HW RE: site for collectors CDr dodgy ness ?

[Paul Mather]

On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 03:33:29PM -0500, Doug Pearson wrote:

=> On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 12:08:03 -0000, David Dobbie <david.dobbie at BT.COM>
=> wrote:
=> >
=> >Hawkwind Warrior On The Edge Of Time £52.21  Other
=> >Condition: NM
=> >Item Number: Q15568
=> >CD-R + Vinyl Combo: UK / 1975 GATEFOLD TSUAG29766
=> >
=> >Always been dubious of NM, what does it mean surely a record is mint
=> >or e mean near mint?
=>
=> Any serious record collector/dealer will tell you that the only records
=> that are MINT are records that have never been played.  If a record has
=> been played once, but the vinyl is still in perfect condition, it cannot
=> be called Mint, hence the "Near Mint" (or "Mint Minus") grade.

I've actually seen the designation "unplayed" (UNP) used to describe
the above by some of the record collector outfits I've used.  From
memory, I think the official gradings in _Record Collector_ allow a
record to me "Mint" and still have been played.

I always took the gradings I was given in record lists with a HUGE
grain of salt.  I usually found they were elevated one or two levels
above what I would have assigned when I eventually got the item (more
so for vinyl than for sleeve condition).  But, I did get some nice
surprises the reverse, e.g., some classified EX which were NM/M...

Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa