Beatles "ASK ME WHY" Vee Jay PROMO SLEEVE - VJEP-I-903

$

2,450

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING!
THE PRICE HAS BEEN REDUCED! The owner's Grand Daughter is Getting Married and funds are needed to help pay for the wedding!

Beatles  - Vee Jay "BLACK & WHITE" EP Promotional Sleeve; "ASK ME WHY". (NO RECORD available). Not perfect, but quite RARE!
This RARE sleeve is one of only a few (maybe 6 to 8) to exist in the world today! It's condition and a little history is described below. In the past few years (aside from one we recently sold to a local collector for $13,250.00) we have physically seen 2 others (neither of which as good as this one and both quite tattered), yet they still sold for between $8,200.00 and $11,000.00. 
In any condition, to say that this item is a VERY COLLECTIBLE, would be an understatement since it is probably the rarest piece of BEATLES   memorabilia in recording history. In this particular case, this one is being sold as a favor for a friend who has been an avid BEATLE record collector for over 50 years. 
In June of 1964, Vee Jay created this sleeve as the subject of what turned out to be a doomed marketing campaign to promote their EP's at new lower pricing and it failed miserably as we all know in looking back.  
It was issued in some cases along with PROMOTIONAL copies of their EP (VJEP I-903.DJ2) produced on a WHITE LABEL with the familiar BLUE [VJ] LOGO & PRINTING with the song title and verbiage in LARGE HEAVY BLACK PRINT and focusing solely on the song title "ASK ME WHY"   which most people don't realize, was actually the "B-Side" pressed by MONARCH RECORDS. 
Unlike standard sleeves, this one has the unique characteristic of opening from the bottom. You will also note that it is constructed like other Vee Jay sleeves (however, reversed from the positioning on their normal sleeves).
This is THE absolute rarest of all BEATLES sleeves ever produced (even RARER than the VJ-581 Promo "BEATLEMANIA" Blue sleeve) and is considered the HOLY GRAIL for all serious BEATLES collectors! As one can see from the photos, it is slightly soiled and has mild graying from aging, but it is still in great condition with only mild creasing here and there, and no tears, splitting or writing (some of the printing on the front is very slightly worn as you can see from the PHOTOS); very slight aging and staining on back but nothing serious. 
NOTE:  After many discussions with the owner, he has stated to us that when he purchased this sleeve, the bottom corners (which would be the top corners on standard sleeves) seemed to have already been altered or repaired due to their being somewhat tattered condition resulting from previous existing wear and slight tearing on their edges (which no longer are present). This is the owner's HONEST APPRAISAL of the condition of the sleeve. This accounts for their present appearance (SEE PHOTOS). In spite of this, nothing could ever diminish the fact that HERE IT IS and IN ANY CONDITION it's still an incredibly collectible piece of BEATLES history. Since it is obviously not in perfect condition, it's now simply a matter of how much it would be worth. Regardless, one must always keep in mind that only a handful of these sleeves exist in the current collector's market. Admittedly and quite understandably, it's current state would no doubt dictate a somewhat reduced value to any collector. Based upon that fact alone, the owner is certainly flexible on his asking price and is quite willing to entertain any serious "reasonable" offers. Realistically, he understands that demands for a maximum return on his original investment, would be quite unreasonable, however it's uniqueness and rarity certainly makes it worthy of being a part of any serious BEATLES collection. 
Actually we do have ANOTHER ONE OF THESE presently in our collection, however the owner of this one is reluctant to sell it right now. In the future, he may change his mind and offer it to the collector's market, but for now it is not available. KEEP WATCHING!
Considering the fact that the owner is quite elderly and is trying to help his granddaughter with her upcoming wedding plans, we are certain that he would be willing to entertain any reasonable offer since his goal is to sell off his entire estate and very substantial BEATLES collection at this time. So this is your chance to take advantage of such a unique opportunity!
A LITTLE HISTORY:  We do know for a fact that this sleeve was obtained at a BEATLES convention a number of years ago in San Francisco. He points out why authenticity has never been questioned. Considering the venue at which this sleeve was purchased where knowledgeable experts and collectors were present (MANY OF WHOSE NAMES WOULD BE QUITE FAMILIAR TO ALL KNOWLEDGEABLE COLLECTORS IF WE WERE GIVEN PERMISSION TO DISCLOSE THEM), this sleeve was one of the HIGHLIGHTED items being presented at that show and was thoroughly critiqued as being original but flawed as described herein. Comparisons had been made at that time to known authentic sleeves at the insistence of the present owner, prior to his purchase (or he wouldn't have bought it for such a substantial amount).Therefore the owner welcomes any and all questions (SEE PHOTOS).Every one is aware that there certainly have been many fakes produced over the years, however at the time that this particular item was obtained, most knowledgeable collectors will tell you that there were no known fakes out there just yet since the technology for professional duplication was not available until much later when Digital techniques became the state of the art. Admittedly, there are obvious flaws to it's condition, therefore REASONABLE BEST OFFERS are all that the owner expects. Please feel free to submit any inquiries or comments.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL - NO REFUNDS OR RETURNS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES - NO EXCEPTIONS. When bidding, please make certain that you understand these terms and what it is that you are buying. If you have any questions at all, please make sure that you ask for all information PRIOR to bidding! 
SHIPPING & INSURANCE:  Due to the fact that shippers do not always handle packages as carefully as one would like, we suggest  PURCHASING INSURANCE  (please inquire about rates and availability for your destination PRIOR to receiving our invoice). Without insurance, there is always the chance that there could be significant financial loss. If for some reason the item is received damaged, the BUYER must   examine the package upon delivery and file a claim right then and there with the delivery service. It is the BUYER'S responsibility to make the shipper aware AS SOON AS IT IS RECEIVED and notify the SELLER that he or she has put in a damage claim. The item will be professionally packaged.
It is important to point out that when sellers on ebay set a price for any item,  many factors are considered, one of which is the fact that the SELLER FEE  can be up to 10% of the Sell Price.  So, when you think that the price listed  might be higher than anticipated, please keep this added cost in mind.  Thank you for watching!
Thank you for watching and ... we look forward to ANY REASONABLE OFFERS!