Welcome To
CRAIG
CHASE VINYL
Don (ccvinylman) Larter, Owner
Introduction (Revised 23 February 2009)
Hi, and welcome to Craig Chase Vinyl. I'm Don, the owner of CCV, and I'm inserting these new paragraphs to let you know why you should give me a chance--if you haven't already--to sell you some vinyl.
Well, I did it again: I bought some used vinyl from a number of sellers both in the United States and abroad, just to keep informed about my competition on eBay. Things haven't changed much since I last did this, I must say.
Significantly, I encountered a few examples of over-grading; that is, the sellers exaggerated an item's condition. A Near Mint disk should not, in my opinion, have a single scratch, let alone a cluster of tiny scratches. When I played just such a disk, the noise I heard wasn't terribly obnoxious (i.e., the listening experience was not marred significantly), but it still detracted from my enjoyment of the record.
How could this problem have been avoided? By first inspecting the record carefully before giving it a visual grade. Better yet would be actually to play the disk, especially in the questionable spots, to determine if they sound or not.
These are two things I do with every record I list on eBay, dear reader. That and cleaning it and its jacket thoroughly before playing it.
Is my method of grading records infallible? No. As a seller with whom I corresponded observed, and rightly so, the only virtually infallible way of play-grading a record is by listening to it from beginning to end. (Even so, my record playback system may not reveal things that your audio system may reveal.) Where does that leave us, then?
In my opinion, spot-playing a record so as to assign a play-grade to it is better than simply giving the record a visual grade. After all, even a truly Near Mint record can sound less than Near Mint when actually played.
This is another way of saying that my method of grading records is not only different from that of many--if not most--record sellers on eBay, but better.
Does it take time to do things my way? You betcha, as Sarah Palin would say! Is it worth my time and effort? Financially, no. I have yet to make a decent living by selling records. I say this not to garner pity, but in the interest of full disclosure--and also as a way of determining for myself just what it is that makes me different, in a good way, from some other purveyors of vinyl out there.
I guess you could say that I do what I do because I love doing it. How much longer I do it is up to you, however. If this little pitch makes you curious enough to give me a shot (or to come back to me again), then great, I may just be doing this well into my retirement years!
Best wishes, and thank you for looking me up!
General Policies
1. Honest, conservative play-grading,using a strong light, high quality stereo equipment and Goldmine standards(please seeME site for reasons why I perform this time-consuming service for my customers). I emphasisize the sound of the record rather than the appearance of either the vinyl or the jacket (though appearance is taken into account):
- Sealed = Unopened and unplayed; condition unknown
- NM+ = Near Mint Plus. Extraordinarily clean and quiet; may not have been played
- NM = Near Mint. Clean and quiet, regardless of scuffs or apparent defects
- NM- = Near Mint Minus. Less quiet than NM, with a bit more background noise regardless of its source.
- VG++ = Very good plus plus. Noisier than NM-; may say why.
- VG+ = Very good plus. Noisier than VG++; will say why.
NOTE: My basic grading for album jackets/boxes includes Good, Very Good, Almost Excellent, and Excellent. Good signifies it has some challenges, including wrinkles, soiling, ripped seams and possibly writing. I usually repair ripped seams with hot glue, and surface grime I remove with gentle cleaning products, such as GOO GONE, which dries without staining. I finish most album jackets with a furniture spray to restore sheen and remove dust and fingerprints. Very Good signifies slightly better condition of the sleeve, with no rips in the seams and a higher level of cleanness in general. Almost Excellent is a step above Very Good and is what you'd expect of a jacket that has been well cared for. There might be a slight corner bump or small evidences of wear, such as almost invisible, hairline scratches, but that's all. Excellent is what you'd expect of a jacket that has never shed its shrinkwrap sleeve because it's either still sealed, or only the open end has been slit. Still, if a corner is bumped or wrinkled, or if dirt has managed to penetrate the shrinkwrap, or there is some other defect, I'll likely downgade the jacket to Almost Excellent. If you're a real jacket fanatic, I'll always be glad to give you in an email additional details of the jacket's condition. Simply ask!
2. Professional cleaning (again, please see my ME site for reasons why I perform this time-consuming service for my customers) of virtually every record and sleeve sold, by using proprietary methods that are extremely gentle and effective on records.
3. The offering of a wide variety of repertoire and genres, particularly classical, at many different price points.
4. Fair dealing, prompt and friendly communication, and speedy delivery.
5. My expecting payment within 10 days of purchase, unless negotiated otherwise.
6. A no-questions-asked return policy if our play-grades differ significantly. I will even refund the return shipping charges (though not the initial, to you, shipping charges).
7. Posting of positive feedback for high bidders who pay in a timely fashion (or who email me saying why they do not); posting of negative feedback for those who do not.
NEW LISTING!
Item Description
- Label/Data: Franklin Mint: 5/6, two stereo disks, in extra sturdy carrying case, with deluxe liner notes, red vinyl and pocket for vinyl.
- Description:
---Orchestra/Group: Philadelphia Orchestra; New York Philharmonic
---Conductor: Eugene Ormandy; Pierre Boulez; Leonard Bernstein
---Soloist(s):
---Work(s) Performed:
Shostakovich: Symphony No.1 in F, Op.10
Ravel: Ma Mere L'Oye ("Mother Goose") (Complete Ballet)
Bernstein: Fancy Free (Ballet); Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story"; Overture to "Candide"
- Condition of Record: Visual grade: NM-; NM- Play grade: NM; NM
- Condition of Jacket/Sleeve/Box: Very good. Some corner wear, but clean and sound otherwise.
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