THE BEATLES For Sale UK 1st Press Format 64 Mono EX LP

	£		49
	$		65

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: Beatles For Sale.

Producer(s): George Martin.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: No Reply; I’m a Loser; Baby’s in Black; Rock and Roll Music; I’ll Follow the Sun; Mr. Moonlight; Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!

Side 2: Eight Days a Week; Words of Love; Honey Don’t; Every Little Thing; I Don't Want to Spoil the Party; What You’re Doing; Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby.

Label/Format: Parlophone – first press format with ‘Sold in the UK’…, ‘First Published 1964’ and ‘Parlophone’ rim text. Side one has the embossed ‘KT’ tax codes which are practically as made, being so unworn, they are not even that easy to see (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive but with the least spindle marks I have ever seen on a mono copy of this album. Just three or four very fine small ones on side one, and a mere couple on side two – in terms of Beatles albums, both are quite remarkable, the hole rim unscuffed or even enlargened. In the day of the mono record player, those old steel spindles, often auto-changers, left their marks freely, and although to some degree, I take spindle marks on labels with a pinch-of-salt for proving number of plays, without any doubt, this one has been played little as the sound is little short of pristine for all (more information on that further down). The plain fact-of-the-matter, many used the labels as guides to locate the spindle to the hole. Back then, buyers did not have any real inkling their purchase was going to be a future music ‘antique’ with scrutiny put on conditions. These things were bought purely for entertainment and enjoyment. Thus another reason why these vintage popular records are more often than not seen trashed. The record’s playing surface have a few light surface marks and hairlines, how many records of this popularity and age will not have? But NO penetrating scratches at all and the sound this record offers is simply stunning. So great labels, a clean record and near reference sound quality – all sounds good to me.

Cat Number: PCM 1267.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 160 grams. An impressive weight for any record and quite typical of the early pressed Beatles albums.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Few Beatles standard UK issues can ever be deemed rare with a small few exceptions. All sold in vast numbers and most titles can be found without too much effort – even the black and gold ‘Please Please Me’s if really wanted. What makes the difference is condition – as stated above, most were played to destruction on vintage old record players with their often worn stylus that tracked at scary weights, that inflicted groove wear and damage very quickly. Possibly the most loaned. popular and played band of all-time and only small percentages were ever looked after for the long term. Most seen with grubby, badly marked, deeply scratched, greyed vinyl and labels swathed in heavy, penetrating spindle marks, finger impressions and scuffs. Covers written-on, torn, edge splits, shredded flipbacks, often with chunks missing. The laminate dulled, creased, peeled and the backs more brown that white. Inners missing or in tatters – we have all seen such copies. More lightly played examples that offer top-drawer sound are far harder to find, especially when played on modern high-end equipment. Although the mono versions are more abundant than the stereos – neither are that hard to find – they are MUCH harder to find in top quality playing conditions. This is simply being honest – ignore all hype about ‘mega rare’ and all that nonsense. Beatles albums are NOT rare, they sold by the millions, so how can they be rare for goodness sake? Collectors are not fools and I will not insult their intelligence by stating otherwise. Conditions are the paramount factor and this record really delivers.

Original Year of Release: 1964

Matrix Nos: XEX 503-4N / XEX 504-4N

Mothers / Stampers: 3 APP / 26 ARM such mothers and stampers just prove to what extent these Beatles albums were pressed – in VAST numbers.

Musicians: John Lennon – lead, harmony and backing vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars, harmonica, piano, tambourine, handclaps; Paul McCartney – lead, harmony and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano, Hammond organ, handclaps; George Harrison – harmony and backing vocals, lead and acoustic guitars, African drum, handclaps, lead vocals on ‘Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby’; Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine, timpani, cowbell, packing case, bongos, lead vocals on ‘Honey Don’t’.

Brief Info: Album number four for the world’s most popular band. A mix of their own compositions and rock ‘n’ roll standards and this record does it maximum justice for top sound. The cover has some reasonably modest wear but if sound is the absolute priority, this will take some beating. Most will know the cover is one of the most delicate in their catalogue with the central storage of the record and a single thickness front – few will avoid some wear and many are seen in tatters – literally. No long descriptions needed on this one, I will concentrate on the conditions which I consider far more important on a record that most will know more than well enough.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(++): a gatefold format with front and back laminate. The front is made with single thickness card and the record enters via the centrefold on the right. Two inside external flipbacks. It was printed and made in England. Includes the tracing paper style inner sleeve.

Lamination & Front: Quite a flimsy cover overall, the front being thin and delicate. Thus creasing and laminate issues become an issue for many. This has a crease near the bottom right corner, only quite light. Also a vertical one near the left edge that shows a little more. Minor burring to the top edge and the top left corner tip has softened and rubbed a little. This apart, not a great deal else to fault and given the fragility of this front, this is still in very fine shape. The laminate solid and clear with fine shine with any non-adhesion small and fine. Still a nice looking front with just enough to remind of it’s considerable age.

Cover Back: A few mildish creases near the right side corners and some modest ( in terms of this one) record rim impression with light dulling seen around under light. Fine shine and clarity again with full adhesion and looking very nice indeed.

Inside Gatefold: The vertical front crease is also seen inside, but this is less than moderate with modest visiblity. The ultra delicate spine and entrance area is strong and has avoided any splitting or damage with any wear very modest and light indeed. Inserting a 160 gram record in here many times will slice through the edge and this is a very common trait on this cover that has avoided it totally. The lack of erosion or splits on the ends of this area is quite unusual. Both flipbacks are solid and neat with no damage and barely any hints of wear. A small light stain on the top’s end towards the right corner but little else. The matt and dark surfaces of the main card shows only light traces of any handling, and again, given the facts of this format, the inside is very nice indeed.

Top Edges: The laminated standard back edge shows hardly any wear at all. The fragile front is neat with minimal traces of burring or thickening – ALL edges on this cover are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Bottom Edges: The back similar to above with just a couple of small surface chips towards the right corner area. The front has lightly thickened but with minimal traces of any burring and avoided feathering. Being the traditional storage edge, few will avoid a little wear here, in real terms both these are very neat.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The back edge is closed and thin, it shows little wear at all but has a natural curl as so many of these ultra flimsy covers will. Same goes for the front that still remains quite sharp and neat.

Spine and Text: A little softening of the ends with the tinest nick on the bottom.The ends have rubbed but on context of this cover so often seen shredded around this area, this is still reasonable neat. The actual spine itself is strong and can still stand erect, but will flatten quite easily. Single thickness, few of these will not flatten over time, there is simply not enough support or strength to hold such a heavy record with thin card. All text is present and unworn under solid and barely worn laminate and even the folds shows barely any wear and no chips.

Corners: Tip rubs, but only light and small on the right ones that are all very neat. I have explained hte spine ones already – they do show more moderate rubbing and softening – more typical on this cover, but less typical in amount.

Cover Summary: An impressive all-round example of this very famous 1960’s cover, one that could prove quite difficult to find significantly better. My grading is arguably harsh but I feel correct. Clearly not for the more discerning Beatles collectors, but many fans will more than enjoy owning it.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a superb inner sleeve and this also helps reitterate the low usage of the record that has been inside for decades. A very fragile format inner with the tracing paper style lining that is fully intact, solid and incredibly neat, as seen through two very crisp window circles that are totally undamaged. Still very clean, fresh and hardly even aged – any discolouration is very light and slight. No hard creases – one corner semi-crease only and a little natural crinkle. All edges unsplit with no repairs, this vintage inner is superb.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT / EXCELLENT(+): in real terms, this hardly does this splendid record full justice. A super visual copy that is very clean, fresh, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A copy with only very light and fine surface marks seen under bright angled light. Mainly whispy traces with a small few hairlines and NO penetrating scratches at all. How many mono records of this immense popularity will avoid a few fine surface marks at the very least? Visually a super record that should please many, if not most collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This superb mono cut record plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Another master-class in production by George Martin, the mono presentation is simply fantastic. I usually state on my Beatles’ listings, almost every album they made includes one ‘difficult’ song. On this one without doubt it’s ‘Mr Moonlight’ with it’s intense vocal parts. Here, it plays superbly, even that tricky Hammond organ break that so often crackles and breaks up. The penultimate song on side one and on the most critical tracking area where the angle becomes more crucial. How many old record players were set-up with protractors to get that angle correct for precise and accurate tracking? So very few copies will ever play this hugely testing track well. Most rife with often crackle and even distortion as those old (often blunt) stylus ground their way into the sensitive groove walls. Along with ‘Yesterday’ (‘Help’) and ‘She’s Leaving Home’ (‘Pepper’) and ‘Michelle’ (‘Rubber Soul’), this is one of the most intolerant tracks on any Beatles’ album. On compilations, it usually plays fine with no issues, but on the original album, a different story, possibly due to it’s position on the record. On a mono copy especially, I have so very rarely heard this song sound much cleaner than here. This mono record was not really designed to be played on such equipment, but when it offers sound this clean, it’s a thing of genuine beauty, it will prove considerably harder than you may think to find better. The play-grade was a revelation in clean sound and detail and no digital formats will ever match or better the real thing. Choosing which mode is best for Beatles albums (both modes essential of course) is purely a matter of choice as the presentation is so different. When produced by the genius George Martin who would expect anything less than perfection for both? Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing as most Beatles albums were when made. This is recorded loudly with a very dynamic and exciting sound with immense detail. Mono records were always more in the firing line for excessive use, abuse and poor handling ruined their wonderful clean sound. Few copies will outperform this still early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp with no mono single-channel noises, I am certain this record has been played modestly and the spindle marks on the labels (in this case) probably tell the real truth. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This actual record could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended to most fans – for quality mono sound, this really delivers and most fans will love it.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.