Stockhausen Hymnen Vinyl 1st Deutsche Grammophon Nr Mint

	£		21
	$		28

Stockhausen Hymnen Vinyl 1st Deutsche Grammophon Nr Mint. SLPM 139 421/22. Bought by me approximately 25 years ago second hand and played once before being stored in my collection.
This one was hard to grade. First the easy bit. The sleeve is Ex/Nr Mint. Structurally solid with a strong spine and clear script. Very slight discoloration to the outer of the sleeve where it has been exposed to the light. It has turned a shade of ivory. Very, very light crease to the bottom right of the front. 
The inner gatefold is the same crisp white as the day it was printed. Two tiny light marks to the front cover which may clean, see pics. Original inner sleeves in Nr Mint condition except for biro'd catalogue numbers of each disc, again see pics.
A visual inspection of the vinyl shows it to be in Nr Mint condition. I listened to the album in it's entirety last week which was interesting to say the least. Much of the piece consists of electronic noises which are impossible to distinguish from surface noise at times. There are no skips or jumps whatsoever. There are a number of extended silent sections throughout and these are all free of any surface noise. There are also a number of quiet sections with spoken word and these are also free of surface noise.
I have played this disc twice since I bought it. Once when I got it 25 years ago and once last week to grade it. I strongly suspect that it had only had one or two plays before I got it. I am grading the album as Nr Mint.

For grading I listen to records on a quality turntable/headphone system. This is very revealing and tends to emphasise surface noise and defects. I cannot guarantee that the records will play identically on your system. In the unlikely event of you disagreeing with my grading please contact me and we can resolve any issues. Check my feedback for my buyer’s satisfaction!

Postage & Packaging: I ship worldwide. Records are shipped outside of the sleeves in specialist packaging. Please contact me for shipping rates if you are outside of the UK.

For UK sales I generally use Royal Mail1st class. Let me know if you would prefer another option.

I use the Record Collector's grading system giving separate condition ratings for the Vinyl and Sleeve:

Mint: The record itself 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.

Near Mint (NM) - A nearly perfect record. Has more than likely been played few times or not at all, and the vinyl will show no imperfections during playback. Sleeve will have no more than the most minor defects. The same is true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves,etc.  

Excellent: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening of 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 badly damaged or partly missing.

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.