The Rolling Stones "Sticky Fingers" Rare 'GATEFOLD' Andy Warhol Sleeve A3/B3

	£		57
	$		76

The Rolling Stones "Sticky Fingers"

Very scarce A3/B3 pressing housed in the quickly deleted 'gatefold' cover that, unlike following copies, can be fully opened from the side (the right hand side was later sealed so that the cover couldn't be opened like this.) A genuine rarity that was only ever available for sale in small quantities; much harder to find than the 'standard' first pressings. Few of these made it out of the factory before being destroyed, and with it being both an Andy Warhol design and an iconic album, it is no wonder that this continues to be a very sought-after and collectible piece. The standard first press already has a significant amount of demand, as you will see elsewhere on eBay, so I imagine that this variant will be particularly special to collectors, and that it will continue to be eargerly sought-out in the future too. A great addition to any collection - and I'm already starting to regret letting this one go! 

Cover: VG

All very reasonable besides one small tear off the top of the front sleeve (just above the buckle area) and a slight rip just below (visible in photo 1), which seems to be a very common thing on these original sleeve designs. The original tangible 'zip' is still affixed to the front cover as can be seen. Please study the photos provided. Elsewhere there are just a few signs of wear associated with age and usage, but nothing major in my opinion. Spine remains flat and fully legible. Original insert is still included. The insert does have a previous owners name etc. written on it, along with some tape residue on each corner where it looks to have been hung on the wall at one time - however, there is no tearing. There is a slight bit of creasing around the top cover too (near the buckle), as visible from the photos. But, overall, this still remains in reasonable condition considering its age and rarity. This is still better than many copies out there, but to accurately reflect all of the aforementioned condition issues I think that around a 'VG' grading is suitable (per Rare Record Collectors Guide Grading Criteria).

Vinyl: Fair (per Rare Record Collectors Guide Grading Criteria)

The disc has numerous surface marks, some of which look to be quite detrimental and heavy. Unfortunately, this is a well-played copy and I dont think many collectors would attempt to play this. The vinyl will be prone to significant crackle, hissing and skips. It is marked across all tracks to some degree, with some tracks having even more significant scratches. Please do not hold too much expectation from the vinyl as the various marks are likley to cause an audio response that will not deliver good results. As one consolation, it is the genuine article. This A3/B3 pressing is the correct variant for this sleeve, meaning that you will be recieving a 'correct' copy. The inner sleeve is a replacement, but you may be able to source a more accurate one to make this 'fully complete' in the future with a bit of searching. I recently saw a cover on its own listed on eBay for £175 and sell for around that price, so I hope that my list price sufficiently reflects the condition but still also delivers value. This is a lower graded sleeve than the one referenced, but arguably compensated by the fact that this copy does still have its original vinyl (albeit in the condition it is) and the insert - so I hope that I am being fair by asking close to half what that was. On Discogs, the lowest this copy has ever sold for is £90+P&P with the average sitting around £185+P&P.

Currently listing the last few vinyl albums that I am willing to sell from my collection over the next day or so - so please see my other items for some great pieces.

Many thanks