A RELIC for hardcore record collectors was found in a charity shop in Southampton.

Staff at Oxfam Music Southampton were left shocked after a rare psychedelic LP was donated to the shop before being sold off for a record-breaking fee.

‘Pussy Plays’, an album by the short lived 60s group Pussy, has long been considered a holy grail for record collectors and was even reissued by Record Collector magazine, such was its importance to the genre.

But once the album was sold for £1,200, the shop celebrated its biggest ever transaction.

The album donated to the shop and found by longstanding volunteer Graham Henry, who has worked at the shop for six-years.

“Within that particular donation there was lots of incredible stuff,” Henry, who has nearly 40-years experience of music retail and record collecting, said.

“There was early Alex Harvey, Anne Briggs, lots of rare blues, gospel and world too, including a record that claimed to be made by two genuine witch doctors.

“[It was] a real privilege and joy to sort and listen to.”

Shop manager, Rob Milner added: “Had it not been for the creased sleeve, with a tear we could have been looking at a lot more.”

Despite its appearance, the sale beat the store’s previous record sale of £800 for a prog record by Megaton, achieved on eBay in 2014, and the £600 made for a Johanna Martzy classical LP in store.

The team said it was tempted to auction it but as is their usual policy were happy to sell it to a regular customer, content it definitely went to a good home.

The music shop has been building on the successful partnership with Psychedelia South who organised an in store event for Record Store Day.

It was also the latest venue for Sofar Sounds Southampton, a global network of promoters who put on secret gigs in unusual and intimate places.