Sold Date: April 25, 2017
Start Date: April 18, 2017
Final Price: £290.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 15
Seller Feedback: 1408
Buyer Feedback: 220

PRETTY THINGS - S.F. SORROW

Extremely rare and highly sought after 1968 UK very 1st pressing of this psych rock classic on the coveted black and blue Columbia label, rarer MONO, SX 6306

 Matrix Numbers :

  Side 1 XAX 3738 - 1 with stamper "3" at 5 o' clock   Side 2  XAX 3739 - 1 with stamper "3" at 2 o' clock

These matrix numbers and the lack of any dead wax stamper lettering suggest that this was one of the very first copies off the first production run.

The condition of the vinyl (thick, heavy and completely flat) is very good. Each side of the vinyl has retained much of it's original sheen and have an impressive appearance. On side 1 there are 3 scuffs that are noticeable in normal daylight; each scuff is less than 1cm and are situated on the first three tracks, resulting in some mild clicking towards the end of track 1 and at the beginning and end of track 2, and a single skip about one minute into track 2 - there are no further skips throughout the entire album - and 26 more obvious clicks at the beginning of track 3. There is one other pencil line scuff which goes across the first four tracks on side 1 and is also noticeable in normal daylight, but it is non-feelable and does not seem to adversely affect playback at all. There are some other mild pencil line thin scuffs and faint spindle lines on each side of the record all of which are much less obvious. None of these scuffs and wispy spider lines are feelable (even the three aforementioned more obvious scuffs) but the occasional click (more on side 1 than side 2) suggests that the odd spider line does interfere with playback. Nevertheless the record itself remains highly presentable with both the lovely overall sheen of the vinyl and the labels, which are each excellent with all writing remaining perfectly defined along with the matt black textured background.

The iconic Ernest J. Day front and back laminated gatefold sleeve is very good. The top and bottom edges remain in excellent condition with barely any scuffing at all. But each of the corners suffer from some rubbing as does the spine (see photos). The opening front side has frayed a little and there is some light laminate lifting and creasing towards the edge. There are also a number of 1-2 cm horizontal laminate creases perpendicular to the spine, four of which impinge upon the spine itself. The reverse side is in very good condition and just suffers from some laminate creasing adjacent to each of the edges. The inside of the gatefold is impressive, with each of the flipbacks in excellent undamaged condition and all writing (the song lyrics) unblemished. All colours (front, back and inside) have retained their original vibrancy. A truly iconic outer sleeve, not in perfect condition by any means but still impressive and still capable of giving off that 60's "buzz"!!

Finally, the quality of the audio is very good. There is some sporadic mild clicking, particularly on the first three tracks of side 1 (see above) and two further mild but clearly audible clicks on the 2nd track of side 2, and there is also some occasional mild crackle (more so at the beginning and end of each side and during the interludes/quieter moments, but not really intrusive at all), but none of these aberrations are overly intrusive and do not greatly affect the overall sound quality. I would rate the side 1 playback as VG- and side 2 playback as VG+. So, again, not perfect but still highly listenable. In fact, the first thing I did after playing this album all the way through was to play it again : a great listen but there are some audible clicks on the first three tracks of side 1 so bear this in mind when bidding.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. S.F. SORROW IS BORN

2. BRACELETS OF FINGERS

3. SHE SAYS GOOD MORNING

4. PRIVATE SORROW

5. BALLOON BURNING

6. DEATH

Side 2 :

1. BARON SATURDAY

2. THE JOURNEY

3. I SEE YOU

4. WELL OF DESTINY

5. TRUST

6. OLD MAN GOING

7. LONELIEST PERSON

Comes in the original EMI inner (a sought after item in it's own right!) with no tears or splits and still fully functional. Excellent!

In summary, an overall impressive and highly collectible very first pressing of this sought after 1968 psychedelic rock classic, despite it's obvious blemishes.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other listings for more 50's, 60's and 70's classic vinyl.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. 

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in removing the record from the outer sleeve in order to prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class signed for  : UK £6.00, continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £13. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: 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.

Excellent

Description: 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.

Very Good

Description: 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.

Good

Description: 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, discoloration, etc.

Fair 

Description: 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.

Poor

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

Bad

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