THE WOODEN O - A HANDEFUL OF PLEASANT DELITES rare 1969 UK Middle Earth 301, EX

	£		20
	$		27

THE WODEN O - A HANDEFUL OF PLEASANT DELITES

A rare and sought after copy of this 1969 UK 1st pressing folk gem on the coveted Middle Earth label, STEREO MDLS 301

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  MDLS  - 301A1 with inverted stampers "A" and "2A" at 3.30 o'clock and 9.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2  MDLS  - 301B1 with inverted stampers "A" and "1A" at 5 o'clock and 1 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent+. Completely flat and when viewed in normal daylight still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. Under a brighter light it's just possible to make out a few very fine, small, wispy hairlines and very light surface paper scuffs...nothing really. Outstanding, especially considering it's 49 year old antiquity.

The labels are excellent+. No blemishes whatsoever, apart from just a few very fine, faint spindle traces adjacent to the centre hole and even then only visible in a bright light. Smooth labels with black writing and note the dot in the catalogue number "MDLS.301" which is unique to Middle Earth very first pressings.

The laminated, non-flipback Garrod & Lofthouse outer sleeve is a solid very good.  All edges remain firm with no scuffing (apart from a 1cm very mild scuff mark on the bottom edge), and that includes the rigid spine where all writing remains perfectly legible. Each corner remains a well defined right angle but with just a little scuffing and the front side photography is completely intact with a rich, vibrant appearance - very impressive. There is some age discolouration, however, adjacent to the front side opening edge and again on the reverse side opening edge and occasionally along the top edge. There are also five 1cm (or less) surface creases adjacent to and perpendicular to the spine on the front side, two of which transgress onto the edge itself. Towards the front side top right corner there is some mild diagonal creasing which is contained to the front side and there is also a small 0.5cm horizontal tear on the opening edge 8.5cm down from the top corner. Despite all of these relatively mild blemishes the overall condition of the outer sleeve is a solid very good.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent. There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips or clicks and and just the occasional hint of background crackle (Middle Earth vinyls are infamous for this) during some of the quieter interludes, slightly more noticeable at the beginning of each side and on track 1 side 2 there is mild rotational background static/crackle for about the first half of the track - I have looked closely at the vinyl and can find no reason for this so perhaps a professional clean will cure. 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. Toye Tune

2. Pipe Tune

3. Sad Tune

4. Dance Tune

5. Sick Tune

6. Walking Tune

7. Concerto

Side 2 :

1. Maypole

2. Overtures

3. Sweet Bedded

4. Arise

5. Fayne Would

6. It Was

7. Away

Comes with original plain white inner sleeve with no splits or tears and in excellent condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an overall excellent copy of this rare and 1969 UK 1st pressing folk gem - a worthy addition to any folk vinyl collection and only continuing 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 boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

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 :

for the UK Royal Mail 1st class, signed for  : £3.00, 

for continental Europe international signed for : £8.00

and for Rest of the World international signed for £12.00

 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