Lot of 4 Robin Trower LPs: Long Misty Days, Caravan To Midnight, In City Dreams
Lot of 4 Robin Trower LPs:
Robin Trower – Long Misty Days (Chrysalis CHR-1107, 1976) VG+/VG Robin Trower – Caravan To Midnight (Chrysalis CHR-1189, 1978) VG+ Robin Trower – In City Dreams (Chrysalis CHR-1148, 1977) VG Robin Trower – Robin Trower Live! (Chrysalis CHR 1089, 1975) VG
The records and covers are graded using the Goldmine standard (see below). If two grades are listed above, the first is for the record and the second for the cover. The pictures are of the actual LPs offered for sale.
Goldmine Grading Standard:
MINT
(M)
These are absolutely perfect in every way. Often
rumored but rarely seen, Mint should never be used as a grade unless
more than one person agrees that the record or sleeve truly is in
this condition.
NEAR MINT (NM OR M-)
A good description of a
NM record is "it looks like it just came from a retail store and it
was opened for the first time." In other words, it's nearly
perfect. Many dealers won't use a grade higher than this, implying
(perhaps correctly) that no record or sleeve is ever truly perfect.
NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any "spindle marks" from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects also must be absent; a record and label obviously pressed off center is not Near Mint. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. (NM records don't have to be "never played"; a record used on an excellent turntable can remain NM after many plays if the disc is properly cared for.)
NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.
VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E)
A good description of a VG+ record is "except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint." Most collectors, especially those who want to play their records, will be happy with a VG+ record, especially if it toward the high end of the grade (sometimes called VG++ or E+).
VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.
VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. Covers with cut-out markings can never be considered Near Mint.
Very Good (VG)
Many of the imperfections
found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record. That said, VG
records are among the biggest bargains in record collecting,
because most of the "big money" goes for more perfect copies. For
many listeners, a VG record or sleeve will be worth the money.
VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.
Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. Many collectors who have jukeboxes will use VG records in them and not think twice. They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.
VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won't be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tag on it, too.
Good (G),
Good Plus (G+)
or Very Good Minus
(VG-)
Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without
skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes
along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the
label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious
damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and
failing miserably. A Good to VG- cover has ring wear to the point
of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even
heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters
written across the front to deter theft.
POOR (P)
and Fair (F)
Poor (P) and Fair
(F) records go for 0 to 5 percent of the Near Mint value, if they go
at all. More likely, they end up going in the trash. Records are
cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is
made to play them. Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want
to cry.
