The Smiths Ask Original 1987 Australian 7" Unique Sleeve Morrissey
£
181
$
216
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Description
The experience of buying records on Ebay is ruined if, when they arrive, you discover that they are either not in the condition stated or have been damaged in the post! For this reason I describe all my items in detail, and only post using strong sturdy packaging in a 'box' mailer with the record outside the sleeve to avoid seam-splitting. They are also from a non-smoking and pet-free home. They are also from a non-smoking and pet-free home.
I accept returns and offer a full refund if you are not happy with your purchase.
The Smiths - 'Ask' Australian 7" - 1987
Catalogue no. RTANZ 019 - Rough Trade / CBS
As the Smiths collector will already know, this is a true rarity which hardly ever comes up for sale these days. This auction is for the Australian 7" release of the 'Ask' single, which had the special distinction of having been released in sleeves with unique artwork in a few of the countries in which it was issued. This was actually released in Australia in 1987, a year after its appearance in the UK and other countries, and was produced in 7" and 12" format. As the Record Collector article states (see Photo 5), it is the 12" format which is, although very rare and desirable in itself, the more common of the two and it asserts that many collectors were unaware of the existence of this 7" version. It goes on to explain that many copies of this 7" were issued in plain record-company sleeves, which makes this copy, with the rare and sought-after artwork, particularly scarce and collectable. This sleeve is noteworthy in that it represents one of the very few occasions that Morrissey, as was the case for any member of the Smiths, officially appeared on the artwork during the lifetime of the band. In addition, the sleeve is unique in that it differs even from the 12" version in the position of the lettering and in subtle details. In the case of the 12" the band name appears at the top and the single title is printed at the bottom, whereas this is reversed in the case of the 7" as seen here. Furthermore the image of the well-known Smiths tour poster in the background, in front of which Morrissey was photographed for the sleeve, is cropped in the case of the 12" single. On the sleeve of the 7" here, you can actually see the tour dates and venues very faintly in the background at the bottom of the photograph of the poster. This is a very rare and special item indeed, and it may be some time before you see another for sale again.The vinyl is in very good condition, having light surface marks which mean that the surface shine of the vinyl has faded in many places and there are one or two slightly more pronounced marks but these do not affect play. The bright green and red labels are in strong excellent condition and show very little signs of play and look stunning. The sleeve is in excellent condition, having only very minor creasing in a few places and no seam-splitting in the delicate thin sleeve. There are no significant signs of 'ringwear' and there is only minor wear to some of the corners (see photos). There is one small region on the front towards the top where the sleeve looks slightly 'whiter' (which is shown in Photo 3) and there is a minor 'disturbance' in the sleeve surface shine where it appears that a previous owner may have rubbed this area to remove faint writing or a mark. The area does not stand out significantly, however, since it is in a region where the sleeve artwork is already light and it does not overly spoil the appearance of the sleeve. Please see the accompanying photos for more detail; note that the 'Ebay ID' lettering is just on the pictures and not on the item itself, and the 'speckled' effect in Photo 4 is not on the sleeve but is instead due to the scanner.
All my auctions start at 1P and have NO RESERVE. They are all 100% genuine, original versions. Some are in mint/new condition and some are used; all will go to the highest bidder. I offer a money-back guarantee if anything is described incorrectly. Postage and Packing is 1.60 in the UK for untracked and uninsured standard postage, this is subsidised by myself and the actual costs to me will usually be higher. Please do consider paying the extra 70p for tracked postage since there is nothing that can be done to find out what happened if the parcel is lost when standard postage is chosen. Shipping costs are greater for overseas buyers, but still subsidised and very good value; please check prices by using the options above or feel free to ask. Extra items are sent at no extra postage charge to the buyer (see below). I always take great care to package items well with strong mailing materials.See my other auctions for related rare items here. If multiple auctions are won at the same time (within a week), I will charge only the postage cost for the heaviest item and pay the remainder myself. This is the case wherever you live. If you are planning to bid, but cannot be around at the end of the auction, I have found this free site to be useful; note that I am not affiliated with the site in any way!
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