Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy MONO promo white label; Robert Ludwig mastered

$

1,850

Hello, I am a long-time eBay seller - since October, 1999.  I have a 100% feedback record, so bid and buy with confidence.  I have collected records for many years and every record I offer comes from my personal collection.  The grade I specify for the vinyl is based upon a playback as well as a visual inspection.  The grade I assign for the cover and inserts (if any) is based upon a close visual inspection.  My grading standards are conservative - I believe that it does no one any good to inflate the grade of the record only to have the buyer be disappointed upon receipt and wish to return it.  I offer a full, no-questions-asked return policy on every record I sell except in very rare circumstances.  In those rare cases, I clearly state the condition of the record and explain why I cannot accept a return on it.
For sale today is an excellent copy of the Houses of the Holy album by Led Zeppelin issued in 1973.  What makes this album very, very special is that it is mastered in the mono format as a United States release.  It was never released as a mono pressing commercially in the US, only as a promotional item sent to AM radio stations.  Mono was being phased out in the US starting in the late 1960s and by 1973 it was essentially gone.  While all Led Zeppelin mono promo albums are rare, this is the rarest of them all by far.  
As to condition, the vinyl lies flat, and the grooves retain shine and luster.  However, I grade it overall as VG+ because there are numerous scuffs and marks on both sides.
As to sound quality, the vinyl plays very well but for one song.  On that one song, No Quarter, there is a steady tick, which is heard once every revolution of the record.  The ticking lasts only for that song and is noticeable only during its quiet parts. The album plays Near Mint on every other song.  As to that last point, I have found in my experience with white label promos issued on the Atlantic label that virtually all of the mono ones look well-played (thus the lower visual grade) but usually, if not always, sound great.  This is a testament both to how the AM radio DJs at the time cared for these albums (not so well) and also to the high quality of the mastering and of the vinyl itself.  
The outer cover is in VG++ condition.  Colors are full and vibrant, front and back.  All corners are sharp and square.  The spine is full and complete. The main issue is general wear and tear at the corners and on the seams.  I do note for completeness, however, that there is a small white line, or scratch mark, to the left and above the small climbing figure found on the left upper side of the back cover (see photo).  The album cover includes three stickers, two promo stickers and a song list sticker, as shown by the photo.  All stickers are full and clear, without issues, except for the the white rectangular sticker listing the song titles where a prior owner placed an asterisk mark in black ink next to the title for the song Ocean (see photo).
The labels are in Near Mint shape except a prior owner wrote the word "Mono" in black ball point ink on the Side 1 label (see photo, top left of Side 1 label).  The original inner sleeve is made out of heavy paper and it is in Near Mint shape except for a small split at the bottom seam and on one side seam.  Hard to notice unless you open the sleeve up and look inside.       
Since I purchased this album, I have stored the vinyl in an archival inner sleeve, which I then placed in a separate cardboard cover to best protect both the vinyl as well as the original outer sleeve (see photo). Both of these protective sleeves will be included with the purchase and the vinyl will be shipped in them to best protect both it and the original outer cover and original inner sleeve.
It is important to also note that renowned recording engineer Robert Ludwig assisted with this album's mastering.  This is evidenced by the presence of the mark "Sterling RL" in the blank space between the last song and the label on both sides of the album (see photo).  If you look up Robert Ludwig, you will see that he was employed by Sterling Sound when this album was mastered. 
For recent price reference purposes, a similar example of this album, originally listed for $2500, sold on eBay on 1/24/20 for an undisclosed "best offer accepted."  In that other listing, the seller graded the vinyl as VG.         I will ship the album via US Mail as priority mailing with signature required.
All in all, a great example of this classic, extremely rare mono promo album by Led Zeppelin!  Thanks for looking.