Incredible String Band 5000 Spirits Rare 1st Press Elektra UK Mono

	£		19
	$		25

I have been collecting records for over 45 years and have had the very occasional foray into selling them - which I usually regret. Nevertheless, space and the need for a bit of cash (no doubt to fund further purchases) dictate that here we go again…..

The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion was the second LP by The Incredible String Band, released in July 1967 and one of the definitive albums of the era.

This is a rare first pressing on the orange and black Elektra label.

It has a gorgeous rich sound and, in my view  and despite the odd inevitable isolated background crackle, provides a much more satisfying listening experience than any cd could possibly give. 

Visually the vinyl is excellent except that Side B has a surface mark running from track 2 towards the centre. However it has no (or, at worst in very isolated instances, only minimal) impact on sound.  I would grade the vinyl overall as Excellent for Side A  and (due to its visual impact alone) Very Good+ for Side B. Overall though you will be impressed by the sound quality - it plays perfectly all the way through with no jumps or sticks and with great presence.    

The labels are unmarked and in Excellent condition.

The cover is fully intact and solid – no creasing, splits, tears or seams coming away. It shows some signs of rubbing at the edges – unsurprising given its age – and there are a couple of slight surface marks.  The spine is fully legible. Due to the rubbing I would grade it VG+ but again you will not be disappointed.

I try to ensure that I describe records as accurately as possible and I know how irritating it is to get something that doesn’t match up to expectations. I play each record all the way through before listing and grade them as accurately as possible according to the Record Collector Grading Guide (see below). If anything I err on the cautious side with gradings. I also clean each record professionally using a Moth cleaning machine and provide a new poly-lined inner sleeve (as well as the original inners where they are ‘bespoke’ and usable)

I will provide a refund  if you are not completely satisfied with my description of the item.

Records are posted in a cardboard mailer with extra stiffening and separated from cover to avoid seam splits.

Thanks for looking.

"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. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in 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 torn, stained and / or defaced.

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."