THE BEATLES Let it Be V. RARE UK BOX SET inc MINT BOOK.

	£		484
	$		642

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: Let It Be.

Producer(s): George Martin.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Two of Us; Dig a Pony; Across The Universe; I Me Mine; Dig It; Let It Be; Maggie Mae.

Side 2: I’ve Got a Feeling; One After 909; The Long and Winding Road; For You Blue; Get Back.

Label/Format: Apple (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with only light / less than moderate spindle marks that only show under angled light, no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: PXS1 (not listed on the set) record is PCS 7096.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 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: 136 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: YEX 773-2U / YEX 774-3U

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 GAR / 24 PGO

Rarity & Brief Info: Rare: this box set did not sell as well as many would have predicted possibly due to cost. It was only available for a relatively brief time before being reissue as a standard single cover set. The first boxed version cover included a red Apple logo on the back (please see my close-up picture), the standard reissue cover had the more familiar green Apple. This was a lavish set by any standards and is famous for being ultra delicate, flimsy and easily damaged. That is no understatement: most are seen badly worn with the slipcase and tray parts in pieces, torn or very tatty. Just removing the inner parts is a perilous task and stress and pressure soon kicks in, thus only a handful will ever be seen even around excellent condition. The set included a superb 160 page book with gorgeous pictures from the film. The only problem after spending all the money in producing this lovely item, it was ridiculously under-bound. The five sections glued to a flimsy cover instead of being stitched or more securely attached. The result – the pages fall apart into single sheets which is a real shame. Even with normal careful use, few survive fully intact and most-all will have at least a few pages loose. This one has NO loose pages at all, it looks barely even handled which is great news for the more discerning collector. Unfortunately, it’s near impossible to take any inside pictures of this book, I simply am not going to risk damage as so few are ever seen quite like this. So overall, this was a somewhat flawed idea, the concept being wonderful in theory, but the build-quality was not really up to the job and longevity of the contents low. Only the most untouched or unused examples survive, but realistically, how many did not push out the tray from the slipcase and handle the contents. Most would have opened the book fully from day one with disastrous results. This is a genuine warning to any winning bidder: do NOT open the book too far if you want the pages to remain intact. Once a page or two loosens, more will follow and the domino-effect will kick in - most-all of the few I have seen have ‘loose-leaf-pages’, this being one of the very few fully intact, and guaranteed, unrepaired examples I have seen. Now also, some of these boxed sets included a promotional sheet (some call it a poster, but it’s not really that). This sheet is ultra rare, seldom seen or offered, I have only ever had one as an original. Hence I am happy to include a superb repro taken from this original as a bonus to the winning bidder. Many have never seen one before and they are truly rare. This repro is almost identical to the original. I do not intend to write a lecture on the album itself, any interested collector will know all about this record and likely more than I do. I will concentrate more on what you get and its condition.

This record is packed for shipping the way it would have been bought with all pieces inside the the slipcase (but LP out of cover inside a replacement lined inner). Removing the contents from the slipcase is NOT easy and it’s best done with the utmost care and patience, better with two people. One holding the slipcase edge while the other gently pushes out the tray and contents. It will become immediately obvious to the winning bidder (who may be unfamiliar), why this set is so often seen crushed, bent, creased and damaged. The same care needed when putting the tray back inside, being modestly used, this one is still a very tight fit.

This Set’s Potential for Wear: Ultra High, off-the-scale infact. The trays and book are the most vulnerable but the slipcase is only a little less so and the whole set is immensely delicate and fragile.

Slipcase: EX+, printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse with the ‘Patents Pending’ text. This is light and flimsy and not really strong enough for the job truth be told. With a standard record and cover inside, the trays and a heavy book, this puts strain on a lightweight slipcase. However, this one has survived in lovely condition with not a great deal to fault. This was fully laminated, good news so far as the intense black surfaces are obviously better protected. Here all is fully adhered with no lifting or blisters. Incredibly, this has very little creasing for which this item is heavily prone. There is one smallish one near the top right corner on the front and any others of which very few, are very fine and light. The back has a couple near the bottom left corner and a smaller one near the top edge, again any others are very fine and light hairline types (again very few). The laminate is ultra clear and fresh with any friction rubs or dulling minimal and very light indeed. The back is plain black with no artwork, just the printer’s imprint. The front artwork looks superb with few marks, even surface ones. The left and right edges are open, hence the flimsiness, this would have been far more robust with one end sealed, but not to be. Most are seen crushed and flat, not this one. This is fully erect and totally uncrushed, and NO forcing back into shape was necessary as it has never been flattened, that will immediately apparent to any winning bidder. The top edge has an end-of-laminate line, the exposed black strip has minimal rubbing, just very minor burring to the card’s end. The bottom edge is fully laminated and is superb, just three hairline surface creases only, both edges are very solid and secure with no stressing to the folds. Importantly, NO damage and with a high attractiveness factor, this will take a fair amount of beating. Next, the tray parts that come in two distinct separate parts:

The Lower Tray: Very flimsy single thickness card. The top and bottom just folded open-ended flaps, both are solid and as secure as they almost get. A little rubbing with a small few creases, NO tears, no repairs. The sides have much large shaped flaps. The black outside have rubbed a little with some fine creases, again no tearing. Importantly, intact and quite solid (in relative terms anyway). The rubbing is over-emphasised by my camera flash, the creasing on the left flap is very light indeed. More moderate on the right but barely any black ink has been disturbed or removed. The back of the tray (all black) has only light handing traces and few creases with barely any rubbing. This really is not bad at all, if I have to grade, well EX(-), more than highly respectable on such a fragile piece.

The Upper Tray: Arguably, the most fragile part of the set (but the book runs it close). This is fully intact and few ever will be. Ultra thin card again and not really up to the job but this has survived looking really lovely. Okay, a few creases on the thinner frame part top and bottom but no tears and the side parts are pretty strong too. Again a few creases but only mainly on one horizontal one, few others. The shaped inner flaps that ‘support’ the book, ‘support’ being open to debate, but that’s what they are there for, are all in superb condtiion with practically nothing to fault. This upper tray is the part often seen shredded and in tatters but not this one. I did strengthen two heavier (but fine) creases with a neat ‘repair’, to avoid future splits or potential tears, but these are very neat indeed (if I say so myself) and show little. I always prefer honesty to all my customers. Compared to several I have seen, this delicate part is superb. Would grade this EX and arguably better all considered.

The Book: Stunning, practically Mint as made. Clearly barely even touched and quite possibly never even opened. The spine has NO creasing whatsoever and both covers the same. This is one time and the owner over-looked totally and looks new. The cover gleams and the pages I did carefully look at (barely opening the book), look immaculate. ALL PAGES SECURE WITH NONE LOOSENED, few will be like this. The binding so fragile, such a shame, this book is gorgeous and deserves to be viewed, but only at your peril or with the utmost care. All edges crisp and sharp and no discolouration at all, simply a remarkable example. This book was unique to this boxed set, it was not made available elsewhere, if a better one can be found, I sure would like to see it.

The Record Cover: EX++. This is very thin and flimsy too, it has the correct Apple red logo on the back (seen in close-up). This is fully laminated and it has superb shine and clarity and all fully adhered with no lifting or blisters. A small thumb crease on the front opening edge towards the bottom. Any other creases are few, fine and light. The surfaces have few marks and minimal traces of friction rubs or dulling and a real freshness is retained. A very mild record impression on the back being critical. All closed edges totally unworn, the spine immaculate with all text present with no wear. This spine is very thin indeed but the text superbly centred. This was also G&L printed and the artwork looks fantastic.

The Apple Inner: EX or thereabouts, this was not lined and has the Apple text. Barely any real wear but this has some age toning and darkening. A little light ruffling but no real creases, record impression from the rim is near unavoidable and some is present too. All edges solid and secure with no splits and a neat recessed top opening.

The Repro Promo Sheet: As stated, some call it a ‘poster’, that’s debatable. A superb repro example that looks almost the same as the original which is beyond rare. A well worthy FREE addition to the winning bidder.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX to EX+. This has a few light and minor surface marks only, very fine, whispy removal types that have NO effect on sound. No scratches, merely fine hairlines under light. A very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with modest plays on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please many 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 snippetts 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This fine record plays above its 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. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no significant pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played relatively lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better (within the boxed set) and can be strongly recommended.

End Piece: These boxed ‘Let It Be’s’ are getting increasingly difficult to find in high-grading conditions. Genuine near mint ones deserve and command huge prices because they truly are very rare indeed, especially the ones that include an original promotional sheet. I happily grade this example overall as EX to EX+. Only the impossibly fragile tray parts are a little below but most parts are EX or better. The book is stunning and is absolute top drawer, possibly not even opened before, certainly NEVER fully anyway and I left it that way for the most obvious of reasons. I know the promo sheet is not the real thing but most would not even know the difference, an important sheet for the completist who does not want to spend a king’s ransom on an original. Importantly, all is intact and remains attractive to the eye, not quite good enough for the connoisseur or purist collector, but one that’s of a very high standard and possibly in-range for the more average collector. Possibly the one you have been waiting for. With the utmost care in storage and handling, this could last for many, many years but I do say again in all seriousness. The book especially MUST be treated with the most care possible and NOT opened fully as you would a paperback book, or the pages WILL loosen and fall out. The lovely pages can be looked-at, but only opening with huge care and not bending open. With this book in practically as-made condition, it would be a massive shame if one moment of carelessness causes irrepairable damage. Let’s face it, this has survived nigh-on 40 years looking like this, it would be nice if it remained so for another – LET IT BE.

NOTE: This set will be sent FREE OF CHARGE, with signed-for and insured shipping to anywhere in the world.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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).

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.