Sold Date: December 5, 2021
Start Date: November 28, 2021
Final Price: £311.55 (GBP)
Bid Count: 18
Seller Feedback: 1960
Buyer Feedback: 435

ART - SUPERNATURAL FAIRY TALES

Extremely rare and highly sought after 1967 UK 1st press 12" LP on the highly collectable rough textured pink Island "bullseye" label, MONO, ILP 967

Matrix Numbers : Side 1  ILP + 967 + A  (machine stamped)  

                             Side 2   ILP + 967 + B  (machine stamped) 

Both sides of the flat and heavy vinyl gleam with the original jet black lacquered sheen remaining beautifully intact, and appear to be in virtually unmarked condition. It is only with close inspection under a bright light that a few very wispy hairlines and the occasional very light paper scuff come into view on each side of the vinyl...each very trivial and not impinging upon the brilliant MONO audio quality at all except for a tiny scratch at the beginning of side 1 which results in x3 mild clicks towards the very beginning of track 1...even under a bright light and with a magnifying glass I had difficulty in identifying this tiny, tiny blemish and even now remain unconvinced that these three clicks are not caused by a rogue speck of dust resulting from decades of storage. Clearly this record has been sparingly played and even with the aforementioned tiny blemish of the three mild clicks (no skips or jumps or repeats, by the way) the overall grading of the vinyl has to be a solid EXCELLENT (EX).

The condition of each label is truly EXCELLENT (EX), at least. None of this smooth matt finish nonsense...these labels are the original, 1st press pink Island rough textured variety, with all black text and the iconic "bullseye" logo remaining wonderfully and impressive intact. If it wasn't for just a couple of small and extremely faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label I would grade the condition of the labels as near mint, so "excellent" is certainly the very minimum grading.

The iconic both sides laminated outer sleeve is a solid VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+). All of the edges and corners are firm and perfectly defined (including the spine) and the opening edges are similarly rigid with no fraying or feathering; all of the colours and beautiful art work have retained their rich vibrancy and brilliant definition, and the spine remains in near perfect condition with all spine text fully intact. There are a few 1-2cm very light laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the edges and on the front side a few very small areas of laminate lifting adjacent to the spine edge. The reverse side is similar - some small areas of sporadic laminate lift adjacent to the spine, the  occasional 1-2cm surface laminate crease and a non-obvious 0.5cm tear on the reverse side opening edge just a few centimetres from the top left corner. There is just a little rubbing on each of the corners though they do remain nicely defined right angles. There is no unwanted writing/doodles and the reverse side text and photos remain in great shape. Iconic, highly presentable, 100% functional, and the double side lamination make this very first pressing variant rarer than the proverbial hen's teeth!

The audio quality is brilliant. No background crackle or other interference. No skips, repeats, pops, obvious clicks, or jumps. Just perfect, with great tone and clarity throughout even at higher volume and frequency, and background crackle/interference is virtually non-existent - just the hint of some very minor and very background crackle during a couple of the intermissions/quieter moments on side 2...negligible. Hard to believe that a 55 year old piece of vinyl such as this remains in such great condition and plays so beautifully...but it does and it's true! A solid EXCELLENT (at least) for the impressive MONO audio quality...there are so many brilliant tracks on this wonderful 1960's psych/prog/rock album and listening to them on lovely condition original 1st press vinyl such as this really does take some beating.

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. I THINK I'M GOING WEIRD

2. WHAT'S THAT SOUND

3. AFRICAN THING

4. ROOM WITH A VIEW

5. FLYING ANCHORS

6. SUPERNATURAL FAIRY TALE

Side 2 :

1. LOVE IS REAL

2. COME ON UP

3. BROTHERS, DADS AND MOTHERS

4. TALKIN' TO MYSELF

5. ALIVE NOT DEAD

6. ROME TAKE AWAY THREE

Comes complete with the near perfect condition original plain white inner sleeve with correct "PATENT Nos.." and "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" texts, no splits or tears, barely any creasing, just the hint of a little age discolouration,  and of course remaining fully functional. 

A truly excellent plus condition copy of this rare (extremely rare double lamination on outer sleeve) and highly sought after prog/folk gem, which would grace any serious vinyl collection.

Note that I always insert the vinyl(s) into a new plain white poly-lined inner sleeve in order to protect the original during postage, and separate this from the sleeve itself  to prevent seam splits. I use thick cardboard stiffeners and take great care in my packaging to ensure as far as possible that these precious records reach their destination in exactly the same condition as when they leave me.

POSTAGE COSTS :  

For the UK £7 using Royal Mail Special Delivery; 

for continental Europe £14 using Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for, 

and for the rest of the world £19 using Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for. 

I do provide posting and packaging discounts for multiple purchases. I make no profit from postage.

 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 60's and 70's classic vinyl.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting UK vinyl for over 50 years from a variety of sources : my own collection, friends and family, car boot and garage sales, door-to-door leaflets, and even through placing an advert in my wife's costume hire shop window! 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 questions asked" refund policy. If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. There is NO RESERVE on this item. Richard

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

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