THE BEATLES PLEASE PLEASE ME 1st UK PRESS BLACK & GOLD

	£		620
	$		822

eachtohisown Store

Please read the Terms and Conditions lower in the listing about payment, postage costs, packaging and insurance BEFORE placing a bid. Thank you.

I am happy to answer any questions, but please read the listing carefully before sending a question or placing a bid. I try to provide comprehensive details and information in every listing so the answers to most questions should be found below.

Please note: I am currently trialling the use of re-cycled packaging - see below for full details.

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I am currently selling a collection of Beatles records which includes each LP from 'Please Please Me' to 'Let it Be'. They are all UK original 1st pressings, so please check out my other listings.

This is a really nice example of the very first pressing of the very first Beatles LP.

Although these come up for sale fairly regularly on ebay, more often than not they come with worn labels and torn or stained covers. This one looks really nice and plays well too with no jumps, sticks or skips anywhere. I have taken lots of pictures so you can see that the record and cover are in very presentable condition and I also give a thorough grading (including a play grading for the whole LP) below.

Please note that this ALL fully orignal with the Angus McBean credit on the cover starting under the 's' (not the 'g') and the Emitex inner is made from thicker paper with a polythene lining and says Made in Great Britain (later polythene-lined ones are thinner and say Made in England and after that they changed the lining to the more common tracing paper lining).

This record also has very early stampers 1  T and 1  L  (9th and 8th) making it among the earliest copies pressed.

Detailed description
Vinyl: The vinyl is totally flat and has retained its original high sheen. Under 160 watt halogen spotlight there are various marks, scuffs and light scratches visible on either side, so I have played the entire record for a play grading (twice, through head-phones). There is some background noise and crackle consistent with the record's age and use - it has been played and enjoyed but not mistreated. There is an occasional random click or pop and there are a few places where you get a repetitive click for a few revolutions but nothing that lasts very long and never too intrusive. The only place where there was a repetitive click that lasted longer was during 'PS I Love You' where a soft click was audible in the left hand channel for about 45 seconds. Other than this there was some swishing noises and crackle which can be heard in the quiet parts and the intros/fades, silent grooves and the run-in/run-out for each side and, as I was listening through head-phones, there were also a couple of tracks where I noticed a small amount of top-end distortion. However, these points are mentioned for the sake of completeness, and I am probably being over-critical. This is a great playable copy which can be listened to and enjoyed all the way through without any problem and there are absolutely no jumps, skips or sticks anywhere at all. 
Labels: Both labels look great with no damage, writing, stickers etc and just typical light spindle marking. The MT tax code is on side one.
Sleeve: The sleeve is really nice and clean with no damage, writing, splits, tears or stickers etc and just light signs of use. There are just a few laminate creases and small wrinkles to the front and, unlike most copies, the unlaminated rear is nice and clean with just very slight signs of use. The flipbacks are fully intact and near perfect (the top flipback is slightly uneven/creased directly above the LP title).
Edge wear: There is minimal wear to the edges and opening.
Corner wear: There is moderate wear to the two corners near the opening (mainly the bottom one) and the top spine corner is a bit dented/creased. The bottom spine corner is fine.
Inner sleeve: The original Made in Great Britain poly-lined Emitex inner has yellowed with age but has no creases, tears or splits.

Matrix numbers and stampers:
Side 1: XEX 421-1N   1   T
Side 2: XEX 422-1N   1    L

Detracting features not covered above - None. This is a really lovely example which looks great and can be played and enjoyed all the way through.

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I have a 100% feedback rating because my records are always described accurately and fairly. All photographs are of the actual item you will get. I will always do my best to point out any blemishes which might detract from the item.

Please check out my other items and take advantage of reduced postage costs for multiple buys.

 
Unless stated otherwise, vinyl is visually graded. I play grade records where possible but there just aren't enough hours in the day to play them all, so I usually restrict play grades to collectors' items and rare records which are particularly hard to find in top audio condition or other records where a visual inspection has identified flaws on the playing surface. A visual grading will identify physical flaws (such as scratches) and will determine whether a record has been cared-for properly, but it will not detect static or crackle caused by dust in the grooves or other invisible sources. A visual grading will provide an indication of how a record might play, but it is not a guarantee of the record's sound quality, even if it looks perfect.

First pressings and originals: Many of the records I sell are first pressings and, if this is the case, I will usually identify them as such and may include the relevant matrix information etc in the description. However, sometimes I cannot be certain whether a record is a first pressing or not. In these instances I will often use the word 'original' to identify a pressing which I think might be a first pressing, but do not know for sure (but which is certainly NOT a recent pressing or audiophile release etc). If you specifically want a first pressing, and know how to identify it, please ask the relevant questions before you bid.

Feel free to ask any questions about the item (but please don’t leave it to the last minute as I may not get a chance to reply).

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Please read and make sure you understand the following information on PAYMENT, POSTAGE COSTS and INSURANCE before you bid.
  
• If you don't understand any of it please contact me before you bid.
  
• By bidding on an item you are indicating acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.
  
• I will be happy to consider something different if you contact me to discuss it before placing a bid.
  
• Other than in exceptional circumstances, I will not enter into discussions about Terms and Conditions after the auction has closed.

I accept Paypal.  I also accept cheques in UK Sterling GBP on orders OVER £50.

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POSTAGE & PACKING

I care about the records I sell and believe that they need to be carefully and securely packaged to ensure that they survive their journey through the post. Vinyl is removed from the outer sleeve for posting.

I am currently trialling the use of re-cycled packaging. This means a lower P&P cost for you and less waste for everyone. All records will still be packed to the same high standard but the packaging may have been previously used and/or made from cardboard boxes. It might not look as professional, but will still do the same job.

If you want your record sent using a brand new record mailer with brand new stiffeners this can be done for an additional 80 pence. Just let me know and I'll send a new invoice.

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UK P&P costs

UK Standard service - items are sent quickly and securely using first class recorded post, which includes insurance up to £39. The cost for this is as follows:

First LP or 12" = £3.00, each additional LP or 12" add £0.80

UK Economy service - If the value of your order is below £39 you can choose to have your item sent by second class post (unrecorded). However, please be aware that this service can take up to a week to reach you and in the event of a claim for loss or damage, Royal Mail will not reimburse the full value of your order. The cost for this is as follows:

First LP or 12" = £2.20, each additional LP or 12" add £0.70

UK Fully insured service - Any order valued over £39 will be sent fully insured using Royal Mail Special Delivery and the total cost of this will be £6.50.  Multiple-item orders weighing more than 1kg or items valued over £500 will cost slightly more to insure, so please wait for my invoice before paying.

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Airmail (uninsured) to any country OUTSIDE the UK

Europe

First LP or 12" = £4.20, each additional LP or 12" add £1.80.

 

Rest of the world (anywhere outside Europe)

First LP or 12" = £6.70, each additional LP or 12" add £3.20.

Insurance

For overseas orders, I include insurance on all invoices. This is additional to the costs above. If your order is valued under £39 you can request a new invoice without insurance (but in the event of a claim for loss or damage, Royal Mail will not reimburse the full value). Overseas orders valued over £39 will ONLY be sent fully insured.

Insurance costs are additional to the airmail costs above and are as follows:

• Overseas orders valued up to £39 can be insured for an additional £3.70
• Overseas orders valued between £39 and £500 will be insured for an additional £6.00
• Overseas orders valued over £500, please contact me.

Overseas orders weighing more than 2kg will be split into two or more packages as appropriate so they can be sent using Royal Mail's Small Packet Rate, so please wait for my invoice on larger multiple purchases.

Customs declaration for overseas orders: Please note that for overseas orders outside the EU I need to complete a customs declaration and must enter the value of the package on the declaration.

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Please do not bid if you don't agree to these terms. If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.

Thanks for your interest in this listing and for taking the time to read these details.