rare 4 LP Box: SZIGETI/ARRAU, Beethoven 10 Sonatas, 1st US Vanguard SRV-300/3

$

100

[Due to technical problems at the website use.com, I have not loaded any super-large photos at the bottom of the listing for this item.  Also, please check back tomorrow for additional rare Classical LPs.]

[A winner of my eBay items may combine shipping with items purchased at audiophile-lpcd.com and receive a 10% discount on those combined-shipping items purchased at audiophile-lpcd.com.  The discount will be given as a partial refund of the winner’s payment.]


rare 4 LP Box: SZIGETI/ARRAU, Beethoven 10 Sonatas for Piano and Violin, 1st US Vanguard SRV-300, 301, 302 & 303 MONO (no real stereo, as this was a mono recording) with the original "gold or cream color" label and with the matrices ending 1A for the first 2 records, nothing for the next 3 sides and 2A for the last side (earliest matrices that I am aware of).  There is also a date code of some month plus "69" (probably meaning that this was a 1969 mastering (possibly by one of my favorite mastering engineer Shelly Yakus who routinely etched date codes on the dead wax).  This was most likely pressed by US Columbia.  This is the U.S. original and NOT the later reissues (or later "reprocessed for stereo" copies) and is very rare.  It is also in a very nice condition!

Vinyl Conditon:  NM visually (although I can see a set of "ghost-like" manufacturing marks that resemble a sleeve mark on the last side); I can see about 0 to 2 spindle trails on the labels; the vinyl is very glossy and very clean.  This set was played a couple of times only and it plays NM.  

Box Condition:  VG+ at best; the box is solid but it has bits of tear at two corners and the spine and bits of chipping on the back near the spine.  The original 4-page insert is clean.  The original poly-lined inner sleeves are solid and clean.

PLEASE NOTE that the shipping charge for this 4-LP box set will be the same as that for 3 LPs, due to the weight.

At least 50% of my buyers are located outside of the United States, and I WELCOME BUYERS OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.  However, I still reserve the right to refuse to honor bids by buyers from countries where shipment routinely gets lost, damaged or delayed and buyers who have a pattern of nonpayment or negative feedback.  Please contact me before bidding should you have any concerns.  I also reserve the right to end the listing early if there is no bid on the item, in accordance with eBay policies. 

GRADING POLICY FOR LPS:  Grading is for the cover/box and for the record.  The record may have two grades, one for visual grade and another for play grade.  [For an explanation of the grades, please go to:   www.audiophile-lpcd.com/pages/page ].

 I have never played some of these records and some records may only be visually graded.  The grading for the record will be relative to a mint record of the period manufactured by the same record company.  Therefore, the standards will not be the same between, for example, a Japanese Pioneer/Holland Philips/German Teldec pressing of the early 80’s (which are on super quiet vinyl) and a U.S. ABC/MCA pressing of the late 70’s (which are typically noisier).  A Near Mint graded late 70’s U.S. ABC or MCA record will play with considerably more background noise caused by cheaper vinyl material than a Near Mint graded early 80’s Japanese Pioneer, Holland Philips or German Teldec record. 

SHIPPING POLICY:  All records have been cleaned on my VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine and will be placed in a poly-lined or rice paper sleeves, unless the records are sealed or the record already comes with a clean poly-lined inner sleeve.  The LP will be packed in a cardboard box LP mailer manufactured by ULINE (not the cheap, thin or flimsy kind but the more expensive, sturdy and bigger kind).  Unless the winning bidder requests otherwise, the record will be placed outside of the LP outer jacket so that it will not damage the cover during transit. 

For U.S. destinations, the shipping cost for 1 record delivered via US Postal Service Media Mail will be $4 for everyone in the Continental United States, and the cost for USPS Parcel Post will be $6 if your State touches the Pacific Ocean, $8 if your State or Commonwealth touches the Atlantic Ocean, and $7 if your State touches neither Ocean.  For each additional record, add $1 for each for up to 5 records.  (Each LP mailer will fit up to about 5 records.)  For example, for a boxed set containing 3 records, please just add $2 to the shipping cost of the first record.  If you would like your item shipped using a different option offered by the US Post Office (e.g., Priority Mail or Express Mail) or a private courier service (e.g., FedEx or UPS), please contact me.

For destinations OUTSIDE of the U.S., below are the prices for US Postal Service First Class Mail and Priority Mail.  Please contact me regarding the cost if you would like your item shipped using a different option offered by the US Post Office or a private courier service (e.g., FedEx or DHL). (Please note that the weight limitation for one package is 4 pounds, including the box mailer, packaging material, etc.)

I will NOT be responsible for UNINSURED items lost, damaged or delayed during transit.  If you would like to pay for insurance, please contact me regarding the cost.  

Cost of international shipping via USPS First Class Mail, which usually takes about 2 weeks but may take as much as 4 weeks: 

Canada

Asia

Europe

1 record

$7

$13.50

$13.50

2 records

$10

$20.50

$20.50

3 records

$12

$23

$23

4 records

$14

$26

$26

5 records (assuming less than 4 lbs.)

$16

$29

$29

Cost of international shipping via USPS Priority Mail, which usually takes about 1 week: 

Canada

Asia

Europe

1 to 2 records

$23

$31

$31

3 to 4 records

$25

$34

$34

4 to 5 records

$27

$38

$37

6 records

$29

$41

$39

PAYMENT POLICY:  I accept PayPal and U.S.-negotiable cashier’s check.  Payment must be made within five (5) business days after the bidding for the item ends.  If that timing does not work for you (because, for example, you will be on vacation, etc.), please contact me BEFORE bidding.

 [Here are the super large photos uploaded at use.com:]