Queen NIGHT AT THE OPERA UK LP 1ST PRESS-3/-3 PLAYS MINT MINUS

	£		88
	$		116

QUEEN - A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

IN MAGNIFICENT MINT MINUS 1-2 PLAY CONDITION

PURE WHITE MINT MINUS EMBOSSED 1ST ISSUE SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:EMI EMtC 103
• MATRIX: YAX 5063-3 / 5064-3 (JUST ONE DIGIT ABOVE THE -2/-2 ) 
• MOTHERS / STAMPERS: 2 RPO / 2 MMA 
• BLAIRS ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX SIDE 2 /

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE WHITE BASE COLOUR ON THESE DELICATE LABELS ARE STILL PURE WHITE. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF MARKS OR STAINS ETC. THE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES UNBLEMISHED INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALSO PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THERE ARE JUST 2-3 REALLY TINY SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE WHICH I ONLY SPOTTED WHEN PLACED UPTO A SPOTLIGHT. A BARELY PLAYED NIGHT AT THE OPERA IS A RARITY INDEED

THE VINYL

INCREDIBLE GLOSSY MINT CONDITION VINYL, BUT WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM A VIRTUALLY UNPLAYED ALBUM?

THERE IS NOT ONE MARK ON IT ANYWHERE IN DAYLIGHT, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE, APART FROM A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES.

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE HEAR WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON,BEFORE LAYING ABID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THIS VINYL IS SO HARD TO FIND IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. THERE ARE MANY INHERENT FLAWS ON MOST COPIES, WITH INTERFERENCE AND EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES. I HAVE HELD MANY COPIES THAT LOOK SUPERB ONLY TO BE FOUND WANTING DURING THE PLAYTHROUGH. THIS ONE HOWEVER IS FABULOUS

THE CLARITY OF THIS FIRST PRESS IS JUST BRILLIANT, AND NOTHING AT ALL TO MAR THE SUBLIME STEREO REPRODUCTION. THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION TO THE SOUND AT ALL

NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND CERTAINLY NO LOUD CLICKS

NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE, AND NOTHING MORE THAN SOME RANDOM BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN SOME OF THE LINKING GROOVES AND MOST SILENT PASSAGES

I HEARD NO MORE THAN 203 OF THE TINIEST DUST POPS THROUGH THE WHOLE PLAYTHROUGH

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS PLAYTHROUGH AS MINT MINUS!!!

THE SLEEVE

INCREDIBLE 'WHITE' SLEEVE ON THIS SUPERB ALBUM.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND PERFECTLY CLEAN.IT ALSO HAS THE FIRST PRESS EMBOSSED LOGO

USUALLY THIS SLEEVE IS FOUND WITH THE WHITE SURFACE FAR LESS THAN WHITE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT AN UNPROTECTED SLEEVE WOULD NATURALLY PICK UP FINGER MARKS AND DIRT, AND OF COURSE WOULD SHOW ON THIS SLEEVE MORE THAN ANY OTHER. ADDED TO THE FACT THAT THE COVER IS UNLAMINATED AND YOU HAVE THE PERFECT SCENARIO FOR A GRIMY WHITE SURFACE. NOT ON THIS ONE THOUGH.IT HAS SPENT MOST OF ITS LIFE INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE AND HAS THUS BEEN PROTECTED AGAINST MOST GRIME ATTACKS.

THERE IS NO RINGWEAR AT ALL EITHER, NOT EVEN A TOUCH OF RECORD SHAPE. THERE ARE NO CREASES OR CREASE LINES ANYWHERE AND AMAZINGLY ONLY ONE MINUSCULE LINE CLOSE TO THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THERE IS THE BAREST AND I DO MEAN BAREST TOUCH OF HANDLING BUT ALMOST NON EXISTENT. CLOSE TO THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES WHICH AGAIN USUALLY SUFFER TERRIBLY FROM SHELFWEAR, ARE IN MINT CONDITION. NOT ONE JOT OF WEAR AT ALL, WITH ALL OF THE WHITE FULLY RUNNING FROM CORNER TO CORNER, AND ONLY A PIN PRICK OF RUBBING TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT TIP ENDS 

THE SPINE HAS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE TYPEFACE ALL ALONG IT, AND IS PERFECTLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED. LIKE THE FRONT IT IS PERFECTLY WHITE, AND EVEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS ARE UNRUBBED

THE OPENING EDGE IS WITHOUT QUESTION AS SHARP AS YOU COULD EVER WISH TO HAVE A COPY. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE LP HAS JUST NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE.JUST A COUPLE OF THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE IT HAS BEEN REMOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN EXACTLY THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION AS THE FRONT. AGAIN PURE WHITE AND NOT ONE TINY LINE NEAR ANY OF THE EDGES

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO ABSOLUTELY PERFECT UNBLEMISHED INNER PANELS

THE FIRST PRESS INNER SLEEVE IS MADE FROM A STRONG STIFF CARD AND NOT PAPER LIKE LATER PRESSES. THE CARD HAS A THUMB NOTCH ALONG THE TOP EDGE WHICH IS IMMACULATE AND UNDAMAGED. THE SLEEVE ITSELF IS FLAT AND UNCREASED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY UNSPLIT. INCREDIBLY NO SIGN OF RECORD SHAPE EITHER

VERY HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE  MINT MINUS

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY