Elvis "Heartbreak Hotel" HMV Gold Lettering

	£		96
	$		127

ARTISTE, RECORD TITLE  AND LABEL

ELVIS PRESLEY " Heartbreak Hotel"

HMV 7M 385(Purple Gold HMV Made In Britain)

TRACK LISTING

Side 1:  Heartbreak Hotel

Side 2:  I Was The One

BACKGROUND TO THIS RECORD:

This is the mega-rare 1956 first UK 45 from Elvis with the removable round centre(which is intact) and with the gold lettering on purple background. It rarely comes up for sale especially in its generic company sleeve. I got this 45 together with the Charms and Linda Hayes from the estate of an Anglo-Indian who spent the better part of his life in the UK some 20 years ago and it has been in my possession ever since.Though RRPG 2008 lists a mint copy at 375 pounds, I have started the bids at 75 pounds with no reserve. 

Year of Release: 1956

GRADING RESULTS:

The cover is in a   strong Excellent shape.  Though there are no tears or seam wear and no writings etc and all 4 edges maintain their sharpness and rigidity.

The vinyl  in a strong Excellent shape. The only flaw is that the previous owner's name and the year"59" appears on Side 1 on the label. Visually, when looked at under a strong light, there were a couple of very faint surface lines which were only visible if held at a certain angle. There was also a very tiny mount or bubble at the half way point on Side 1 but all these did not affect play a wee bit.  The vinyl retains its glossy sheen and is mirror like.  Tracking at 1.7g on my Naim Aro arm and Lyra Helikon cartridge, it played Near Mint with only some slight surface noise at the dead wax at the end. The highs sounded crisp. 

How I Clean and  Grade my Records

Cleaning: Cleaning is usually done on a Clearaudio cleaning machine and/or VPI 17.5 using Loricroft L’Art du Son cleaning fluid

Playback Equipment: Playback is through a Linn LP12 turntable/Naim Aro tonearm/Lyra Helikon SL cartridge and through a Naim DBL system. For 45s I use an adaptor.

I use both Goldmine and Rare Record Price Guide grading system as a guide and came up with the following:

·       Mint  I only use this for sealed items. The record is virtually unplayed and is in a brand new condition. Cover is pristine. Up till now, I have never used this grading and, chances are, never will, due to my conservative nature in matters of record grading.

·       Near Mint  Very little or negligible flaws. Faint lines or very faint creasing  on laminated covers visible under a strong light is acceptable but nothing serious. Records which show some signs of having been played such as very faint spindle marks are allowed but there should be no lessening in sound quality. .

·       Excellent   Item obviously played, though not often,and enjoyed with some slight noise. The record should be nice and shiny but may have a few light marks which should not intrude on play. Slight wear on cover is acceptable. 

·         Very Good Many more imperfections which are noticeable but not obtrusive. The record has been played several times but there should be no major deterioration in sound quality despite some noticeable surface marks and light scratches. Normal wear and tear or writings on the cover  is acceptable but there should not be any major tears.

I do not offer any records below Very Good  unless its extremely rare. 

Shipping costs

I use brand new custom made inner and outer plastic sleeves on every EP/45 shipped. Shipping is always by Airmail and by registered post as it allows one to track items in case of delays. One buyer has even likened my packing as “ Fort Knox”! Shipping costs in ₤ are:

EPs/45s :

₤4 for the first

₤1 for the  2nd

₤0.75 each for the  subsequent ones

I usually quote lower for Asia and  Australia but in the event the it is marginally higher than actual costs, I will generally adjust for repeat buyers in future purchases. However, I  will refund if the buyer wants me to (In this respect, I will inform them if such a situation arises). I will also inform buyers of the registration details through Email on posting.

Forms of payment that I accept include:

·       PAYPAL (preferred choice) 

·       International Money Orders