What percentage of your vinyl collection is in perfect condition

100%!

It's only one record, Layla, from the box set from a few years ago. It's never been played, as I don't own a turntable.

 

Funnily enough, I find the U.K.’s Royal Mail to be a disaster when it comes to handling shipments from the U.K. I gave up buying records from the U.K. because of it and the high value of Sterling, of course. I can get records from Japan, Europe and the U.S.A. with no damage or very minimal creasing, but not from the U.K.? I hate damaged sleeves/jackets too but what can you do when you rely on mail order for many of the things you want? The new records I buy locally though are always perfect in terms of sleeves/jackets. The ‘oversize’ shipping packet is the answer for shipping records and jackets safely.

 

Your qualifiers for NM is a little high for me to give my collection anything higher than 10%. It's basically what "new" makes up the 300+ I have.

I went through each LP a while back and ditched a good chunk of vinyl I knew I'd never play again based on condition. I prefer to buy a good quality used copy from (or close to) the original era as I can, so automatically I'm at the mercy of the original owner. The LP itself might fill the parameters, but if he/she didn't care about the sleeve, it's gonna have wear.

I can play (and enjoy) every piece of vinyl I have. I knew a girl who said she had "over 1000 LP's". I thought that was cool till I realized maybe 100 were good. Either unplayable, or box after box of old Polka records. I don't care much for the Kenosha Kickers.

 

Including the covers, 95%+

 

Over 90%. The only exceptions are the really obscure titles that have never been reissued and only turn up online as VG or VG+.

 

I used to buy only NM or better and everything goes into sleeves after I get it. About the only stuff I have that isn't NM is some Elton John I got from a friend who passed away via his wife and another couple of pieces of EJ I got from a guy at the office who wrote his name all over the labels!
Haven't seen my albums or most of my stuff for years. I hate these threads

 

5% at most.

"Perfect" is not near-mint, it's mint. Not even 25% of new vinyl just out of the sleeve is mint.

I'm starting to get an idea of why so many M and NM albums I buy over the internet aren't actually in that shape - people really have a rosy perspective on their records.

 

None, they've all been opened and exposed to dust.

 

I'd say only those I bought new. Used ones may look like-new but they're almost always a tad noisier. This said like 60 % of my vinyl is pre-owned.

 

I expect that most SHF members treat their vinyl with care and respect, but many say their "perfect" records are close to zero and others close to 100%. Seems very subjective. Like whether your spouse/date is exquisitely beautiful or really good looking?

I am very careful with my records, but, for starters, most LPs are mass produced manufactured product. How many are "perfect" even if still sealed? I have an unopened Smile Sessions box. The box looks perfect but I would warrant perfection exists within. When I list it for sale, I think I would just rather call it NM even if sealed.

 

all of it except for some albums my wife's friend gave me ... they are atrocious lol

 

About 75% in great condition, 20% in really good condition, the remaining 5% meh!

JG

 

Own a lot of old jazz so have to compromise
Immediacy over some surface noise

The rest are pristine

80%

 

Close to zero. My copy of Electonic Sound likely qualifies as it has so seldom been removed from the shelf.

I have only one piece of vinyl from after the advent of CDs: the double LP of Strictly Commercial by Zappa. That is likely close to perfect condition too. But everything else I have is at least 33&1/3 years old and well loved.

 

99% - I only buy Mint or Near Mint vinyl, started collecting 5 years ago

 

Most of them. Nobody touches my albums!

 

To me, all of those that I thoroughly enjoy listening to are in perfect condition. I enjoy the music and listen past any intruding ticks or pops.

 

I am like a lot of other members and tend
To buy only n mint or mint used vinyl,
I would say 95 percent of my collection
n mint to mint I am OCD when it comes to buying vintage vinyl I look for a few n mint to mint albums at fairs and only buy the best I can find for a price I can afford,
and i'm am quite lucky and only buy from trusted sellers who know I would rather pay more for say two or three albums
than buy a pile of records that are not in good condition.
But that's just me, the other 5 percent of
My collection is stuff I have had from childhood and could not part with it pops and clicks and all,
I bought some of my first albums over 4o+
Years ago and could not be parted with
them just for the memories of how I got them as each one tells a story from my youth.

 

If by perfect you mean Mint, I would say 25%. It goes up exponentially if we include VG+, VG++ in that mix. For me VG++ is a record which looks virtually perfect in natural light. Once you add in bright light, you see the imperfections. All VG++ records in my collection sound just about perfect with the scant light click in soft passages, VG+ only slightly less perfect. I'd say VG+ or above, I'm at a solid 85-90%

 

If I was using that standard, then I'd say my collection is about at 25%.

But, the OP said "perfect," which is a state that most new vinyl isn't even in. Most new vinyl has marks of some sort, even if they don't affect play.

So, for perfection, I'm at about 5%.

 

I take good care of my records,they are all in good condition.

 

25%: m, m-
50%:vg+,vg,vg-
25%:g+,g
I don't buy a huge amount online and use thrift stores, used record shops and pawn shops a lot so often my best hopes are vg+ territory.
Every now and then I have the pawn shop/thrift store luck of a nm graded lp that is also rare and sought after.
I am not quite as picky with the LP cover and I have worked in printing a little and I am able do some restorations on valuable LP covers that have blemishes or scratches by using ink and workable fixative.

 

Neal Umpred's Goldmine Price guide of Collectible Records (an essential from 1996)...Fifth Edition, defines record conditions as such:

NM-Near Mint, a record that is otherwise Mint, but has one or two tiny, inconsequential flaws that do not affect the play is NM. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ringwear, minor denting, minor damage to a corner, or writing on the cover should be noted properly, though still acceptable as NM.

VG+-Very Good Plus, has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. That is, an item obviously not perfect, but not too far from it. On a disc, this could mean that there are light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl may have lost some-not all- of its original luster. A slight scratch that did not affect play in an otherwise NM disc would be perfectly acceptable VG+ for most collectors. A scratch of any sort that clicked throughout the music would be unacceptable. On covers some wear is acceptable, especially light wear that does not affect the beauty of the artwork.

I would say 80% of my over 800 LPs are in NM to VG+ condition...pretty hard to find a 40-50 year old record in NM condition. But I try to stick to at least VG+ which, to some may actually look like a NM LP. Forget any ebay ratings..they haven't a clue mostly, or are downright fibbing about the condition.

 

Maybe 10-20%. I kind of like a few pops and clicks, and records that are not perfect are much cheaper. Only a couple I would say are truly "noisy" though, and I keep those because they are uncommon.