BARBARA LEWIS / Hello Stranger - 16 Smooth Sides / '81 Solid Smoke LP Comp VG++

Description: ITEM TYPE — U.S. 12” Vinyl LP - Solid Smoke SS-8014 RECORD CONDITION — (PLAY-GRADED USING GOLDMINE SYSTEM, SEE CHART AT BOTTOM) — VG++. Vinyl is clean, smooth, shiny, no scratches. My canine ears heard only a few stray, quiet clicks and ticks here and there throughout entire play of both sides. Nice copy. COVER CONDITION — VG++. Not a cutout. No seam splits. REMARKS — I grade very conservatively. My VG+ to VG++ grade in many cases could be a NM or NM- with little-to-no-noticeable surface noise. But I grade on the side of caution. I want my customers to be happy. I want you to find your record(s) in as good or BETTER shape than you expected. Also, all of my records are from my well-cared-for personal, smoke-free, mildew-free, pet-free collection. *** PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND READ THESE VERY IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE BIDDING OR BUYING *** ALL RECORDS ARE PLAY-GRADED USING GOLDMINE GRADING SYSTEM (SEE CHART AT BOTTOM).U.S. SHIPPING — USPS Media Mail (1 LP = $5.50) * SHIPPING OUTSIDE OF U.S. * — eBay Global / International Shipping Program ONLY. You MUST participate in eBay’s Global International Shipping so that I can send your winnings via eBay’s U.S. address. Absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS. Sorry. **NOTE** I’m always happy to combine shipping on winning lots. If you are the winning bidder on more than one lot, please wait and let me send you an invoice. But if you are waiting to bid on another auction that’s closing in a matter of days, give me a heads-up because eBay will automatically relist an item that goes unpaid after four days. Thanks. I USE STURDY CARDBOARD LP MAILERS. BUY WITH CONFIDENCE. I AM A LONGTIME eBAYER WITH 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK.CHECK OUT MY OTHER AUCTIONS AND 'BUY IT NOW' ITEMS TODAY AND IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS AS I BEGIN TO LET GO OF MY 60-YEAR COLLECTION OF 12” VINYL RECORD ALBUMS OF MOSTLY 1960s and ‘70s GIRL GROUPS, FEMALE R&B / SOUL SINGERS AND RELATED. BUT PLEASE DON’T ASK ME WHAT I HAVE IN ADVANCE. IT TAKES SOME TIME FOR ME TO GO THROUGH MY COLLECTION, MAKE SCANS, LISTEN AND PLAY-GRADE THE LPs ETC. I HOPE TO GET SEVERAL NEW LISTINGS UP EACH DAY. PLEASE BOOKMARK ME AS A FAVORITE SELLER AND GET NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW LISTINGS GO UP. THANKS FOR LOOKING! ********************************************************************************************************** GOLDMINE GRADING GUIDE These guidelines come from an article, Record Grading 101: Understanding The Goldmine Grading Guide by Patrick Prince, which appeared in the magazine's Feb. 7, 2020 issue. I have edited it down to cover what you will need to address in my listings. For instance, I don’t plan on listing LPs that I opened and played only once or twice as NEAR MINT (NM or M-). Even though they might play beautifully with nary a pop or a click, I will err on the side of caution and rate the LP a strong VG++. I want my customers to be happy and to discover their purchases are actually in better condition than they might have expected. I have been a very persnickety collector my entire life and I now go forward, passing my collection on to others, assuming you are of the same persuasion! (I won’t be listing records in POOR or FAIR conditions but am leaving that category in here just for comparisons). My individual listings will all be play-graded and have specific comments noted above re any surface noise, pops, clicks, cover wear, cut-outs, etc. etc. Here are the GOLDMINE gradings with Patrick Prince’s comments: NEAR MINT (NM OR M-)A good description of a NM record is “it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.” In other words, it’s nearly perfect. Many dealers won’t use a grade higher than this, implying (perhaps correctly) that no record or sleeve is ever truly perfect.NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks” from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects also must be absent; a record and label obviously pressed off center is not Near Mint. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. (NM records don’t have to be “never played”; a record used on an excellent turntable can remain NM after many plays if the disc is properly cared for.)VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E)A good description of a VG+ record is “except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint.” Most collectors, especially those who want to play their records, will be happy with a VG+ record, especially if it toward the high end of the grade (sometimes called VG++ or E+).VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. Covers with cut-out markings can never be considered Near Mint.Very Good (VG)Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record. That said, VG records — which usually sell for no more than 25 percent of a NM record — are among the biggest bargains in record collecting, because most of the “big money” goes for more perfect copies. For many listeners, a VG record or sleeve will be worth the money.VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. Many collectors who have jukeboxes will use VG records in them and not think twice. They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won’t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tag on it, too.Good (G),Good Plus (G+)or Very Good Minus (VG–)These records go for 10 to 15 percent of the Near Mint value, if you are lucky.Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG– cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft.If the item is common, it’s probably better to pass it up. But if you’ve been seeking it for a long time, get it cheap and look to upgrade.POOR (P)and Fair (F)Poor (P) and Fair (F) records go for 0 to 5 percent of the Near Mint value, if they go at all. More likely, they end up going in the trash. Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them. Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want to cry.Only the most outrageously rare items ever sell for more than a few cents in this condition — again, if they sell at all.SEALED ALBUMSStill-sealed albums can — and do — bring even higher prices than listed. However, one must be careful when paying a premium for sealed LPs of any kind for several reasons:1. They may have been re-sealed;2. The records might not be in Near Mint condition;3. The record inside might not be the original pressing or the most desirable pressing;4. Most bizarre of all, the wrong record might be inside. I’ve had this happen to me; I opened a sealed album by one MCA artist only to find a record by a different MCA artist inside! Fortunately, I didn’t pay a lot for that sealed LP. I would have been quite upset if I had!

Price: 14.25 USD

Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa

End Time: 2024-12-08T23:58:46.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.5 USD