Grading 

We use the below vinyl record gradings based on the UK Record Collector Rare Price Guide.                 RC

We want you to be delighted with your record. It is of no value to you or to us to knowingly grade incorrectly. 

Vinyl

Mint   The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality.

Excellent+   The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is no lessening in sound quality. Very minor light surface marks.

Excellent   The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. Light surface marks. 

Very Good   The record has been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality despite noticeable surface marks. 

Nothing will be offered for sale below Very Good.

 

Covers   

We will not send grossly damaged /torn or dirty sleeves. 

Excellent  Minimal creasing, no tears, no sticker damage, no writing. Many are as new. 

Very Good   May have small tears (nothing over 5mm), minimal sticker damage, creasing or small writing.  

 


 

CDs and mini-discs were expected to kill off demand for vinyl. But they didn't: some of today's most fashionable bands are releasing singles on vinyl alongside more modern formats, and collecting vinyl is becoming a serious hobby.

There's a manic desire for them and lots of people are buying records as investments. Demand is strong and the internet has widened access. Anyone can collect records.

You can also forget CDs. They're not as sexy as vinyl. They lack that allure. They've yet to demonstrate collectability and staying power.

It is like buying a piece of history...They are iconic moments in music and are pieces of culture in their own right.

Blue chip collectables are items by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Queen to some extent and The Smiths. The early Sex Pistols are also achieving huge prices. A copy of The Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" recently sold for £12,000 on eBay.

Prices are definitely rising...The most collectable items, however, are the more obscure records and bands. With artists such as Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs choosing to put records out on vinyl the medium is being introduced to a younger audience, which can also increase values.

Many insurance companies now accept that vinyl goes up in value and so people are buying records as an investment.

Mono vs. Stereo
was the only option available. Crude by today's standards, mono records included a single track of sound, mixed together. Stereo recordings, with different tracks of sound for the left and right speakers, became the normin the early sixties. In fact, you will often find stereo and mono versions of the same vinyl recording, most with different price ranges. (Usually the mono version are listed at the higher price because there are fewer quantities of these records.) Additionally, 45s (7-inch singles) remained in mono format well into the 1960's since that was the type of audio equipment that buyers of singles, mostly teenagers, often had in their homes.

Most listeners preferred stereo records, but some artists disagreed. Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham claims that the band's best work in the 1960s was all recorded in mono and insists that "if you want to hear the Stones as we intended you to hear them, listen to the original mono albums." Motown president Berry Gordy, Jr. regarded mono as the "cat's meow" and made sure that the engineers at Motown gave it all their attention. Even the great Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was originally recorded in mono and then converted to stereo. George Harrison insisted, "You haven't heard Sgt. Pepper if you haven't heard it in mono."

Yes, the music does sound different, but mono was phased out in the US in 1967 and the UK in 1968. (Quadraphonic records, an attempt to create four channels, were released in the 1970s, but the format had technical problems and did not last.) Today, some classic albums from the 60's are being reissued in the format (some on CD). MCA's repackaging of the Who's A Quick One: Happy Jack used the original mono master tape for the release. Pink Floyd's LP The Piper at the Gates of Dawn has also been reissued in mono format.

 

The Rebirth Of Vinyl
A vinyl record revival has been brewing for several years now.

Just look at some of the trends that Nielsen Sound Scan found when it compared music sales in the first nine months of 2012 to the same period the year before. Total US album sales dropped 4.4% to 218 million units, but that drop was fueled by CD sales dropping from 152 million units to 130 million. Vinyl made up a small percentage of sales, but its sales also increased dramatically, from 2.7 million units to 3.2 million, a 16% increase. Vinyl record sales were expected to top 4 million for all of 2012.

Digital album sales increased 15% in that time. They've been going up steadily, from 1% of the market when Nielsen SoundScan started counting them in 2004 to 23% of total album sales by 2007. In 2011, over 100 million digital album sales were recorded for the first time.

What about the vinyl record? It has seen a steady increase in sales since 2008. The pace of vinyl's growth slowed just a bit in 2012, but sales projections still count on it to grow. And Nielsen's number underestimate the trend, because some independent record stores, where vinyl is often king, are not included in the numbers. Also, the sales figures don't count huge sales in used records. At any given time, there are more than 1.5 million LPs listed on eBay, some used, some new.

2012 LP/Vinyl Albums Sales(LP/Vinyl Records)
Artist / Title / Units Sold
1. Jack White - Blunderbuss - 18,000
2. Black Keys - El Camino - 17,600
3. Beatles - Abbey Road - 15,700
4. Beach House - Bloom - 14,100
5. Adele - 21 - 10,300
6. The Shins - Port Of Morrow - 9,600
7. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More - 9,600
8. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls - 9,400
9. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago - 9,200
10. Bon Iver - Bon Iver - 8,900
The vinyl record is a survivor. Think about it. Reel to reel tapes, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, CDs, iPods, and digital downloads have all led an assault to put the vinyl pressing plants out of business. But the vinyl record has persevered. Why? Because of DJs, who kept spinning records and playing them in the clubs, musicians who insisted on releasing their music on vinyl, and anyone who insists on buying a vinyl record because of the sound quality and the record jackets and sleeves.


The demand for vinyl is increasing, and the record labels are responding to this increased demand, though some admit it is not a profit motive driving the decision.

"We have increased the number of vinyl releases, but it's very expensive," says Christina Rentz, publicist at noted indie music label Merge Records in Durham, N.C. "The packaging is more expensive. To make the lacquer, artwork, and packaging, it can make a budget look rough. We charge more for the LP than the CD. You have to charge more, though the margin is thin."

Still, more artists are pressing albums and special edition releases on vinyl. This movement is not only being led by revival acts and nostalgic rockers. "Younger artists are just as, or even more, excited about having their albums on vinyl than the older ones," said Rentz.

Jack White's Third Man Records is noted for the innovative use of both the vinyl record medium and the Internet. Third Man Records, located in Memphis, Tenn., contains a record store, record label offices, photo studio, dark room and live venue with analog recording booth. Third Man Rolling Record Store, a van loaded with vinyl, travels around the country to live shows, record stores and record conventions.


"We have sold 600,000 pieces of vinyl since we opened three years ago," White says. "That's a lot of vinyl. The new singles, the 7-inches of my new singles from Blunderbuss - over 12,000 copies apiece so far, in the first month. The first White Stripes single, it took us two years to sell 1,000 copies," White explains.

"Vinyl is the only thing growing in the music industry, the only thing that is growing in sales. The only thing where the numbers are going up. When it comes down to really respecting and loving music, I'm so glad that vinyl is still alive and people really still love it."

 

White is also very inventive with his limited vinyl releases, even releasing a record with liquid in it.


Another exciting innovation in the vinyl record resurgence is the national Record Store Day, the third Saturday in April. It wasestablished in 2007 to promote independent record stores and the vinyl format. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records and live in-store performances by local bands. The annual event's concept is now being furthered by Vinyl Saturdays, a new monthly unveiling of limited special vinyl pieces. Record companies also line up special releases for Black Friday, the frantic shopping day after Thanksgiving in the United States.

Read what the musicians think of Record Store Day:

Paul McCartney

"There's nothing as glamorous to me as a record store. When I recently played Amoeba in LA, I realized what fantastic memories such a collection of music brings back when you see it all in one place. This is why I'm more than happy to support Record Store Day and I hope that these kinds of stores will be there for us all for many years to come. Cheers!"

Colin Meloy (The Decemberists)

"I don't know what I would do without indie record stores. Having grown up in a town without them, I can tell you that it's no fun to shop for indie records at chain box stores. Independent record stores like Sonic Boom in Seattle, Rockin Rudys in Missoula and 2nd Avenue in Portland were holy golden shrines to me growing up. Actually, they still are."

Ziggy Marley

"Record stores keep the human social contact alive ... Without the independent record stores, the community breaks down with everyone sitting in front of their computers."

Peter Gabriel

"I was introduced to lots of great music through my local record store. It was a place where people knew music and they knew me, and could make great suggestions and discoveries. Whether it is in the physical world or on-line, the value of a great and knowledgeable record store has not gone away."
 

 

 

Vinyl Record Sites and Sites of Interest


For the Beatles fan in all of us
www.beatlelinks.net/links

For jazz lovers
www.allaboutjazz.com

For the latest punk updates
www.punknews.org

For metal lovers
www.metalunderground.com

An online resource that is second to none
www.vinylrecordscollector.co.uk

A comprehensive look at recording history, discographies, records and labels
http://www.bsnpubs.com/index.html

If you love the Beatles, check out the ultimate Beatles site.

An up-close look at vinyl records, record wear and more.

The next new thing for playing vinyl: The Laser Turntable

Buying and selling rare phonograph records for the past 30 years: John Tefteller.

In-depth interviews with the best record shops and vinyl selling spots in the world.


Fixing a warped record
www.theaudioanalyst.com/unwarp.htm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcLZRr4VDU
www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-77919.html
 

Cleaning Your Records
The most important aspect of owning and playing vinyl records is to keep the records clean. Vinyl attracts dust and dirt because of its tendency to build up static electrical charges. These particles will cause "pops" and "clicks" as the record plays.

Is it possible to take an old dusty record album and clean it so it plays to your satisfaction? Yes, as long as the record is in decent shape. You do not have to spend exorbitant amounts of money on expensive record cleaners and gadgets. That being said, there are some record cleaning products on the market today that do an outstanding job.

Let's start with the old fashioned way to clean your vinyl. Before and after playing any record, you should wipe it with a moist antistatic cloth. This will ensure the best possible playback, and also prepares the record for dust free storage.

Better than a cloth is a carbon fiber brush. The almost microscopic carbon fibers help disrupt static buildup and clean the grooves, removing dust and dirt. It's better to run the turntable and brush the record while it spins, rather than hold the record in your hands. This will result in a smoother, more consistent cleaning motion.

The turntable surface should also be kept clean of dust and static. Most new turntables come equipped with a rubber or antistatic felt surface.

Some people get so intensely careful about cleaning their vinyl records that they often forget about keeping the needle clean. Since the needle is constantly tracking in the groove of the records, it attracts large amounts of dirt and dust particles. When not properly maintained, the needle may not vibrate fully and may not rest in the bottom of the record groove, resulting in decreased sound quality and other audio problems.


Condensed air in a can is a great way to clean the needle, the turntable area, and the carbon fiber brush. Air cans are available at any electronics retailer.

Vacuum type record cleaning machines are generally very expensive and outside the price range of most vinyl record collectors.

A more affordable washer for record collectors is the Spin-Clean Record Washer. For about $80 you get a record washing system that works and is affordable. Reliable publications in the record-collecting world, such as Goldmine and Stereo Magazine, have recommended it.

It is ok to wash your records without a kit, if you have the time and patience. This is a delicate procedure and can be a bit time consuming but is well worth the time invested. You can use Ivory dish soap and distilled water. (You must use distilled water, since ordinary tap water has too many harmful chemicals and additives. We have also used the water from a de-humidifier; it is de-ionized, de-mineralized, and aptly suited for this purpose.)


Mix just a couple of drops of Ivory dish soap into a cereal bowl with lukewarm distilled water. Then, taking a cotton cloth, an old white T-shirt, or even a soft toothbrush, lightly wash the grooves in a circular motion in the opposite direction of the needle flow.

If you are doing a 45 rpm record, this doesn't take too long, but a record album can take awhile. The important thing to remember is to take your time. Do not soak the record, but get it wet enough to remove the dirt and sediment build-up. Be careful not to get any water on the label (it may run or peel). Next, dry it with another cotton cloth, or place the record in a dish rack to dry. (Never play a wet record!)

Many cleaning solutions can be used to "wet" wash a record. Never use the new cleaning solutions on 78's, because the alcohol in them can dissolve shellac recordings. Instead, clean 78's with a mild solution of regular soap and distilled water.