OPEN UP YER DOOR comp. LP (Frog Death) ° garage BFTG

GRADING

If there's one thing I've learned about eBay, it's that OVERGRADING runs rampant. Near Mint has come to mean "looks good from a few feet away". VG+ has come to mean "found on the interstate" or "stored amongst lawn clippings" instead of a respectable albeit flawed record.

I won't grade any record Mint unless it's sealed or brand new/unplayed. M- (Mint Minus or Near Mint) is my standard grade for a beautiful record or picture sleeve. EX means if there's a flaw on the sleeve or disc, it's very very minor... something noted by condition freaks (myself included). VG+ means a sleeve is creased or shows a ring impression and a disc shows cosmetic signs of handling. A VG+ record is one I'd keep in my collection without feeling the need for an upgrade unless it was a record I really liked. VG means "used but not abused"... your average secondhand store copy. A VG sleeve will have multiple flaws (sticker tear, seam split, ring wear) and the disc shows heavier wear suggesting the likelihood of moderate surface noise. Anything below VG will have ample recitation of flaws. Grading is sleeve first, disc second.

All grading is VISUAL and done under an extremely unforgiving 150W Halogen bulb. In an ideal world, every record would be wet-vac'd and play-graded from beginning to end. Unfortunately such niceties are not practical when handling even a modest quantity of vinyl. Conservative visual grading provides a second-best but dependable sound quality forecast in a realm that can vary wildly depending on factors like pressing quality, stylus condition, method of cleaning, and so on. Having said all that, I do needle-drop most records I list, and I will comment in the occasional description (e.g. "plays great"). On some high-end 45's, I'll wet-vac the vinyl using my all-manual KAB EV-1 cleaner. Vinyl hounds take note... money spent on a wet-vac record cleaner (whether it's a budget-minded EV-1 or an overpriced VPI model) will seem inconsequential compared to the audible improvements one of these suckers can bestow.

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I'm always looking to buy punk rock records and paper items, both for my personal collection and for resale. I'm a collector first and a reseller second. I pay fair, immediate cash for single items or whole collections and will travel anywhere for substantial stashes. I RELY ON REFERRALS. Treating buyers and sellers right is the core of my business.

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