Has anyone ever heard of this? There’s also NO history of this test pressing on Discogs… how the hell would you determine whether or not it was real?
I haven’t, but that was four years before I was even aware of AFI, so there is a probability that I missed it. I usually gonna Discogs, though.
Late to this post, but I can’t think of a reason this wouldn’t be real. Just about any record that exists is going to have at least a few test copies, so if this ISN’T legitimately a test pressing, it’s one that got plain white labels put on it for some reason. The fact that it’s not on discogs just means nobody who cared enough to make a discogs entry has one of these in their possession.
This post did cause me to notice an interesting vinyl nerd thing though. The runout etching pictured in that ebay post (NR-15811-2-A [squiggly signature thing]) matches the runout on the Nitro Years Box Set version of Answer That, NOT the runout on the original Nitro reissue of Answer That from 1997 (15811-1-A). I wouldn’t have expected them to have made different stampers for these records, but apparently they did.
Wonder what the later color versions on Nitro used. I don’t have one of those so I can’t compare.
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Checked my tan copy of ATASF to compare the runouts. It matches the NR-15811-2-A with the squiggly.
And yeah, I’m the person that sold this on eBay. I got it from a seller in the UK who apparently bought a chunk of AFI stuff from a collector. The original transaction can be seen here.
I’ve got a BSITS test pressing that was apparently smuggled from Nitro back in the day too.
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Okay, I need to see a photo of this…
EDIT: If you don’t mind me asking, why the hell did you sell a test pressing???
I needed the money and I saw how much that Bombing the Bay test went for a few months back. I’ve had to cut back hard on variant collecting too. Not too beat up about it, I like the Black Sails test more. I’ll edit this with a picture or two when I can.
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A BSITS test pressing is something that I would be drawn to in a scary way if I saw it on eBay… those test pressings are often the excitement equivalent of seeing the Dork EP.
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Funny enough, the same guy who sold me the ATASF test sold me my copy of Dork. He had a lot of stuff severely underpriced. Another buyer got a copy of the All Hallow’s 7" for like $15 or something crazy.
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You have the Dork too? I basically deflated right now of jealousy…
Welcome to the forums and damn, I’m jealous, lol.
I have basically everything early except the Dork and test pressings of course. BTT is my favorite early record; I guess because the record title itself is ironic.
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Thanks for the welcome. I’m excited to be able to discuss a band I’m so passionate about. AFI is the band that got me into vinyl. Very Proud of Ya was the first record I ever bought. I bought Behind the Times and Fly in the Ointment with my high school graduation money. Finally nine years after I started collecting I got my hands on Dork.
Behind the Times is my favorite too. The version of High School Football Hero is better than the version on ATASF.
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Speaking of, I’m on Crash Love right now… I need to switch it up to ATASF soon… HSFH is my favorite track on that album, lol.
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So I just did comparisons on the other Nitro albums. Based on the etchings, Answer That, VPoY, and Shut Your Mouth had new plates made for the Nitro box set. Black Sails and AoD used the same ones as the original LPs.
What’s on that Black Sails test press you have?
OASIS DISC MASTERING 15824-1 A [illegible signature] L-51556
OASIS DISC MASTERING 15824-1A (or maybe B? Would make more sense but it’s hard to tell) [illegible signature] L-51556-X
Side B (Port Side, heh) is crammed in really small, as the lock groove and Midnight Sun take up most of the space where this stuff would usually appear.
Despite what discogs currently shows, based on what I remember, I’m pretty sure none of these Nitro color variants appeared until the mid 2000s. The fact that there are at least two Nitro versions (that is, physical differences in the stampers that were used to duplicate the records, even if they’re meant to be not easy to distinguish) of the first three albums makes me wonder how many different times the various incarnations of Nitro have cut new lacquers and plates for these albums.
Hopefully this is all enhancing the thread instead of hijacking it. Haha.
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Could be that it’s a later test pressing then. I don’t have a black Nitro copy to compare.
I’ll check my Black Sails test when I get home from work.
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It’s definitely enhancing. I’ll have to check my limited grey marble BSITS vinyl. That’s another one I plan to get framed… and it’s not going to be cheap… lol.
Here’s some photos of the Black Sails test. I had a really hard time getting pictures of the runout, but it matches what you wrote above. Side b is etched as 15824-1A.
The last picture there is of the locked groove before “Midnight Sun”, because I still think it’s cool as shit. I just wish they had done the same thing for “Battled” on Art of Drowning.
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I might have to share photos of my signed BSITS vinyl to share some jealousy… lol
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Do it. I’d be down for a thread to share collections. I plan on breaking everything I have out to share once I get the last few from my parents’ house.
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I will do it soon. 
All of my stuff (records, etc) are in protective bins from storage. I’ll aim to take some photos by tonight.
I also have the Art skate deck signed by the whole band. Jade’s signature is kinda faded though… 
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I lost an auction on a DU skate deck a few months back. I really want that deck.
What’s up Bro! I just joined, thanks for letting me know about this site! I would post my collection too if a thread gets started, I actually just went through it and took some pics.