rare 2 LP: BRUNO WALTER CONDUCTS MAHLER, Columbia 6-eye M2S 617 1A/1D/1E/1E

$

41

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[A winner of my eBay items may combine shipping with items purchased at audiophile-lpcd.com and receive a 10% discount on those combined-shipping items purchased at audiophile-lpcd.com.  If you wish to purchase any items at that website, please let me know by a message on eBay so that I can give you the discount.  Also, the prices on the items on that website will be substantially reduced in the next few days.  Even if you have recently visited the site, you may wish to do it again in a few days.  The return policy on the website will be changed also to allow for returns/refund.  The items on that website are from the same collection -- i.e., my personal collection -- and are of the same nice quality as the items that I list here for auction.]


rare 2 LP: BRUNO WALTER CONDUCTS MAHLER Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), Columbia 6-eye M2S 617, an original 1st US pressing with the matrices ending with 1A/1D/1E/1E for each of the 4 sides, respectively, with the "six eye" deep-grooved labels, fully laminated gatefold cover and a center insert.  This is extremely difficult to find and highly sought after by Mahler collectors and Classical music lovers.  This is the first stereo recording of "The Song of the Earth" by Walter.  Although Mahler never himself conducted "The Song of the Earth", many consider this interpretation by Walter to be the closest to how Mahler might have interpreted his own music, since Walter worked closely with Mahler as Mahler's assistant and protege and since Walter gave the original performance (back in 1911).   This is the only copy of this original double-LP set I have had or seen in person and is my personal collection copy.  I think it would be extremely difficult to find a cleaner copy, unless you found a new sealed copy.  PLEASE NOTE:  Due to the weight, the shipping charge will be that for 2 LPs for non-U.S. buyers. 

Vinyl Conditon:  NM visually, with about 2 or 3 spindle trails on each side; [please note that there is one small "ghost-like" manufacturing mark in the middle of Track 2 of Side 2, which is not feelable and which does not affect play]; the vinyls are very clean with FULL GLOSS (as visually clean as any Columbia records I have owned from this era).  I have only played this one once and it plays NM [but please note that, as most vintage Classical record collectors already know, Columbia vinyl from the late 1950's to early 1960's are a bit noisier in general than the RCA Indianapolis plant pressings from the same era].  This is about as clean a late 50's/early 60's U.S. Columbia record I have owned (and I have owned and played more than a hundred)!

Cover Condition:  Excellent at the worst; the fully-laminated gatefold cover is glossy, solid and clean, except for tiny bits of corner wear and some faint rub wear on the back (see photos).  This is about as clean as Columbia covers from the late 1950's come, a really nice cover.  The insert inside the cover is solid, crisp and clean.  The original Columbia plastic inner sleeves are clean.

At least 50% of my buyers are located outside of the United States, and I WELCOME BUYERS OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.  However, I still reserve the right to refuse to honor bids by buyers from countries where shipment routinely gets lost, damaged or delayed and buyers who have a pattern of nonpayment or negative feedback.  Please contact me before bidding should you have any concerns.  I also reserve the right to end the listing early if there is no bid on the item, in accordance with eBay policies. 

GRADING POLICY FOR LPS:  Grading is for the cover/box and for the record.  The record may have two grades, one for visual grade and another for play grade.  [For an explanation of the grades, please go to:   www.audiophile-lpcd.com/pages/page ].

 I have never played some of these records and some records may only be visually graded.  The grading for the record will be relative to a mint record of the period manufactured by the same record company.  Therefore, the standards will not be the same between, for example, a Japanese Pioneer/Holland Philips/German Teldec pressing of the early 80’s (which are on super quiet vinyl) and a U.S. ABC/MCA pressing of the late 70’s (which are typically noisier).  A Near Mint graded late 70’s U.S. ABC or MCA record will play with considerably more background noise caused by cheaper vinyl material than a Near Mint graded early 80’s Japanese Pioneer, Holland Philips or German Teldec record. 

SHIPPING POLICY:  All records have been cleaned on my VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine and will be placed in a poly-lined or rice paper sleeves, unless the records are sealed or the record already comes with a clean poly-lined inner sleeve.  The LP will be packed in a cardboard box LP mailer manufactured by ULINE (not the cheap, thin or flimsy kind but the more expensive, sturdy and bigger kind).  Unless the winning bidder requests otherwise, the record will be placed outside of the LP outer jacket so that it will not damage the cover during transit. 

For U.S. destinations, the shipping cost for 1 record delivered via US Postal Service Media Mail will be $4 for everyone in the Continental United States, and the cost for USPS Parcel Post will be $6 if your State touches the Pacific Ocean, $8 if your State or Commonwealth touches the Atlantic Ocean, and $7 if your State touches neither Ocean.  For each additional record, add $1 for each for up to 5 records.  (Each LP mailer will fit up to about 5 records.)  For example, for a boxed set containing 3 records, please just add $2 to the shipping cost of the first record.  If you would like your item shipped using a different option offered by the US Post Office (e.g., Priority Mail or Express Mail) or a private courier service (e.g., FedEx or UPS), please contact me.

For destinations OUTSIDE of the U.S., below are the prices for US Postal Service First Class Mail and Priority Mail.  Please contact me regarding the cost if you would like your item shipped using a different option offered by the US Post Office or a private courier service (e.g., FedEx or DHL). (Please note that the weight limitation for one package is 4 pounds, including the box mailer, packaging material, etc.)

I will NOT be responsible for UNINSURED items lost, damaged or delayed during transit.  If you would like to pay for insurance, please contact me regarding the cost.  

Cost of international shipping via USPS First Class Mail, which usually takes about 2 weeks but may take as much as 4 weeks: 

Canada

Asia

Europe

1 record

$7

$13.50

$13.50

2 records

$10

$20.50

$20.50

3 records

$12

$23

$23

4 records

$14

$26

$26

5 records (assuming less than 4 lbs.)

$16

$29

$29

Cost of international shipping via USPS Priority Mail, which usually takes about 1 week: 

Canada

Asia

Europe

1 to 2 records

$23

$31

$31

3 to 4 records

$25

$34

$34

4 to 5 records

$27

$38

$37

6 records

$29

$41

$39

PAYMENT POLICY:  I accept PayPal and U.S.-negotiable cashier’s check.  Payment must be made within five (5) business days after the bidding for the item ends.  If that timing does not work for you (because, for example, you will be on vacation, etc.), please contact me BEFORE bidding.