PINK FLOYD - A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS ORIGINAL UK 1968 BLUE COLUMBIA MONO SX 6258

	£		214
	$		284

PINK FLOYD - A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

A rare and sought after copy of this 1968 UK 1st press gem by arguably the greatest prog rock band ever, on the coveted UK black & blue Columbia label, MONO SX 6258

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XAX 3633 - 1 with stampers "1" and "1 1" (could be an "H" - not clear!) at 9 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively

Side 2   XAX 3634 - 1 with stampers "1 2" (vertical) and "0" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively 

The appearance of the thick, heavy duty vinyl is very good+. Completely flat and when viewed in normal daylight still retaining a nice sheen with just a few small, light scuffs noticeable. When viewed under a brighter light, and tilted at the right angle, a good number of wispy hairlines and superficial small scuffs come into view, however; but nothing nasty here and nothing that's obviously below the surface or even "feelable"...the exception being three small light scratches resulting in some very light clicking during the first third of track 1, side 2, 6 noticeable clicks about half way through this same track, and some minor clicking (I counted 6 clicks) about two thirds of the way through. In essence this is a record that has had a fair number of plays but is still in very good condition and with a lot more quality listening left in it.

The labels are excellent. The only blemishes are just a couple of very light, faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each side and which are only really visible under a bright light. Note the "Gilmore" credit on the side 2 label which is indicative of a first pressing...later pressings were corrected to "Gilmour".

The front-laminated and flip back Garrod & Lofthouse outer sleeve is very good.  All edges remain firm with barely any scuffing  and that includes the rigid spine where all writing remains perfectly legible, and the iconic front side artwork and colouring remains completely intact with a vibrant appearance - very impressive. Each corner remains a nicely defined right angle but there is obvious scuffing on each corner.corner. The laminate itself is in very good condition but there is some mild laminate creasing towards the front side opening edge and x12 1cm surface laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine. There is also a non-obvious 5mm "nick" located in the white "d" in the top right hand corner. The reverse side is very good+ with each flip back in excellent and fully functional condition and all text perfectly legible. There is a name ("Gallagher") written in blue biro in the top left hand quadrant of the reverse side. In summary, "very good" - no better, no worse.

Finally, the quality of the audio is very good. There is nice tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. But there is also light background crackle throughout most of the record...for much of the time this crackle is not noticeable and is mostly non-intrusive. It is a little more obvious at the beginning and end of each side and during the interludes and quieter moments. Note also the 3 light scratches on track 1 side 2 resulting in some light clicking during the first third of this track, 6 noticeable clicks about half way through this same track, and a further 6 mild clicks about two thirds the way through. But even these blemishes, though noticeable are not off putting and this record still makes for an excellent listen. 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. LET THERE BE MORE LIGHT

2. REMEMBER A DAY

3. SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN

4. CORPORAL CLEGG

Side 2 :

1. A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

2. SEE-SAW

3. JUGBAND BLUES

Comes with original poly-lined "USE EMITEX" inner sleeve with no splits or tears and in excellent condition...just some creasing towards the corners. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner in order to protect the original.

In summary a solid VERY GOOD copy of this rare and highly sought after 1968 UK 1st pressing prog rock gem, not in perfect or even excellent condition but still capable of gracing any serious record collection and which will always remain cherished and only continue to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. 

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class, tracked and signed for  : UK £5.00, continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £13. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

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

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

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.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler