VINTAGE VINYL LP (33 1/3 rpm) 12. We try to be conservative in our description as these tend to be 30 to 40+ year old LP's. We will always respond to your request and will try to provide additional pictures or information to help answer your questions. PLEASE note that the only contents in the listings are pictured. That may have been included with the album when it was brand new.
As a general rule, the items we sell only contain what is pictured. If we have not included a photo of something, it is because it is not included with the album. Those with covers not still in the original shrink wrap usually show some signs of wear. This wear can be scuffs, scratches, peels, rips, corners not squared, labels removed causing rips as well as some writing on the covers and labels. If you have specific questions about the cover, record or any inserts/sleeves, etc.
Below is our grading system. Please use this as a reference for the grades seen in the product title. In the event there is only one grade shown, it is because both the Vinyl and the Cover have received the same grade. The records are graded visually (If they have been test played, there will be an indication saying so in the condition description or listing title). Some defects are easy to see, such as scratches and warps.
Others are subtle, such as groove wear from using a cheap or poorly aligned tone arm. It has been our experience that older LPs (1950s to about 1971) tend to play better than they look, and newer LPs (at least until 1989) tend to play worse than they look. We do not grade sleeves or posters, but will include a picture to indicate the condition, in many cases there are slight tears or splits in the seams due to age and wear. A good description of a VG++ record is it looks like it has minimal to no wear, no scratches but some very slight signs of use.
A VG++ cover is typically free of creases and ring wear and will not have seam splits of any kind. Check photos for signs of wear. NOTE : These are high standards, and they are not on a sliding scale. A record or sleeve from the 1950s must meet the same standards as one from the 1990s or 2000s! Very Good Plus (VG+) A VG+ record may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches or pops that do not affect the listening experience.
Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. VG+ covers have minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom or top, the most vulnerable locations. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking or a name written on it. Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record. 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.Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside. More creases visible and seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides. Someone might have written on it or stamped a price tag on it, too.
The record has significant surface noise and groove wear, 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 Fair 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 or water damage.
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