The Beatles “The Beatles & Frank Ifield on Stage”

Vee-Jay (USA) VJLP-1085 (mono). 1964.

Here it is: the real deal. One of THE rarest Beatles LPs. This is the famous “portrait cover.” Not many of these turn up, and the jacket on this copy is in excellent shape.

Authenticity: This NOT a counterfeit or reproduction. Cover art & printing is sharp & detailed, colors are bright and, most importantly, printing on the spine is completely readable. Label is plain silver Vee-Jay.

Dead wax matrix numbers are Side 1: 64-3853; Side 2: 64-3853 & 6295x. 

Condition

Cover: Jacket grades a solid VG+ But for a few minor flaws, I would grade it Ex. The front cover certainly rates an Ex.; it is virtually flawless, w/ very little color flecking. The artwork looks bright & glossy. There is a small stain (barely visible)  below the song titles on the left.

            The back cover has a larger stain in the middle right & along part the spine visible in photo). No text is obscured. The most serious flaw is the top seam (the other two are fine). It is beginning to split along most of its length, though it has not detached.

Record: Visually grades VG- It looks pretty rough—lots of surface marks, though no pits or gouges. I play-tested it, and the record played exceptionally well. It had NO skips & only minor surface noise at the beginning and between songs. The Beatles tracks all sounded spectacular, without any distracting pops. There was about 30 seconds of 1/revolution popping during Ifield’s rendition of “Unchained Melody.” That was the only sonic hiccup I encountered.

(I use a Mitsubishi audiophile DP-620 turntable w/ a $500 Garrott Brothers cartridge & an Audio-Technica stylus My amp is a dbx studio rig & my speakers are Klipsch RP-5s.)

I don’t like reserves but, given its rarity, I have to include one for this record. The reserve is very modest and I expect it to be exceeded.

Payment: I would really prefer a cashier’s check or Money Order (you can get one w/ a credit card through BidPay). PayPal fees will be high on this auction. But if you need to use PayPal, that’s okay & I won’t surcharge you (I don’t do that). Cash by registered mail or a personal check (allow 10-14 days to clear) are also fine. International bidders should use PayPal or an a money order is $USD.

Shipment: Record will be sent registered Priority or Express Mail, at your option. Insurance is required. Delivery confirmation is included. International shipping is by USPS registered Airmail Post.

As I mentioned, this record is REALLY RARE. There’s only been 1 on ebay in the last year or so & it was not nearly this nice. So expect sniping & bid to win!!

Welcome to Wonder Twin Records!

We’ve been selling records and memorabilia at record fairs and trade shows since the early nineties, and online since 1999. We offer goodies for everyone: from specialist collectors to audiophiles to the average record buyer, who maybe just wants some quality tunes on vinyl & doesn’t want to have to mortgage the house to pay for them. 

Dig this? Check out my eBay store to see my other items. The store contains lots of records at Buy-It-Now prices. Be sure to add me to your favorites list!

Vinyl Condition Grades

I strictly adhere to the Goldmine grading system. All records are graded conservatively under direct light (I use a 120 watt spot flood).

M=Mint =New: Clearly unplayed & in perfect condition.

NM=Near Mint. As new. Close to perfect condition.

Ex= Excellent: Not an official Goldmine grade. I use this to indicate records that are a cut below NM but definitely better than VG+ as per Goldmine. This should be considered a very desirable grade for older [mid sixties and back] records.

VG+=Very Good Plus: Slight wear but still a quality copy. Unlike some sellers on ebay, my VG+ grading adheres strictly to Goldmine standards! A VG+ record has unquestionably seen some time on a turntable, but it has been played gently & carefully stored.

VG+ by no means indicates a dicey copy!  I cannot emphasize this point enough! I abhor & reject the ‘grade inflation’ that seems to have taken hold in online record selling. In the long run, such misrepresentation can only be bad for all of us who care about the hobby.

VG=Very Good: The most misunderstood grade. A VG record has substantial but superficial wear. This does NOT mean one of those thrift store Beatles records that looks like it’s been nicked all over with a steak knife! Rather, a VG record will exhibit numerous ‘spider web’ stylus marks, faded gloss & perhaps a few bona fide ‘scratches’ (detectable by running a fingertip along the groove & over the mark ).

The buyer should expect that a VG record will play through without skips, though likely w/ some surface noise. Many fifties & sixties LP records were incredibly well-made & play very nicely in this condition. But of course, without play-testing there’s no way to be absolutely certain.

G=Good: Wear and scratches; the record was played a lot, but should still play through without skips. I only sell very rare records in this condition.

TERMS OF SALE

• Lucky winning bidder pays shipping as listed in item description.
• Payment is due WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE for U.S. buyers, 14 days for international customers.
• Insurance is optional but recommended. I will not be responsible for damage or loss by USPS. Insurance on international orders is available but it can be expensive ($7-10 minimum). If you’re interested, e-mail me for details.
• I accept BidPay (through Western Union auction payments), PayPal & Cashier’s Cheques/Money Orders (in USD$ ONLY). I also accept Cash (USD$ ONLY) well concealed, at your own risk.
• International bidders are welcomed and appreciated. Nearly half my buyers order from overseas. Wonder Twin Records are always well-packed & ship promptly.
• See About Me Page for international shipping costs. I ship international orders by Air Mail ONLY (unless other arrangements have been made PRIOR to auction close). Please don’t bid if you’re not willing to pay the listed Air Mail rates.
• In the interests of promptness & convenience, I prefer PayPal for international orders.
• Refunds/exchanges gladly offered within thirty days of auction close. Buyer pays return shipping costs.