Viewed Edge-On, Ocean, the Grade Very Good (VG) Allows It Takes on a Pronounced Wave
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SIDE ONE 1. COMPLETE COLLECTOR 2. HARMONY LANE 3. SGT. PEPPER’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY 4. POP QUIZ 5. 10 SONGS THAT ROCKED THE WORLD A collection of Goldmine’s crowd-pleasing articles. W WW OM .GOLDMINEMAG.C 1/19/09 2:29:36 PM GMN_50829_Inside_Tr_Prem.indd 16 GMN-PRE-0707 700 E. State St. Iola, WI 54990-0001 www.goldminemag.com GMN_50829_Inside_Tr_Prem.indd 1 1/19/09 2:29:36 PM such things — its value can only be mea- Complete Collector: sured in fractions of a cent. Don’t let the seller try to sweet talk you, Grading Tapes and either. Every collector, finding a shot- CDs to-hell Shangri-Las LP and asking why it’s still $50, has been informed that “if it By Dave Thompson for Goldmine wasn’t for the bullet holes, it’d be in mint condition.” And that’s true, especially if or all the confusion that surrounds the bullet holes are indeed the only imper- accurately grading records, the fection. But if the record won’t play, it’s a F system itself is relatively simple. Frisbee. And some don’t even fulfill that American record dealers tend to work function properly. from the eight-point scale developed for Mint (M), at the other end of the scale, use in Goldmine; in the U.K., the seven- means factory-fresh, unplayed — even point scale is now the accepted system. unopened (still sealed). There will be no These scales are applicable to both vinyl creases or ring wear on the cover (picture and packaging, and many sellers will now sleeve for 45s and EPs), no fingerprints on grade both separately, particularly if there the vinyl, no spindle marks (light silvery is some disparity between the two — a lines) around the center hole. Any original clean disc and a torn sleeve, for example. extras, ranging from lyric sheets and post- Both of these scales are excellent ers to printed inner sleeves, will be present guides. Where problems can arise is when and pristine. There will be no indication transactions cross international boundaries, at all that human hands have ever touched especially when a record falls outside of the record. And one will notice that very the most self-evident of grades. few experienced American dealers or price To begin at the bottom, Poor (P) or, in guides ever advertise their wares in this the U.K., Bad (B), should leave nobody state, no matter how perfect they appear. in any doubt. In a nutshell, the record is Instead, Near Mint is the preferred term, wrecked. The sleeve is tattered, if it is even simply because even unplayed, unopened present. The vinyl might be cracked or records may well have some undetected broken, it might be scratched or warped. defect. Mint, in America, implies “per- It certainly will not play very well and, fect.” Near Mint adds “as far as we can unless the record itself represents one of tell.” the world’s most fabulous rarities — say, a British grading doesn’t make this same red vinyl pressing of the Hornets’ “I Can’t distinction. Mint still means exactly the Believe,” a $20,000 disc if you care for same as it does in the U.S., but there is no safety net a few points down the grading scale to catch any unforeseen problems. Perhaps the British trust the dealer to make good any serious shortfall in the quality of the disc. Perhaps they understand that, once they break the seal and spin the record, it is no longer either unopened or unplayed. Or maybe they have simply come to terms with the fact that “Perfect” is just an old John Travolta movie. However they look at it, the sys 1 GMN_50829_Inside_Tr_Prem.indd 2 1/19/09 2:29:38 PM tem works for them. American buyers is stored, they will not affect the sound in may not be so sure. the slightest. These are the extremes. On a numerical The American Very Good Plus (VG+) scale, a Mint record should score 100 (with and British Excellent (Ex) imply a record Near Mint no less than 95), a Poor would that, while showing some signs of use, was barely scrape zero. What, however, of all also clearly the property of a very careful the numbers in between — for it is there owner. This is the province of the surface that the majority of records one finds on marks and similar light scuffs which do the second-hand/used circuit, be it internet, not interfere with the play, but may be con- thrift store or record fair, will lie. And it’s sidered unsightly; a barely noticeable warp there that controversy most likely rears its or dish might also creep into this grade if head. no other damage is in evidence. Spindle There are four basic flaws to which marks will be minimal and the spindle vinyl is prone, most brought about through hole will still be tight. So-called “light misuse of some sort: warping, dishing, scratches” are those that have cut into the scratching and breaking. The last of these groove and are responsible for occasional, is self-explanatory. If the record is broken, and very brief, sequences of light clicks as and that means anything from a minor a record is playing. Clicking, however, is crack on the edge to a huge chunk torn all that they will do. Medium scratches are from the soul of the disc, then that’s the those that actively interfere with the music, end of the story. It’s broken. Move along. without actually causing the needle to skip Warping, caused by exposure to exces- or stick. They can be felt by running a fin- sive heat, is the term applied to records gertip over the surface of the record (make that, in the simplest terms, are no longer sure it’s a clean tip, though, or you’ll just flat. Sometimes, the warp will gently bow add to the problem). On both sides of the the vinyl, so that when viewed edge-on, ocean, the grade Very Good (VG) allows it takes on a pronounced wave. In more these scratches to intrude into the listening extreme cases, just one area of the record experience, together with further deteriora- will be buckled, while the remainder of the tion (but still no loss or significant dam- disc is unharmed. age) in the state of the packaging. Dishing is similar to warping but this Other accepted VG ailments include time, when viewed edge-on, the record surface noise evident during quiet pas- takes on the appearance of a bowl. Again, sages. Should the record have belonged to the effect can be minimal and may not af- somebody who regularly played certain fect the sound quality. But it may. cuts, there may be some minor clicking Scratches are more problematic. Every at the beginning and end of each one, grade below Near Mint makes some al- caused by the needle having been placed lowance for wear and tear. The question less than delicately down on the vinyl. In is, how much wear and tear can one expect extreme cases, this can also affect (again, for any stated state? Some scratches are so without skipping or sticking) the outro of light as to barely touch the vinyl — “sur- the preceding cut and/or the intro of the face marks,” as they are commonly called, next. However, while a VG record will can be caused by the record coming into suffer from some of these faults, it should contact with absolutely anything, including not suffer from them all. Two or three is the stylus that is playing it or even its own more than enough - any more and a serious packaging. However, as surface marks lie reappraisal is called for. Most U.S. price across the surface of the record, and do not guides regard VG as the lowest grade cut into the grooves where the music itself worth valuing. 1 2 GMN_50829_Inside_Tr_Prem.indd 3 1/19/09 2:29:38 PM On both sides of the Atlantic, the grade Harmony Lane: Good describes records which have pa- tently been played a few times too often. TV archives are Groove wear will be evident in the loss of the shiny black glow that a better-condi- untapped treasure tioned disc should retain. Label and sleeve alike will be tatty - stained, torn, defaced. chest of musical gems Upon playing, the record will not sound By Todd Baptista for Goldmine as sharp as it once did, surface noise will be audible throughout, and the scratches will be louder, too. The record will still be playable without skipping or sticking, but it’s a sorry sight to behold regardless. The wholly unnecessary American grade of Good Plus (G+) is differentiated as not having quite as many defects as a mere Good. The lowest grade in which a record is actually playable is the American Fair (F), which equates to the British Poor (P). In this state, the deepest scratches come into play, those that not only cut through the grooves, but also force the needle to follow them, leading to the dreaded skips and jumps. Or maybe they displace one of the ecently, I read a letter to the groove walls, shifting it into the path of the editor from a reader requesting a needle, thus causing it to become stuck. story on 1950s vocal groups on (Dirt, hair, grease and a million other for- R television. It’s a subject in which I person- eign bodies can also cause this.) Or maybe ally have a lot of interest.