Description I sell vinyl records with complete honesty and reliability. Above all things I am a record collector and music lover. I only sell records that I would want to receive. I know well the disappointment of receiving an over-graded record that turns up two weeks late. That is not the service you will receive here, so bid with total confidence. I don’t sell a lot of records because I spend a lot of time carefully finding, grading and listing them and do not like to rush this process, as many sellers must do to be able to sell 100 records a week! I am mostly a collector of old time music, pre-war blues and folk, so buy job-lots that often contain rare records that aren’t to my taste so to eBay they go! (On that note, if you have any early American blues or folk ((vinyl or shellac)) to swap or sell, please get in touch!)I have only 20 records left to sell and these are my true gems. They came to me from a nuclear engineer who played them once to record to cassette, wrapped them outside of their sleeves and filed them away. They are, without a doubt, the most pristine records I have come across and I would hasten a guess the best in existence for most. Please keep watching if you want a chance of getting hold of some incredibly rare, museum quality vinyl. Anyway, enough of the chit chat and on to the record at hand… Pink FloydSaucerful of SecretsJune 29th 1968UK 1st PressingSCX 6258ColumbiaStereoHere we have what most be the most pristine example of Saucerful of Secrets in existence. The Mono’s of Saucerful are rare as 1st presses but the Stereo 1st presses are so very scarce and only a handful have come up for auction and when they do they are usually played to death. This is a one in a million in that it is THE earliest possible copy and is in STUNNING condition throughout! A true UK 1st pressing that is denoted by the following criteria:· The front laminated Garod & Lofthouse has flipback sides with File under Popular in the top right. · The first press advertising EMI inner with patents pending text.· The ‘Sold in the UK’ text running below the blue Columbia text.Not only is this a true 1st pressing in pristine condition throughout, it is the earliest pressed of that initial run in the June, 1968 having the -1 A/ 1M stampers! This is your final upgrade! Matrix NumbersSide 1: YAX 3633-1Side 2: YAX 3634-1 StampersSide 1: 1 ASide 2: 1 M Sleeve Condition.The 1st press iconic G&L sleeve with flip-back sides is simply the best you will come across. It is simply perfect. It looks as new! The bottom and top sides are pristine, sharp and without ANY shelf wear. The spine is perfectly straight, without a single sign of any wear, rubbing or aging. The corners are sharp and square.The front is beautiful, with all colours still vibrant and fresh, with only the mildest of ringwear (and I mean ultra-mild!) if held at a certain angle, under a halogen bulb. Holding this record is a thing of utter loveliness!The rear is as good as the rest, so often open to discolouring and ripping but not here, it is near perfect!All in all, a true 1st pressing in museum archive quality! Impossible to be mint in my opinion by its very nature, but as close as you will ever get to shop bought.Nr MINT Inner Sleeve Condition.The first press EMI advertising inner sleeve (with patent pending text - Quickly replaced by red advertising inners) is near to been as new as you can get. There are no rips, tears or splits. There is no foxing, writing or stains and it holds the vinyl perfectly as it should. Nr MInt Label Condition.The first press dark black and blue Columbia labels are simply perfect. There are no rips, wear or writing at all. There is no centre hole damage at all. Unheard of!MINT Vinyl Visual Condition.The record itself looks perfect on eye inspection! It still retains its factory shine and lustre and looks as new. You really can distinguish between a Nr mint and Excellent grading, only when holding a true near mint record that just radiates perfection! Under a strong halogen, there is barely any sign of use at all. Just the lightest of removal ghosts to be seen. In reviewing this copy, I have probably removed it more times than it has been in its 50-year age! Excellent + Vinyl Audio Condition.The record sounds truly amazing from start to finish! The songs just jump off the record with no distortion, clicks, pops or skipping at all. It is an audiophiles dream on all frequencies. The undulating guitar riff on Let there be more Light just pierces through with such clarity that in you can’t help but smile! Even on full volume it is so punchy with clear separation of the different instruments. You won’t hear it any better!Nr MINT So there we have it. An absolutely stunning example of the earliest of earliest 1st presses you can get of Saucerful of Secrets with 1A/1M stampers and in archive quality. A true time warp of a psychedelic relic! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Happy Bidding! All my records are sent first class, tracked and signed for. Where insurance is needed, the cost will be covered by myself. I will endeavour to post all records a day after payment is made.Records will be sent in defenda-box mailers which are strong corrugate cardboard boxes ensuring that no bending can take place. They are in essence bomb proof!Records will be sent housed in new poly-lined inners outside of the sleeve to protect both the sleeve and original innerI hand clean records with Clear groove and a microfiber cloth, however, if you use your own system or machine and would prefer I didn’t, then please ask. In the unlikely case you have reason to disagree with my grading, then do not hesitate to get in touch for a no quibble full refund, although I do ask that return postage is covered by the buyer.