The Rolling Stones - Aftermath Rare 1B/1A Unboxed Red Decca Mono 1st 1966 Tested

	£		28
	$		37

Hi, and welcome to my listing.

Over the coming weeks and months there will be many highly sought-after albums/singles being listed, including some titles which are so rare that I haven’t been able to find other copies anywhere else. Many items, drawn from a specialist private collection, can be sure to appeal to the more refined collectors – as it is my intent to offer the more refreshing and distinguished titles as much as possible. In addition, it is probably worth noting that I will be offering many of these items at a very competitive – in most circumstances unrivalled – price points for their grade. Fairness is of great importance to me. In light of all of this, I invite anybody interested in vinyl to ‘see [my] other items’, as I’m confident there will be something of interest for everyone. Enjoy!

Grading 

(According to the ‘Rare Record Collectors’ Guide’s Criteria/ My personal audio setup)

Cover: VG    The cover is very presentable and free from any serious flaws - no nasty splits etc. Corners are reasonably sharp. Spine is still fully legible. Some lifting in the laminate in places, but nowhere near as bad as you usually find with this album. There are some signs of age and handling: slight creases, discoloration, a very small 2mm opening tear etc. However, since this is naturally a delicate cover, this sort of condition is often considered as pretty good. Please feel free to inspect photos. 

Vinyl (Visually): VG visually speaking, the surface is very reasonable - showing no major, deep or feelable flaws. Marks which are present appear to be cosmetic and superficial only. There are noticeable (to the eye) marks which i couldn't manage to capture with the camera - but these are scuffs rather than 'scratches'. These can be seen when the disc is tilted at a particular angle. However, under normal room light, most of these are not visible. Again, these are cosmetic only (please see test play results below). Other than this, the surface looks to be clean, and retains a nice deep lustre all round. Spindles are reasonable. No names or other writing.

Playback (if applicable): VG+  Played Entirely The album played all the way through with no skips, jumps, sticks etc. Sound output was very strong, and held a great dynamic range and punchy tone throughout. Only some fairly light static in the quiter passages and between tracks. Any surface noise that was present was very tolerable and not overwhelming at all and did not (to my ear) detract from the listening experience. Very hard to find copies - especially the early pressings - which perform this well, so this makes for a decent playing copy. Nice!

Additional comments: I see so many people incorrectly grading elsewhere, so i must add that 'VG' means it is still a very nice copy; 'VG' does not mean it is trashed. I wouldn't be suprised to see items like this which have been graded at VG+. 

I believe this is a very first pressing:    Side 1:  XARL-7209-1B      Side 2: XARL-7210-1A

Very rare matrix, and as a result, very desirable.

As a gesture of good faith, I have play tested all of my items over £20 (entirely) so that you can grasp a firm and transparent understanding of the performance - please see above for this. This will, in alignment with convention, go alongside a meticulous visual grading (of which I aim to be as fair and accurate as possible). As shown, detailed photos of the item are provided, allowing you to view it with great clarity: please feel free to inspect it for yourself. For the purposes of certainty, I will complement the photos with a supplementary description. As a bonus (for all my items), I ensure the item is packed in a strong purpose-built mailer, with stiffeners and bubble wrap. I will also clean the vinyl, attempt to remove any present static and place it and the sleeve in a protective cover (as further reinforcement to the packaging). I do not, unlike most other people, charge for such extras – and so postage remains at its lowest cost for the chosen delivery! I am happy to answer any additional questions about the item, if there is something i've missed. 

All items (to UK) above £15 will be 'signed for', for seller & buyer protection. Again, I will happily absorb this cost! 

Thank You.