THE BEATLES Let It Be RARE ORIG UK 1970 COMPLETE BOX SET LP. IMPRESSIVE EXAMPLE

	£		787
	$		1,042

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

I would like to wish all my customers, regulars and newcomers, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – lovely albums – some rare – ENJOY!

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£2 per extra record). All boxes sent FIRST-CLASS & TRACKED in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS with extra 7mm side protection and bubblewrap.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: Let It Be [first pressing box set – COMPLETE]

Producer(s): George Martin

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Two of Us; Dig a Pony; Across the Universe; I Me Mine; Dig It; Let It Be; Maggie Mae.

Side 2:I’ve Got a Feeling; One After 909; The Long and Winding Road; For You Blue; Get Back.

Label/Format: Apple with very dark original artwork, the surfaces are matt with a gentle hint of texturing.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, fine and faint spindle marks. This an unusually clean original that plays impressively throughout.

Catalogue Number: PXSJ 1 (on the box sticker, this the number of the original box set edition) [PCS 7096 on the record label and record cover]

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. A heavier pressed first issue.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity and General Info: One of the rarer Beatles original albums. The box set was only available for around 6 months or so before being deleted. Clearly manufacturing costs were high, the set was somewhat lavish. That said, the packaging was far from ideal, many parts of it are fragile and very delicate indeed, none more so than the 164 page book and the inside trays that hold it in place. Some very early copies included an Apple promotional sheet, often described as a mini ‘poster’ which is genuinely quite rare. Just opening the book is fraught with danger: the binding was inadequate and far from strong with the cover merely glued to the pages. Hence opened too wide, and pages start to detach from the flimsy spine. Thus finding a complete box set with the poster and the book fully intact is very difficult. Well this very early copy is complete, even including the original set sticker on the underside of the slip case, the book is immaculate with all pages intact. In fact most elements are in impressive condition and ALL parts are guaranteed original. Please be aware, replacement tray parts can be purchased, but few will be fooled by them as they are simply too clean and clinical, the plain underside card for them too white and bright compared with the real thing. I am not saying owning replacements is a bad thing, but if sold as original it clearly is. The reason they are available is because the genuine inner parts are so weak and delicate, few as seen intact and without major issues. Only the inside tray part of this copy has repairs to small splits on the narrow top and bottom frames that help hold the book in place. These are so under-strength for the job, few will avoid creasing and tears, which has happened here, the underside has been bonded and reinforced with tape to hold these impossibly damage-prone areas together. But this apart, there are little other major issues for this overall superb example. Yes, the poster has some creasing, but IS guaranteed original, again beware of photocopies which is far from difficult to do – but again, they will convince few. The main record cover, with its correct red Apple logo (standard issue logos were green), is shiny fresh and attractive. The record, with the correct first matrixes and very dark label designs, looks and plays beautifully with little unwanted. Again, like most Beatles albums, this was often played to near destruction on the most basic of equipment. Finally, for now, the slip case is fully intact and also clean and impressive. Put simply: this is a very fragile and challenging set, although this is not perfect, and few ever will be, it is way above average and will never prove easy to find significantly better. A rare opportunity in many ways.

Original Year of Release: May 1970 until December 1970 when it was deleted in the box format.

Matrix Nos: YEX 773-2U / YEX 774-2U [these are the first issue matrixes]

Mothers / Stampers: 1 7 GR / 5 AA

Musicians: John Lennon – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, lap steel, acoustic guitar, six-string bass guitar, whistling; Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, Hammond organ, electric piano, maracas; George Harrison – lead and rhythm guitars, acoustic guitar, tambura, six-string bass guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals; Ringo Starr – drums, percussion. Other Musicians/vocalists: Billy Preston – electric piano, Hammond organ, Richard Anthony Hewson – string and brass arrangements, John Barham – choral arrangements, George Martin – shaker, string and brass arrangements, Linda McCartney – backing vocals, Brian Rogers – string and brass arrangements.

Brief Info: The final Beatles album issued before the split, it was actually record before ‘Abbey Road’ so technically, it was their penultimate album. Most fans will know all about this record and it’s content, I will concentrate on it’s condition. Below I will describe each individual element to this first issue box set.

The Slip Cover: EXCELLENT(+): this is a fragile double open sided slipcase for the main tray and contents to be stored in. All surfaces are smooth and laminated. The front has the four band portraits like the main record cover as-seen. The back side has the original PXSJ 1 sticker, this only gently aged with few blemishes. The text on the bottom of this back states: “Designed by John Kosh??Photographs by Ethan A Russell??Printed and made in Great Britain by Garrod & Lofthouse Limited (Patents Pending)”. This delicate slipcase has avoided damage and with little to really fault. Any of the very few laminate creases are quite light, any marks light and faint, hardly any. Both to and bottom edges are upright, not flattened and quite robust with no tilt or crushing. There are NO repairs to this slipcase. The laminate retains excellent shine, the graphics look fantastic as-seen with no lifting or peeling. This unforgiving piece will actually prove difficult to find much better these days.

The Lower Inside Tray: EXCELLENT(–): with just one split to the lower small end flap with a tape repair. All the flaps are still upright and ‘strong’, the large side ones with good spring, not floppy and weak, any end splits tiny, and few will ever avoid any. For my photograph, I help them open briefly with a piece of blu tack. The plain black underside is only gently rubbed here-and-there with some evidence of handling of course. The plain card inside is darkened and has no writing or marks, overall naturally aged a little, but the small split apart, this delicate lower tray is in fine overall condition – this 100% guaranteed original – as stated, beware of replacements that simply will look too clean and clinical and should fool no one.

The Inside Tray: VERY GOOD: or around this, it actually looks better. Grading this part that has four narrow splits is purely subjective. This part holds the quite heavy book, being single thickness card, thin and massively under-strength, it has scant chance of surviving nearly 50 years without damage or issues. All four upper and lower thin frame parts have split and have been repaired (with tape on the underside) and enhanced. There is little else to fault, and these impossibly fragile areas apart, this still looks impressive, even the perferated flap folds are fully intact and also still strong. Again the underside is darkened plain card, also again, it is guaranteed 100% original.

The Book: EXCELLENT(++): The word ‘fragile’ or ‘delicate’ hardly covers this 164 page book. The thin shiny laminated cover, just like a paperback book, is only attached to the pages with a thin film of glue. So if opened too wide, there is high risk of the pages becoming detached from the spine. That is very common indeed and few will actually remain fully intact these days, but this one is. Sadly, it makes viewing the pages perilous and risky if the you want to keep this book this way. The book includes many colour pictures and some text matter. To date, one of the finest I have seen, the cover remains shiny and attractive with just one fine crease on the front, the back with none. A fine laminate lift on the back of the spine area is almost the least to be expected, and there is hardly any thickening to the cover or pages ends, any burr traces tiny and light. I am sure this has hardly been handled or opened, the one original owner clearly with enough sense to realize the dangers. This is a near exceptional original book that will prove very difficult to find better or more strongly attached.

The Record Cover: EXCELLENT(+): arguably better. Again original, with the red Apple logo as-seen, standard single album covers had the green logo. This is fully laminated and was also made in Great Britain by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. Made with very thin card, this has survived in impressive condition with little to fault. Both sides retain excellent shine, freshness and clarity with any dulling little and light around the rim area seen under light – this almost as light as it gets with the thicker record inside all these years. Any marks few, fine and light and this has avoided lifting with very little creasing at all, any present fine and very light. All edges are very thin, the spine fairly straight with all text perfect, its surface so thin, the text cannot even fit entirely on its surface (but does its best to try). Only a very fine and small surface crack on the bottom edge, but this has not split, so all edges are fully intact and neat. The right opening is still quite sharp with minimal thickening, this guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. Any tip rubbing small and light, a possible tiny enhancement on the bottom right tip, if so it registers little. Any visible tip rubbing tiny and light with no knocks or dinks. Clearly, the red logo original covers are rarer than the standard green logo ones, and this will prove hard to find much better.

The Paper Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a basic plain solid white unlined inner. A little light creasing, the paper mildly and naturally darkened with age. All edges intact, just a tiny side split was repaired by myself (the only repair I did on this set myself). This is patented and was made in England.

The Promotional Sheet (often referred to as a ‘Poster’): Around EXCELLENT: the only issue is three creases that could have even occurred in manufacture. It has two natural folds so it can fit inside the box and was printed only on one side. Like the rest of this set, this ‘poster’ is guaranteed 100% original, NOT a repro. The Apple album graphics promoted have deep colour and the paper’s surface has a gentle sheen, it has never been mounted (e.g. no pin-holes or tape marks). The paper both sides clean and still fresh with no tearing, toning or marks. The three recess type creases apart – and I am pretty convinced they occurred during manufacture – this is a lovely example of this rare insert. This mini ‘poster’ is reputed to have been only included in a select few of the early copies, probably a lottery if any copy included it, and for sure, this is the rarest element of this set.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with lovely shine and very solidly pressed with above average 140 gram weight, later standard copies of the album were invariably thinner. This appears very modestly played and sounds impressive throughout. Any surface marks are few and mainly light, there are no penetrating stylus scratches. Any dulling seen under light is purely within the pressing, so natural with no adverse affect on the overall splendid audio quality. Visually a lovely record that should please many collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I?offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This landmark final proper Beatles album plays even above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few available originals – the matrixes must be as seen above – will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played modestly and still delivers with lovely audio quality. So many these days are deeply scratched with dulled and well-played/handled surfaces – that all too common on the majority of Beatles albums. Finding this record clearly lesser used and unabused makes a real change. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this quality heavier-pressed record. It could prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

Conclusion: One of the most famous and essential original Beatle albums to own, just finding a complete copy still in very fine condition is difficult enough. Compared to several I have seen, this is in impressive condition. Yes some issues with the trays, but at least they are original, and no modern replacement will ever give that genuine satisfaction of having the real thing. This example has far more positives than negatives, and if any example ever makes the open market in ‘perfect’ and complete condition, it will command a massive price, of that you can be certain. This is not pristine as my descriptions clearly reiterate, but for those needing a very fine example without qualms in being gently reminded of its considerable age, this could be the copy you have been waiting for. Longevity within its flimsy and fragile design means few will survive the years, handling and usage well – that I’m afraid a pure fact. With many, if not most, missing parts, or elements in tatters and grubby unplayable records, this is light years from that. With all the facts and considerations, this is a totally genuine, complete, nigh-on excellent example that I can strongly recommend.

NOTE: for any winning bidder, this will be posted with all the contents inside the box, the record placed outside its main cover inside a replacement soft-lined inner for maximum protection of all parts. This I feel is the safest way overall. When opening the contents, please be careful as this is ultra fragile and delicate as mentioned several times in my description.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programs. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14­ years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.