The Allman Brothers Band – Syria Mosque Pittsburgh, PA January 17, 1971

Grading records is not a ‘Scientific’ exercise, instead it is a subjective activity. I do my best to listen carefully to both sides of the record before grading based on the listening experience. Flaws, if any, that I hear will be reflected in the grade rating, and if noteworthy, will be mentioned. The nature of how records are played (i.e. physical contact between the moving grooves and the stylus tip) makes it a medium where flaws are often inherent in the process. Also, please keep in mind that there may well be subtle differences between turntables. Records are not the ‘sterile’ medium of CDs. Flaws generally range from somewhat normal quiet background noise in run-ins between tracks to more serious issues such as pressing flaws, groove wear, skips, repeats and long scratches producing consistent ticks or pops.

I try to follow a grading system similar to Goldmine where I will have NM, NM-, VG+, VG, VG- etc. I may also have combinations such as VG+/NM-. Generally, I do not sell records below the VG+ rating unless somewhat rare, in which case I will point out the issues.

If, after purchase, you find disagreement with my grading I would ask that you contact me FIRST. For example, if I have graded NM and you feel that at best the record is VG+, please, rather than leave a low rating (3 stars or less) for “Item as Described” let me know. I am not perfect and will do my best to remedy the situation.