Andromeda - Original RCA/Victor - 1969

	£		410
	$		543

Having downsized to a smaller house and therefore needing to sell many things collected over the years, including, sadly, some of our record collection, some furniture and other odd bits of silverware etc, here's one of our three rarest LPs.

We offer the legendary Andromeda from RCA Victor produced in 1969. It's the original pressing: for some reason it was never reissued at the time despite RCA being a big label.

(Note: we understand that a modern edition has been issued more recently in some format).

Andromeda, formed by the great John Cann, produced this album and then disbanded in late 1969 - probably the reason the record wasn't re-pressed then and why it has therefore become one of the rare ones of the genre and era.

This LP, from a musical point of view, has some stunning tracks. The guitar  work in Day of the Change and Return to Sanity is nothing short of brilliant, and there are two relaxed and easy tracks, perhaps the coolest being Mick Hawksworth's "The Reason".

ID codes: SF8031

Grading: I've always graded records according to the widely accepted Goldmine system, which is shown in brief below for your convenience, in case you aren't familiar with it.

In this instance, we have a vinyl in superb condition - almost NM but for a few small surface marks, which don't affect the sound. I'm very happy to 100% recommend the record itself as being in excellent condition. The close up photo shows the very clean spindle hole.

Unfortunately, though, the sleeve isn't as good. The front cover is fine and VG, the only real fault being where the spine has been squashed as so often happens.  (The picture shows this: please note that the vertical line is NOT dirt or ink, but simply where the shadow of the "squash" falls!)  The main problem is on the back sleeve as you can see from the photo: overall it's not bad at all, if slightly grubby - but somebody has carelessly allowed something to scratch a 2 inch line across the central picture! So that is why I have graded the sleeve only G+. Have a look and make your own minds up. As I've written here before, I'd sooner have a pleasantly surprised buyer than a complaining one! And I've (almost) always been treated fairly when I've bought things myself.

I grade this LP VG+ / G+ (vinyl/sleeve)

Because an item such as this may be purchased by a collector who values privacy I have kept the bids private. Ordinary items we sell will allow bidders to be shown.

The rules on postage make things difficult! We don't want to make any profit on P&P, so we've put in what we think will cover excellent packaging in a quality case.

Note: Because of the value of this particular LP, we'll have to send it by a special means, either Royal Mail Special Delivery in the UK or Airsure or similar for other countries. We'll pay for the cost of this over and above the normal postage and packaging that we've shown. If you are not in Britain and you win the item and have a preferred or recommended method of secure delivery, please let us know and we'll be happy to discuss it with you and may well be able to take your advice. Thanks.

Please keep an eye open, if you like older LPs, in the coming weeks, We've decided to sell about 20 of our small collection, and there are a couple more rarities to come, as well as some more common discs.

We are proud of our 100% feedback rating, for both buying and selling. If you as a buyer feel in any way that you are unhappy with anything, please contact us before leaving anything negative, and we will try to put things right.

GRADING

Mint (M)

Absolutely perfect in every way.  Never been played.  Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.

Near Mint (NM or M-)

Almost perfect condition. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling. An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like. Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides. Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

A VG+ record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are acceptable. The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount. In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG)

If present, some of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise may be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them. Read carefully what the seller says: an honest seller may well list as VG a record or sleeve which, except for one minor detail, could otherwise be VG+.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+)

Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it may have scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white). At Good, there is likely to be significant noise. A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine, or be written on, or be dirty. Tape and ring wear or other defects may be very evident. You may well find another copy in better shape eventually. If it's something you have been seeking for years and the price is right, get it, but keep looking to upgrade. Good + is, perhaps, generally the lowest quality that many collectors will consider. Again, an honest and scrupulous seller may list as Good + something that others may accept as VG.