ITEM DESCRIPTION | Frank Sinatra singing on both sides of his first record for Harry James, on a very rare original pressing from 1939. This is the holy grail for Sinatra collectors. Recorded on July 13, 1939, this is the historical first offering by Frank Sinatra. This record is arguably the most sought after Sinatra collectible. This one is not only in excellent overall condition, but it has the original Brunswick sleeve!
Brunswick 8443, "FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART" b/w "MELANCHOLY MOOD". DISC CONDITION: A-side V+ / B-side E-. Excellent plating grades E- as per VJM grade scale: "Still shiny but without the lustre of a new record, few light scratches ." Both sides play well. However, there is an anomaly on the "BOTTOM OF MY HEART" side, some kind of a pressing error right on the edge, seen in the second photo at about 8 o'clock, plus I also tried to get a closeup from an angle in the last photo. At first glance I thought this flaw was a chip, but it is smooth and definitely not the result of blunt trauma, which is good news. This pressing flaw is less than one inch in length along the rim, and does not extend into the side's grooves. There are a few tics during the first few seconds of play only, but this is an aural defect which I have noticed on other copies of this record; I do not blame the pressing flaw for these tics. Keep your eyes on the prize, as this is a very collectible piece for any serious Sinatra fan's archive. LABELS: VERY CLEAN, NO WRITING OR STICKERS. SLEEVE: original Brunswick company sleeve included, VG- with creases and a small torn out section. I keep the record inside a brand-new archival sleeve which I will also provide. | | | RECORD GRADING | SHIPPING POLICIES | | "The VJM Record Grading System... The first grading system to be adopted by jazz record collectors was devised by the publishers of Record Changer magazine in the 1940s, and the system now known as the VJM Grading System is a refined version of the former, introduced in the early 1950s." Visual grading is standard, unless playgrading is specified in the auction description. All records are carefully and visually inspected under a cool, bright light. If you disagree with my visual grade I will gladly approve a full refund (excluding return postage) on any item returned within 30 business days, foreign or domestic. eBay/PayPal policy clearly states return postage costs are the responsibility of the buyer. | N | (NEW) As new and unplayed (there are virtually no 78s that can categorically be claimed to be unplayed). | | N- | (NEW-MINUS) Nearly Mint, but has been played. No visible signs of wear or damage. | | E+ | (EXCELLENT-PLUS) Plays like new, with very, very few signs of handling, such as tiny scuffs from being slipped in and out of jackets. | | E | (EXCELLENT) Still very shiny, near new looking, with no visible signs of wear but a few inaudible scuffs and scratches. | | E- | (EXCELLENT-MINUS) Still shiny but without the lustre of a new record, few light scratches. | | V+ | (VERY GOOD-PLUS) V+ is an average condition 78 in which scuffs and genral use has dulled the finish somewhat. Wear is moderate but playing is generally free from distortion. Surface noise not overly pronounced. | V | (VERY GOOD) Moderate, even wear throughout, but still very playable. Surface noise and scratches audible but not intrusive. | V- | (VERY GOOD-MINUS) Quite playable still, but distortion and heavy greying in loud passages. Music remains loud in most passages. Surface noise and scratches well below music level. | G+ | (GOOD-PLUS) Grey throughout but still serviceable. Music begins to sound muffled. Heavy scratches. | G | (GOOD) Quite seriously worn and scratched, but music level is still higher than surface noise. | G- | (GOOD-MINUS) Music still prominent, but wear and scatch damage extensive. | F | (FAIR) Most of music remains audible over surface noise, but listening now uncomfortable. | P | (POOR) Unplayable. | | Please note all records are visually graded unless stated otherwise, and grading is subjective. If you disagree with my visual grade, please allow me the courtesy of an email and I'll be happy to resolve your issue. Thanks and best of luck! | | I try to ship all orders within 1 to 3 business days, but the delay may be slightly greater if I have many auctions to ship, or if it is a holiday weekend. You will receive email notification from USPS and/or eBay when your order is shipped. I will always try to combine auctions from the same week into one shipment to save you postage, though this is not always possible due to weight and/or size differences or other incompatibility. Please be patient for your combined invoice... this is usually sent within a few minutes of winning, but can sometimes take up to 24 hours if I have many auctions ending at once. Auctions will not be combined if they have been paid for separately. | | POSTAGE | ALL 78s ARE SHIPPED VIA US PS PRIORITY MAIL ONLY! SORRY, NO MEDIA OR FIRST CLASS! | SINGLE 78s and 78 RPM ALBUM SETS ship in the largest available USPS Priority box with more-than-sufficient packaging to provide for safe delivery. Either Regional Priority or Flat Rate Priority will be selected depending on (1) your location in the USA and (2) the weight of your order. Properly packed single-disc parcels start at 2-pounds, and increase in 1-pound increments for approximately every 2 discs added, so I must ask $1.00 per each additional disc. You can see at some point it will make sense to switch from Regional to Flat Rate if you buy many records at once. One or the other method will save the payer of postage a few dollars or cents, the general rule being a heavy multiple order will benefit from using Flat Rate Priority whereas a lighter weight parcel is best served by using Regional Priority instead; the closer you live to my home base in the Cleveland, Ohio area, the less postage will cost. | SINGLE 78s and 78 RPM ALBUM SETS ship in the largest available USPS Priority box with more-than-sufficient packaging to provide for safe delivery . Standard Priority or Flat Rate Priority will be selected depending on the overall weight of your order. One method will save you a few dollars, the general rule being a heavy multiple order will benefit from using Flat Rate Priority... whereas a lighter weight parcel is best served by using Standard Priority instead. Properly packed single-disc parcels start at 2-pounds, and increase in 1-pound increments for approximately every 2 discs added, so I must ask $4 USD per each additional disc. You can see after about five records, it will be best to switch from Standard to Flat Rate. Up to 20 pounds (maybe thirty separate discs or four album sets) can be safely nestled in one Flat Rate carton for one flat rate price. If you have more records to ship, another parcel will be started. See the Shipping and payments tab just above the item description for actual rate charged based on your destination. Combined parcels with values exceeding $249.99 must be upgraded to USPS Express, which not only provides necessary tracking and insurance but also gathers your signature upon delivery which is a PayPal requirement. International buyers are always responsible for all import taxes and customs fees. | | | | | | |
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