King Crimson EARTHBOUND UK LP 1ST 1972 UNPLAYED AND 100% MINT

	£		123
	$		163

KING CRIMSON - EARTHBOUND

IN MAGNIFICENT UNPLAYED!! MINT!!! CONDITION

FIRST BLACK LABEL PRESS A2U / B1U

OUTSTANDING SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:ISLAND HELP 6
• MATRIX: HELP6 A-1U / B-1U
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 AP/ 1 AL
• REALLY EARLY MOTHERS AND STAMPERS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE BLACK AND PINK LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. ALL COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE BLACK AREAS ARE STILL PURE BLACK. NO MARKS OR STAINS AT ALL ON  ANY PART OF THE LABEL.THE PINK i LOGO IS ALSO IN PRISTINE CONDITION

THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALL PERFECTLY CLEAR AND LEGIBLE AND UNRUBBED.

THE SPINDLE HOLE IS UNWORN AND STILL HAS SMALL SHARDS OF RESIDUE VINYL LEFT OVER FROM THE PRESSING, STILL INSIDE AND CAN BE HEARD WHEN PLACING THE RECORD ONTO A SPINDLE.THERE IS NOT ONE SPIDER LINE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

THE  VINYL IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION AND HAS NOT LOST ANY OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. YOU CAN TELL THAT IT UNPLAYED JUST BY LOOKING AT HOW THE RECORD STILL GLEAMS. THERE ARE NO MARKS ON THE SURFACE EITHER, AND IT IS FLAWLESS IN DAYLIGHT,AND ONLY WHEN OFFERED UP TO THE SPOTLIGHT ARE THERE SOME NEAR INVISIBLE WISPY HAIRLINES .

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE TAKEN THE DECISION TO RECORD THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH. IT HAS LONG BEEN A VALID POINT THAT BUYING ON EBAY CAN BE A LOTTERY AND THAT AN ITEM DESCRIBED AS MINT WILL OFTEN TURN UP AND PLAY VERY POORLY, GIVING SELLERS A BAD NAME AND WORSE STILL A TOTAL MISTRUST OF BUYING. WELL I HOPE TO ADDRESS THIS BY ALLOWING POTENTIAL BIDDERS TO HEAR THE WHOLE LP, INCLUDING ALL THE LINKING GROOVES AND RUN INS. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THIS VINYL PLAYS ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES. THERE IS NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER.

AS USUAL I DECIDED TO PLAY THIS PREVIOUSLY UNPLAYED ALBUM, PURELY BECAUSE UNPLAYED DOESN'T MEAN MINT, AND I GUARANTEE THAT MY ONE CAREFUL TEST PLAY WILL GO UNDETECTED

THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR ANY LOUD CLICKS, AND INCREDIBLY FOR AN ISLAND PRESSING OF THIS YEAR, NO VINYL NOISE WHATSOEVER

A COUPLE OF SPLIT SECONDS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN ONE OR TWO SPOTS ONLY, AND NO MORE THAN2-3 OF THE TINIEST DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH

THERE IS A SMALL NICK TO THE VINYL ON THE OUTER RIM OF SIDE TWO WHICH IF YOU PLACE THE STYLUS RIGHT ON THIS EDGE WILL CAUSE TWO CLICKS. HOWEVER THERE 3-4 SECOND SOF UNMARKED RUN IN BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SUPERB VINYL MINT!!!

I DONT BELIEVE THERE IS A BETTER COPY OUT THERE

THE SLEEVE

ORIGINAL  FIRST ISSUE MACNEILL SLEEVE . SINGLE UNLAMINATED

THERE IS ALWAYS A DANGER WITH AN UNLAMINATED BLACK SLEEVE FOR IT TO LOOK TERRIBLE, AND THE SLIGHTEST MARK SHOWS UP FAR WORSE ON A BLACK SLEEVE THAN ANYTHING ELSE

THE FRONT SURFACE ON THIS SLEEVE HAS REMAINED IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION ALL OVER. THE BLACK STILL HAS A MILD SHEEN ABOUT IT AND THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ANYWHERE. EVEN THE SMALL LINES THAT FORM NEAR THE SPINE ARE RESTRICTED TO JUST FIVE TINY ONES, THAT HAVEN'T CAUSED ANY WHITE LINES WHICH IS AGAIN SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TO BLACK SLEEVES. THESE SMALL LINES ARE STILL VERY BLACK.

THERE ARE 3 SMALL AND NEAR INVISIBLE LINES ALONG THE TOP EDGE, AND ONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE. NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE

INCREDIBLY THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE FREE OF ANY RUBBING WHATSOEVER, AND IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THIS SLEEVE WAS HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER FROM NEW TO PROTECT THE EDGES

THE SPINE ITSELF IS ALSO IN FIRST CLASS CONDITION WITH ALL OF THE TYPEFACE BEING INTACT AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. ALL OF THE DELICATE BLACK COLOUR IS THERE AND UNRUBBED, AND THIS EVEN INCLUDES THE TIP ENDS

THE SPINE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP, AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED, WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY LITTLE THUMB NAIL NICKS

THE REAR SURFACE IS AS GOOD AS THE FRONT SURFACE AGAIN WITH ALL OF THE BLACK UNRUBBED, AND JUST A FEW TINY LINES NEAR THE EDGES

THE ORIGINAL BLACK DIE CUT INNER SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ONE TINY NICK TO ONE SIDE OF THE DIE CUT HOLE, BUT NO CREASES OR FOLDS, AND NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE SEAMS

I AM VERY PLEASED TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT!!!

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY