xxp hmm, this page on differentiating between styrene and vinyl records has people saying wood glue is ok on styrene:
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=62462
― CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 20:35 (three years ago) link
tbh I'm not sure abt the glue on those, I just hate styrene pressings
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 20:43 (three years ago) link
the guy at my record shop cleans them for a buck a pop (or 2-3 for a dollar if he likes you) so I use that as an excuse to go visit
― frogbs, Wednesday, 25 November 2020 21:17 (three years ago) link
was complaining on a different thread about a record I'd imported that was listed as VG+ but had audible surface noise throughout the entire album. took it to this guy who spun cleaned it and it actually sounds pretty good now. the surface noise is still there (particularly at the beginning of each side) but it's much less audible now. still would not call it VG+ but still, I would've given it a solid G before. anyway, give it a try if you could
― frogbs, Wednesday, 25 November 2020 23:00 (three years ago) link
by the way can I just say I hate the terminology behind record grading, where "Very Good" is in fact "okay", "Good" is actually "Bad" and "Fair" is "literally bent into a Moebius strip". must've been an unscrupulous record dealer who came up with that bullshit
― frogbs, Wednesday, 25 November 2020 23:02 (three years ago) link
Yeah, I stay away from pretty much everything on Discogs rated VG or lower.
― skip, Thursday, 26 November 2020 01:41 (three years ago) link
I’ve rallied against the VG/VG+ black hole before
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 02:39 (three years ago) link
VG+ is def the most bullshit grade
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 26 November 2020 02:48 (three years ago) link
idk not in my circles or buying experience, VG is where the disagreements seem to start
that being said, I think I've probably been lucky w/r/t Discogs purchases
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 03:29 (three years ago) link
xp a bit but I always have a bottle of Record Revirginizer kicking about now, it's kind like wood glue but actually designed for records
I've had records I thought were trash brought back to VG and better with this stuff, in Australia it costs about $50 a bottle - not sure how many records I get out of that, feels like more than 25 tho - I ask myself would I pay $2 at the shop for a better sounding record and the answer is yes
It was made in Aus but I've heard the dude's patent was bought out by a US company so maybe it'll start showing up more readily/cheaply in other territories now
― the least famous person you were surprised to discover (emsworth), Thursday, 26 November 2020 03:59 (three years ago) link
He'll make a mint
― maf you one two (maffew12), Thursday, 26 November 2020 04:41 (three years ago) link
nah they only offered a Very Good Plus
― frogbs, Thursday, 26 November 2020 04:54 (three years ago) link
Most VG+ graded purchases I've made on Discogs from large sellers have been okay. It usually means the record sounds decent and the cover has issues, which for something cheap doesn't bother me. The bad ones tended to have surface noise despite looking clean.
― skip, Thursday, 26 November 2020 17:34 (three years ago) link
hint: if it’s an older record, it’s probably not actually VG+
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 17:55 (three years ago) link
ime
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 17:56 (three years ago) link
idk I have e.g. a 1967 Doors pressing that is basically perfect aside from very light shelf wear, would def grade it VG++
I'm kind of a condition freak so I break it down like:
Mint -- opened but unplayed, record never taken out of jacket, no creases or cover issues
Near Mint -- basically perfect w/ minor signs of use
VG++ -- like NM but with aging or other noticeable wear
VG+ -- basically in great shape but maybe some hairlines or spindle wear or small cover issues etc, record should play w/o surface noise unless pressing is known to have issues (which happens a lot tbh)
VG -- some surface noise, pops, crackle, etc. Shouldn't interfere w/ the listening experience. I wouldn't buy or keep a musique concret or classical or quiet experimental record with this grade unless it was a placeholder for an upgrade
VG- -- known issues like scratches or cover damage, but not so much as to become a beater. no skips.
G -- beater copy that I file w/o an outer sleeve just to play for fun. maybe a skip or two.
F or P - pretty much worthless except for sentimental reasons
fortunately I only sell through a small internet group of mutual friends and in person at shows, so grading doesn't come up for me too much. I will say again that out of hundreds of Discogs purchases I've only had a couple of overgrading issues.
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:12 (three years ago) link
To me, those all sound at least one notch too generous. But I’m not in the collector game
― yes m!ch!gan - the feeling's forever (morrisp), Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:36 (three years ago) link
for reference:
https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/record-grading-101
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:38 (three years ago) link
basically any noticeable flaws should mean VG- or lower, with descriptions of said flaws
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:41 (three years ago) link
yeah I mean i should stress it’s just my experience. a few years ago I ordered 10 VG+ steely dan records from 10 different sellers and only one was actually VG+... the rest were VG at best. kind just decided to go with stores I trust + descriptive EBay listings for used stuff since.
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:43 (three years ago) link
kind “of”
well I should say VG- at best per yr grading scale, sleeve
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:44 (three years ago) link
I would have thought G means no skips (at minimum). Just by the plain-language meaning of “Good.”
― yes m!ch!gan - the feeling's forever (morrisp), Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:48 (three years ago) link
Good records basically sound like garbage but shouldn’t skip
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:57 (three years ago) link
fwiu
― brimstead, Thursday, 26 November 2020 18:58 (three years ago) link
I like discussing this stuff btw but I’m a nerd
lol same
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 19:36 (three years ago) link
I reserve “mint” for sealed records; if the shrink has been opened, the highest I will grade is NM, and that only if it looks perfect in every way. Any mark, even spindle marks, instantly downgrade it to VG+. Any mark that looks like it would be audible (or, if playgraded, any audible issues beyond a tiny amount of crackle at the start of a side) instantly downgrades the record to VG. For jackets, even if sealed, I usually grade NM at best. I have one item currently for sale that looks like it just came off the factory line and was handled with care - my only M/M. I have lots of sealed records that grade M/VG+ or M/VG due to bumps, shelfwear, etc. I try to accurately describe any flaws.I’m sure I miss out on lots of sales because people are (rightly) wary of VG+ records actually being VG or worse, and listing 2 or 3 flaws in the description makes the records sound worse than they are, but it’s more important to me to keep my 100% seller rating than to have a couple more bucks in my pocket. YMMV.
― the thing that the angry Left forbids (hardcore dilettante), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:29 (three years ago) link
^^ tough but fair, I shoulda mentioned that for me "sealed" is a separate thing, some new stock never comes in shrink
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:34 (three years ago) link
(would totally buy from you, feel free to plug yr store)
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:35 (three years ago) link
yeah was going to say hardcore, great post, would like to browse your store
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:41 (three years ago) link
an old friend of mine who has owned a record store for years always prices stuff very fair, def less than discogs, I asked him why and he said "a record store should be a river not a lake"which I love the imagery but basically he wants stuff going out and stuff coming in at all times, if that means getting $10 less than three theoretical price online so be it, he wants there always to be new stuff when someone comes in
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:43 (three years ago) link
Absolutely, nothing more off putting with these stores than going a month later and seeing the same records in the same order. In college at Green Bay i dropped a lot of money at this one small shop because it seemed like every week there was a new stack of stuff and it made me feel like if I didn’t go there frequently I’d miss something good
― frogbs, Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:48 (three years ago) link
That makes me think of Rat in Camberwell, which has a great flow of new stuff. It tends to be cheaper than elsewhere but damn you have to get there early.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:57 (three years ago) link
a record store should be a river not a lake
love this and so true
― the least famous person you were surprised to discover (emsworth), Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:59 (three years ago) link
agreed, and that's also good inventory practice for any brick & mortar really, something that doesn't sell is taking up space where something that does sell could be
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Thursday, 26 November 2020 21:04 (three years ago) link
I’m ShedRekkids on Discogs. I don’t have a ton of stuff listed, as I do prefer to sell locally if possible. If any of you do decide to buy something, send me a message about it first & I’ll sling you an ILX discount! I’m only shipping in NA right now because tracking overseas is hella expensive & I’ve had some scares with untracked parcels (although everything I’ve shipped has — eventually — arrived)I love the River/Lake quote! Def feel that, even if I don’t always practice it.
― the thing that the angry Left forbids (hardcore dilettante), Thursday, 26 November 2020 21:16 (three years ago) link
VG is where the disagreements seem to start
otm
― Paul Ponzi, Thursday, 26 November 2020 21:17 (three years ago) link
italian seller says:
LIVE TEST ON WATSAPP OR FACETIME AVAILABLE!
not for me, exactly, but i appreciate the enthusiasm / commitment !
― budo jeru, Tuesday, 8 December 2020 02:32 (three years ago) link
that is pretty cool!
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Tuesday, 8 December 2020 02:33 (three years ago) link
Ive definitely gotten a lot of busted-sounding records that have been alleged to be VG+, ime its a major black box of a rating, but I dont get mad bc I always figure if I'm paying enough that I'd be mad if it turned out to be overgraded, its a sign that I should just go the extra mile to get NM
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Tuesday, 8 December 2020 03:37 (three years ago) link
I'm taking my shop offline when I get home have been at the post office for half an hour and still nowhere near, fuck this
― CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 8 December 2020 15:40 (three years ago) link
yikes, I gotta mail a bunch tomorrow for the first time in months, wish me luck
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Tuesday, 8 December 2020 15:50 (three years ago) link
an hour to post a CD for £2 standing in a crowded shop where some wankers aren't wearing masks. no fucking way. all items expired, phew.
― CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:06 (three years ago) link
for those in the US this has been the only way i've shipped anything since march: https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm (tho idk how widespread availability is)
― adam, Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:07 (three years ago) link
i've been thinking of getting a scale and starting to print my own labels tbh
― budo jeru, Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:16 (three years ago) link
100% the way to go in my experience, makes shipping into a routine rather than anxiety nightmare chore
― adam, Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:45 (three years ago) link
I sell so infrequently (and not actually on Discogs, through a private group) that it's NBD but if I did it regularly I would absolutely go that route.
― howls of non-specificity (sleeve), Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:48 (three years ago) link
I’ve been weighing parcels at home and printing own postage if necessary. For vinyl I’ve started sending using Hermes - can buy the postage online the print the label on a machine at the wee shop down the road from me where I drop the parcels off. Been reliable so far. Maybe worth seeing if that’s an option?
― hamicle, Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:51 (three years ago) link
yeah i'm not exactly a power seller but even shipping a few record out once or twice a week i find a kitchen scale and $100 brother laser printer to be invaluable.
plus then you can print out recipes and shit too instead of cooking from your phone like an animal
― adam, Tuesday, 8 December 2020 16:52 (three years ago) link