JOHN LENNON 1970 UK STUNNING EXPORT RARITY 1ST IMAGINE

£ 40

$ 53

£ 40 Sold For

Dec 3, 2005 Sold Date

Nov 23, 2005 Start Date

£ 3 Start price

12 Number Of Bids

Great Britain Country Of Seller

eBay Auctioned at

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Description

Stunning Rarity! Original 1971 UK Earliest (Still In Shrinkwrap!!) Chunky 1st Pressing 'Imagine' by John Lennon with 'A-1/B-1' Earliest 1st Press Matrix and Alternate Cat Number!!! Complete With 1st Press UK Poster, Pig Postcard and Original Circular Lyric Inner Sleeve! A Real Oddity! A One-Off? A Very Obscure UK Export Only Pressing? You Will Not Find A More Pristine Mint- UK 1st Pressing - Don't Miss It!

Another very, very rare UK 1st press from a Stunning Nr Mint Beatles 1st Press collection! This one is a real oddity. - If anyone can further enlighten us to the significance of this record we'd be very grateful. What we do know is that you are bidding on a stunning Chunky alternate EARLIEST UK 1st Pressing (A-1//B-1 Matrix) of John Lennon's 'Imagine'! Unlike every other 1st pressing of this record we have ever come across this one has an alernate A1//B1 1st press matrix!!! Rest assured - THIS IS A UK PRESSING! Every other copy we have seen has the 1U//1U 1st press matrix!!!! It is definitely the UK pressing as stated on both labels and has the heavy, solid and chunky feel of a UK 1st pressing but is an A1/B1 Matrix!!!! What's More This Stunning Record has an alternate Cat No. ot the usual YEX 865! After some exhaustive research we still have not found a clue to the significance of this rare album. One guess is that is may be an obscure UK Export Only Pressing... This record is an unknown quantity to us, we have NEVER seen another! So don't miss out on this one! And if anyone out thee has any info please get on touch It is in Stunning Condition Throughout!!! Complete with shrinkwrap, Poster (Mint-), Pig Postcard (Mint-) and Original circular patterned inner sleeve!!!

Apart from being a supremely accomplished record in its own right, Lennon also amusingly used it to aim insults at Paul during their post Beatles cold war. For instance, the postcard, which shows John holding a pig by the ears (these are now very rare as most have long been lost), was a direct piss-take of McCartney's RAM album, (which shows McCartney holding a ram by the horns) released earlier the same year. This was in part, a response to Paul showing a picture of two copulating bugs on the beck of RAM, which was meant to symbolise two Beatles screwing each other... lmao! Speaking of which, we are also listing a very nice UK 1st pressing of McCartney's RAM, so please check our other current auctions here. Anyways, this cool 1970's thick and chunky 1st vinyl is in Stunning Ex+++ condition! As you probably know by now, this record very rarely turns up anymore complete- it's a very, very rare, complete example of this seminal record! Please see below for detailed description. Thanks to Rob for the heads up on this one - Cheers!

Please check our other auctions for more very rare 1st press records and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

Cat No:

1C 062 04914

Dead Wax info:

Side 1 - 04 914 A-1

Side 2 - 04 914 A-2

Complete with Poster, Postcard and Inner? - Yep!

This is a stunning example of this very rare album - in the UK complete copies of this record have all but disappeared. The Classic Apple 1st Pressing centre labels are in Nr. Mint condition! They have NO Tears, NO Peeling, NO Scribbles, NO rubbing and NO unwanted writing of any kind!!! They have only the lightest traces of spindle lines on either side! The gramophone rims containing the all important 1st Press matrix's are also mint!!!

The vinyl itself is in STUNNING condition! It does not have a single blemish on it!! It is very very heavy and thick & chunky! The disc gleams with the glass-like finish of record that have hardly ever been removed from their covers! It's as simple as that - it is a stunner and if not fof the very faintest of hairlines on side1 would go a full Mint-. However I'll err on the side of caution and go with an Ex+++ htis time. Please remember we do not overgrade our vinyl here!

The classic 1st Press from laminated Apple sleeve is pristine and still in shrink-wrap! These do just not turn up like this anymore. It also has the rare (export?) Cat number on its spine and is in absolutely beautiful condition with NO Tears, NO Rips and NO unwanted writing or scribbles! The shrinkwrap has come loose but still covers over a third of the album surface. This sleeve is incredible and retains all its stiffness and flatness and there are NO Seam Splits or seam wear and virtually NONE of the feathering of the opening edge which is very common with this sleeve! The sleeve lies perfectly FLAT with also has NONE OF THE RING WEAR which is commonly associated with this rare sleeve! It has a MINT strong spine with MINT legible spine text!! It's [erfect!

Poster - Mint, perfectly folded, no pin holes etc. Has never been on a wall

Postcard - Mint, Perfect.

Inner Sleeve - Ex, does have a nick in the window and small seam split.

Don't miss this one, it is very very rare to find this Record in UNPLAYED Mint- Condition and complete with shrink-wrap, Poster (Mint-),Postcard (Mint-) and Original circular patterned inner sleeve!!!

Win more than 1 auction and Save On Postage. This, like all our auctions, has No Reserve and a Very Low Starting Price so check our feedback and bid with confidence.

ABOUT REEF_77

Feedback from our many regular customers suggests that buying Rare Vinyl on eBay is becoming increasingly risky; with inaccurate grading, poor packaging & deceit becoming more & more common. Unlike some excitable eBay record sellers, we do not 'SHOUT!!!!!!!!' the description at you, telling you how "STUNNINGLY MEGA RARE!!!!!" a record is (when in fact it is usually fairly common). Nor do we try to give you our life story with each listing, taking up your whole evening reading a description - and ours writing it! Finally, we are not one of the increasing number eBay chancers, trying their hand at dealing in rare records, labelling any old junk as 'Mint Mega Rare 1st Pressings', and having no knowledge of how to grade, handle & package a record.

What you get from Reef_77 is a straight forward honest description of the record you are interested in, along with any information worth noting about the rarity etc. of the pressing. We are not bulk listers, who never have time to answer questions and offer only poor quality records. We believe in quality over quantity every time, and use our vast knowledge to select only the rarest and most pristine records to offer you each week. Each record is packed with the utmost care using the latest and strongest purpose-designed packaging available. We are not some faceless eBay business, and are always friendly and approachable should you have any specific questions or wants. We just aim to cut out all the hyperbole, deceit and plain old amateurism surrounding the buying of rare vinyl on eBay, to make your rare record hunting safe and enjoyable. Enjoy.

GRADING, PACKAGING AND IMAGE DETAILS

All our records are strictly graded under strong light using the UK Record Collector Grading System (see chart below for a full guide). The item you see in the images is actual item being sold. All records come shipped in either cruciform or regular sturdy purpose-designed record mailers, (with stiff cardboard inserts added for extra protection). All records are professionally cleaned and packaged outside the outer sleeves to prevent seam stress during transit.

PAYMENT METHODS

There are a number of ways for you to pay for our vinyl. We accept many forms of payment and are in the process of setting up credit card payment facilities, however if the method that suits you best is not listed below please email us and we'll do our best to arrange a method of payment that is most convenient to you. We DO NOT accept Paypal!

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POSTAGE COSTS

Please note, there are no hidden surcharges in our auctions, the price you win is the price you pay, just add the relevant postage, it's as simple as that! Win more than 1 auction and save money on postage costs! Paypal is Free of charge!

Postage and Packing within the UK = £3.65. Insured = £5.95
Postage and Packing to Europe via Air Mail = £4. 85. Insured = £7.95
Postage and Packing to Rest of the World (USA, Japan etc) via Air Mail = £7.95. Insured = £12.95

DUE TO AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF TIMEWASTERS WE HAVE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING TERMS - (1) WE NOW WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM ZERO FEEDBACK BIDDERS - ITS REAL SAD WE HAVE HAD TO DO THIS, BUT CHASING FINAL VALUE FEES 'ROUND EBAY'S RUSTY INNARDS AINT OUR IDEA OF A FUN NIGHT! SO ZERO FEEDBACK=YOUR BID WILL BE CANCELLED (2) IF YOU DO NOT INTEND ON PAYING THEN DO NOT BID!!!! (3) IF YOU HAVE EXCESSIVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK PLEASE EMAIL BEFORE YOU BID! THIS AUCTION IS FOR SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY. (4) WINNER MUST MAKE CONTACT WITHIN 3 DAYS OTHERWISE ITEM WILL BE OFFERED TO NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER AND NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WILL BE LEFT. THEMS THE TERMS.

Good Luck! The UK Record Collector Grading System NAME GRADE INFORMATION Mint M Vinyl has just left the vinyl pressing machine and does not have any manufacturing flaws. It has never been handled and never played. Unless you work at the record plant, there is no such thing as mint! Record sleeves just left the pressing machine that made the sleeve. It has never been handled and a record has not been placed inside it which would deform it. Unless you work at the record plant, there is no such thing as mint! Near Mint NM Vinyl is virtually perfect. At most, perhaps a light scuff appears on the record. It should play without any noise or skips of any kind whatsoever. Record sleeve should look close to perfect with only minor signs of wear. The artwork should have no marks of any kind and there should be no "ring wear" (that is, the outline of the record inside should not show through the sleeve). Excellent EX or VG++ Vinyl should play with no skips of any kind. It should sound better than it looks. Often "Excellent" or "VG++" is a conservative version of "Near Mint." Perhaps some very minor surface scuffs, but again no effect on sound quality. Record sleeve might have some minor "ring wear" but otherwise the artwork should be unaffected. There should be no "ink wear" to the artwork. That is areas where the ink has worn down to the paper underneath. Perhaps some minor creases in the corners but no splits in the seams. Very Good Plus VG+ Vinyl will show wear including surface scuffs and some light scratches. Often, minor scuffs will be caused by the inner sleeve rubbing against the vinyl. If held up to a bright light, you will often see many tiny lines on the vinyl. Perhaps a few minor clicks or pops can be heard, but no deep scratches. Record sleeve should be clean, but slightly more aged. Perhaps some very small writing on the sleeve. The corners may be slightly bent, but not broken. There may be wear to the seams but not tears or holes popping through. Very Good VG Vinyl doesn't necessarily look good, but still plays well. Surface noise will probably be present including pops and clicks. At good volume levels, the music should overpower any pops and clicks present. Flaws should only be heard between tracks or on low volume passages. Record sleeve will look warn and used. There may be seam splitting, but not complete separation of the sleeve panels from each other. There will be noticeable ring wear on the cover, but most of the cover should still be in good condition. Good VG-/G+/G Vinyl looks well played, dull, and possibly not well taken care of. However, the record should still play without skipping. It will have substantial surface noise, pops and clicks. Loss of various parts of the dynamic range will occur due to worn grooves. This grade depends a lot on the owner and the type of record. A rock record may still sound "good" at high volume whereas a slower styles of music will sound terrible. Record sleeve may have many problems including seam splits, writing, taped repairs. However some of the artwork will still be visible. There can't be large tears and gouges in the cover. Fair/Poor F/P Doesn't meet the lowest standards for "good". At this point, the vinyl is difficult to listen to. The only reason to keep it would be due to extreme rarity or to fill a good sleeve until a better copy of the vinyl comes along. Doesn't meet the lowest standards for "good". The sleeve is torn, bent, and shows a very high level of wear. Attempts to tape the sleeve have made it worse. The only reason to keep the sleeve would be due to extreme rarity or to protect a good copy of the vinyl until a better sleeve comes along.

On 29-Nov-05 at 09:45:24 GMT, seller added the following information:

Thanks to everybody who has emailed with information regarding this record. From the general consensus it looks as if this record was pressed in the UK in very limited quantities specifically for the German market, a kind of unofficial UK export. I say 'unnoficial' because there is no Export Cat number, It was possibly made by UK Apple to help out the German market when demand outstripped supply. Hope this clears it all up a bit! Good Luck!

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