ASD 476 (UK HMV gold/cream) Giuseppe di Stefano

	£		77
	$		102

ARTISTE, RECORD TITLE  AND LABEL 

Giuseppe Di Stefano sings Neopolitan Songs  G.M Guarino conducting

HMV ASD 476 ( Gold/Cream Label pressed in England) 

BACKGROUND :

A 1962 recording, this is an original pressing on the gold cream label with "Nipper" at 12'o clock position, HMV in red and "Stereophonic" printed in gold below that.  It comes with the original inner sleeve.

I will ship it with the original inner sleeves but will leave it to the successful bidder if he wishes to have the paper sleeves or anti static plastic sleeves though in our rather humid climate, I prefer paper ones.

GRADING RESULTS:

I would rate the cover as a strong Excellent.  There are  no tears , writings etc  on the cover  and all 4 edges are still sharp and still  maintain their rigidity. The lettering on the spine is  legible. The back is generally very clean as it was kept in a thick stock plastic outer sleeve all these years and the glue on the flipback is still strong and intact.

The vinyl Near Mint on visual inspection and had no surface scratches(even when viewed under light)  or spindle marks. Side 1 is perfect but there are some slight stains n Side 2 but which did not affect play. Tracking at 1.7g on my Naim Aro arm and Lyra Helikon SL cartridge, the playing on all sides was generally a strong VG++ to Excellent. There are some soft clicks but these were intermittant and did not detract from the listening pleasure. There was no distortion whatsover.

How I Clean and  Grade my Records

Cleaning: Cleaning is usually done on a Loricraft PRC 4 cleaning machine and/or VPI 17.5 using the US made Walker Audio stage cleaning solution.

Playback Equipment: Playback is through a Linn LP12 turntable/Armeggedon/Naim Aro tonearm/Lyra Helikon SL cartridge and through a brace of active Naim 250s/135s into Naim DBL speakers. For 45s I use a second Linn/Lingo/Aro/Linn Troika though I change them occasionally as the arm tubes can be easily transferred from one deck to another.

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  plastic sleeves  for both the vinyl and for the sleeve. 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 pounds are:

UK/USA/Europe                           8.50 pounds

Hongkong, Taiwan South Korea 7.0 pounds

Australia China Japan                 7.50 pounds

Postage is via Airmail, "signed for" delivery. I prefer signed for delivery as it allows me to "chase" on my side if buyers do not get their items within 2 weeks though so far this has only happened with Italy.

 I will  inform buyers of the registration details through Email on posting.

Forms of payment that I accept include:

·       PAYPAL (preferred choice) 

·       International Money Orders