BARREN CROSS -- STATE OF CONTROL

Enigma Records 7 73347-1, 1989

Hard-to-find vinyl LP!

There are 10 tracks on this LP:  

State Of Control Out Of Time Cryin' Over You A Face In The Dark The Stage Of Intensity Hard Lies Inner War Love At Full Volume Bigotry Man (Who Are You) Two Thousand Years

Goldmine Magazine grading standards:

Vinyl:  NM Jacket:  NM

I guarantee your satisfaction that the vinyl LP records I sell will be in the condition I describe.   Although I do not have time to listen to every LP all the way through, I do listen to several segments on both sides of each LP in order to assess its condition, based on the Goldmine grading standard.  (See the very bottom of this box for a complete guide to the Goldmine record grading system.)  Record grading is, by its nature, a very subjective process--and one person's opinion of what constitutes a NM item may be considered only VG+ by a more particularly obssessive collector.  I aim to grade records carefully and honestly, and I believe I grade conservatively.  But it is also possible that I might miss a particularly troublesome segment of an LP while listening to a few parts to assess condition, and it's equally possible that you might disagree with my grading judgment.  If you happen to buy an LP and believe that I have mischaracterized the condition, please be certain that this is not something I did intentionally!  If there are any problems, just let me know, and I will be happy to work with you for a solution, including letting you return it for a full refund.  YOU MAY PURCHASE THIS ITEM WITH CONFIDENCE!

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As always, please feel free to email me with any questions you might have.  And thanks for taking the time to look at my listings!

As noted above, I grade vinyl LP records using the Goldmine grading system, established by the magazine Goldmine, which has been a standard guide for several decades among vinyl LP buyers, sellers, and collectors.  Here is the Goldmine grading system, which I use in assessing the condition of records I sell:

Mint (M)  Absolutely perfect in every way.  Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed.  Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all. 

Near Mint (NM or M-)  A nearly perfect record.  Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect.  The record should show no obvious signs of wear.  A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.  An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects.  No cut-out holes, either.  And, of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.  Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.  Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides.  Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.

Very Good Plus Plus (VG++)  The VG++ grade is NOT officially part of the Goldmine grading system, but it has become fairly common among many buyers and sellers over the last twenty years as a sort of a gap-bridging grade for items that fall somewhere between VG+ and NM.  Many times a seller may think that the vinyl or jacket is quite close to being NM, and in significantly better condition than what is average for the VG+ rating, but out of an abundance of caution is wary of actually assigning a NM grade.  Although this grade is not officially sanctioned by the Goldmine system, a good rule of thumb is that it is generally going to be worth around 75 percent of the Near Mint value.

Very Good Plus (VG+)  Generally worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value.  A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.  Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences.  Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK".  The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.  The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.  Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split.  An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.  In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint.  All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG)  Generally worth 25 percent of Near Mint value.  Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc.  Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise.  Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.  Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached.  The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers.  However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.  Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price.  This, not the Near Mint price, should be your guide when determining how much a record is worth, as that is the price a dealer will normally pay you for a Near Mint record.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+)  Generally worth 10-15 percent of the Near Mint value.  Good does not mean Bad!  A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping.  But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white).  A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine.  Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.  It is a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually.  Pass it up.  But, if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it...but keep looking to upgrade. 

Poor (P), Fair (F)  Generally worth 0-5 percent of the Near Mint price.  The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating.  The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing.  The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it.  Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled, and written upon.  Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.