ERIC CLAPTON 461 Ocean Boulevard 1974 UK LP Very 1st PICTURE SPINE + "BILBO" EX

	£		14
	$		19

ERIC CLAPTON

461 OCEAN BOULEVARD

RSO 2479 118

1974 ORIGINAL UK 1ST PRESS LP

BILBO ETCHING + 1st PICTURE SPINE COVER

STUNNING AUDIO THROUGHOUT

Side One          2479118 A//3  420 03    1   5    BILBO

Side Two          2469118 B//4  420 04    1   4  

Cover           EX

This is the very first issue 1974 unlaminated wide spine gatefold cover by Robor Ltd, with the cover picture continuing over the spine edge (later issues have a fully white spine) and the “Made in England” lettering inside the box on the labels (later presses have this outside the box). No writing or sticker removal damage. A small and light pen scribble on the back, which could probably be removed but I’ve not tried (see photo 10). Some light scuffing to the top edge (see photo 7) and a small crease to the bottom right corner, but otherwise very solid with a crisp opening edge, barely any hint of corner tip rub, superb strong spine with no squashing and fully legible text (see photos), and just a couple of very light spine edge spider lines. A hint of age-related handling, but otherwise very clean, and inside the gatefold is excellent with no marks. A very nice example of a classic and increasingly collectable cover.

Inner            EX

Poly-lined die-cut inner has light creasing and ring press, otherwise clean with no side or bottom edge splits.

Labels         EX+   

Clean with no marks of any kind, no cracking around the spindle hole, and no discernible spindle traces, suggesting a minimum of careful plays. All of the inks have retained their depth and clarity. Lovely labels.

Vinyl            EX   

The vinyl is etched Bilbo in the side 1 run-out groove (the mastering logo of Polydor's sound engineer). Glossy and bright on both sides, one or two ultra-fine sleeve removal traces and that’s all. Fully play tested on a Project/Ortofon/NAD system with Bayerdynamic headphones, it sounds quite stunning – I noticed no scratches, skips, pops or jumps, the merest of light static in some of the lead-in grooves, rich and powerful first press audio throughout.

Any questions – please just ask.

SEE MY FEEDBACK AND BID WITH CONFIDENCE

I have included the maximum of 12 high quality photos – taken in good light, and in focus! – so you can judge the condition of the cover, inner and labels for yourself. Any significant defects will be clearly visible in the photos. Grading LPs can be subjective, so please do examine the photos carefully, as well as reading the description. My own gradings are based on the standard record collector guidelines (see below).

POSTAGE

UK: £3.95 (2nd class signed for)

Everywhere else: Global Shipping Programme charges apply (check before bidding) 

International buyers beware: (1) The Global Shipping Programme does not allow sellers to offer combined postage, so if you buy more than one item from me you will still have to pay separate postage on each one; (2) The GSP postage charges are set by ebay, not me, so please don't ask me to lower the postage charge after you win an auction, because I cannot do this.

PACKAGING

The LP will be securely packaged. It will be sent in a polythene sleeve with card inserts and inside a dedicated record mailer envelope. The vinyl will be separated from the cover to prevent any ring marking in transit. The package will be secured with thick brown tape and marked with additional large “FRAGILE” taped stickers twice on both sides. I make no charge for this packaging and I make no profit on postage, so I take a small loss on P&P. Within the UK I send all my LPs tracked & signed, which provides added security for both buyer & seller.

RETURNS

In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with your purchase I will be very happy to give a full refund (minus return postage) if the record is returned to me in the same condition within 14 days. Please message me immediately to resolve any concerns that you have and I will do my best to help - I have 100% positive feedback and I would like to keep it that way. Thanks.

A NOTE ON STATIC

Most of the LPs I am selling are 30-50 years old. There will inevitably be a certain amount of background static and noise on any LP of this age. I play test all my records before listing and I do my best to describe the condition of the vinyl accurately. All LPs are likely to benefit from a clean with a professional liquid or record cleaning machine.

RECORD COLLECTOR GRADING GUIDE

MINT: The record is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.

THANKS FOR LOOKING and HAPPY BIDDING!