Vinyl: PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - 1st UK PRESS SOLID PRISM - COMPLETE, ORIGINAL

Here is a genuine 1st UK pressing of Dark Side of the Moon. This has the solid blue prism on the labels and 1st press A2/B2 matrixes. The vinyl is fully play-graded and comes with its original 'midnight blue' cover, black inner sleeve, posters and stickers. Both stickers are original, Crack Back permanent stickers. The earliest Crack Back permanent stickers have the serial number S-260 printed on the rear. Later Crack Back permanent stickers don't have the serial number and much, much later copies are Crack Back removable stickers - so watch out for copies where the stickers have been swapped for later ones. The posters too are original, early examples, printed on paper which is more matt than later copies.

This has the following 1st press matrix numbers:

Side 1: SHVL 804 A-2

Side 2: SHVL 804 B-2

Detailed description
Vinyl: Fully-playgraded. The vinyl is flat and has retained its original high sheen. It has hairlines and sleeve removal marks on both sides and a handful of more-prominent looking fine marks/hairlines, but there is nothing significant anywhere. I have played the entire record and it sounds great. There is some background noise which can be heard in the quiet parts and the run-ins/outs, fades, segues, silent grooves and intros, and the occasional random click, but there is nothing loud or intrusive. Side one doesn't have any clicks worth mentioning, just some background noise in the quiet bits and near the end. Side two had six clicks at the end of 'Money' as it segues into 'Us and Them', and later in 'Us and Them' there was a very soft tic (very quiet and only in the left channel) for about eighteen revolutions, but it is very quiet. There were also a few random pairs of clicks towards the end of side two. Despite the clicks mentioned above, the whole album was a pleasure to listen to , and some parts sound Near Mint (NM) . Taking everything into consideration, my play-grade would be around Excellent minus (Ex-) to Very Good plus (VG+) for both sides, but much of it is better than that.

Labels: The labels have spindle marking and normal signs of use - no writing, tears, stickers etc .

Sleeve: Original very dark blue sleeve with a sealed (but not folded-under) left edge. The outside of the cover has normal signs of use with some creases around the edges and corners, some edge and corner wear, ring-wear, small scuffs, scrapes and marks etc (a couple of which have been touched-in). The sleeve is the dark blue colour (often called 'midnight-blue') but this is hard to tell from the photographs, so I have included a picture of this cover on top of a standard black cover in the last photo.

Edge wear: There is noticeable wear to the edges , but no seam splits.

Corner wear: There is noticeable wear to the corners, and the bottom opening corner has worn through to a small (1cm) corner-split.

Inner sleeve: The original black, poly-lined inner sleeve has creases and a 6cm split in one side seam, but no other splits or tears.

Stickers: Both stickers are original Crack-Back permanent stickers. The earliest Crack Back permanent stickers have the serial number S-260 on the rear (see photo). Although the Crack back permanent stickers continued to be used for many subsequent pressings, the earliest ones can be identified because they have the serial number which was omitted on later copies. (Much later copies are crack-back removable stickers, so watch out for copies where the stickers have been swapped for much later ones).

Posters: The posters are original, early examples, printed on paper which is more matt than later copies. It is not a fully-matt, uncoated paper, but is definitely much less glossy ( especially the pyramid poster ) than later copies. They have n ever been displayed so there are no pin-holes, blu-tac, sellotape etc, just a few marks to the backs of the posters and minor signs of handling etc, but no tears or damage and no significant issues.

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 buy 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. All 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 these expenses I add a nominal figure to the basic cost charged at the post office. For UK sales I add £1.10, for European sales I add £1.90 and for transactions outside Europe I add £2.30. These are nominal amounts and 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.

Depending on the precise weight of your parcel, you may occasionally end up paying a few pence more or a few pence less than it actually costs me, but if there is a significant discrepancy in your favour I will refund the difference.

UK P&P costs

UK Standard service - items valued below £50 are sent using first class recorded post. The cost for this is as follows:

One to four LPs (with a combined total value below £50) = £5.20.

UK Special Delivery -Any order valued over £50 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.

Any order valued below £10 can be sent using second class standard mail, free of charge.

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Airmail (with tracking and insurance) to any country OUTSIDE the UK

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 weighing more than 2kg or valued over £500 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.

Customs declaration for overseas orders: Please note that for overseas orders outside the EU I need to complete a customs declaration and must enter the value of the package on the declaration.

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If you have any queries please email BEFORE you bid.