PINK FLOYD Animals SUPERB N/M UK Wide-Spine Original.

	£		94
	$		125

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Overseas packets that go through the customs system, can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to process and deliver, this IS normal. For Russia, this can take even longer and is out of my control, so please be patient.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: Animals.

Producer(s): Pink Floyd.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Pigs on the Wing (1); Dogs.

Side 2: Pigs (three different ones); Sheep; Pigs on the Wing (2).

Label/Format: Harvest, customised examples (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive, all evidence, including very clean sound quality, indicates hardly played. Any spindle traces on side one are tiny and faint, barely any in fact. Side two has just two very fine ones, one small, one long and only seen when tilted towards angled light.

Cat Number: SHVL 815.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 122 grams. A typical weight for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The title itself is common enough but the very early pressings in top conditions are a different matter. Finding one hardly played is beyond hard and this another from a collection of barely played records. I have always found this a difficult title to find with the original thick spine cover (no bar codes) that has little wear or damage. The original inner with the wide top opening recess (later ones were much narrower) with no creasing or edge splits or ringwear, and lastly a record that plays BEAUTIFULLY. I remember buying a copy on the very first day of issue only to find surface noise and crackle and marked vinyl from that hard unlined inner. I was not the only one, several friends had the same experiences and this album is seldom heard devoid of some unwanted sounds. This is an exceptional example with wonderful clean sound with barely anything unwanted at all. Overall this copy will take some beating and I consider any clean playing, early copy elusive and getting increasingly more so.

Original Year of Release: 1977

Matrix Nos: SHVL 815 A-2U / SHVL 815 B-4U

Mothers / Stampers: 8 GHR / 1 RRR

Musicians: Gilmour – Waters – Wright – Mason.

Brief Info: Following the monumental titles that preceded this release, this was never going to be an easy task, and being totally honest, I was somewhat disappointed when I first bought and heard this album and even to this day it is not one of my favourite Floyd albums. Over the years it has grown on me and I find I enjoy it a little more each time I hear it. As mentioned above, I have never found this an easy title to find in the best of conditions: the covers always wear badly and the record’s sound quality varies immensely often with varying degrees of surface sounds or crackle. In all departments this is a very fine copy – the cover has little to fault and the record, truly exceptional for looks and sound, the inner sleeve is also impressive and fully intact. A testing and difficult album all-round and for those seeking a really strong early format copy, this could be just the one for you, for sound it is unlikely to be beaten and without doubt, has hardly been played.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High: prone to rubbing, ring wear and so often the early wide spine suffers from dinks and flattening. This one has faired exceptionally well.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): and within a whisker of my highest Mint(-) grading. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces and this has the very wide, thick spine (please see my picture). A heavyweight cover and robust, it was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and has NO bar coding on the back. Includes the original wide recessed opening inner sleeve.

Cover Front: A really top example that is very clean and fresh with barely any wear at all. The odd faint mark seen under light, but the lack of rubbing, creasing and sticker marks are all major pluses never to be taken for granted. Rich deep colour as well, this front (and cover in general) has barely aged at all.

Cover Back: Exceptional, this, like the front is little short of archive quality. The odd very faint edge hairline that few would have even avoided from new, but little else to fault at all. No rubbing or ring wear, or even rim impression, few will even get close.

Cover Inner Gatefold: As close to ‘as made’ as they ever get – this looks fantastic. Whar really sets it apart from the average, is the lack of fingermarks to the matt black surfaces, that when applied, are near impossible to remove completely. This has avoided any and retains that lovely deep black, untarnished or ‘used’ look.

Top Edges: Both dead straight and with barely even a hint of any wear – superb.

Bottom Edges: Same again, all the more remarkable for thick storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front is tucked and folded with a real edge that again is devoid of wear. The back entrance is clean, very sharp with no burring or thickening, this guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: A rare and very impressive undamaged spine. Wide and thick and strongly erect and uncrushed, also folded square with the edges meet up closely together and perfectly parallel – this makes a BIG difference for the more discerning collector as the cover looks beautifully neat and together. Thick heavier card covers often suffer bad folding and alignment, but not this one. All text is perfect and unworn, just a minute rub trace above the ‘A’ in ‘ANIMALS’, and even the fold hinges retain all ink with no dinks or scuffs. Even the vulnerable ends show minuscule traces or rubbing. The spine is the bedrock of this cover, and few will even get close to beating or matching it.

Corners: All beautifully crisp, sharp and precise with any tip rub traces tiny and faint. NO dinks or creases, and NO evidence whatsoever of tip-ins. Superb pointed shape and all practically as made.

Cover Summary: A fantastic all-round example of this very unforgiving 70’s cover, one that will prove incredibly difficult to find better. Totally unforgiving and ruthless for attracting (sometimes) heavy wear, most are found shabby, ringworn and tired looking with the trademark thick spine flat and battered. This being bolt upright, rigid and very strong – totally uncrushed and the cover even retains it’s original ‘spring’ – e.g. no sag when opened. This hugely attractive example should please most-all collectors – being honest, I can hardly imagine finding one a great deal better.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a super example and still intense black with any creasing very little, gentle and faint and NO edge splits (or repairs). A pure fact is, many of these were often split when purchased new as the records moved in transit. It has the very wide and deeply recessed top entrance that later was made much narrower. This has a tiny edge nick being ultra critical but little else to fault. These were unlined and harsh to the record’s playing surface, many of the more discerning collectors immediately stored the record inside a lined inner instead which was always a very sound move. Often if the record was left inside this inner, ring wear set in, and often severe with penetrating white rings to the revealing black surfaces. This has hardly even a record impression let alone ring wear and the matt black surface reveals all fingermarks freely and are very difficult to remove once there – this appears hardely even touched. A fragile lyric inner that comes quite close to reminding of new.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): a superb visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. Up there with the best ‘Animals’ I have seen, the lack of marks or scuffs is quite unusual for this record and a joy to view as such. I almost get the impression the original owner played this once and stored it away – I would doubt if any part of this set has seen light-of-day for decades based on the available evidence. Any surface traces when scrutinised under light are tiny, very few and faint – barely any in fact. And that inner sleeve took no prisoners even if it was removed only the once. I clearly remember removing my own brand new copy all those years ago to the sound of gritty abrasive friction noises, I actually held my breath removing it from the clingy inner. Visually a lovely record that has remained as close to unscathed as they get, it should please most-all collectors again.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This impresisve copy plays up to it’s high visual grading with barely anything to fault. This has minimal traces of any surface sound and no pressing noises, overall, an exceptional all-round copy that was a pleasure to hear this clean. It is more than obvious with massive pre-orders and the certainty of selling vast quantities, this album was mass-produced and was there any real care about pressing quality? I kind of doubt it, thus obtaining a blemish-free example even from new could be a lottery. This beauty offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound – a real high fidelity recording as per most of the Floyd albums. No pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a quite a difficult album that has some quiet passages. Few copies will match or outperform it I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has hardly been played and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this record, silence is near impossible via vinyl but this great copy gives of it’s very best and it will not be easy to match, let alone better. It will prove very difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended, do not underestimate how difficult this record is to find like this and I feel this is a keeper-copy for most fans and collectors.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.