KISS UNMASKED NBLP 7225 sealed LP STONE MINT 1st press INSERTS (9.5 out of 10)

$

105

KISS UNMASKED NBLP 7225 1st pressing LP. sealed. includes poster and order form (can tell by weight) no barcode. visual rating (on a scale of 1-10)...9.5! nicest copy of Unmasked BY FAR on Ebay right now 4/26.
about UNMASKED USA:
Unmasked was released to an absent fanbase in may of 1980. lead single 'Shandi" bored the mainstream, and pissed off the longtime fans. the album flopped barely going gold and most likely sold less than 500,000 copies. the 2nd single "Tomorrow" in hindsight, was a waste of vinyl.
there were 3 pressings of Unmasked. 
1. the first and second pressings were very close together and pretty much identical. the ONLY difference, is the 1st has the number 206 printed on the bottom left corner, and the second has the number 601 on the top right. copies with no number printed are very rare. 601 copies were shipped to stores that had success with sales of 206, but 206 was overpressed and sent to bargain bins in large quantities. both issues were intended to include a full color poster and an order form featuring clearance merchandise items. both issues feature the GASP illustration portrait on the label. i am very sure that barcode STICKERS were never affixed to 601 copies.
3. the third and final vinyl pressing was full-on PolyGram. it utilized the new barcode system, all inserts were deleted, and the innersleeve was blank and made of clear plastic. the third pressing was never issued with a white sleeve OR a Filmworks sleeve, and the illustrated custom label was replaced by a "matte" filmworks label. the fan mail address was updated. it is the rarest pressing and is one of the only PolyGram issues to be pressed on high quality standard white cardboard. despite its flaws should be considered more valuable than its reputation suggests. here is more information you may want to read:

KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM "NEW AND/OR FACTORY SEALED" LPS. since vinyl has had a large resurgence over the last couple years, many people have certain expectations when it comes to collecting LP records. if you go to any of the few remaining record stores and pick up an album that has just been released (like KISS' "Monster") you will open it and find that it is probably flawless. the problem and misconception about sealed LPs dating back some 40 years ago is that their shrinkwrap has protected them from aging at all. Not always the case. an LP is very capable of damaging its jacket, innersleeve and shrink without ever having been opened. EVERY LP has at least 1/4 inch room clockwise, counterclockwise, up down and all around to maneuver and therefore cause damage to itself and the jacket. the damage usually seen on sealed LPs are known as "sleeve scuffs", defined as the abrasive marks seen on an unused LP caused by 30-40 years worth of close confinement. some collectors mistake these blemishes as signs of use or handling by a previous owner. NOT TRUE. sleeve scuffs are usually congruent marks that go from the "dead wax" (the silent shiny end of an LP side), to the "start wax" (the silent 3-10 second beginning of an LP side. they can also be circular, and can simply be manufacturing blemishes. if you see a scratch that actually penetrates the surface of your LP, it has most likely been used. sleeve scuffs generally will not affect playback or sound quality even though they may look pretty nasty.
      FACTORY SEALED LPS MAY HAVE BEEN FACTORY SEALED TWICE!...especially in the case of KISS, Casablanca saved money by printing in large quantities even if the demand wasnt equivalent to the amount pressed. as a result, unsold LPs that sat on shelves for 3 months or more without selling began to look unappealing to the point where price tags have been affixed and removed multiple times, and even shrinkwrap torn. these LPs were often times returned to the label and the factory, where back in the 70's for two cents a unit would be resealed and shipped out to stores that had more orders for that particular title. human hands were used to remove the old wrap, and repair any visible flaws. sometimes new dust sleeves were given. in severe causes, new jackets were given. bottom line: dust, fingerprints and other MINOR signs of handling are quite possible, especially for records pressed in the early 70's, before it became the norm to simply cut the corner of an unsold LP and just press a new one. you CANNOT judge or date an album based on its shrinkwrap style. all styles began in the late 60's, (google sealed Beatles LPs for proof) all styles were utilized by all factories. a KISS LP seller should never claim an LP is "factory sealed" because A. there is no proof and B. some LPs have been sealed by the factory up to 3 times, and although 90% of LPs that are factory sealed are unplayed and beautiful it is not fair to the buyer to claim it has never been opened, even if it probably hasnt been.
      MISSING/INCORRECT PREMIUMS....most KISS collectors have been going by what they read in old KISS price guide books written by self proclaimed experts with no credentials. they have tried their best to state the facts about every single KISS LP ever issued. there are no facts, because YOU CANNOT CLAIM THAT ANYTHING PRINTED IN LARGE QUANTITIES WILL HAVE THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS OF A SINGLE SAMPLE!!!! there are errors, misprints and even audio mishaps. starting from the very first LP, KISS albums have been hastily thrown into production. there are copies of the first album that exclude the song Kissin' Time even though theres a sticker on the front promoting the track! in-between there have been numerous errors. Solo albums missing posters, order forms missing or deleted, incorrect picture sleeves paired with the wrong title...etc. Casablanca hated the Crackerjack prizes included with KISS albums...thousands of complaints came in about the exclusion of the extras, and the record company was forced to take action by fulfilling these requests by mail. Many copies of the final pressing of Rock And Roll Over were issued with Love Gun's "blood" logo sleeve....on thicker paper no less. one of MANY examples.
       HYPE STICKERS...very few make-up era KISS albums had hype stickers, or "featuring the hits...." stickers. if they did, they were ALL put onto the jackets and NOT the shrinkwrap. the only exceptions were "Alive II" and "Double Platinum". ALL hype stickers were discontinued when it became apparent that because Casablanca lacked major distribution companionship, the stickers were more of a hinderance as they promised "hit" songs that werent, or booklets that were missing. the only albums to have hype stickers were KISS NB 7001 (including Kissin time), Dressed to Kill, Alive, Alive II and Double Platinum. RIAA gold certification stickers on ALIVE and Destroyer were issued later, by the association itself. it was Gene Simmons who insisted on including posters, stickers, tattoos and booklets; and it cost the label a fortune. it was also Gene Simmons that insisted on pressing the infamous Alive II misprint LP, as a nod to the KISS collector. many more than 50 -100 copies were pressed, and they were pressed on purpose. The error was not his idea, but he cleverly authorized a short run after catching the error; and Casablanca cut the corners (so they wouldnt reach retail) and they were given out randomly to friends and people close to the organization. the misprint copy was never sold in stores.
      if you want to see great things about my customer service have a look at my feedback. if you have heard bad things about my products, i only have 2 words: SOUR GRAPES. not the 2 words i would like to use, but it has to be clean on Ebay. because i have had a negative affect on other sellers of KISS memorabilia and (LPs), great collaborative effort has been made to put me down and ruin my reputation. altered photos, false accusations and threats have come in from these sellers; some of which wanted to buy my entire collection, and others that lost their customers to me because my auctions start low rarely with a reserve and i do not list BUY IT NOW for $399.95 for a copy of Destroyer for example. the most interesting and puzzling part of this persecution, is the fact that sellers like NYvintage and MANY MORE are trying to get collectors to abandon my superior LPs in favor of their's...which are very often...KISS LPs they have bought from me!!!!
  oh well, its the internet and its ebay so what can you do. what i will do is offer my personal 100% guarantee. if you receive an LP from me that you believe is "fake", "counterfeit", "bootlegged", "resealed"...dont open it, keep it sealed, and return it within 14 days. thats that. if you open it and are dissapointed by scuff marks or missing inserts, i ask that you dont hold me responsible for age and/or Casablanca's 30 year old mistake. so thats what i have to say about rumors and detractors...go you-know-what yourselves!!!!
and despite the adversity, i am pleased and very touched to have supporters and repeat customers, that love the quality and look of these classic, rare KISS records. and i am happy to announce that i will be including bonus KISS albums with repeat buyers for your listening pleasure. quality copies...NEVER RECORD CLUB ISSUES.
THANK YOU!!!
wait for invoice USA shipping
rest of world also wait for invoice. sadly, international shipping has SKYROCKETED! i just spent $28 to send an LP to Switzerland!