The Beatles White Album. Mono. 1st Press. Mono. Top Opening Very Low No:0098028.

	£		108
	$		143

THE BEATLES
WHITE ALBUM

Mono
First Press
Top Opening

Rare Very Low Number: 0098028

Complete
With
 
Original Photo-Cards
Original Poster
EMI Black Dye Cut Inner Sleeves

XEX 709-1, 710-1, 711-1 & 712-1


This is a complete and very much sought after low numbered First Press, Mono, Top Opening White Album, with original poster & photos-card inserts and with the First Press black, dye-cut inner sleeves.

 The vinyl is that heavy, thick, hard EMI 1960s product and all four sides are in really good, original condition, with some surface marks, as one might expect, on the records. The spindle holes and surrounding label areas, show no paper delamination, just some very feint rubs.  I have owned the record for some time and my description is what I see, but also I hear a great playing Mono album.

For those of you who know the Goldmine Record Grading System, which is universally accepted as being one of the best, I have copied what I believe their grading represents, regarding my record, so see below, after my listing.

This is a First Press dark green Apple label with the Matrices:
 Side One XEX 709-1, Mother 3, Stampers LP, being 86. Side Two XEX-710-1, Mother 7, Stampers LP, again being 86. Side Three XEX 711-1, Mother 2, Stampers HA, being 73. Side Four XEX 712-1, Mother 7, Stampers TT, being 99.

This First Press has the correct, Sold in U.K. subject to resale price conditions, see price lists along the top of the Apple labels and again,uniquely for the genuine First Presses, does not have EMI above the 33/1/3  & the Mft. in U.K. on the left of each label. Later pressings have EMI!

This is a very low number! If you think there were some 6,000,000 White Albums sold and most are with a number such as
No. 0660890 this is: No. 0098028! Being less than 100,000th off the EMI press!

The fully laminated White sleeve is Garrod & Lofthouse and as was the case with the Mono releases, there is no 'Mono' on the back cover. The Stereo versions, only, had 'Stereo'. And as with the First Presses, this is fantastic top opening. It is in nice, original condition, with just the usual slight corner wear and spine wear, but the laminate is all intact and otherwise no damage, with the embossed and raised The Beatles, looking good and with the all important No. 0098028 still proud and feelable in its stamping!

 The black dye cut inners are still with the records. These are soft sugar type paper, as were used originally and probably why thet ceased to be used, as they are so soft that wear happens. These are original, and intact, but do have some wear, with a couple beginning seam splits and the usual 'down-tear', due to the top opener, but I am being fussy.

This complete White Album, has the original photo-cards, in superb condition and being of that unique and odd size, on 1968 mat white card, with white borders and litho printed, and no pin holes, or sellotape etc, having not been put up on a wall. These are really stunning! Me being fussy!

The poster, too, is without holes or tape marks etc and as usual with these posters has the original folds, but, again rarely, no damage or splits and once more, having not been put up on a teenager's wall in 1968! And once more, this is me being fussy, as the poster can sell for £40 plus and photos for similar amounts!

Mono, numbered and top opening is the most collectable! First Press and complete, with excellent poster and photos is very collectable! But all of this with such a low number 0098028 and with no EMI above the speed and the correct label references, with low Stampers, makes this a highly collectable White Album!

Now, the Goldmine Record Collector's Guide. Please read this and check it out, if you have any issues. And PLEASE message me if you are in any doubt, as I am honest and want you to know what condition this LP is in, as it is collectable and valuable! I would rate this LP as VG Plus, based on the listing below.

• Mint (M)   Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed.(More on still sealed under "Other Considerations"). Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all.
• Near Mint (NM or M-)   A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly)that no record is ever truly perfect.
  
  The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
  
  An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.
  
  Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
  
  Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides. Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.



• Very Good Plus (VG+)   Generally worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value.
  
  A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.
  
  Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK".
  
  The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.
  
  Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
  
  In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.



• Very Good (VG)   Generally worth 25 percent of Near Mint value. Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
  
  Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.
  
  Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price. This, not the Near Mint price, should be your guide when determining how much a record is worth, as that is the price a dealer will normally pay you for a Near Mint record.



• Good (G), Good Plus (G+)   Generally worth 10-15 percent of the Near Mint value. Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white).
  
  A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.
  
  It is a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But, if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it...but keep looking to upgrade.



• Poor (P), Fair (F)   Generally worth 0-5 percent of the Near Mint price. The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing. The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled, and written upon.
  
  
  

This is an addition to the Goldmine Grading, as above, which I have added as a footnote, as bidding has begun. There is a lot of confusion regarding 'grading' of records and both Goldmine (the bible since 1974) and The Record Collector have variances, with Goldmine, interestingly, as will be noted above, omitting 'Excellent'. Here is a 'cut & paste' article, explaining:

EXCELLENT or EX or VG++: This is NOT a Goldmine defined grade, however it is becoming more and more mainstream among collectors and sellers. It is also a very conservative grade for those who don't want to grade NM, for fear they may over grade the record and cover. In which case it is very acceptable yet should not command the highest price based on NM value. Only NM records or better are considered collectable and WILL command top dollar. Anything less, the prices drop dramatically. However many very rare (collectable) items can command very close to NM value, simply because NM copies may not even exist. This will be explained under a different topic...

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EX VINYL: An excellent (EX or VG++) condition for vinyl will allow minor scuffs which are visible but only slightly. There may be more than a few, so be careful not call a record that has wear to more than 15% of the surface. The wear should be minimal and of course should play mint! Any scratches that can be felt with your fingernail can NOT be called scuffs. Scuffs lay on top of the grooves. If any break in the grooves are felt, they ARE scratches. And most often, they will be heard when played (soft clicks or even loud pops). Once again, no scratches can make this grade!

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VG+  Will show wear, surface scuffs and some very light scratches. Surface scuffs are caused from blunt (not sharp) objects. Often the minor scuffs are caused from inner sleeves. The vinyl should still have a great luster, but the flaws will be noticeable to the naked eye. Sometimes holding the record up to a very bright light, you will see many tiny lines across the surface. If the flaws don't cause any surface noise, the vinyl can make the VG+ grade. Remember, the record still should look as though it was handled with extreme care. Sometimes people find records that have no scuffs that are visible, yet on playing, due to poor stylus weight, there is background noise, so is this NM?!!