Twelve Single Sided 78 RPM 12" Records Lot #41: All Victrola and Victor Labels

Comments:    

After cleaning these twelve records, I spent the time required to listen to all twelve sides. The results were pleasing. In case it is not obvious, I will point out that the main photo in the photos section is a collage.

Play Test Notes: All play with no skips or sticks of course. Background record surface noise levels vary. Please see notes with the list of records below for comments on the sound of each record. A two-minute video sound sample for "On Wings Of Song" is included for no other reason than a short video is allowed and it's a beautiful performance. You can compare what you hear with the description and grading I provided.

Visual Grading Notes For The Records: Grading and condition notes are included in the list of records below. You can see the condition of the labels in the photos section. These are all quality records that all play well.

The Records Included: Conservatively graded using VJM grading. All are single sided with smooth, blank flip sides.

Victrola 74052 - Mischa Elman with Percy B. Kahn - Nocturne in E flat (Chopin, Op. 9, No.2) - Exact release date unknown but probably around 1915 - VJM Grade E- A little shine with surface scuffs and a few light, short scratches. Tape and tears on label - General background record surface noise is mild, although there is extra noise for the first several revolutions. Occasional ticks heard, but not many. - Sound Quality is fine, but I want to note that near the end, the music is very low volume allowing even mild surface noise to compete.

Victor 74387 - Fritz Kreisler with Vincent O'Brien - Indian Lament (Dvorak - Kreisler) - 1914 original release - VJM Grade E glossy with a few light surface scuffs and some light marks that may come off with further cleaning - General background record surface noise is mild with just a few light ticks - Excellent Sound Quality

Victor 74420 - Alma Gluck and Male Chorus - Carry Me Back To Old Virginny (Plantation Melody) - released 1915 - VJM Grade E, good shine with some light surface scuffs. Small edge chip on blank side - General background record surface noise is very mild and the music is reproduced wonderfully

Victrola Record 88383 - Frieda Hempel with orchestra - Ernani, Ernani Involami (Verdi) - release date unknown - VJM Grade E+ Very glossy with very little signs of wear. Small edge chip on blank side - General background record surface noise is very mild. I heard a couple ticks midway. Excellent Sound Quality / Reproduction.

Victor 74197 - Fritz Kreisler with George Falkenstein - Caprice Viennois - released 1914 - VJM Grade E+ Very glossy and clean with hardly any surface marks. - General background record surface noise is minimal - Sound Quality / Reproduction is superb.

Victrola 74653 - Amelita Galli-Curci - Mignon  Polonaise - released 1921 - VJM Grade E - good gloss remains with mostly light surface scuffs  - General background record surface noise starts out mild, ends up moderate with occasional ticks - Excellent Sound Quality

Victrola 74684 - Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra with Leoplod Stokowski, conductor - Walkure - The Ride Of The Valkyries (Wagner) - released 1921 - VJM Grade E- partially dulled, but some shine remains. light surface scuffs, a little groove wear - General background record surface noise is heard as a moderate level hiss - The sound of the music is still good and enjoyable.

Victrola 74583 - Jascha Heifetz with Andre Benoit - On Wings Of Song (Mendelssohn) - released 1919 - VJM Grade E- Still good gloss with some surface scuffs and a couple shellac blemishes. Occasional ticks. - General background record surface noise is at a moderate level but doesn't interfere with enjoyment of the beautiful music.

Victrola 74600 - Jascha Heifetz with Andre Benoit - Romance (Wieniawski) - released 1920 - VJM Grade E  Still good gloss with some light surface scuffs and a couple shellac blemishes. Some edge flakes on blank side. Occasional ticks. - General background record surface noise starts out moderate but settles into mostly mild as the side progresses. Excellent sound quality.

Victrola 74578 - Flonzaley Quartet - Quartet in A Minor - Scherzo (Schumann) - released 1919 - VJM Grade E with a good amount of gloss and some light surface scuffs. - General background record surface noise is mild and the sound is excellent

Victrola 74646 - Jascha Heifetz with orchestra - Symphonie Espagnole - Andante (Edouard Lalo) - released 1920 - VJM Grade E- Some gloss / some surface scuffs - General background record surface noise is at moderate levels which vary. A few ticks heard - the music sounds good.

Victrola 74503 - Alma Gluck with orchestra - She Wandered Down The Mountain Side - released 1916 - VJM Grade V+ surface dulled by some groove wear. There are a few light scuffs. Edge flake on blank side. - General background record surface noise is mild with a few light ticks and occasional mild distortion in the loudest parts. The music sounds good overall.

Shipping Notes: Each record is in an LP inner sleeve, inside of an old LP jacket and that is how they will be shipped. There will be an abundance of padding to help ensure safe travels. I'm an expert record packer, if I do say so myself! Rest assured that I know what I'm doing when it comes to packing shellac records for safe shipping. A large part of the cost of this lot is for the postage and packing materials required for safe shipping. I always pack carefully, but will be extra cautious with this batch of records. Signature tracking might be added which requires in-person hand-off from the mail carrier (or else pick-up at post office).

Please see the photos for more info and a closer look at condition. Use your zoom-in powers for a real close look.
A word on costs for safely shipping shellac 78 RPM records: They are fragile and easily breakable. (You know that!) If shipped in packaging that would be perfectly safe for a vinyl record, the chance of breakage is pretty good. I pack shellac 78's in an oversize box with plenty of padding. Proper packing materials cost me a bundle per package and the costs keep going up. On top of that, another pile of money is needed to buy the USPS media mail postage. Shipping costs are very real and add up to more than most people realize. It might not be apparent to you, but the amount that I ask you to pay for shipping is actually less than what it actually costs me to ship a record. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL PICKUP RULES: If Free Local Pickup is offered for this item and you choose that option instead of an option to have the item shipped to you, there are a few rules to be aware of. We both have to allocate time to make a pickup work smoothly, so please understand the local pickup rules. Don't choose free local pickup if you are expecting the item to be shipped to you (obviously). That won't work. Don't choose free local pickup if you live far far away, but think you might be in the area someday. That won't work. Pickup arrangements will always be made for a specific date and time, very close to the purchase date. Please don't ask me to hold something for extended periods of time. Pickup arrangements will be made after payment is received for the item. I will specify a location to meet. Payment must be made through eBay as soon as the item is purchased, just like for items shipped though USPS or UPS. No payments will be accepted in person. Failure to pay for the item in a timely manner may result in order cancellation. eBay provides a method to confirm the item has been picked up. At the time of this writing, that method is a QR code plus a six-digit code that can be found by looking at order details or in an email from eBay. YOU MUST BRING THE PICKUP CONFIRMATION CODE WITH YOU FOR EVERY ITEM TO BE PICKED UP. I can't hand over the item(s) without first scanning the pickup confirmation code(s). The codes can be printed or can be presented on your phone (eBay app or email). Items purchased for local pickup must be picked up in a timely manner, preferably the day of purchase or the next day. If you need more time than that to pickup your purchase, we must make arrangements before the item is purchased. Orders not picked up in a timely manner, as described, are subject to cancellation and the item will be relisted for sale. Failure to show up for the arranged pickup meeting will result in order cancellation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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*************************************************************** Y O U R   Q U E S T I O N S   I M A G I N E D   &   A N S W E R E D ****************************************************** ********
M y   G r a d i n g   M e t h o d   f o r   7 8 r p m   R e c o r d s :
Grades assigned to 78's shouldn't be confusing, but some confusion exists. The Goldmine Magazine grading system is commonly used for LPs and 45's, but the Vintage Jazz Mart Magazine (VJM) grading system is commonly used for 78's. Buyers accustomed to VJM grading might mistakenly interpret Goldmine grades for 78s in an unfairly negative way. VJM grades tend to give a more positive impression than corresponding Goldmine grades. 
I make use of both grading systems. The reason I use both systems is because Ebay only allows Goldmine grading values for "item specifics". Since many 78 buyers expect VJM grades, I also include a VJM grade in comments along with the corresponding Goldmine grade in the Ebay item specifics. I use Goldmine grading for sleeves.
I always add descriptive comments that hopefully make the condition more clear. COMMENTS IN THE DESCRIPTION ARE A PART OF THE GRADE.  Buyers should be able to make informed decisions based on the letter grade, comments, photos and sound samples (if provided). 
THE GRADE LISTED IN THE "ITEM SPECIFICS" SECTION IS THE GOLDMINE/EBAY GRADE. THE VJM GRADE IS SHOWN IN DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION NOTES ONLY.
Record grading is heavily reliant on physical appearance, but also takes the sound of the record into consideration. That is why I play-test all 78s before assigning a final grade. The play-test can slightly raise or lower the grade derived by visual inspection. For instance, a record might look E- but sound E+ and end up graded E. Some level of general background record surface noise is expected with 78s even when surfaces look really good. General background record surface noise only lowers a grade if it seems excessive for the visual condition. I always comment on the level of background surface noise heard during my play tests. Record label condition is also noted and can, but doesn't necessarily, affect grade.   The VJM record grading System vs. The Goldmine record grading system (This is my interpretation / adaptation of the guidelines. The attempt at mapping VJM grades to Goldmine grades is my own and is probably not perfect.)
N (VJM) vs. M (Goldmine). New and unplayed (rarely used since it is next to impossible to assert "unplayed" for unsealed records).
N- (VJM) vs. NM or M- (Goldmine). Looks very close to perfect, but may have been played. Signs of wear or damage are negligible. Any extremely small imperfections should be noted.
E+ (VJM) vs. EX (Goldmine). Looks and plays extremely well with only light signs of handling and light wear. There may be very light, superficial scuffs / marks. Record surface noise is typically negligible but may be reasonably mild if noted.
E  (VJM) vs. VG+ (Goldmine). Glossy with mostly insignificant signs of wear like light surface scuffs or small blemishes whose effect on play is minimal. Small blemishes, such as a tiny shellac pimple, that might be heard for a few revolutions could exist but usually will be noted.
E- (VJM) vs. VG (Goldmine). E- represents a higher end average grade for a 78. Retains some shine but may have a more significant covering of light surface scuffs and a few light scratches. Record surface noise is more noticeable but the record plays fine and the music can be enjoyed.
V+ (VJM) vs. VG- (Goldmine). V+ represents a lower end average grade for a 78. Scuffs, light scratches and general use has dulled the finish somewhat. Wear is moderate to mildly heavy. Distortion and distractions while playing are not overwhelming. Surface noise is heard but the music is not buried by it. Still, no skips or repeats during play.
V (VJM) vs. G+ (Goldmine). Moderately heavy wear, but still very playable. Surface noise and scratches are more audible, possibly competing with the music levels, but not overtaking them.
V- (VJM) vs. G (Goldmine). Quite playable still, but distortion and heavy greying may be evident especially in louder passages. Surface noise and scratches may be quite loud, competing with the music for attention, but the music can still be heard well enough to be enjoyed. The listener may be required to tolerate heavier surface noise.
G+, G-, G (VJM) vs. G- (Goldmine). Different degrees of a grade for records with thoroughly dulled surfaces and probably lots of scuffs and scratches. Can still be played without skips or sticks. The music might be nearly buried in surface noise but can certainly be heard.
Grades of F and P are reserved for records that are in very, very bad shape that play with more serious issues. I will almost never bother to offer records with F or P grades for sale. With rare exceptions, nobody wants them.
I m p o r t   T a x e s   /   F e e s   F o r   I n t e r  n a t i o n a l   B u y e r s
For items to be delivered outside of the USA, buyers should be aware that any customs fees / taxes that are required by your government are your responsibility and are not covered by the cost of the item or the shipping charges.
S h i p m e n t   S a f e t y
I promise to pack your item securely, no matter what it is. Everything I ship gets packed well, so don't worry about a thing. 
If appropriate I will add insurance coverage. Sometimes I will add signature tracking (USA) when your item is shipped. Signature tracking ensures that the postal service doesn't leave your valuable item unattended on your doorstep out in the sun or rain - it has to be handed over face to face. If you order something rare and/or worth a bit, be prepared to have to accept delivery in person.
W h a t   a b o u t   c o m b i n e d    s h i p p i n g   f o r    m u l t i p l e   i t e m s ?
When multiple items are shipped together, I can almost always give you a better deal on the shipping cost compared to the individual shipping costs. I promise to give you the best rate possible based on the items purchased and the shipping method required.
For "Buy It Now" items (most of what I offer), simply add each item that you want to your shopping cart. When ready to commit to buying, request a total from me from your cart and I'll send an invoice as soon as I can. Since I'm not a computer and I do other things like sleep and take the dogs for walks, you might not receive an immediate response, but I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you decide to pay for items you want individually instead of requesting a total from the shopping cart, I will promptly send back whatever money I can for a shipping discount. Some items are not compatible for combined shipping.  Combining shipping might require changing the shipping method or increase packaging materials expense.  A few items that I offer are not eligible for combined shipping.  Of course it is ok to ask about combined shipping costs up front. You have to tell me exactly what you intend to buy and where it will be shipped. I can't always give an exact cost, but I can at least give you an estimate. I reserve the right to limit the number or total value of items that I'm willing to send in a single package. For international sales I use ebay's international shipping program. Combined shipping depends on the ebay shipping program rules in place at the time of shipment. It is possible that no combined shipping discount is available for international orders.
************* End of long-winded answers to hypothetical questions ***********