GRAVY TRAIN -"(A BALLAD OF) A PEACEFUL MAN"  1ST GERMAN (DE) PRESS VERTIGO SWIRL RECORD IN VG+ CONDITION!
INFO: Up for sale is this brilliant copy of the ULTRA RARE progressive rock album GRAVY TRAIN - "(A BALLAD OF) A PEACEFUL MAN", released in 1971 in Germany on the VERTIGO SWIRL label with catalog number 6360 051 [D]). This copy is in beautiful overall condition and plays just as well as one would expect by grading it visually; MAYBE EVEN BETTER!. This album is a genuine GERMAN (DE) 1ST PRESS, as indicated by the label, as well as the matrix numbers: 10 AA6360051 1Y 320 and 10 AA6360051 2Y 320. Although not as rare as the UK version of this album, this 1st press version of this superb record is also VERY HARD TO OBTAIN IN ANY CONDITION! However, it is even more rare to obtain one AS BEAUTIFUL AS THIS COPY! This is YOUR CHANCE to obtain this monster prog album with a starting price as little as 1 GBP!!!! NO RESERVE!!! HAPPY BIDDING!!! :) 
DATA: Artist: Gravy Train Title: "(A Ballad of) a Peaceful Man" Released: 1971 Label: Vertigo Catalog number: 6360 051 [D]
COMMENT BY "THE VERTIGO SWIRL LABEL RECORD COLLECTOR GUIDE": "On their second LP, The Train try to concoct a slightly more commercial sound - with generally favourable results. hughes' flute is mixed to the front; this is advantageous, as it is one of the best features of the music. There are multi-part vocals, which are deployed very successfully on the closing 'Home Again'. the strings on 'Alone in Georgia' do not work well, because they are less than a subtle discord with the music. the title track is fine, diverse prog-rock. mellotron is used to good effect on 'Messenger'. this all ads up to make for an overall notable record which, due to poor promotion, did not leave any trace back in 1971. Nowadays, it's one of the main collectables on Vertigo - and one can only hope that the surviving band members still have a box full of these LPs somewhere in their attics. Near Mint value (UK pressing): 800 - 1200 EUR"

CONDITION: (Please note I use the Record Collector's grading guide standards - see below!)
RECORD: The record is overall in strong VERY GOOD PLUS condition and looks more like if it were in excellent condition! The record has kept most of its original black glossy shine and has no major issues at all!  For the most part, the record only has some tiny hairlines from sleeve removal, which are only visible under a strong light! There are also some occasional very light scratches which are just slightly more prominent than the hairlines mentioned above. REALLY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! NONE OF THESE SCRATCHES CAUSE ANY CLICKS OR POPS! The record plays great and still has very nice, rich and crisp sound with just the slightest background noise in the run-in areas and in the quietest parts of the record... However this is BARELY NOTICEABLE, IF NOTICEABLE AT ALL! Absolutely a stunning copy that has well stood the test of time and that WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF! MANY WOULD GRADE IT AS EXCELLENT, but to guarantee customer satisfaction I chose to grade the record as a conservative VERY GOOD PLUS!!
SLEEVE: The gatefold sleeve is in VERY GOOD PLUS condition and is in very nice shape overall. The cover has no major issues and is in great condition, apart from just some minor issues here and there: There is the normal shelf wear on the edges and on the spine of the cover, as one would expect for a record that has been stored for this many years. Apart from this there is also some slight ring wear on the back. The sleeve also has some tiny creases or folds on the back of the cover and near the spine, as can be seen on the pictures. You can also see that the front cover has faded a bit on the left side, which can also be considered as normal shelf wear. Apart from these minor issues, one could easily grade the sleeve as EXCELLENT CONDITION. However, as a way of precaution I only grade it as VERY GOOD PLUS! Please note: As is the case with all German Vertigo releases, there is no swirl inner sleeve present and the record came in a plain white inner sleeve with antistatic liner. This original plain white inner sleeve is present and is in VERY GOOD condition, with some creases and small tears.

RECORD COLLECTOR'S GRADING GUIDE:

 The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

 The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

 The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

 The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

 The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

 The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

 The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler."

As well as the above grades,  is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading. (Please note this grading is placed in between EXCELLENT and MINT)

OTHER AUCTIONS:

Starting from september 9th 2017, I will put up my entire Vertigo Swirl collection for sale with new records listed every Saturday and Sunday evening. EVERY auction will have NO RESERVE and will start at 1 GBP starting bid. All records are in great shape and most of them are UK 1st pressings. I have some true gems to put up for sale! So keep an eye out for more RARE VERTIGO SWIRL records in the coming weeks, including: Cressida, Gentle Giant, Fairfield Parlour, Gravy Train, Dr. Z and many more!!!! :)

RETURNS POLICY:

I strive to 100% buyer satisfaction and try my best to describe every record as accurately as possible, with slight precaution as to buyer satisfaction. However, IF a buyer happens to be unsatisfied with the condition of an item, returns are allowed WITHIN 14 DAYS of delivery and the buyer will receive a full refund. The returned item has to be IN THE SAME CONDITION as when it was delivered and has to be sent by REGISTERED MAIL. Shipping costs for the return of the item will not be refunded. If there is any issue, please contact me before leaving any negative feedback or before going through paypal. NO PARTIAL REFUNDS NOR KEEPING THE ITEM!!!

SHIPPING INFORMATION:

All items are carefully packed and shipped internationally from BELGIUM by insured, registered priority mail (BPost), with online track and trace code. Please, understand that PayPal and eBay require sellers to ship all items registered and insured, which costs a bit more. Please understand that all costs are as calculated by BPost and can be checked on their website www.bpost.be. PLEASE NOTE I WILL NOT USE A CHEAPER SHIPPING METHOD! 

Shipping costs are as follows:

UNITED KINGDOM: 9.50 GBP  BELGIUM: 7,00 EUR = 6.50 GBP (!!BUYERS FROM BELGIUM: WAIT FOR INVOICE WITH CORRECT SHIPPING COSTS BEFORE MAKING PAYMENT!! PAYMENT UPON COLLECTION ALSO POSSIBLE FOR BELGIAN BUYERS!) EUROPE + USA: 18,35 EUR = 17.00 GBP REST OF WORLD: 27,04 EUR = 25.00 GBP