TRAFFIC Mr. Fantasy SCARCE FIRST 1970 PINK RIM UK ISLAND EX++ LP, SUPERB SOUND.

	£		21
	$		28

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: TRAFFIC

Album Title: Mr. Fantasy

Producer(s): Jimmy Miller

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Heaven Is in Your Mind; Berkshire Poppies; House for Everyone; No Face, No Name, and No Number; Dear Mr. Fantasy.

Side 2: Dealer; Utterly Simple; Coloured Rain; Hope I Never Find Me There; Giving to You.

Label/Format: Island – a very early pink rim format repressing with deeply textured matt surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: ILPS 9061

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 112 grams. Fairly light, but superbly pressed on top-quality pure vinyl, thus fantastic clean sound throughout.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Clearly not as scarce as pink label copies, but if ultra clean sound and value-for-money is paramount, this copy delivers.

Original Year of Release: December 1967. This one from around 1970 to 1971.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9061 A-3U / ILPS 9061 B-4U

Mothers / Stampers: 1 P / 1 M

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘PORKY’

Musicians: Jim Capaldi – drums, percussion, vocals; Dave Mason – guitar, mellotron, sitar, tambura, shakkai, harmonica, percussion, bass guitar, vocals; Steve Winwood – organ, guitar, bass guitar, piano, harpsichord, percussion, vocals; Chris Wood – flute, saxophone, organ, percussion, vocals. With: Jimmy Miller – maracas; Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones - backing vocals and percussion on ‘Berkshire Poppies’.

Brief Info: The debut album by Traffic, issued to considerable acclaim towards the end of the ‘Summer of Love’, and still regarded as a classic to this day. Including four brilliant musicians, ‘Mr. Fantasy’ is a clever blend of rock and pop-psychedelia and lyrically impressive. Prior to issue however, Dave Mason left the band. In the United States, the album was retitled and repackaged as ‘Heaven Is in Your Mind’, the track listing was altered as well, dropping some songs and including the singles ‘Hole in my Shoe’ and ‘Paper Sun’. Later US pressings reverted back to the UK title. On offer here is still an early 1970s UK copy with first mother and early stampers. It offers beautiful clean sound and appears very little played. The very wear-prone cover has some, but if the music and clean sound is of paramount importance, this copy offers it.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD: an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group, includes the plain white (early) inner sleeve.

Cover Front: A difficult cover as an original, and almost as difficult as a second format non-laminate. This front has fared quite well overall. Yes a little rubbing near the very edges and on the corner tips, also a faint price sticker residue trace seen under light (but no tear pull marks). Minimal creasing with any marks the same. Overall a fine looking front with deep rich colour.

Cover Back: The back has some rubbing top and bottom near the rim shape a lesser traces inbetween. Then largely as the front.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Apart from gentle set-off traces (where dark ink rests upon light when closed), there is not a great deal else to fault.

Top Edges: Straight, flat and parallel with light very patchy rubbing, a little more near the very ends.

Bottom Edges: More moderate patchy rubbing as is less often avoided on storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: All edges are clean, mostly sharp with minimal thickening or burring as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on the back and all are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: This scarce cover version has a very wide spine which remains solid, straight with minimal compression. Also folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. A gentle hint of tilt to left being critical. The wide surface barely worn in real terms, but has faded due to natural expose to room light in shelf storage. The black text still mostly present with minimal wear.

Corners: Moderate tip rubbing but with largely fine shape retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: A cover that seldom escapes often heavy wear, so put into context, this is still a very respectable example. Not for the cover purist, but many will be more than pleased.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): and little aged with any darkening only mild. An unlined plain white inner – the blue ones came slightly later – this has no creasing worthy of note and all edges now solid and secure with just one tiny central side edge repair by myself that barely registers.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite solidly pressed vinyl. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface trace marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light – hardly anything, and this copy superbly pressed by EMI. This record plays beautifully with hardly anything to fault at all. Visually a super and age-defying classic Island record that should please many, if not most collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent Island album plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds hardly even registering and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Even being a pink rim copy, this is still around 45-years-old and appears hardly used. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, this has to be one of the greatest British rock debuts of the entire 1960s (and beyond). The disc itself will prove very difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.