The Wailers Catch A Fire 1973 Island SW-9329 Original F5/F6 Winchester Press VG+

$

80

   For sale is The Wailers' Catch A Fire, originally released in 1973 by Island Records in a limited edition cover shaped like a lighter. The label has the original pink rim around the outside, with a few spindle marks. In the dead wax between the label and the last tracks are the matrix numbers F-5/F-6, followed by what appears to be a tipped over martini glass. This "glass" actually represents a Winchester rifle. These etchings indicate that an early stamper was used to make this first edition and it was pressed at Capitol Record's Winchester, Virginia plant. These are hallmark of state-of-the-art engineering which produce superior sound quality, sought after by collectors and music lovers alike. I bought this record new, professionally cleaned it on my VPI HW-17 and immediately put it into a MFSL archival inner sleeve. This protects the integrity of the vinyl and any original inner sleeve(s) or insert(s) that may have come with the original release. There is no original inner sleeve with this listing. The cover is graded as Good because the round metal "hinge" that joins the top and the bottom of the "lighter" has worn through the cardboard and has been lost. There is significant paper loss at this "hinge" and around the edges. There are creases in both the top and the bottom parts, as well as stress cracks along the edges. The spine has color loss because of these stress cracks and corner rubs. The vinyl is visually graded as VG+ with some light surface scratches and sleeve marks. I play grade it between VG and VG+ because there was rotational ticking on one song (400 years) and occasional low level surface noise, most noticeable during the quietest sections. It's been played only on Audiophile equipment and still has a lot of life yet. This is still the best sounding copy of this very rare album that I have ever heard and you would be hard pressed to find a first edition like this one in any condition. This would make a great addition to anyone's collection. I have a lot more Reggae records as well as albums of all different genres listed in my Ebay store. Please take a look as they are almost all Near Mint. Thank you for viewing my listing.    I've been collecting records for about 50 years now and have always cleaned them and put them away carefully in plastic inner sleeves. Over the years I've used Dust Bugs, Disc Washers and have finally invested in a professional VPI record cleaning machine. Now that I'm retiring, I'm selling my very esoteric collection. I'm not a professional grader of records, but will use record guides, as well as my personal experiences as a basis of my grading all records. Since grading is subjective, I will be conservative. I offer discounts for multiple sales. Photos are of the actual item for sale, not a stock photo. Please review all descriptions and photos because I do not accept returns. Thank you for looking!