The Smashing Pumpkins MELLON COLLIE & THE INFINTE SADNESS 3LP #3970 1ST PRESS

	£		251
	$		333

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE COLOURED LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THE COLOURS FULLY STRETCH INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS 4-5 ON DISC ONE. 2-3 ON DISC TWO AND NONE ON DISC THREE

THE VINYL

RECORD ONE HAS SOME LONG NON SOUNDING SURFACE LINES ON THE FACE. POSSIBLE CAUSED BY BAD HANDLING, BUT DESPITE THIS THEY ARE SURFACE ONLY AND DO NOT SOUND. IN ADDITION SIDE ONE ALSO HAS A FEW DULL PATCHES. SIDE TWO HAS A COUPLE OF DULL PATCHES AND A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES.

RECORD TWO SHOWS ONLY A FEW WISPY SLEEVE WITHDRAWAL HAIRLINES AND ON SIDE TWO ONE DULL TOTALLY NON SOUNDING  RUB LINE ON THE FINAL TRACK

RECORD THREE IS IMMACULATE AND NOTHING VISIBLE EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION

THE PLAYTHROUGH

IT IS CLEAR THAT THE THREE DISCS HAVE HAD LITTLE PLAY, WITH DISC ONE HAVING HAD MORE THAN DISC TWO AND DISC THREE POSSIBLE NEVER PLAYED

THE FIRST THING TO STATE IS THAT THE CLARITY OF THE THREE DISCS IS FREE FROM ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER, MEANING THAT THERE IS NO GROOVE WEAR TO THESE ALBUMS CAUSED BY A WORN OF INCORRECTLY WEIGHTED STYLUS

DUE TO THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PLAY I AM GOING TO GRADE EACH DISC SEPARATELY

DISC ONE HAS A LITTLE LIGHT BACKGROUND DURING THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE FIRST TRACK BUT OTHER THAN A COUPLE OF RANDOM SECONDS OF STATIC LIKE STUFF THIS IS THE ONLY MINOR IRRITANT. THERE ARE ALSO A COUPLE OF RANDOM TINY LITTLE STATIC LIKE TICS. SIDE TWO HAS A TINY SPECK OF STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND FOR THE FIRST FEW ROTATIONS BUT THAT IS ALL, AND AGAIN JUST THE ODD RANDOM SPECK IN A LINKING GROOVE OR TWO. THE AUDIO PERFORMANCE FOR DISC ONE GRADES EX+

DISC TWO HAS VIRTUALLY NO BACKGROUND NOISE WHATSOEVER. NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF SPLIT SECONDS IN A COUPLE OF LINKING GROOVES AND IN A COUPLE OF THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES. NO DUST POPS OR TICS AND PLAYS ABSOLUTELY SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND MUST EASILY GRADE MINT MINUS, NEAR MINT AT THE VERY LOWEST FOR THE AUDIO

DISC THREE PLAYS TO PERFECTION, NO MORE THAN THE ODD SEMI SECOND OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC AND EASILY GRADES MINT FOR THE AUDIO

BUT DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

BECAUSE YOU ARE ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE ALBUM YOU WILL BE ABLE TO JUDGE IT AGAINST YOUR PERSONAL STANDARDS

THE SLEEVE

SEMI LAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH UNIQUE 1ST ISSUE NUMBER 3970 ON THE FRONT

THE FRONT SURFACE STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL 1996 HMV SHOP STICKER IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. I HAVE LEFT THIS THERE FOR AUTHENTICITY

IT IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND FREE FROM ANY HEAVY CREASES OR DEEP CREASE LINES. NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE.

THE FOUR CORNER TIPS HAVE A LITTLE LIGHT RUB, AND WHEN ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT YOU CAN SEE A FEW LIGHT PRESSURE LINES ON THE SURFACE

THERE ARE ZERO STRESS LINES AGAINST THE SPINE. SIX SMALL ONES ALONG THE TOP EDGE, THREE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP EDGES HAVE A TINY CHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT ONE, AND A FEW TINY FLECKS OF RUB AND A SPECK ON THE CORNER TIPS. THE BOTTOM EDGES ALSO HAVE A FEW WHITE FLECKS AND A LITTLE RUB TO THE RIGHT CORNER

THE SPINE IS ALSO FULLY COLOURED, HAS PERFECT TYPEFACE AND SHOWS ONLY A LITTLE RUB TOM THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, AND A FEW FLECKS OF WHITE ON THE LEADING EDGES

THE OPENING EDGES ARE ALL IN RAZOR SHARP CONDITION

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME LOVELY CONDITION AS THE FRONT

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS

THE 12 PAGE LARGE BOOKLET IS ALSO INCLUDED AND IS IN UNDAMAGED CONDITION

THE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB SPLIT FREEE, CREASE FREE CONDITION

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS  SLEEVE EX++

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

GARRY