I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.

The Artwoods : Art Gallery 1A / 1A 1st Mono Press 1966

This very collectable first pressing is STUNNING!  Having played it in full I can confirm there is no interference and the sonic quality on both sides is breath-taking.  In my opinion it is a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic.  There are only 2/3 minor ticks i.e. so quiet and hardly deserve a mention.  The clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio is astonishing and - the depth especially is so so impressive.  This is clearly a record that has been so well looked after and only lightly played.  It is very impressive visually also with just a section of faint 'bag rash' on each side which has absolutely no affect on the stunning quality of the audio.

Now what is rare is the cover.  I say rare because not only is the front laminated but the laminate also wraps around a little more than half of the back cover.  According to my research only the front should be laminated so how rare this is I do not know.  It definitely wraps around by the way,  it is not a separate piece of laminate.  There is also a NOT EXCHANGABLE stamp on the back so does all this mean this is a promo edition?  Who knows!  The cover itself has only a little wear and this can mainly be seen near the top edge of the back cover.  The inner sleeve just has some creasing but is dated 6-68 so is maybe not the original.

LK 4830 // XARL-7481-1A  B 1  /  XARL-7482-1A  K 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1, T4 & T6 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Near Mint)

The cover is VG+

The labels are Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a strong glossy sheen across the majority of the record and there are no extraneous marks or scratches.  The only issue it has is that there is some faint 'bag rash' over a certain section on each side, some contour type lines, but this is superficial as it has zero affect on the superb audio.  It is only faint and if you can see beyond this then the vinyl is stunning.  You cannot see it under 'normal' light anyway proving how faint it is.  Aside from that I can only see 3/4 ultra faint hairlines when looking under a bright light, it really is such a clean vinyl.  The unboxed red Decca labels are in super clean with no marking and barely any spindle wear.  The KT tax stamp can be seen on both run out grooves.

Play grading  

The intro on 'Can You hear Me' plays so clearly with no interference and the opening vocal section is just as strong.  It continues to play with that full, deep, rich mono sound with no ticks, clicks, pops or static and Near Mint is more than deserved.

'Down In The Valley' is of the same high end standard with nothing to detract from the audio.  The playback is so clean and precise and again the depth and warmth of the audio is so impressive.  Every vocal and instrumental plays with stunning quality, Wood's voice is so powerful here.  I am confident in grading this as Mint-

The melodic 'Things Get Better' again shows just how well this vinyl has been looked after.  There is not one single negative - the clarity of sound cannot be faulted and there is no distortion on the top end.  Mint-

The quiet 'percussive' intro on 'Walk On The Wild Side' plays perfectly as does the following bass section.  This classic instrumental is of course largely dominated by Jon Lord (yes that one!) and the playback is stunning.  There is one section towards the end where the volume increases that has a little distortion although perhaps I am doing myself a disservice by even mentioning it!  It is so so minor and this is a mono record being played through a stereo set up.  Even the word distortion seems a little harsh!  From start to finish there are no ticks, clicks etc and the audio just exudes clarity.  A stunning version that I grade as Near Mint but yes that could be under-graded.

'I Keep Forgettin' once more impresses on every level with superb audio throughout.  Keep it simple this track is Mint-

The intro and opening 'vocal' on 'Keep Lookin' are very quiet and yet the clarity is stunning.  There is barely any static and I only heard one minor tick.  As the volume and pace pick up the audio is so strong and deep and there is only minimal inner groove distortion, nothing intrusive.  A great track that has to grade as Near Mint

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The run in on S2 has no static etc and then the intro 'One More Heartache' is near perfect with only a couple of very quiet ticks.  Wood's opening vocal has no background and it continues in the same precise way.  Poole's bass is very much in the forefront here and it adds so much to the overall depth and definition, the playback is stunning.  I have nothing but praise for this version - to give you an idea of the clarity the fade out is crystal clear with not even a solitary dust tick.  I will grade the intro as Near Mint and the remainder as Mint I cannot fault it.

'Work, Work, Work' is another track that belies the age of the album and plays with phenomenal clarity and warmth through every section.  I do not wish to repeat myself but honestly the clarity here is quite simply STUNNING!  This album is fast approaching 60 years old and yet this relatively quiet track has literally no background.  There is a very quiet section towards the end and again not even a barely audible dust tick!  It is 'as new' and the powerful closing section has no interference either.  A STUNNING Mint version from the first note to the last.

'Be My Lady' also plays with remarkable sonic quality with zero intrusion.  If I haven't said it already it is 100% obvious this vinyl has hardly been played!  Mint

'If You Gonna Make A Fool Of Somebody' is a more powerful number and plays with genuine quality.  The intro is perfect and the vocal sections then play so clearly with barely any distortion on the top end.  In fact scrub that, distortion is not the right word - it's just how the track was recorded / produced so should not be downgraded as a result.  It still plays incredibly well and Mint is very much deserved.

The intro on 'Stop And Think It Over' has a clarity of sound equal to that of a record pressed yesterday!  The opening vocal section is on the same level and Wood's first 'raucous' vocal is perfect without any distortion.  The second is just as strong and it continues to play with a clarity and power that is second to none.  Delicate and powerful in equal measure this is another STUNNING version and it can only grade as Mint

'Don't Cry No More' ends this classic album with breath-taking audio once more.  Tremendous percussion and not forgetting Wood's powerful vocal.  His vocal towards the end in conjunction with the musicianship is staggering!  For the sonic quality to be as exceptional as this on a '66 vinyl record is so so rare!  No ticks, clicks, pops, static or discernible distortion this has to grade as Mint- at the minimum.

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

This rare Robert Stace cover is in excellent shape with only a little shelf wear here and there.  The edges of the laminated front cover have barely any rubbing / wear and the thin pinched spine is super clean also with only a couple of minor rubs and a light wear on the top corner.  The top right corner is the only other one to have a little wear.  The opening edge has some handling wear but nothing excessive.  The front cover is very clean with a couple of minor laminate creases and some laminate lift next to the spine as is common.  One minor scratch line near the top and you can see the original 39p Woolworth's sticker in the top right corner!  Now for the rare bit!  The just over half laminated back cover has barely any marking and just has a little wear along the top edge where the paper surface is a little loose in the centre.  A couple of small tears there also.  Overall it has withstood the test of time extremely well.

The Decca poly-lined inner sleeve is in great order with no side splits or tears, barely any marking and only a little creasing.  it is dated 6 - 68 so I'm not entirely sure if it is original to the album. 

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM-93EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine

LK 4830 // XARL-7481-1A  B 1  /  XARL-7482-1A  K 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £12.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £22.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!

A minor error in the listing - the matrix info above the gradings should of course read as - 2/1 and not 1/2 as this is the withdrawn mix.