All my items have a full money-back guarantee - if it's not as described you can return it for a full refund.

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P&P charges for bidders outside the UK: Please note that I send ALL international items tracked and insured, which costs more than the standard airmail rate.

For further information please see below for full P&P and insurance details.

 
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THERE ARE 12 PHOTOS IN THIS LISTING. USE THE SCROLL BAR BESIDE THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE THEM ALL.

Original 1st UK pressing of Black Sabbath's classic third album. The disk, the embossed box cover and the Vertigo swirl inner sleeve are all genuine 1st press originals. The poster is a modern reproduction.

This has the following 1st press matrix numbers:

Side 1: 6360050 1Y//1

Side 2: 6360050 2Y//1

Detailed description
Box cover: Nice example with no significant issues. Please see the photos. The only note-worthy issue is that the previous owner has inked-in some of the edges/corners, although this is not particularly noticeable (and was probably unnecessary as there isn't much wear anyway).
Inner sleeve: Original poly-lined Vertigo swirl inner sleeve, date-coded 0671. No splits or major issues, just a couple of tiny tears around the central holes and normal signs of age/use.
Vinyl: The vinyl is flat and has retained its sheen, although it has various surface marks and signs of use, especially on side two, where there are some longer lines, which look more prominent than they sound. I have played the entire record and it generally sounds great. There is some background noise which can be heard in the quiet parts and the run-ins/outs, fades, silent grooves and intros, and some fuzziness in places (such as 'Embryo' on side one) but there is nothing overpowering or intrusive anywhere. There are several quiet parts on Master of Reality that are hard to find with perfect audio (the two quiet instrumentals, the soft 'spooky' end-section of 'Children of the Grave' and 'Solitude'), but despite appearances, these tracks were no special cause for concern on this copy, with just the usual background noise and crackle that is present on most copies and some small clicks and a bit of backround noise in 'Solitude'.  On side one, I heard a handful of small background clicks in 'After Forever', but there wasn't much more to report until the soft 'spooky' end-section of 'Children of the Grave' which had a bit of crackle and a couple of small clicks, but nothing overpowering or out-of-the-ordinary, and so overall, I would play-grade side one around Very Good plus (VG+) or Excellent minus (Ex-). Side two isn't quite as good, with some small clicks and a bit of backround noise and fuzziness, and the previously-mentioned clicks in 'Solitude' etc and so, taking these into account, I would play-grade side two as Very Good (VG). Overall, this is a listenable example. However, it is not one for the audio-perfectionist, although it plays better than you might expect from a visual examination. Play-grade: side one - Very Good plus (VG+) to Excellent minus (Ex-); side two - Very Good (VG), although a visual grading (especially for side two) would be lower.
Labels: Both labels look great with no damage, writing, stickers etc, just spindle marking and normal signs of use.
Poster: The poster is a modern reproduction of the original 1st press poster. It has six panels and measures approx 27" x 18" (inches). It has never been displayed, hardly ever handled and is in excellent condition.

Detracting features not covered above:  None.

Please check out my other items and take advantage of reduced postage costs for multiple buys.

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Information about descriptions and gradings.
My items are always described accurately and fairly. I always do my best to point out any blemishes which might detract from the item and all photographs are of the actual item you will get. I am aware that different grading systems have different definitions and so I try as much as possible to describe items in plain English, rather than simply using gradings. Where gradings are given these are based on the UK RECORD COLLECTOR GRADING SYSTEM. This grading system differs from some other grading systems, in particular the Goldmine grading system. Please make sure that you are familiar with the UK record collector grading system before you bid.

Play-graded vinyl: Although I don't have time to play them all, I believe that records are for playing and so I try to play-grade records whenever possible. I always state in the listing if I have played a record prior to listing it. If I have play-graded the record I will usually only give a description of how the record looks (i.e. not a visual grading). The grading in the listing will be a play-grading and may be slightly different from the grading that the record would receive from a purely visual inspection. If I haven't play-graded the record, it will be given a visual grading.

Play-grading MONO records: Mono records and stereo records have different grooves. A stereo record produces a stereo sound via both lateral and vertical groove modulation whereas a mono record is not intended to produce any sound from vertical modulation. Playing a mono record with a stereo cartridge will create distortion because it is trying to pick-up the vertical (stereo) part of the signal, whereas this is not intended to be heard on a mono record and so is just noise.  Using a pre-amp with a mono switch will eliminate the noise caused by vertical modulation leaving just the lateral groove signal which is how the record was intended to be heard. Based on the assumption that most people choosing to listen to a mono record will have the right equipment to listen to it, I play all mono records via a pre-amp with a mono switch.  My play-grading is based on how the record sounds when played through a mono switch. If you do not have a mono switch on your amp or pre-amp you will be reproducing the noise from the vertical part of the signal and so the record will not sound as good. This is not any fault of the record, it is inherent to playing any mono record through a system that it was not designed for.

Visually-graded vinyl: A visual grading will identify physical flaws (such as scratches) and can help determine whether a record has been cared-for properly. I always do my best to give a fair assessment of any visible marks on the playing surface, but a visual grading will not identify noise or crackle caused by non-visible sources. Most of the records I sell are between thirty and fifty years old and so it is likely that there may be some background noise even if they look perfect. Please see Terms and Conditions below for my refunds policy for visually graded records.

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I have some very simple terms and conditions. Please read them and ensure that you understand them before bidding. Thank you.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

My items are fully guaranteed - if it is not as described you can return it for a full refund, including postage. Refunds for visually graded records which are returned based upon the buyer's assessment of the record's playgrade, will not include postage costs in either direction. Your bid is binding, so please make sure you have READ and UNDERSTOOD the WHOLE LISTING before you bid. I will not accept returns where the buyer has not read or not understood something which is stated/shown in the listing.
I accept Paypal and postal orders (in UK Sterling GBP) for all purchases.  I also accept cheques (in UK Sterling GBP) on orders OVER £50. Please pay for your item within three days of the auction closing. If you are intending to bid on other items and wish to pay when they have closed, please contact me to let me know. I reserve the right to cancel any transactions and offer the item to the second highest bidder if no contact or payment is made within three days.

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POSTAGE & PACKING

I care about the records I sell and believe that they need to be carefully and securely packaged to ensure that they survive their journey through the post. Vinyl is removed from the sleeve for posting and the contents will be protected with rigid cardboard stiffeners. Packages are labelled "Do not bend" and securely sealed with "FRAGILE" parcel tape.

I support the use of recycled materials and so I may sometimes use recycled packaging. If you wish your item to be sent in entirely new packaging please let me know before paying for it. Thanks.

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P&P charges

My P&P charges are 'totally transparent'. Please read below and if you have any questions about P&P costs please contact me BEFORE you bid. Thank you.

Sending items costs more than just the stamps on the package, but I try not to charge more for packing and posting your item than it actually costs me to do so. I need to cover the cost of packing materials, plastic sleeves, new inner sleeves (where applicable), transportation, fees and charges associated with sending the item (including fees incurred to receive the cost of postage and, where applicable, currency exchange) etc. To cover some of these expenses I add a nominal figure to the basic cost charged at the post office athough the actual cost to me is always higher than this. I do not view P&P costs as a means of making money.

To quote an exact cost for every LP is difficult because of the wide variance in weight (e.g. Abbey Road weighs around 230 grams whereas Led Zeppelin III weighs around 390 grams). But the majority of single LPs, when packed, will weigh around 550 grams and I have based my P&P rates on this.

Double LPs will be charged as two LPs, triple LPs will be charged as three LPs. Box sets etc will be charged according to weight.

If, when you receive your item, there is a significant discrepancy in your favour, please contact me and I will refund the difference.

UK P&P costs

I offer three UK services. I DO NOT offer 'click and collect' or FREE postage, so please do not select these options if they appear in the invoice. However, any item can be 'collected in person' free of charge.

UK Standard service - items valued below £80 are usually sent using first class recorded post. The cost for this is as follows:

One to three LPs (with a combined total value below £80 and weighing less than 1Kg) = £5.20.

Four to six LPs (with a combined total value below £80 and weighing less than 2Kg) = £7.70.

UK Economy service - items valued below £80 can be sent using second class recorded post. The cost for this is as follows:

One to six LPs (with a combined total value below £80 and weighing less than 2Kg) = £4.70.

UK Special Delivery - Any order valued over £80 will be sent fully insured using Royal Mail Special Delivery and the total cost of this will be £9.35 for one to four LPs and £12.00 for five or more LPs . Please wait for my invoice before paying.

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Airmail (tracked and/or signed) to any country OUTSIDE the UK

 

Overseas orders will ONLY be sent tracked and/or signed.

Europe

First LP or 12" = £13.60, each additional LP or 12" add £2.20.

Rest of the world (anywhere outside Europe)

First LP or 12" = £17.50, each additional LP or 12" add £3.80.

 

Overseas orders valued over £80 will be insured for an additional £2.90.

Overseas orders weighing more than 2kg or high-value orders may be split into two or more packages as appropriate so they can be sent using Royal Mail's Small Packet Rate, so please wait for my invoice on larger multiple purchases.

Please note that overseas orders outside the EU need a customs declaration with the value of the package.

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 If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.

 

Thanks for your interest in this listing and for taking the time to read these details.

On 23-Aug-16 at 14:06:40 BST, seller added the following information:

A couple of people have contacted me about the laminate lift on the cover, which (as can be seen in the photos) is on the LEFT hand side when the item is viewed from the front, and not the right hand side as I've mistakenly written in the listing. Please accept my apologies for this error.