Pink Floyd Animals ORIG U.K. 1977 Harvest Gatefold Sleeve + Inner L.P. EX+/NM

	£		40
	$		53

U.K. 1977 (gatefold sleeve dated 01/77) Harvest pressing of Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ L.P. (Catalogue Reference: Harvest Records SHVL 815).  This is a non-barcoded gatefold sleeve printed by Garrod & Lofthouse.  This comes with a heavy card die-cut inner sleeve with rounded edges and a large opening.  The catalogue reference is on the bottom right-hand corner of the inner sleeve.  I’d think this must be a 2nd Pressing.  The matrixes read: ‘SHVL 815 A-3U/B-4U’ and this features the original picture labels.  This is a stunning copy which I cannot believe has been played more than once.  Grading Side One under an intense light I can see only a very limited number of isolated hairline marks which are inevitable when you have a heavy card inner such as you have here.  Someone has given Side Two a light clean at some point and if you look really hard you can just about pick-up the lightest, thinnest of hairline markings.  There is a possibility (as it is clear this has seen so little play) that these markings result from the production process and that they did a final sweep of the surface to remove debris.  This is a really beautiful copy and it is hard-to-find vinyl in this kind of condition when it is stored in these late-70s card inner sleeves like we have here.  The vinyl is graded as being in EXCELLENT+ condition.  Needless to say the labels are immaculate and it is hard to believe a spindle has been anywhere near them.  The inner sleeve is simply immaculate.  This is not a copy which has been in-and-out of second-hand shops it’s whole life.  Perhaps unsurprisingly the record has left a general ‘impression’ in the card but there are no bends or creases and crucially the vinyl hasn’t broken through at any point.  The inner is made of the type of black card which is easily marked by greasy fingerprints but there are negligibly any.  There are basically no flaws and the inner sleeve is graded as being in NEAR MINT condition.  While I’d say the gatefold sleeve isn’t quite as immaculate as the vinyl or the inner sleeve it is still a superior example.  The first thing to note that there are no bends or creases and this includes the spine.  There are isolated, small spots of print loss largely along the top edges of the front and rear of the sleeve.  This is quite a common feature of this LP and I’d guess this is because the print is quite thin.  The top right-hand corner is sharp but the other displays minimal fraying and there is concentrated print loss in these corners.  Lastly around the extreme edges of the sleeve there is isolated loss of print.  There is a suggestion that the bottom left-hand corner has got damp at some point but this hasn’t resulted in any noticeable damage.  There is a light ripple in the centre on the front of the sleeve which is unrelated to this.  They actually went to the trouble of gluing the front record opening shut when they constructed this meaning that the vinyl is always stored in the rear.  It is this action which has caused the ripple.  The opening edge of the sleeve is as sharp and straight as the day it was pressed which again reiterates how little play this has received.  The inside of the gatefold is basically immaculate.  The sleeve is graded as being in EXCELLENT condition.

Condition

VINYL – EXCELLENT+

INNER SLEEVE – NEAR MINT

SLEEVE – EXCELLENT

Final Remarks

A really lovely copy of this and clearly a 1977 pressing.  While sections of the vinyl have received a cursory wipe at some point it isn’t immediately obvious that this has ever actually been played?  Please check my other auctions for further Pink Floyd LPs as well as other Pop and Rock collectables in similarly immaculate condition.  Save me as a favourite seller as there is plenty more where this came from!

General Conditions & Information

I have been a collector for in excess of 15 years now and regard myself as a conservative grader.  I know from experience that there is nothing worse than buying an item which is described with superlatives only for it to arrive and look like it has been scrapped along the floor (!).  As a rule I don’t submit anything to auction which I wouldn’t be happy receiving myself.  I endeavour to be accurate with my grading and all items are graded under an intense light.  Please take a look through my feedback as I’d like to think it speaks for itself. 

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