HARRY NILSSON "THE TRUE ONE," the Box Set Promo with LPM 3874,

$

103

NILSSON "THE TRUE ONE," the Box Set Promo with LPM 3874, EXTREMELY RARE. In the interest of full disclosure . . . This Nilsson box set is a complicated affair, so I am just going to present to you what I have and what you can see in the pictures without hype and a good dose of sincerity. What I am showing you is NOT a complete set, nor is it in the best condition, but it is still VERY RARE and worth owning if you are a Nilsson collector.
The first photo is of the top of the box. If you can't tell from scanning over it, there are worn spots, and in the upper right-hand corner you can see where someone had unwisely attached price and identification stickers directly to the top. Not me. But I removed them. If you purchase this item, I recommend you leave well enough alone. All four corners of the box top are split or nearly split, and from the two subsequent photos of the top and bottom of the box and the edge you can tell that the cloth hinge that used to hold the two parts together is missing.
 At last, I have some positive things to say! The two large inside photos of young Harry are in pretty good shape and have lost none of their appeal. I must disclose, however, that the pocket on the left does show some wear and is dented in on the right side. I am happy to note that, unlike the top, the corners of the box are all intact. 
On to the album itself, the record first. I am pleased to say that, not only is the LP the correct mono version that is supposed to come with the set, it is in NEAR MINT condition. I can't say the same for the cover, unfortunately, but it is at least in FAIR condition. There is a split starting on the top right, and the cover balloons a bit for some unknown reason. The record and cover come with the original sleeve which, typically, has a split on the bottom where the record has worn through the old paper. 
As for the rest of the contents, I have good and perhaps not-so-good news. Good news first, and the good news is The Balloon and Stickers. There are some who have doubted the balloon even exists, but here it is! Actually, there are supposed to be two of them and they came in different colors. The stickers are also quite scarce. There are supposed to be eight; here there are four and in nice condition. 
Finally, we come to the literature and press photos of Harry. I cannot say with any conviction that any of the remaining documentation is genuine. All of it strikes me as photocopies, but I'm not certain because I don't have another set to compare to. The mini-poster of the album cover and the two photos of Nilsson in particular raise doubts in my mind. The box set is so elaborate and expensive to produce in the first place. Then shouldn't the mini-poster be in color? Shouldn't the photos be glossies instead of photocopies? I just don't know for sure, and I don't want to mislead you.
Besides the second balloon and the other sheet of stickers, there are two other missing items: a Nilsson "True One" pin, and a Nilsson "True One" Fan Club card. I've tried to be honest in my assessment of this rare piece. Despite its flaws and some questionable pieces and missing parts, I still think it's a valuable collectible. There will never be more of these, only fewer, and the value will only increase with time.