Beatles LP "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" Vee Jay LP1062 Rare Ver. 1 MONO VJ Oval

$

630

If you "BUY IT NOW"  under any circumstances,  along with FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING, we'll take $35.00 off!
ATTENTION!!!  With all of the many "BOOTLEGS" on ebay,  it is important to point out that this is an initial pressing of  a RARE & AUTHENTIC "Version 1" record; NOT a BOOTLEG  of the Beatles LP ..."INTRODUCING ... THE BEATLES" issued  officially on January 10, 1964 by Vee Jay Records. 
None were EVER released in 1963!
WE NEVER SELL FAKES, so BUY WITH CONFIDENCE !!!!
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Beatles LP "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES"  Vee Jay Records (Version 1 Mono "OVAL" Logo) - VJLP-1062 (1st PRESSING Column Back). Issued on January 10, 1964. Song titles LEFT JUSTIFIED on the label. THE "REAL DEAL"! 
Most people don't realize how scarce & valuable VERSION 1 LPs are  and how difficult they are to come by - in any condition!  LEGITIMATE ones are RARE! Buy them when you see them!  (Our catalog # ITB -V1-OVM-7761A)  
This was known as the "COLUMN BACK" or "TITLES ON BACK" cover. After the "AD BACK" and "BLANK  BACK" experiments, Vee Jay decided to print the song titles on the back of the outer jacket. Although this was  an initial pressing, this was actually the 3rd cover variation of the VERSION 1 in MONO issued featuring  "LOVE ME DO" and"P.S. I LOVE YOU"  and not songs "PLEASE PLEASE ME" and"ASK ME WHY" , later found on VERSION 2 LPs. Even though the tracks were previously recorded in 1963 in England (for their "PLEASE, PLEASE ME" LP on the Parlophone label), No Copy of "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES"  was ever released in 1963 regardless of what you may have heard. But soon after Vee Jay's impending lawsuit with   CAPITOL Records (actually with ARDMORE & BEECHWOOD Music), the LP bottomed out due to    CAPITOL'S superior marketing of BEATLES LPs like "MEET THE BEATLES" and "THE EARLY BEATLES".
The average fan was never actually made aware of the fact that there were 2 versions of this album and how rare  the first ones were. Far fewer VERSION 1s were ever pressed than VERSION 2s. (Official stats have  revealed that with respect to VERSION 1, only a little over 79,000 MONOS and 2,202 STEREOS  were ever produced which included "AD BACKS" and "BLANK BACKS"). When you consider that a little  over a million VERSION 2s were pressed in the 1st quarter of 1964 alone, it becomes very clear why any  VERSION 1 is so valuable, quite a find in any condition; highly sought after by all serious BEATLE collectors. 

THE FRONT COVER / OUTER JACKET shows none of the typical ring wear - BEAUTIFUL! The "Spine" is intact.  The jacket itself has NO SPLITTING nor WRITING on either side and is very CLEAN especially for a VERSION 1.  Most importantly, it passes the conclusive "HONEY" test referring to the song title on the back of jacket, "A TASTE  OF HONEY". Letters "H" and "E" have no ink missing in the top left corner of each letter.  VERY HARD TO COME BY! All fakes have ink missing there.   
VINYL has typical minor surface scuffs, light marks, and obvious paper slides. (Hard to find in  MINT condition). Cleaner example of this version than most which are normally found quite hammered. This OVAL  label shows a RARER arrangement of "LEFT JUSTIFIED SONG TITLES" without words "LONG PLAYING"  and "MICROGROOVE". Not perfect by any means but very nice surfaces! The trail off areas are stamped  "AUDIO MATRIX" with MR Logo encircled. Printing is Upper Case (as shown in photos). HARD TO FIND!
ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE - Comes with original Vee Jay Inner Sleeve (AS SHOWN).
If NM condition, this record would command a realistic price in today's market of $2,500 to $3,500.  
All of our BEATLES pricing is reflective of the latest BEATLES PRICE GUIDE  by STANLEY PANENKA and in  addition is based upon condition, rarity, and scarcity. There are other existing BEATLES Price Guides available,  however keep in mind that most are between 6 and 7 years old and do not reflect accurate present day market  values, regardless of who the authors are or whatever their so-called "expertise" might be.
Please feel free to ask questions and request additional photos!  Very RARE, quite collectible and valuable to any  BEATLES collector!  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ SOME INTERESTING & IMPORTANT FACTS about  ..."INTRODUCING ...THE BEATLES"  What is a FAKE & what is a REAL copy?
1.) First and foremost, genuine copies of any version of this LP must have "INTRODUCING ... THE BEATLES" & "THE BEATLES",  ABOVE THE SPINDLE HOLE.  If either phrase is below the spindle hole, it is FAKE!  No exceptions.
2.) Keep in mind; there were only (2) official versions of this LP –  VERSION 1 & VERSION 2; never any re-issues made by Vee Jay.
3.) VERSION 1's Include: "AD BACK", "BLANK BACK" & "COLUMN or TITLES ON BACK" variations. All confirmed "AD BACK"  covers have "PRINTED IN USA" on the front cover printed vertically in the lower left corner. If this is missing, the "AD BACK"  slick was no doubt removed from another Vee Jay LP and pasted to the back of a less valuable later version. This process often  leaves tell-tale wrinkles on the border of the slick. Also, contrary to popular belief, and although songs present were originally  recorded in England in 1963 for the original Parlophone LP entitled "PLEASE, PLEASE ME", NO COPIES OF THIS LP  WERE RELEASED IN 1963. It is a known fact that the first copies of "INTRODUCING … THE BEATLES" were officially  released by Vee Jay Records, not before January 10, 1964. 
4.) The 1st VERSION 1 COVER or outer jacket prepared was called the "AD BACK" cover, VJ 1062 (1) MCI. The back of the jacket  featured color images of 25 Vee Jay albums. The Front cover has words "PRINTED IN USA" in the lower left side printed vertically.  VERSION 1 records have significant value, however the outer jacket is really what makes this quite a significant find. 
5.) The 2nd VERSION 1 COVER for this LP was known as the "BLANK BACK" featuring a 100% blank back of the outer jacket with  a semi-glossy all white paper slick pasted there. Some covers (MC2A) do have "PRINTED IN USA" on the front like the "AD BACK"  while others (MC2B) do not. Once again it is the cover that makes the overall piece quite valuable. 
6.)  The THIRD VERSION 1 COVER was known as the "COLUMN BACK" or "TITLES ON BACK" cover. It listed song titles on the  back in (2) columns. This variation (MONO) came with either the "Oval" logo label or the Black Rainbow with Vee Jay in "Brackets"  [VJ]. An authentic STEREO of this variation is extremely rare and there have been millions of counterfeits that tried to mimic this  cover. The FAKE covers are found with records that are clearly counterfeit, and in all cases "THE BEATLES" always appears below  the spindle hole. And if the VINYL is FAKE, can the cover be far behind?  LABELS  – The initial label for the first VERSION 1 run  was the Black Rainbow label with the "Oval" logo. The records included songs "P.S. I LOVE YOU"  and "LOVE ME DO"   replaced later on VERSION 2 pressings with "PLEASE, PLEASE ME"  and "ASK ME WHY". The VERSION 2 was not released  until the beginning of February 1964. There are Three (3) font variations with the "Oval" label for this version. The MR1A states  the words "LONG PLAYING" and "MICROGROOVE" in upper & lower case letters. MR1B does not mention the words "LONG  PLAYING" or "MICROGROOVE", and the MR1C has these words but only in upper case letters. (A few VERSION 1s have been  found with the "BRACKETS" [VJ] logo on the label). 
7.) VERSION 2 – Here again, all official versions must have both "INTRODUCING … THE BEATLES" and "THE BEATLES" above  the spindle hole. If either is below the spindle hole, it is undoubtedly a FAKE. The VERSION 2 featured song titles "PLEASE, PLEASE  ME" and "ASK ME WHY" which had replaced "P.S. I LOVE YOU" and "LOVE ME DO"  found only on VERSION 1 copies and was  released in the beginning of February 1964. The labels varied with either the Black Rainbow "Oval" logo, or Black Rainbow  "BRACKETS" [VJ] logo, or Black Background with Silver "VJ" logo, or Black Background with Silver "Oval" logo, or Black  Background or Silver "VJ" in Block Style print, or Black Background with Silver "BRACKETS" logo [VJ] (very rare). In rare  cases, some VERSION 2 records can also be found with a 45 rpm label on them as well (Black Rainbow with "Oval" logo).  There are some FAKES featuring a Medium Sized SILVER BRACKETS [VJ] LOGO printed on an all Black label (Real ones  have much smaller logo). All of the VERSION 2 covers are "Column Back / Titles on Back". There are no copies of a  STEREO VERSION 2 disc with a regular sized Rainbow label with the "Oval" logo known to exist. 
8.) SOME IMPORTANT TESTS FOR AUTHENTICITY:  TEST #1 – The most obvious visual test is the "Shadow"  test. It was thought originally that if George Harrison's "Shadow" appeared on the right side of the front of the album cover, this was the definitive  sign of authenticity. It was later discovered that some elaborate FAKES also had this feature, therefore, although the shadow must be  there, its appearance alone does not define the LP as being authentic.  TEST #2 – A more conclusive test is the "HONEY" test. This  test refers to the back of the outer jacket and the song title "A TASTE OF HONEY". On ALL FAKES, in letters "H" and "E", the top  left corners of each letter is not solidly printed in black with ink missing there. This is probably THE  most definitive test for authenticity.  NO FAKE HAS EVER PASSED THIS TEST.  TEST #3 – The "Flap Test"; a test requiring inspection of the inside of the cardboard  jacket opening. Original VERSION 1 covers were assembled by Vee Jay in late December of 1963 or early January of 1964.  All covers assembled then have 1/4” flaps at the top and bottom of inner portion of the cardboard jacket. FAKES have either no flaps,  1/2” flaps or a 1/4” flap only at the bottom. It should be noted that there are exceptions to this rule, making this test not 100% effective  since it has been discovered that some VERSION 2 covers also do not have any flaps. Here again, there was a serious lack of consistency  in quality control. TEST #4 – Read the "Trail Off Area". This area of the record on most if not all FAKES is generally wider than  legitimate copies. On GENUINE copies, this area varies between 3/4” & 7/8” whereas on FAKES it is often anywhere from 1” to 1 1/4”.  Most (but not all) legit albums have raised relief machine stamped logos in the "Trail Off" areas. Because machine stamps are difficult  to duplicate, FAKES very often do not have any markings or only hand scratched markings. The most common machine stamp is from  Audio Matrix (AR) or the ARP logo. TEST #5 – Another trait of FAKES is they are normally pressed on much thinner vinyl.  Check for thickness by comparing an LP that is in doubt to a known legitimate copy and you will see the difference.
9.) It is important to note, THE most "FAKED" LP was the STEREO VERSION 1 "Column Back" album. All of the FAKES feature  song titles on the outer jacket and record label: "P.S. I LOVE YOU" and "LOVE ME DO". However when you play a FAKE, these  songs are normally NOT on the disc. Instead you will probably hear "PLEASE, PLEASE ME"  and "ASK ME WHY". (There are a few  exceptions that have turned up that play "P.S. I LOVE YOU" & "LOVE ME DO", however they are still FAKES). Also note that  although the outer jacket states the word "STEREOPHONIC" across the top of the Front cover in Gray on a WHITE background,  you don't find the word "STEREO" anywhere on the record label and the recording is in MONO as well.
10.) Contrary to popular belief there were NEVER any "REISSUES" of VERSION 1 or VERSION 2 LPs. Also if you've seen any version  of this LP with a stock photo on the front with DARK BROWN border, it is a FAKE!  Also keep in mind that Vee Jay NEVER sealed these  albums so if you have one that is sealed, there is good chance that it is a FAKE! 
11.) Recently it has come to our attention that some sellers who feel they know all there is to know about this LP are posting information  that is NOT accurate. For example, some state that unless the word "MICROGROOVE" appears on the label, the record is a FAKE.  NOT TRUE!  There are certain variations of both VERSION 1 and VERSION 2 that do NOT have either the words "LONG PLAYING"  or "MICROGROOVE" on the label, and yet they are legitimate pressings. Also there are some who have stated that if you see the word  "STEREO", it is not a legitimate pressing. NOT TRUE!  We have NEVER seen the word "STEREO" on any fake label - ever, but if it  appears on the label, it is authentic. And also there are some who have actually stated that any STEREO OUTER JACKET that offers  the song titles "LOVE ME DO" and "P.S. LOVE YOU" is a FAKE! Where are they getting their information? Although rarely  seen, VERSION 1 STEREO COLUMN BACK features "LOVE ME DO" and "P.S. I LOVE YOU" and since there were only 2,202  copies ever pressed, if found it would be worth a small fortune.
12.) Jackets with RED, WHITE & BLUE dots located under the top of the back side are always FAKES. These dots are normally used in  the printing process. Also, any jacket having FLAT PAPER on the back side, is a FAKE.
13.) Any version having a label that does NOT have a RAINBOW colorband, printed on glossy paper is FAKE. Also, the colorband must  be in high resolution with blended gradual color changes. 
We only hope that this sets the record straight on these very important but often misunderstood points.
There have been many additional theories over the years with respect to authenticity. In recent years, some of those theories have  unfortunately been found to be somewhat inaccurate.Therefore, we will not debate nor discuss them since some are no longer relevant.  If you would like information on whether or not you have a FAKE in your possession,we would be happy to view any photos of your record.  Pricing BEATLES  recordings is not like pricing any other artists. They are unique due to who they were and the tremendous impact they  had on the history of recorded music. Although millions of their records were produced on several labels, many were actually released in  limited quantities, such as certain variations on Vee Jay and other smaller labels. In addition, an important factor to consider was  "BEATLEMANIA" in the 1960s. When teens back then bought records, little care was given to them. Most records were either overplayed  or trashed which has actually contributed to the overall increasing value of those surviving in a condition worthy of being called  "collectible" today. Due to their frenzy, a market of collectibles was created which exists today, some 50 plus years later. One can only  guess at what's still out there worth collecting. In any case, any current values need to be assigned only by experts and always based  upon a number of factors like CONDITION, SCARCITY, RARITY and the QUANTITIES PRODUCED. As time passes, values will  continue to rise. Remember, price guides such as GOLDMINE are fine for assessing the general value of most artists recordings.  However when you consider the value and importance of groups such as THE BEATLES and other Super Groups, seek the advice  of only experts and not guides which continually undervalue most BEATLE  records. They simply don't possess the knowledge,  expertise and precise history necessary in order to accurately reflect today's market values. 
Most of our auctions are "BUY IT NOW" or "MAKE  BEST OFFER".   "MAKE ANY REASONABLE OFFER". You have nothing to lose!  
Please  take  a  moment  and  look  over  all  of  our  listings.  Please watch for SPECIAL SALES, or where it applies, please make your "BEST OFFER".  Thanks for watching. INSURANCE:  We do not typically provide insurance to any item due to the fact that this can amount to significant added cost. However,  this added service is available to any buyer requesting it prior to invoicing. If items are not insured and are received damaged, immediately  make the shipper aware of the damage. Once the item is packaged, inspected by, and leaves the seller, one can only hope that it is handled  with care which is why insurance is always a good idea (if affordable and available in your country). Grading "VINYL" records can at times be a bit difficult and is not an exact science since it is based upon someone's opinion.  Since opinions can differ, we want all buyers to know that whenever a purchase is made and the item is received, if you feel  that our listed grading (by seasoned professionals) differs from what you feel it should be, ALWAYS contact us FIRST before  filing a claim with Ebay. All items are inspected prior to packaging to insure that our description is accurate. However, we're  not perfect and once in a while, items with hard to detect defects, can slip through the cracks, therefore friendly dialogue  between buyer and seller is always the best remedy to seeking any satisfactory solution. We will always make an attempt to  achieve 100% customer satisfaction whenever possible. Remember that if you are not happy, we have not done our job!  Thank you for visiting our site!
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!
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