FLAMINGOS - LADDER OF LOVE - VERY RARE UK DOO WOP 45rpm

	£		85
	$		113

THE FLAMINGOS

THE LADDER OF LOVE / LET’S MAKE UP

 UK 7-inch 45 rpm single

UK Brunswick label in Company Sleeve

Catalogue Number 45-05696

Condition (for definitions see notes further down):

Vinyl: A-side VG  B-side VG

Labels: A-side VG+  B-side VG+

Sleeve: EX- 

BID WITH CONFIDENCE - THERE IS NO RESERVE SET FOR THIS RARE RECORD !

Summary

This 45 is one of the UK’s rarer original releases of an American Doo-Wop record, dating from 1957. It was only the second UK release for The Flamingos and has become one of the more celebrated UK Doo-Wop collectables with a guide price for Mint copies of £500 (Record Collector’s Rare Record Price Guide 2010). Original copies seldom come onto the market in any condition, and this one is both presentable and still good to play.

The vinyl’s playing surfaces are typical of an average VG grade record. The audio quality of both sides of the record is also typical of this grade.  I rate the audio quality of both sides as VG (see Grading Definitions below). 

This copy has been ‘dinked’ which means the tri-centre has been removed, probably intended for juke box play, but there is no indication that it was subjected to the hard wear typical of exposure to such use. Removal of the centre has been done with some care and the labels show only minimal signs of disturbance.

The sleeve is an original UK Brunswick sleeve. It is in nice EX- condition with no splits, tears or stickers and displays good strong colour. It originally housed a 1958 release from the same label and bears the catalogue number ‘05757’ written neatly in the top right-hand corner. Other than this the sleeve is free of writing.

Both sides of this record play really well. I am confident the successful bidder will be pleased with this record.

For Payment Instructions and Returns Policy – Please Scroll Down

Notes about my Records

Record Gradings

The gradings I use are those defined by Record Collector, sometimes supplemented by + or – signs for fine-tuning.  For example an otherwise Excellent record with light scuff marks which are purely cosmetic and have no impact upon audio quality might merit an EX- rating rather than a wholesale downgrading to VG.   At the end of the day record gradings are always subjective, but I try hard to be accurate.  Record Collector defines seven gradings ranging from Mint down to Bad.  I seldom offer a record in anything less than Very Good condition unless it is particularly rare or collectable. These are the definitions I use:

Mint (M): The record is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality.  The cover and any extra items (eg booklet, poster, lyric sheet) are in perfect condition.  Sealed or unplayed items should be Mint.

Excellent (EX): The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality.  The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good (VG):  The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch.  Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good (G):  The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches.  The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Lower grades are defined but I rarely use them.

My assessment of a record's condition is based on my experience of 25 years occasional trading (record fairs, mail order, retail sales and eBay).

PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

UK CUSTOMERS: Payment by PayPal is preferred. Cheques or postal orders please make payable to Keith Ashford. Orders under £20 please pay by PayPal or UNCROSSED Postal Order ONLY. I regret that goods paid for by cheque (both paper AND eCheque) must wait while the cheque is cleared before dispatch.

OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS: Payment by PayPal ONLY please.

ALL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: Items will be re-listed 7 days after the sale date if payment is still awaited unless I have agreed a time extension.

RETURNS POLICY

My buyers have seldom found it necessary to return items but you will find me courteous and considerate in my dealings with you if a problem arises.

In this event and once return has been agreed between us items must be returned in the condition received within 14 days of that agreement (28 days for non-UK customers). On receipt of returned items a refund will be made within three working days (sooner if possible).

Thank you for reading this.  Good luck with your bidding !