Sold Date: November 25, 2018
Start Date: November 18, 2018
Final Price: $16.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 9
Seller Feedback: 339
Buyer Feedback: 58

Strangeways, Here We Come‎‎‎ by The Smiths

Vinyl record album

Original 1987 pressing (9 25649-1) . Vinyl is in Near Mint condition. Cover is in VG+ condition. Includes original printed inner sleeve.


Record: NM
Cover: VG+



How do I grade?

Mint (a sealed album, perfect)

Near Mint (Like a brand new album that has just been brought home and opened. Vinyl is almost like brand new, may have only the slightest of visible blemishes. Likely never played. Cover is likely still in shrink wrap though I have found covers without shrink wrap that I consider in this condition. There will be no wear on this cover.)

VG+ (Almost near Mint but not quite. Cover will have very light wear. Maybe some wear in corners or slight edge wear. Cover may have cut-out. Vinyl with have some very light wear, likely have some very light surface scratches but not many. Any scratches will be minor surface scratches and nothing deep.This is a really nice record)

VG (Will have more wear than a VG+ record. Cover will have edge wear, ring wear. May have stickers, writing or cut-out in cover. **A VG cover WILL NOT have any seam splits. Any cover with a seam split, regardless of condition otherwise, will be graded Good+ or below.** Vinyl will have more surface scratches than VG+ album but should not have any deep scratches. Should play just fine)

Good+ (Cover will have significant wear including seam splits. Cover may have writing, stickers, ext or all of the above. Vinyl will have many scratches including deep scratches)

Good (Cover likely has full seam splits or large tears. Vinyl is in pretty rough shape. I don't sell something in this condition very often. Only buy if very rare or only looking for place holder)

Poor (I would not sell a record in this condition unless it was something extremely rare)

Note: Please note that I do not use EX in my grading system. I use what is my interpretation of the Goldmine Grading System which has been around for a very long time. I don't know when this whole "EX" business in record grading popped up but it is new to me. Personally I don't trust anyone using "EX" to grade records enough to buy from them. My personal experience has been that whenever I have bought a record from someone using "EX" in their system I have had garbage show up at my doorstep instead of what I paid for. So I just don't buy from those people any more.
Why use "EX" in a grading system? Well, think about it. If you insert "EX" between Mint and Near Mint or between Near Mint and VG+ then it knocks everything else below it down a notch. It basically turns a VG record into a "VG+" record. Then when people who are used to the Goldmine Grading System, which uses no "EX", look at your listing they think your record must be in better condition than it actually is. They will pay more for it. Then when they get it and see it is crap and they complain about it the seller can say "Aw, but see, I inserted that EX thing there to confuse you so you have nothing to complain about. Bwa ha ha. Evil cackle." Basically its just a cheap way to overgrade your vinyl without most people noticing and then having an excuse when they complain. I don't like that. Whenever I see a record graded as VG+ and then I notice they use "EX" in their grading system I think to myself "Ok, that VG+ record is actually in VG condition or even more likely Good." That's just personally my take on the whole thing.


Combined shipping: I am happy to combine shipping on multiple auctions won. Combined shipping rate is $4.99 for the first record plus $1.50 per additional record. To request combined shipping please wait until all your auctions have ended and then go to CHECKOUT and click the button 'REQUEST AN UPDATED INVOICE'. Please pay after receiving the updated invoice. If you pay before receiving the updated invoice then I cannot give you the combined shipping rate (that is just how ebay has their system set up).


How do you ship your records so they don't arrive damaged: I have shipped over a thousand records and they have never arrived damaged. What I do is cut out two pieces of 14 in by 14 in cardboard and slip the record in between. I then tape the edges closed tight like. If it is a particularly valuable record I add an extra layer of cardboard for added protection, though I have no evidence that this is necessary as I have never had a record become damaged by this method. What's nice about this method is that the album is held very tightly in there so there is no room to slide around, hence you don't get the dreaded seam splits which are so common with shipped records. I actually had one package travel all the way from Indiana to California, get rejected at its destination, and traveled all the way back up to me in Indiana. When I opened it the album was exactly as it was when I packaged it.