VG vinyl records and lower grades.. Who buys them and why?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Old Zorki II, Jan 14, 2019.

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  1. kozy814

    kozy814 Forum Resident

    My question about condition is this: Has the VG++ grading slightly fallen below the standards of 5-7 years ago? It seems that vinyl I've had for years that was originally graded VG+ to VG++ sounds new. The recent buys sound a bit more clicky in places, though visually these look VG+ to VG++.

    What I would consider VG++ is becoming very hard to find.
     
    Old Zorki II likes this.
  2. Michael Rose

    Michael Rose Forum Resident

    Location:
    Davie,Fl
    I buy VG as:

    A. Place holder
    B. Rare piece (usually early 1960's on back)
    C. An artist/act I'm familiar with a couple of hits but not looking for much else
    D. <$5 (usually 1 to 4 bucks)

    3 out 4 of my basic criteria has to be met before I drop cash.
     
  3. Izozeles

    Izozeles Pushing my limits

    Very Good means crap, at least in my experience
     
  4. garrincha

    garrincha Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, UK
    I picked up a box of 'African' records from a friend of a friend a week or so back. I was very excited, as there were a lot of really interesting and obscure records in the box.

    sat down on Saturday morning with a big ol' pot of coffee, my laptop and a sheet of paper to make notes on artist, grading, discogs median price etc. I was absolutely pumped that I may be sitting on a box of real gems.

    turns out these records were either 'well loved' or 'completely trashed'. they sounded awful! boo! one or two were not tooo bad, but there was strong background noise and persistent, loud crackle throughout on every record

    anyway, having scoured discogs it turns out that a lot of these records go for serious money, even in beat up condition. £100+ for G/G+. bonkers!

    I can understand people shelling out serious money for highly collectible gems, but £100 for a beat up record with the shabbiest of covers? nah...not for me

    I guess I could buy the whole lot (his prices were pretty sweet to be fair) and flip em, but again...this ain't for me. I can imagine getting into serious debates with buyers about the true grading. too much hassle, maaaaan!

    bottom line, I'd rather have nothing in my collection that's less than say a strong VG, than a bulging collection of beat up old crap. what's the point?

    oh well.....the hunt for a box of reasonably priced, half decent sounding holy grails continues!
     
  5. Dhreview16

    Dhreview16 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I don’t buy anything less than VG+ for the record and preferably the cover (though maybe a good for this if needs be). I can see why people might buy Good or worse (price constraints/budget, adding lower price items because shipping of extra items is basically free, availability of very old records is limited). I’ve also generally been pleased with the quality of VG+. Just my choice.
     
  6. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher Thread Starter

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    BTW, did you clean them well? Sometimes (not every time) cleaning via vacuum or USM can bring great results...
     
  7. garrincha

    garrincha Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, UK
    indeed I did. sadly, these records have been played to death and were beyond salvaging
     
  8. Kassonica

    Kassonica Forum Resident

    I'll buy an original copy of a album I really like in VG (not below though) just to have one...

    I bought an original Stereo pressing of Hard Road by John Mayall recently, even though I've got a great 70's reissue of it, just to have an original..
     
  9. Subvet

    Subvet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Maine
    I expect everything online to be one grade less than advertised. So I won't even buy VG+ unless it is all I can find at my price point. I bought a VG+ UK Let It Be for $35. They got the grade right (by luck as it was filthy) but they had the listing wrong ('76 instead of '70). I kept it anyway as it played nearly VG++.
     
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  10. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher Thread Starter

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    But these is indeed an expensive record, and if just to have an original difference between $20 and $100 is a lot of money!
    But $3 instead of $5?
     
  11. Subvet

    Subvet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern Maine
    But what is the condition of the cover? Maybe they are not playing the record?
     
  12. ernie11

    ernie11 Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia
    Don't buy too many G or VG records any more. If I do, it's either rare or it's an old 78 rpm which I find hard to find in realty nice condition.
     
  13. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Good is very misleading for those not in the know, it usually means quite poor.
     
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  14. ausgraeme

    ausgraeme Forum Resident

    Depends on the seller. I buy a lot of jazz from a Discogs seller in Japan and their VG+ rated records are excellent. Unbelievably excellent actually. Obviously I prefer near mint if I'm buying second hand but with this particular seller I'll happily buy VG+ if near mint is not available knowing the quality will be excellent. Of course, not all sellers can be trusted like that.
     
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  15. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    As most mentioned here already, a collector will for a rare record. It's very hard, in my case to find an original UK Beatles record in VG+ :shrug:
     
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  16. Old Zorki II

    Old Zorki II Storm Watcher Thread Starter

    Location:
    near Tampa, FL
    Perhaps a grade scale is a bit strange. Basically it is M (sealed really), NM, VG+, VG, G+, G, F, P. If you do not know look at it G+ appears to be "average" - while in fact it is realistically a totally trashed record, just not cracked in half ))).

    Leo Tolstoy once wrote “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” I guess the same reason for having a single grade for high quality used records and many for a poor ones....
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
  17. phillyal1

    phillyal1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    philadelphia, pa.
    Exactly right.
    Just bought in one of my favorite stores a copy of Jack Good's Oh Boy. Never seen this before. Wreckless Eric imitated the cover design for one of his records.
    Looks like someone took a bite out of the bottom of the cover. Black and gold Parlophone issue. After cleanup, a hint of surface noise, but otherwise AOK.
    One American dollar -- yes please :)
     
  18. phillyal1

    phillyal1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    philadelphia, pa.
    Every record forum I have read has the same thing to say about African records -- it is what it is.
     
  19. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    There are plenty of *true* VG records that I own that are acceptable to me if I obtained them at the appropriate price. Some records are visually a VG but play better.

    Most records advertised as VG+ on places like discogs are really VG (or worse) anyway. Plenty of albums from the 1970s might look like NM but play with consistent surface noise. Others of the same press might visually be a VG but play nearly identically.

    My understanding of the grade is that VG isn't supposed to be something that means "all beat up, but miraculously doesn't skip."

    I don't buy records online graded VG (or VG+, if I can help it) because that grading level is more subjective than M or NM and I don't want the hassle of going back and forth with the seller over an interpretation. But I have bought plenty of (true) VG albums in person, if being honest about the condition of the record. If it's got some light scratches and a scuff here and there, it's VG.

    Anyway, I also have bought VG albums in person that became VG+ upon cleaning.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
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  20. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    vg are just two letter slapped on a listing. they really don't mean jack squat in the long run. I've bought vg and even g records that played great, with minimal surface noise. sometimes you get lucky.
     
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  21. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    You just mentioned the pink elephant in the room!
     
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  22. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Does this mean you don't buy 60's pressings or when you do you pay top dollar?
     
  23. MKHopkins

    MKHopkins Break out the Hats and Hooters

    Location:
    Beaver Falls, PA
    So based on how the ratings are supposed to be, say I am a person on a budget just starting collecting and I have $30 to spend which only comes along once in a blue moon. Using the OP’s clarification of a VG+ for $6 or a Vg for $3 I can buy 5 VG+ records or 10 VG, which mind you are supposed to be more than adequately playable. I think there is an argument to go VG for sure.
     
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  24. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    Even at set sale high price or high minimum bid to start??????
     
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  25. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    If you can get accurately-graded VG records at VG prices, then I think there definitely is an argument to go with them, especially depending on the press. The problem is that so many sellers tend to put records into one of 3 categories: hi-test (whatever their interpretation of M/NM is), regular ("playable used", which often encompasses anywhere from true VG+ to true G-, but priced in the NM - VG+ area) and low grade (bargain bin/buyer beware).
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
    ausgraeme, eddiel and Old Zorki II like this.
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