Item

Jason Roars, Radnor Records, R-2005, autographed or inscribed.  Philly area record.  This is Jason Guy performing works of African American poets, with music by Bill Lewis and performed by the Contemporary Jazz Society.

Note: Generally, expect albums to be missing their original inner sleeves or baggies, as well as any obi strips, inserts that may have been in the album at one time, etc., unless otherwise noted or pictured.

Condition

Cover:  VG++.  Still in shrink.  I don't know who's autograph is on it (?).

Record:  VG++.  Great shape but does need cleaning.

In record-land, condition = grade.  I ‘visually grade’ only, according to Goldmine standards, and look carefully at things under bright light to assign Goldmine grades (see below for an explanation of each grade).  How do I pack an album (1)?  Bags Unlimited record mailer box, cardboard filler pads, (likely) bubble wrap, “fragile” stickers, etc.  

Shipping and Handling Time

My handling time is 3 business days because I have a lot to do!  I only offer Media Mail shipping now.  I have to minimize my losses since I accept returns (if someone returns something, I lose shipping costs).  International orders go through the eBay Global Shipping Program, so that I ship to a USA location and then eBay takes it from there.  On these orders, the only tracking I have is to whatever USA distribution center it went to.  

Return Policy

I guarantee the accuracy of my visual grading, so you can do a ‘return request’ if you honestly believe my opinion was incorrect.  I don’t play grade records (or clean them), so I can’t guarantee playback quality or offer returns for what’s unknown to me.  If you do a return request, eBay may ask you to take pictures to see what’s going on.  All returned items must arrive back to me in the same condition in which they were sent to you originally.  I don't accept international returns. 

Goldmine Standards

Vinyl collectors in the USA go by the standards as outlined by this company, Goldmine, the authors of the record price guides, to ‘rate’ the condition of records.  They write: “Most records are visually graded”, so that’s what I do -- ‘visual grading’.  I do this either outside in the sunlight or under a bright desk lamp.  You’d be surprised how great a record can look in regular interior lighting, but take it out in the sunlight, and you’ll usually see many scratches!  What you thought might be VG++ easily can be a VG instead.  Grading is an overall thing: a VG record in a NM cover is VG+ overall.  

The ‘play grade’ may be different from the visual grade.  Goldmine writes that old records tend to play better than they look, while newer records tend to play worse than they look.  You will up the chances of the record playing nicely by cleaning the record.  Veterans of the hobby even know how to work out a scratch that causes a skip or repeat (with a toothpick).  I don’t clean records because I believe most collectors would like to do things their way, on their end.  Also, please understand that I don’t know any record’s ‘play grade’, can’t guarantee what it may be, and I don’t accept returns because of the play grade.  Clean, toothpick, adjust tonearm, etc. -- use your voodoo!

Here’s a reference for you (and me!) using Goldmine standards pertaining only to visual aspects of each grade category:

Mint (M):  Absolutely perfect in every way.  “Often rumored but rarely seen”.

Near Mint (NM or M-):  Nearly perfect.  No visible defects, including factory or manufacturing defects.  Cover has no ring impression / wear, seam splits or creases.

Very Good Plus (VG+ or VG++ at high-end of grade):  It would be NM if it weren’t for some minor things.  Can have light scuffs, light scratches and even a slight warp.  Can have spindle marks near center hole, light ring wear, discoloration. Can have very minor seam wear, one small split at the bottom seam, and some defacing such as minor writing or being a cut-out (some cut-outs are promos, some were bargain bin records).

Very Good (VG):  The biggest bargains in record collecting -- for many people, a VG record will be worth the money.  They lack gloss, you can see groove wear, and there are scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail (feeler scratches).  Can have writing, tape and stickers on label.  The cover can have obvious ring wear, creases, seam splitting on as many as 3 sides, and defacing such as writing and price tags.

Good (G, G+, and VG-):  Good doesn’t mean bad.  It can be a filler copy for your collection.  The label can have a lot of wear, ripping, heavy writing, etc.  The record can have lots of scratches, scuffs and groove wear.  The cover has very distracting ring wear, seam splits, and heavy writing like on a record owned by a radio station, with their letters on it.  If it’s a common record, you might want to look for something in better shape, but if it’s rare or you’ve been seeking it for a while, you may want to get it.

Fair and Poor (F or P):  It has to be very, very rare to be worth buying one of these.  Side note: I know of a dealer who paid thousands for one… a rare blues 78 record that was actually cracked.  Anyway, these low grade records can be cracked and warped badly.  Covers are heavily damaged.  You look at it and think, “that’s a shame”.

Sealed Albums (this isn’t really a grade):  They can and do bring more money than ‘book price’, but it’s pot luck or a grab bag because you can’t examine the record.