Sold Date: October 25, 2015
Start Date: October 18, 2015
Final Price: £16.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 2
Seller Feedback: 401
Buyer Feedback: 160

QUEEN

A DAY AT THE RACES

EMI RECORDS – EMTC 104

1976 ORIGINAL UK LP

FIRST PRESSING 1U/1U MATRIX

STUNNING NEAR MINT VINYL

Side One     YAX 5245-1U   STERLING

Side Two     YAX 5246-1U   STERLING

Cover            EX+

This is the correct first issue UK matt gatefold cover, with the wide spine, by Garrod & Lofthouse. Superb condition with no  writing or marks. No ring press. Absolute bare minimum of corner tip rub, one small dink at bottom right corner. The cover closes evenly, and inside the gatefold is clean and as new. Crisp opening edge, and strong spine with fully legible text and no squashing (please examine the photos). Note there is a small and neat numbered dymo sticker at the top left corner (which I have not attempted to remove) – otherwise for me this would be a MINT- cover. Many of these first issue covers have significant handling creases and wear, but not this one – a very fine example.

Inner             EX

Original thick card inner sleeve, die cut on one side and with rounded corners. Clean and with the merest hint of handling. No side or bottom edge splits.

Labels          EX+   

Flat, smooth and clean with no handling smudges, writing or other marks. The side 2 inks and colours on the crest have maintained their clarity and richness and look superb. No discernible spindle traces, suggesting minimum plays.

Vinyl             MINT-   

The vinyl itself is in immaculate condition and has retained its original glossy sheen and finish, with no dulling at all. Barely any hint of a sleeve removal trace to be seen even when angled to the light, again suggesting a minimum of careful plays. Fully play tested on a Project/Ortofon/NAD system with Bayerdynamic headphones, it sounds quite superb – deep and rich sound, no skips, pops or jumps, barely any hint of static even in the quieter passages, truly exceptional first press audio throughout. 

Any questions – please just ask.

CLEAN RECORDS SOUND BETTER!

This LP has been vacuum cleaned using L’Art du Son record cleaning solution mixed with distilled water, the most efficient and effective method available. 

"Non-toxic, non-alcohol, anti-static and biodegradable, L’Art du Son is proven to provide: an increase in dynamic contrasts and improved bass response; vast improvement in overall soundstage clarity; increased depth and sense of musical ease from LP playback; substantial reduction in LP noise floor resulting in improved clarity and instrumental definition; increased LP longevity".

SEE MY FEEDBACK AND BID WITH CONFIDENCE

I have included the maximum of 12 high quality photos, taken in good light with a decent camera and from a variety of angles, so you can properly judge the detailed condition of the cover, inner and labels for yourself. Any significant marks or defects on these aspects of the LP will be clearly visible in the photos. My own gradings are based on the standard record collector guidelines (see below). In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with your purchase I will be very happy to give a full refund (minus return postage) if the record is returned to me in the same condition within 14 days. Please message me immediately to resolve any concerns that you have and I will do my best to help - I have 100% positive feedback and I would like to keep it that way. Thanks.

POSTAGE & PACKAGING

The LP will be securely packaged. It will be sent in a new polythene sleeve with card inserts and inside a new dedicated record mailer envelope. The vinyl will be separated from the cover to prevent any ring marking in transit. The package will be secured with thick brown tape and marked with additional large “FRAGILE” taped stickers twice on both sides. I make no charge for this packaging and I make no profit on postage. I send all my LPs tracked & signed. This provides added security for both buyer & seller.

RECORD COLLECTOR GRADING GUIDE

MINT: The record is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.

Thanks for looking, and Happy Bidding!