Beatles Please Please Me UK 1963 1st Press *STEREO* LP Incredible, Immaculate *NEAR MINT* Gold Labelled Copy. Start Price GBP 500.00 Current Price GBP 13,100.00 Time Left - Bid Count 39 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, November 13, 2008 End Time Sunday, November 23, 2008 Location Linz See more about 'Beatles Please Please Me UK 1963 1st Press *STEREO* LP' Description THE BEATLES - 'PLEASE, PLEASE ME' 1963 UK 1st *STEREO* PRESSING LP **NEAR MINT'** Without doubt, this is the rarest and most desirable of all The Beatles' UK commercially available records.This ultimate copy is sourced from the collection of a a serious Beatles collector who has commissioned me to sell his entire collection over the coming few months. It comprises some of the rarest and best condition copies ever to be offered for sale. For some of the highlights - including 'White Album' No.00000005, please take a look at my 'About Me' page. Released almost as an afterthought just over a month after its mono counterpart, EMI was already in the process of replacing their 'gold & black' label design with the new yellow & black type. Reportedly, just 900 copies with this gold stereo label were ever pressed and understandably, there was little interest from pop buying teenagers in stereo in 1963 and only a few copies were sold at the time and very few survive to this day, let alone in this immaculate condition. This beautiful, barely played copy on offer here is arguably the best to come onto the open market in recent years and represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the best investments around in these uncertain economic times. This NEAR MINT 1963 1st STEREO pressing is on the BLACK & GOLD Parlophone label: PCS 3042 Both labels bear the initial, incorrect 'Dick James Mus.Co.' publishing credits for songs 1 & 2 on side 1 and for tracks 4 & 6 on side 1. A 'MZT' tax/price code is visible around the centre hole of the side 2 label. Housed in the correct front laminated, tri-flipback 'Ernest J. Day' printed cover with a large stereo front cover logo and the 'Angus McBean' credit in the extreme lower right corner Complete with its original 'Use Emitex..' poly-lined inner-sleeve. Matrix numbers: YEX 94-1 & YEX 95-1 Stamper numbers: 1/G & 1/R Disc weight: 170g CONDITION Disc Labels: 1. MINT  2. NEAR MINT Both labels are perfectly clean and untarnished with all the gold text present and unfaded. Label 1 is perfect with no spindle trails or any other traces of wear. Label 2 is as bright and clean with just a tiny, pin-head sized mark just at the top of the centre-hole & a tiny insignificant blemish in the 2 o'clock position. The camera doesn't lie - this is really is a beautiful set. Visual: NEAR MINT This outstanding disc has clearly only ever been out of its cover a handful of times in the past 45 years. Both retain all of their 'as new' deep gloss shine on both surfaces with no dull or cloudy patches from incorrect storage or mishandling. I really struggled to find any traces of wear and in fact, the only significant blemish I can see in strong daylight is a light 1.5cm fingernail scuff mark on the first track on side 1. However, this is certainly not deep or 'feelable' and does not affect sound or play. Happily, close examination beneath my powerful halogen desk lamp reveals nothing more than a sparkling rainbow gloss and a few insignificant wispy hairlines consistant with a few inner-sleeve removals and a few careful plays. Most importantly there are no scratches on the entire disc, or indeed any other marks or wear to spoil the surfaces of this exquisite copy. Both sides of course lie 100% flat on the turntable with no traces of dishing or warping. This really is the ultimate copy of this release which will never require upgrading. Audio: NEAR MINT Being amongst the first few hundred copies ever pressed, the sound quality on this copy is incredible. It must be one of the earliest and best sounding copy in existence. This disc itself has received less than a handful of extremely careful plays on 1st-class quality equipment and sounds as good as the day it was bought. My careful single play-check at volume revealed absolutely no traces of any audible wear whatsoever on any track or in either channel. There is no evidence of groove/play-wear, background noise, clicks or pops. Even the run-ins and all bands play silently and without any interference. It is difficult to express just how electrifying the sound is, but I can safely say - you won't find better. Cover: NEAR MINT This exquisite example must be amongst the finest surviving examples. The front panel retains its deep, rich colours and a pristine unscratched high-gloss laminate which shows no disc impression, 'thumbnails' or any other traces of wear. All corners are clean, square and sharp with just a minor bruise to the upper left but none of the usual rubbing to the lower two. There are a few tiny 'pushes' to the opening edges but no missing paper, tears or feathering to either. The rear panel is amazingly spotless and completely unmarked by any fingermarks, storgewear, foxing and certainly no writing or missing paper - it really does appear 'as new'. All the delicate flipbacks are in perfect condition. All are clean and fully intact with no damage or wear to any. Both upper & lower seams are completely smooth with no flaking laminate, stresses or splits of any kind. The spine is completely straight & clean with a perfectly worded and no wear to any part. Inner-sleeve: MINT A perfect clean & white example which even displays the factory stacking machine mark on the lower edge. there are no creases, splits, tears or any other traces of wear on this perfect example. IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ: If you have a feedback score of less than 10, but please contact me before you place a bid, otherwise it will be removed. Everybody should have a chance of winning, so please do not ask me for a 'Buy It Now' price. I will not end the auction early. Thanks for looking and if you decide to bid, good luck! **Please see my other items for some more rare UK Beatles Records from this collection** I also offer a consigment service. Take a look at my 'About Me' page for details on how I can help you get the best price for your precious & rare items. Strict & conservative grading in daylight and directly under a halogen desk lamp. Audibly graded at volume in its entirety on a Rega P9 deck fitted with a Shelter 901 cartridge through a Naim 'SUPERNAIT' amplifier. All records are 100% guaranteed. Full refunds given if you are not satisfied Pay me securely with any major credit card through PayPal! Insured Priority Airmail shipping costs on this item: USA/Asia/Japan - £15 Europe - £10 All items will be shipped via the Austrian postal sevice. However, I am happy to use an alternative carrier of your choice if you are willing to pay the costs. For shipping outside the European Union, I must mark & declare the true value of each item on the package and include relevant paperwork. Austria is a member of the EU and therefore customs duties do not apply for shipping to countries inside the EU. All text & images © agm67 2008 Place a Bid!