ALL MY ITEMS ARE GRADED AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE AND SHOULD MEET, OR EXCEED, THE
STANDARD YOU EXPECT.
I DO NOT
SELL ANYTHING THAT IS NOT VISUALLY IN GOOD PLAYABLE CONDITION.
I DO NOT
PLAY GRADE ITEMS UNLESS STATED IN THE DESCRIPTION.
I HAVE
BEEN INVOLVED IN BUYING AND SELLING RECORDS FOR OVER 40 YEARS SO I HAVE GOT A
GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHAT I AM DOING.
AS ANY
SERIOUS COLLECTOR KNOWS A RECORD CAN LOOK PERFECT BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN
THAT IT IS!
ALL MY
RECORDS HAVE A NO QUIBBLE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE.
I DO NOT
SELL COPIES OR BOOTLEGS ALL ITEMS ARE GENUINE PRODUCTS.
STILL NOT SURE? SEE MY FEEDBACK HERE
NOTES ON RECORD GRADING - WE ALL HAVE VARYING EXPECTATIONS OF EXACTLY WHAT CONSTITUTES THE DIFFERENCE IN RECORD GRADINGS, PARTICULARLY THE QUALITY OF THE VINYL.
SO WHAT IS THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, FOR INSTANCE 'VERY GOOD' AND 'VERY GOOD PLUS'? I HAVE BEEN DEALING IN RECORDS FOR MORE YEARS THAN MOST OF MY CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN ALIVE AND I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW. IN MY OPINION IT REALLY IS IN THE EYES AND EARS OF THE BEHOLDER.
SO HOW DO I DECIDE HOW TO GRADE A RECORD?
STARTING WITH THE CONDITION OF THE VINYL THE FIRST QUESTION IS 'WOULD I BUY IT?' IF THE ANSWER IS NO THEN I WOULD NOT EXPECT ANYBODY ELSE TO BUY IT, NOW FOR ME THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT. FROM THERE IT IS JUST A CASE OF MAKING A REALISTIC APPRAISAL OF THE RECORD. IF IT'S GOT LIGHT SURFACE MARKS BUT NOTHING REMOTELY DRASTIC I'D PROBABLY CONSIDER THAT 'VERY GOOD'. CONSIDERABLY LESS SURFACE MARKS ie NOT PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE IN NATURAL LIGHT WOULD PROBABLY BE A 'VERY GOOD PLUS'. ANY HIGHER GRADE THAN THAT AND IT'S GOT TO BE IN AMAZING CONDITION. I THINK GRADING A SECONDHAND RECORD ABOVE EXCELLENT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND RAISES EXPECTATIONS (OF SOME PEOPLE) TO UNREALISTIC LEVELS, THAT'S WHY I DON'T DO IT.
WITH REGARD TO THE SLEEVES, INNER SLEEVES ETC IT'S JUST A BIT OF COMMON SENSE AND GOOD JUDGEMENT. FOR ME THE RULE IS NEVER GRADE ANYTHING HIGHER THAN A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD EXPECT AND THAT JUST ABOUT SUMS IT UP.
A COUPLE OF THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR - LOTS OF SPINDLE MARKS USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, SUGGEST A HIGH POSSIBILITY OF SURFACE NOISE (IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SPINDLE MARKS ARE LOOK IT UP). ANY MARKS ON THE SURFACE OF THE RECORD THAT YOU CAN FEEL WITH YOUR FINGERTIP ARE TROUBLE, IF YOU CAN FEEL IT YOU CAN BET YOUR STYLUS (NEEDLE) IS NOT GOING TO LIKE IT. IN MY OPINION IT IS BEST AVOIDED. I WOULDN'T BUY IT AND I WOULDN'T SELL IT.
ONE MORE THING IF YOU LOOK AT VIRTUALLY ANY RECORD IN A STRONG ELECTRIC LIGHT WITH A CLEAR GLASS BULB IT WILL MOST PROBABLY LEAVE SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED. UNLESS YOU WANT A NASTY SHOCK AVOID ALL SUCH LIGHTS WHEN LOOKING THROUGH YOUR COLLECTION!
AS ALWAYS A RECORD CAN LOOK PERFECT BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT IS, SURFACE NOISE LIVES IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES AND IT JUST COULD BE YOUR STYLUS. HAPPY HUNTING.