle marks are allowed but there should be no lessening in sound quality. .

·       Excellent   Item obviously played, though not often,and enjoyed with some slight noise. The record should be nice and shiny but may have a few light marks which should not intrude on play. Slight wear on cover is acceptable. 

·         Very Good Many more imperfections which are noticeable but not obtrusive. The record has been played several times but there should be no major deterioration in sound quality despite some noticeable surface marks and light scratches. Normal wear and tear or writings on the cover  is acceptable but there should not be any major tears.

I do not offer any records below Very Good  unless its extremely rare. 

Shipping costs

I use brand new custom made  plastic sleeves  for both the vinyl and for the sleeve. Shipping is always by Airmail and by registered post as it allows one to track items in case of delays. One buyer has even likened my packing as “ Fort Knox”! Shipping costs in pounds are:

EPs/45s :

4 for the first

1 for the  2nd

0.75 each for the  subsequent ones

I usually quote lower for Asia and  Australia but in the event the actual cost is marginally lower than stipulated  costs, I will generally adjust for repeat buyers in future purchases. However, I  will refund if the difference is more than 50p or if the buyer wants me to (In this respect, I will inform them if such a situation arises). I will also inform buyers of the registration details through Email on posting.

Forms of payment that I accept include:

·       PAYPAL (preferred choice) 

·       International Money Orders 

In view of the high interest as well as a request for a picture of the back cover, I have put up a picture of the back as well.