Sold Date: March 20, 2018
Start Date: March 13, 2018
Final Price: $122.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 18
Seller Feedback: 910
Buyer Feedback: 52

This week's album: An ESSENTIAL jazz album. Amazing music. Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet; a legendary set of recordings. The album presented is quite solid, I'm happy to report. However, there is one issue with pressing bubbles from the factory, so be sure to read more below (I've photographed the worst of them also, so please look closely).
VINYL: VG+ (8 of 10): The vinyl is in quite good shape. An imperfection here or there in the form of light needle drop scratch, but it's nothing to distract from music. It's a FLAT EDGE, which is super cool. The gloss is quite high, and overall I would say it's in very solid shape. The one issue is pressing bubbles; an imperfection that has nothing to do with the fundamental care of the album. 2-3 bubbles on both sides. Side A is worse, and side B is rather minimal. I'm happy to report this album played for me the entire way through without any skips; but over the bubbles themselves, I heard some low-level "woofs" when it crossed the bubble. But, it was quite a solid player for me. Look carefully at the pictures, I captured one or two of the bubbles.
COVER: VG+ (8 of 10): Again, quite a solid cover. High gloss, no peeling. Heavier wear on the bottom seam; not split except about 1/4 inches on the bottom opening of the seam. Corners are still quite crisp, and the back almost looks new -- slight aging otherwise. Strong spine. 
COVER SPLITS: 1/4" on bottom opening; quite minimal. Heavier wear on bottom seam.

Vinyl Weight:  Around 153g
VINYL SPECIFICS: RVG machine stamp; Deep Groove; Mono; Bergenfield address; 7200 catalog. Original flat edge press.
VINYL ABNORMALITIES: 2-3 pressing bubbles from the plant on each side; side A bubbles being more prominent.

SPECIAL NOTES: A solid copy if you can get past the pressing bubbles; the only real defect. It plays fantastic on my Lenco, and the bubbles were actually less of an issue than I assumed they would be. I waited for a needle to jump off; but it actually played through quite nicely. It's a great option for a playing copy, and even collectors should be reasonably satisfied with this copy for the right price. It's not a museum piece, but it's still quite nice. Better than the average version of Steamin' that I've found; and I think I've probably owned 8 different copies of this album on the Bergenfield label. It's solid, not perfect, but should be a great option for the vinyl aficionado. 
THE SELLER: I'm an AVID jazz collector (and have been for quite some time). I do have all the pedigree classic rock, and dabble in blues and a few other genres, but overall I'm a jazz vinyl collector. That's my specialty. I try to present each album as a unique piece. I strive for an academic-level quality of evaluation. Every vinyl has its positives and negatives, and I hope to depict that reality in each of my listings. I used to sell for volume, but I now want to focus on quality and presentation. Each of my listings is presented after careful evaluation and note taking. As such, I probably won't have any more than 3 listings up at a time (if that), and they may be few and far between ... but when they do come up, rest assured it's a listing presented by a collector. The only reason I sell is to keep my collection on a rotational basis until I get the exact pieces I want. I recommend any potential bidder evaluate the detail and photos critically to evaluate whether or not to add the piece to their collection. I've attempted to consider album historical importance, vinyl performance, overall aesthetic, and unique character. 


Grading: My scale consists of ... G, VG, VG+ ... NOTHING ELSE. I refuse to use the word "mint." Instead I use words describing luster, paper scuffs, scratches, nicks, gouges, needle drops, etc ... and it's all detailed in the vinyl description area. The only time I'll use "mint" is if the LP is sealed. The number after each G/VG/VG+ scoring is meant to describe general eye appeal in combination with the audio during my vinyl audition. It's meant to give you a better idea of the overall piece presented. In other words, you get a general (then more-specific) idea of what the piece is. I also note any cover splits, pressing abnormalities, or additional notes needed (pressing bubbles, radial hues, inconsistent look, possible water damage, etc.). I will provide as much information as needed such as matrix markings, vinyl weight, stamping marks, or any other attributes of note.


* All vinyl I sell is cleaned with a vacuum system and home crafted, all natural enzyme cleaner. I've created my own vacuum cleaning system and process. It's a 3-step process of clean, vacuum, rinse two times. 
** All covers I sell are sanitized and properly wiped down with a lightly alcohol/de-ionized water solution.
*** If I find a short cover split, I will try to repair it if possible. If I do that, it is noted. If the split is too big, then I'll leave it as is for consideration. Regardless, any splits, or lack thereof, are noted.
**** All vinyl ships in a proper record shipping box, with vinyl OUTSIDE the sleeve to protect the cover. Each piece is sent with a 4mil plastic sleeve.
***** All vinyl I sell has been auditioned IN FULL on a Lenco (Bogen) L70 (B62) with a Denon 103 cartridge, using a (modern) generic Pioneer receiver through Polk speakers. While not a professional HiFi system, it most certainly isn't a beginner's setup.
****** All vinyl shipping is $4 in the USA, via Media Mail (any album over $100 gets free insurance). All overseas shipments are charged by WEIGHT. So check WEIGHT before you bid -- there should be a calculator up to to get a general idea of cost.
******* Generally I have a NO RETURNS policy -- unless you have a damn compelling reason.
******** Each auction starts at $4.99, and I let the market dictate the price from there, based on condition and evaluation from myself. I let the vinyl community tell me what it's worth -- forget Discogs, Musicstack, or past eBay listings. You all need to tell me what it's worth.