I would also think this to be "amateur hour", and that anybody who has either shipped or received any number of albums would have long since realized what is necessary to protect the album on its journey. However, I never cease to be amazed at the number of times I get albums poorly packed in ways that should be obviously inappropriate - in bags without stiffeners, in homemade contraptions made from chopped up pieces of boxes, in gigantic boxes with a couple of air-filled "pillows" chucked in there but plenty of room for the album to float and slam around in, etc. etc. Amazingly, I would say that I get these kind of terrible packing jobs much more commonly when they are shipped from Europe or the UK than from within the United States! I think this is amazing because the sellers should know that the album is going on a long long trip and if anything MORE care is needed in the packing, and instead they take an absurdly minimalist approach to it. Really?!? You're going to pack a $40 album to go across the Atlantic in a freaking tyvek sleeve? Like the poster here, I hardly even know what to say to these people, as I feel that they are so bereft of sense that anything I would say seems unlikely to penetrate to them. My basic philosophy is if it somehow comes through all right then I just thank my lucky stars and move on. If it gets wrecked, I write and let them know exactly what the problem is. If they refund the money, great. If they want the LP shipped back across the ocean, I reassess how much money it was and whether it makes any sense to spend $20 shipping back a $30 album or whatever. Also, when I buy albums from across the oceans, I sort of build into my sale an internal understanding that I might lose the money entirely, and is it worth it to me to risk that by purchasing the album. Finally, whenever I buy an album (from anywhere) I write a note to the seller explaining exactly how I want it packed (boilerplate language I have used for years) and hope that it nudges them to do the right thing. Overall, these kind of problems do dampen my enthusiasm for buying vinyl.
I just received a record today from the same seller, packed exactly the same way. I haven't seen a record packed this poorly in about 10-15 years. Amateur hour indeed, and the seller has been a member here since 2002. The record that I purchased was also graded NM/NM. The vinyl was more like VG+ and the jacket was a VG+. Here's a picture of the packing materials. The record jackets were used as filler pads.
Another case of the LIKE button being inappropriate. Well, he'll offer you a 50% refund...it's up to you of course.
Never understood the attempted workarounds for the tried-and-true $1.50 lp mailer. What really seems like false economy is that aforementioned method of piecing together multiple little patches of cardboard and then mummy-wrapping in a ton of packing tape. LP mailers are incredible technology. Go with what works.
...or more like 2.50 Is there a reason we can't mention the seller's name here? I'm late to this party by a few weeks. It sounds like an attempt was made to educate but has been ignored. This would open the door to call out the seller to warn others. Packing lps is not that difficult. Thanks for calling me in Myke.
Well, calling out by name would be considered a personal attack, so just a little detective work exposes the party. This happened after the seller having a spotless rep, so it was like he just lost his mind for at least two sales,...I don't know. .
Member @KenJ : 2 Alabama albums. 35 and 34 years old respectively. Proper album mailer / records in original paper (picture and lyrics) inner sleeves, outside the jacket. Everything as graded, if not a smidge better ! No skips anywhere ! Price ? $3.00 each. Buy with confidence. Repeat customer here too, btw. .
Add the name @SpeakerLabFan to the TRUSTED list. SRV's Live Alive in absolutely gorgeous condition, packed by a conscientious vinyl lover. THANK YOU ! .
Adding the name @riverrat . Spot-on accurate grading. Albums arrived well packed, clean, and ready to sing along to, (which I tend to do when I'm happy). Also, I now finally have the highly coveted " Let It Bleed " poster !
@Cassius ... I was thinking yesterday, how since the complete Allmans' Fillmore East came out on Blu ray, I haven't played the copy I bought from you, so many years ago now. So I pulled her out, put her on the table, and turned her up. 3 sides Dennis King, 1 side George Piro. Phew ! Duane flying all over, Berry thundering away, Butch driving that freight train, and the 3 we have left playing their hearts out also. Sometimes, nothing will do but the right cut of vinyl. So thankful I've never given up, since 1964.
@klownschool / Rick , damn son !!! As an actual friend, I refuse to take you for granted, therefore every time I receive a shipment, I'm in awe !!! The Monkees - S/T debut - 51 year -old vinyl and jacket - my fourth Mono original Monkees album, NO skips, NO pops, NO problems !?!?!? Elvin Bishop - Raisin' Hell Live - 40 year-old vinyl - again, clean. And Rick doesn't charge us hundreds of dollars for these museum pieces. No, somehow he finds these out in the wild, brings them home, gives them love, attention, and a bath. Lists them one by one, only asking that we meet a $15.00 minimum, to help him make a tiny profit. He damn sure ain't getting rich this way. Unbelievable. .
How I've left @hvbias ( Deepak ) out of this thread is beyond me ! Sitting here listening to what I consider to be a dead quiet presentation of Telegraph Road, off a Japanese copy of Love Over Gold, and I'm blown away !!! Hendrix In The West 'RL' DCC Fresh Cream DCC Best Of The Doobies Classic 140g Tommy I am spoiled rotten by sellers like Deepak. They do all the work, tracking down the best copy they can find, then if they decide to sell it, some schnook like me can come along, throw down a few bucks, and go home to one helluva collection.
Thanks Mike for tagging me, I let the heavy weight champions (tlmusic, raunch, Bill Hart, etc) do the heavy lifting and just follow their lead! Glad you enjoy LOG, that thing did slam a couple minutes into Telegraph Road I can see why it's loved by many. I love pressings that sound better the louder you turn it up; a sign of little compression and good EQ
@Matt Starr . Two records described as NM, and damned if they ain't ! Mikey is very happy this afternoon. Thank you Matt ! Very highly recommended.
<<< I finally get to experience the @TLMusic vinyl buy for myself, and where did I start ? At the top of course !!!!! As described of course, this MFSL Led Zeppelin II, cut by Stan Ricker, and pressed in Japan, 1982, is dead quiet, yet POWERFUL. All the subtlety of an ' RL,' but with more quality. Sounds more like what I heard through my headphones in 1975, when a 16 year-old me, snuck into my room, stoned out of my mind on great weed.
I've got the Classic Records 200g for I, III, IV, PG, Presence, ITTOD, and Coda (HoH is an 'RL'), so it's funny that the general consensus is that the Classic for II falls third in line behind the 'RL,' and this. Oh well. At my age, and income, I'm through buying Zep on vinyl for the rest of my life now.
Speaking of @Bill Cormier today. It's your turn to be embarrassed. He graded this record BVG++, and it was still understated. Grading conservatively is a talent, really. You either have it, or you don't. This thread is about those who do. From my Facebook page, while my living room vibrates with Keep On Chooglin' : January 5th, 1969, Bayou Country was released. CCR's second album inc.the single "Proud Mary." I just took possession of a NM copy for only $25 inc.shipping !!! 49+ years, and this album has been LOVED and looked after. Even the jacket has no seam splits, and included the original CCR inner sleeve !!! Bottom end is killer. Tagging those I know will appreciate my good fortune and...understand my joy.
Nearly forgot @tman53 , who with his honesty in answering a question lost him a sale, but gained him a follower. I let others here know of his honesty, and they will be paying closer attention to his FS threads as a result.