FRANK ZAPPA - Apostrophe LP (US Press, QUADRADISC) EX

FRANK ZAPPA - Apostrophe LP (US Press, QUADRADISC) EX

Cover=VG+
LP=EX
Playgrade (Side A,B,C,D)=Not play graded
Label=Discreet
Catalog#=
Country of issue=USA
Our Ref. ID#=5366

Album description:

QUADRADISC, Discreet, cover has a hint of ring/edge wear, LP is a high-end EX with minor sleeve marks.

NOTE: We use strict Record Collector Magazine's Grading Guide!

See my other ZAPPA records!

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Grading:

We use Record Collector Magazine's Grading Guide, it is essentially the same as Goldmine except for VG+ grade.  Simply, substitute Goldmine VG+ for our EX!

SS    = (STILL SEALED) The record itself is in brand new condition, assumed never to have been played.

M      = (MINT)  The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

M -    = (MINT MINUS)  MINT- is not MINT but is very close to it, near new, there might be a blemish or two, but overall record and jacket are like new or very close to new.

EX     = (EXCELLENT)  The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VG    = (VERY GOOD)  The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

G      = (GOOD)  The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

F       = (FAIR)  The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

P       = (POOR)  The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

B       = (BAD)  The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler

We also use + or - to adjust grades in between, so...this scopes out to: SS/M/M-/EX/EX-/VG+/VG/VG-/G+/G/F/P/B

Terminology/Definitions:
Words we use and what it means to us when grading records:

Visual (in the order of harmless to harmful):
1. Sleeve mark=Caused by taking LP in and out of the creased paper inner sleeve
2. Blemish=Unless we can identify the cause of the mark, we use word blemish, generally, blemishes do not cause any audio issues, but may cause crackling
3. Heavy sleeve mark=Same as a sleeve marks but slightly more pronounced, caused by LP rubbing against the creased paper inner sleeve
4. Scuff=Tiny abrasions usually caused by the inner sleeve, 90% of the time it can only be seen from one angle, causes no audio issue, but may cause light surface noise
5. Light scratch (hairline)=Same as a scuff only more pronounced, can be seen from all angles but generally causes no issue, may produce light ticks
6. Scratch=If there is only one or a few, this was probably caused by accident, not by misuse, may or may not cause crackle or pops
7. Thicker scratch=If there is more than three or four, this was probably caused by misuse, usually causes pops or (if lucky) ticks

Audio (in the order of annoyances):
1. Surface noise=Noise produced by the friction of the stylus of a record player moving over the rotating record, caused by poorly manufactured LP or many scuffs
2. Crackle=A fizzing, not quite popping sound, this is (to us) second of audio issues, something in between surface noise and pops, cause multiple light scratches
3. Ticks=Light popping sound, not quite a pop, this is third on our list of annoyances
4. Click=Light popping sound, in between a tick and a pop, worse than a tick but better than a pop
5. Pop=This is the winner (not a good one), the worst in our list, pops are caused usually by thicker scratches, a few are acceptable but many are not.

From the section above, we think we touched upon all audio/visual issues one may encounter with an LP.  LP collectors can deal with some issues others cannot.  So, if and when you see us use some of the words outlined above, ask yourself: What can I deal with?

LPs are graded visually and conservatively under many bright lights. Questionable marks are "spot-checked".  If an LP has been play graded it will be indicated so and a grade 1-10 will be assigned to it.  Play graded means the record has been listened to from beginning to the end, both sides. 
We've learned not to get too excited when it is hard to determine the grade, this means, we always under-grade and not over-grade!

I will NOT discuss my grading conventions or practices or attempt to convince you my grading method is the best or the right one.  Personally, since I am a collector myself, I grade records to the best of my knowledge and according to how I feel about it, I do not grade records to deceive you. 

I feel my grade cover should give you a good clue as to the visual quality of the record.  Sometimes, visually, the record may look better than its playback condition is, likewise, some records may look really bad but play very well, this too will alter final grade, meaning, the record may look VG but play EX, likewise, MINT- records must sound like MINT- or very very close to it, if not, it will get an EX, no matter how good it looks.

Special note about MINT-, MINT- is not MINT but it can be.  To my understanding and acceptance, M- may have a light mark or two, even a light scratch which does not cause any listening problems, MINT- will still be as close to new as humanly possible.  So, if you are one of those who do not accept sleeve marks (which may be on the record from the manufacturing/pressing), please, do us all a favor and look elsewhere!  Along these lines, if you will not accept a record because an inner sleeve has a 1cm split at the bottom, please, look elsewhere.  Most likely, nothing but a sealed record will satisfy you.
I attempt to grade MINT records as MINT- (if I was not the first owner), my other grade is MINT-- (this corresponds with others' NM grade), my next grade is EX, anything not MINT/MINT- will be graded as EX.
VG+ misconception, this grade varies greatly from seller to seller.  Just for the record, our VG+ will never look as good as that of a "strict Goldmine grade", our VG+ more resembles a VG grade of a "strict Goldmine grade", and, neither VG+ nor VG means trash.

So, what do my number grades mean? 

*10 is given only to a record that is/was purchased brand new by me, no other record will get 10!  The sound will be flawless.

*9 is given to an LP that collectors would consider MINT, (9 is my highest grade for a used record), meaning, there will be no surface noise but you might hear a pop or two not because there is a damage (scuff or a scratch) but simply how the LP was pressed, or a flake of dust might have fallen onto it during playback.  This will sound almost like a CD (meaning, no noise, obviously LPs sound much better than CDs), it does not get much better than this, any audiophile will be pleased with this.

*8 grade may have 4 or more faint pops or slight surface noise, usually found on a record that's been played a few times but was very well taken care of, most audiophiles will be pleased with this.  Surface noise may only be audible in between the tracks and (possibly) during quiet parts.  If you were at school, being graded, this would be a "B" grade.

*7-8 grade may have 10 or more faint perhaps inaudible in regular listening) pops or little more surface noise bordering annoyance to those that are used to hearing things on a CD, some audiophiles may not like this sound quality, but most will be very satisfied.  If you were at school, being graded, this would be a "C" grade.

*5-6 grade will be just like 7-8, except surface noise/crackles may be more pronounced.  The record will have constant surface noise but will not over power the music.  If you were at school, being graded, this would be a "C-" grade.

*5  will have even more surface noise/or some clicks and/or pops. 

*4 and below will not be of sufficient quality to truly enjoy the music, it will have significant surface noise/crackling, pops etc.  I really do not have such records, well there might be a few rare ones.

+ or - is used to enhance item's description, meaning, EX++ is so nice it could pass as MINT- but I still consider it EXCELLENT and not MINT-.  Well, we dropped ++, we now simply say high-end or low-end, weak may also be used.

Finally, if I over grade a record (sometimes when listing many items I may miss a minor detail) I will let you know about it before sending the record to you.  NO SURPRISES!

Pricing:
I do not do this for living but do know the value of records, therefore, my starting price is the absolute minimum I must get for it (I paid that much myself or it is truly, at least worth that amount).  Items are priced according to the amount I paid for it, current availability and quality of the record and the cover.
Being a collector I cherry-picked all of the records with the intent of keeping it, we never buy collections with resale in mind.
Essentially, that means, you will not get screwed by purchasing that record, because I would not feel bad paying that much for it myself.  It will be at the very least a very fair deal.   Most importantly, all sales are guaranteed, if you should be unhappy with the record received, please return it back for a full refund.

Item descriptions:
I will do my best to describe the item as accurately as possible.  I take pictures of every detail but do not display it due to charges.  You may email me requesting additional pictures or ask about item details.  While mistakes may happen, I will never knowingly misrepresent an item (remember, I still buy records myself and know how it feels when you buy an item and it is nowhere near its description, thankfully, most sellers are honest.)
Finally, I will play grade all records that are not MINT- (meaning listen through the record in its entirety, not just sections) before sending it out.  If I think that record does not sound good or is not worth what you paid for it I will let you know before sending it out, no surprises.

Original vs. re-issue:
Sometimes it may be very difficult to determine whether an LP is an original or a later issue, in the US, matrix numbers do not always reflect whether or not the pressing is a 1st or 20th, for that reason we shy away from saying/using words like 1st pressing or an original.
In most (if not all US stores), many dealers refer to a record as 1st pressing if it is on original label, regardless of the matrix number, yet, some buyers and dealers only consider 1st pressing to be the one that has matrix numbers 1A/1B and so on.  To that respect, we will only refer to a record as 1st pressing if it has matrix numbers 1A/1B.
If you are like us, you love LP as a format and do not necessarily care if an album is an original/1st press.  Personally, I will always buy a MINT- re-issue than a VG+ original.

Shipping:
All records come in protective outer sleeves, they are shipped using proper LP cardboard mailers (not used Pizza boxes) and covers are wrapped with bubble wrap.  Exception to this is when we send package using Priority Mail, in that case, we use USPS Priority Mail box which is sturdy enough, we place the record/cover at an angle which fits perfectly, after we have further bubble protected the entire box.  Having mailed hundreds of records that way we have never had an issue with shipping damage.  One will want to try very hard to destroy that package on purpose before really achieving any damage to the box, so, feel safe.
I do not take out record out of the cover, I package it very tightly and I do not think any seam splitting can occur (I know many dealers do, however, I feel the record is more important than the cover, so the cover provides additional protection, if you want me to ship it by taking the record out of the cover just send me an email asking for it).
Shipping is via Media Mail at $4 and $1.50 per each additional record.  In US, I actually lose with shipping.
ATTENTION US buyers:
eBay is making all sellers use a flat rate of $4 for Media Mail.  This barely (or just about) covers the cost of shipping, things you get but we'd like to get paid for are:
Professionally cleaned LP (most stores charge $2 to clean LP professionally)
Outer plastic sleeve (these cost between 10-90 cents), if original inner sleeve is not as nice as it should be, you also get a brand new inner sleeve (cost is 5-15 cents)
So, by choosing Insurance your LP is insured and we recover some of the costs, while you don't have to (you will get things either way), it would be appreciated if you take that into consideration and pick insurance.  Of course, we do not nickel and dime here, but this is just FYI.
For International bidders shipping varies, please email for a quote before bidding, otherwise average is $15 and $4 for additional records. 
For Canadian buyers, you may check out with default price, but I will refund certain amount, depending where in Canada, the shipping is $7-11, again, I will refund a certain amount, or, simply request total.
NOTE that for International shipping to have tracking and be fully covered by PayPal the cost is around $10-15 more.  Should records get lost I take no responsibility (this has not happened yet).  Personally, I recommend the cheaper option!
Insurance is optional, please request it.  Your item will be shipped within 48 hours following your payment.  For those seeking fast delivery I encourage you to use Priority Mail (you have that option upon checkout).  Otherwise, item will be shipped via Media Mail and may take up to nine days (how slow).  Shipping insurance is extra $2.50 for items insured up to $70, $5 for items insured up to $150.

Payments:
I accept PayPal only but contact me if another payment arrangement should be made!  PayPal is the most preferred method.  In rare cases I might accept some other form, but please email me first.  Your payment is expected within three (3) days of auction close.  Your item will be shipped next day following your payment.
If you are unable to pay immediately or within three days, please email before you commit to purchase, we are very understanding and will wait, however, we must be sure you intend to pay within reasonable time frame!  Please note that we pay high fees to eBay regardless of the fact that buyer has not really paid for the item.

Returns:
All records are fully guaranteed, your satisfaction is extremely important to me, more importantly...I personally have to be satisfied with the sale and know that I provided some value to you.  I do not sell crappy records.
Should you be unhappy with records you buy, please contact me to make appropriate arrangements, normally, you would ship them back at your cost, but I will refund the entire purchase amount once I receive the record(s) in the same condition I sent them.  Again, buyer pays for shipping items back to me!
Certain, very rare albums may be excluded from this policy, if you just wanted to copy that record, ask me for a copy on CD (at a reasonable price), do not buy and then return the record after you copied it.

Communication/Chain of events:
So you purchased the record from me.  Congratulations and thank you very much for your business. 
How many times have you bought that precious record and never heard from the seller?  Please, acknowledge me at least.
I do not consider the list below spam, but personally, I'd like to be communicated this way about the purchase I just made.
Here is how I will communicate about it with you:
1) You will be notified when records will be shipped,
2) Once shipped you will receive another email informing you that it has been shipped, additionally, if you live in US you will receive a notification with a tracking number (it is available for international shipments as well but it costs too much, you have that option however)
3) NOT APPLICABLE IF PAID IMMEDIATELY: If you bought an item and are unclear as to how much to pay due to combined shipping or shipping rate, you will receive an invoice, once paid 1) and 2) as specified above will follow
4) Payment is due within three (3) days of item purchase, if you need more time let me know.  Otherwise, you will receive payment reminder every day for the first three days, then on day seven, and finally, "Unpaid Item dispute" will be filled on day seven.  Should this occur, you will be automatically excluded from future purchases.
5) If I discover a problem (undisclosed in the listing) with a record I will notify you about it prior to the shipment and offer a solution.

About me:
Greetings and welcome to my LP collection. 
I'm an avid LP collector myself with some 7000 LPs and growing.  European background and American know-how (is there a better combination?) 
All of the records featured here and in the future auctions are from my personal collection and are either duplicates or records I no longer listen to.
If you are "mint crazy" you are probably interested in SEALED records only, if, however, you primarily listen to the music and aren't just collecting because records might be worth something you've come to the right place as the collection is bound to please most music lovers of all genres.
Most (80%) of the records listed have been play graded on a Technics SL1200 MK5/Ortofon cartridge and listened through Senheiser headphones, therefore, my grades are very strict and are given a number 1-10. Most are in 8-9 range, a 10 is only given to a record that was sealed and opened by me.  This means a used record can only get a grade 9 and not 10.
Almost all the records are M- and EX, they have all been cleaned and covers have been cleaned as well, of course, there are some "budget" records just because we can't help picking up yet another copy of our favorite artist.

Other notes:
I have thousands more records, if you want to see my full catalog please ask me for it, I will not spam you with special offers.