The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting by Robert

Transcription

The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting
by Robert Benson www.collectingvinylrecords.com
The Fascinating Hobby Of
Vinyl Record Collecting
www.collectingvinylrecords.com
By Robert G. Benson
A Record Collector‟s Guide to Their
Passion
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About the Author:
Robert Benson has been collecting records for more than 30 years and
has more than 10,000 vinyl records in his collection, ranging from
early rock and roll, through the present. As an avid collector, Robert
has learned many “tricks of the trade,” which he shares with you in his
insightful look into this wonderful hobby and why vinyl records have
remained so popular.
Robert wrote this ebook to share his passion with others and includes
multiple interviews with record collectors and record dealers, an indepth look at album cover art and its history, grading vinyl,
buying/selling issues and much more.
Robert operates (www.collectingvinylrecords.com) and also operates
several others, but his time and efforts are geared toward his vinyl
sites. Robert writes many articles about records and has recently been
included in Jerry Osborne‟s 2008 „Rockin‟ Records‟ record price
guide. He also is a moderator in Jerry‟s forum
(http://www.jerryosborne.com/cgi-bin/Forum/YaBB.pl in charge of
“This Date In Music History”) and has been published on sites such as
www.vinylgallery.org www.recordcollectorsguild.org, www.gemm.com,
www.associatedcontent.com, www.isnare.com www.musicstack.com,
www.rockitradio.net and many more-to numerous to list.
Robert grew up listening to rock and roll and Aroadied@ for many bands
in his youth, where he acquired such a keen interest in music and the
players of music. Come follow Robert as we explore the fascinating
world of vinyl record collecting.
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Visit Robert’s Informative Websites:
www.collectingvinylrecords.com learn about the hobby of collecting records,
current trends, engaging articles, pop/rock quiz, album cover art, valuable records & more!
www.vinylrecordappraisals.com
What are your vinyl records worth? Affordable
vinyl record appraisal services available.
www.buyvinylrecords.net
One of the Internets largest online vinyl record directoriessearch for rare and collectible records from vinyl retailers from around the globe!
http://collectingvinylrecords.blogspot.com
the latest news in the vinyl record
world, album cover art features, interviews, top sellers, videos, this date in music history,
interesting links and much more!
All comments and feedback are welcome, email Robert at [email protected] (all emails will be
answered) I have checked all the links as of the end of November 2008 and they are all operational.
Because things change, please report any broken links to my email and I will fix them immediately!
I have been selling the ebook for $5.99 and trust that if you like the product, you will make a donation of
at least $5.99. So I have decided to make this ebook available as a free download, but will accept
donations via the PayPal link on the website. Please check the website and make a donation so I can
continue to make my website and ebook available to everyone!
Additionally, you see this URL featured http://tinyurl.com/6ou5fm in the ebook. What I have done is
‘shrink’ some long URL’s, still takes you to the same page, but without a URL like this:
http://store.eSellerate.net/a.asp?c=1_SKU12470272665_AFL4578905286&at_AFYN27469-dsut%$#
What ‘tiny’ URL does is shrink a URL with, let’s say 70 characters, and makes it a more manageable 2025 characters.
The author of this ebook has used his best efforts in preparing this ebook. The author makes no
representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the
contents of this ebook. The information contained in this ebook is strictly for educational purposes.
Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in this ebook, you are taking full responsibility for your
actions. Unauthorized duplication or distribution of this material in any form is strictly prohibited.
Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Copyright © 2006-2009 by Robert Benson All Rights Reserved.
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Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………. 5
What is collecting?................................................ 6
Why people collect records………………………………………… 9
The digitization of music……………………………………………… 14
Vinyl vs. CD…………………………………………………………………. 18
Records, Album Cover Art, History….……………….………… 20
Preservation of vinyl……………………………………………………. 43
Vinyl Art………………………………………………………………………… 46
Converting vinyl to CD………………………………………………… 50
Kinds of records………………………………………………………….. 53
Types of music…………………………………………………………….. 80
Grading your vinyl……………………………………………………….. 83
Record guides………………………………………………………………. 89
Jerry Osborne…………………………………………………………………91
Cleaning your records………………………………………………….. 93
Storing your records…………………………………………………….. 96
Where to find vinyl records…………………………………………. 98
Vinyl is back………………………………………………………………… 108
Common abbreviations…………………………………………………116
Selling record albums ………………….………………………………117
Appraising vinyl records………………………………………………120
How to determine record values………………………………….128
Collectibles Insurance………………………………………………....135
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….139
Links and resources………………………………………………………140
Sponsors……………………………………………………………………….143
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Introduction
We are an eclectic bunch. Sometimes we are called “audiophiles” or “geeks.”
We are ministers, housewives, politicians, lawyers, doctors, and the guy
next door. We are photographers, clerks, senior citizens, factory workers,
Aold hippies@, baby boomers, waitresses and rock musicians (Peter BuckR.E.M., Pat Dinizio-Smithreens, Steve Turner-Mudhoney, Peter Wolf-J.Geils
Band, Thurston Moore-Sonic Youth, to name a few). We are an avid
bunch.....we are vinyl record collectors.
We scour the countryside in search of that one special record that will
somehow make our collection complete. But, alas, once we find it, we
realize that our collection will never be complete. So off again we go to the
garage sales, the church bazaars, flea markets, record shows, online
auctions, or the yard sales in small towns in search of additions to our prized
vinyl record collection.
We spend hours cataloging, cleaning, sorting, and taking meticulous care of
our records. But, for the most part, the prize is in the grooves of the record,
the music we hold so dear-for that is a return on our investment that there
is no price for.
With this being said, let us explore some the aspects of vinyl record
collecting and why people are so committed to this fascinating hobby.
Note: This ebook is best read at your computer, online (although you can
print it if you choose to do so) because I utilize numerous “live links”
throughout the ebook that either add information or clarify a specific point
that I am addressing.
Additionally, I am from the United States and although most of the essential
elements of vinyl record collecting remain the same, there will certainly be
different music genres that I don‟t address different places to locate records
and price variations in the value of certain records. I use record price guides
(and highly recommend Jerry Osborne‟s “Rockin‟ Records” price guide
because of the accuracy of the content) that are printed in the U.S. and
there may be additional price guides available in the country you reside in.
Please take these elements into consideration as you enjoy the ebook.
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What Is Collecting?
People collect, amass, store and hoard just about anything.
Some are put up for display (like fine art), yet, others remain in
attics and basement, sealed away forever. People collect just
about anything including: marbles, coins, political memorabilia,
cookie jars, autographs, sports memorabilia, jewelry, Pez
dispensers, snow globes, stamps, vinyl records, sports cards,
comic books, toys, ceramics, jewelry…. why the list is endless.
People have always collected something either as a hobby or an
investment. In fact, one of the first American numismatists
began collecting coins in 1817 and it was a collection of American
cents from each year. But, coin collecting has a history going
back to ancient times when the ancient Romans were interested
in and collected Greek and Roman coins.
There have been many famous people who have collected one
thing or another. It is reported that a certain U.S. attorney has
amassed a collection of more than 200,000 railroad nails and a
Russian countess collected bedpans that had previously belonged
to rich and famous people. King Louis XIV of France thoroughly
enjoyed his daily visit to the French Royal Coin Collection, noting
that he could „always find something new to learn.‟ In addition,
actor Buddy Ebsen, who portrayed the loveable hillbilly Jed
Clampett, was fond of collecting ancient coins. The flamboyant
rock star Freddie Mercury, of the band Queen, was an avid stamp
collector as a boy. Many famous musicians have huge vinyl
record collections, including Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Peter Wolf (of
the J. Geils Band), and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), just to
name a few.
Many collecting hobbies have “sub genres.” For instance,
collecting vinyl records can be divided into any number of
specific categories. One could collect specific genres of music
(Big Band, Jazz, Classical, etc.) or be partial to a particular record
label such as Capitol, Reprise, RCA, Columbia and many others.
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Some may also collect 45‟s, record sleeves, colored vinyl records,
picture discs….well, you get the idea. It is well known that famed
pop artist Robert Crumb (who designed the famous album cover
for Janis Joplin‟s “Cheap Thrills” LP) was keen on collecting 78
rpm records and had amassed quite a collection.
Maybe you know someone who collects Pez dispensers. They
may have famous celebrities, cartoon characters, specific colored
ones, and different years of release and so on. Comic book
collectors could also collect a specific type of comic, like super
heroes, Archie comics, adult comics, Disney comics, or even black
and white comics from years gone by.
But, exactly why do people collect? They could gain a measure of
satisfaction and pleasure from simply displaying the objects they
collect. Sometimes, it is the nostalgia bug that compels people to
collect items from a specific era. It could be an item that is
associated with their childhood, a famous person, or a world
famous event. Some collect because of the intrinsic value of an
item, and the fact that the item may be desirable to others and
can command a profit if they sold it. An item could also have a
specific provenance that could compel interest.
Now, is collecting an obsession or some form of “pack rat fever?”
The Webster‟s dictionary defines the word collect to mean “to
gather (stamps, books etc.) for a hobby.” A collectible is
something “that can be collected, suitable for collections; as by a
hobbyist-any class of old things, but, not antiques, that people
collect as a hobby.” It further states that a collector is “a person
who collects stamps, books, etc. as a hobby.” Products are also
manufactured with “collectibility” in mind, such as “limited
edition” items like vinyl records, coins, art prints, or even
cookie jars.
Moreover, the collectible‟s market has expanded in recent years
and fueled by annual price guides, books on the subject,
television shows, collectible conventions and Internet auction
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sites; the collectible‟s market is now a global phenomenon.
There are also professionals who specialize in a certain market
and they share their expertise and help to even value these
collectibles. There is a science of sorts in how people “grade”
certain collectibles (i.e., mint, excellent, fair etc.) and most of the
time condition is paramount. All these elements drive the market
and help create a desirability factor for specific products and
items.
But, the one element missing from the dictionary definition of
“collecting” is the drive and passion that people may have for
whatever they collect. So let‟s go a few steps further with our
definition of “collecting.” Let‟s define it as: The art of acquiring
items or products that you are specifically passionate
about and want to retain, either for monetary gain or
personal satisfaction. Let‟s explore this definition in detail.
Is there an art to collecting? There certainly is. One must know
where to find exactly what it is that they are seeking. Let‟s
assume you collect vinyl records. Is it best to place an
advertisement in a trade publication, local or national newspaper,
shop online, or pursue the rummage/garage sale methods? What
about going to the “record conventions” that are held in major
cities all over the country? Is that the best avenue to pursue?
There is an art (some call it a science) to knowing where the best
place is to find whatever collectible that you may be looking for.
Furthermore, in the dictionary definitions of collecting, a key term
is missing, passion. There is a direct correlation to the drive and
motivation a person feels and how successful they may be in
acquiring their collectibles. This is a very important element, the
enthusiasm a person has, the passion, is what makes whatever
they may be collecting, an enjoyable experience. And,
obviously the more they put into collecting, the more that they
will get in return, not only in monetary terms, but, simply put,
the more fun they will have pursuing their hobby.
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Why People Collect Records
In 1982, the CD, a digital music playback format that used a laser
to read the disc, was introduced and was expected to replace the
long play record album (LP). CD sales quickly took off and vinyl
record sales fell and the record companies tried to “phase out” the
vinyl record album. But, as they soon found out, musicians and
music lovers alike would not allow that to happen. In fact, vinyl
records are enjoying a resurgence in popularity (millions are sold
every year), partially fueled by nostalgic baby boomers attracted to
a piece of their past and fueled by a new generation who have found
the ambience and sound of vinyl to their liking. Many of these
people collecting the record albums now were originally record
album buyers, but converted to CD‟s out of convenience, to keep up
with the times or maybe even to be trendy. But there are many
questions we must ask as to why people go to great lengths to
acquire these long lost treasures.
Could it be the picture sleeves themselves, some worth more
than the record that they hold? Could it be (as research suggests
as the reason people play records), the physical interaction
required to actually play the record album, the cleaning of the
disc, the act of putting the stylus on the grooves and the fact that
you can see the music as it plays? Could young people be buying
records now to be cool and hip the way their parents were, lining
up at stores to get the latest releases?
Is it an addiction or an overwhelming obsessive-compulsive
disorder that compels one to collect vinyl records? Or is it the
love for the music, the kind of music that sends goose pimples
down your spine or brings back a particular time in your life?
Could it be the thrill of the hunt, searching the record shows,
basement sales, dusty attics, or flea markets in search of that
final piece to a perfect collection? Maybe it is the physical act of
owning the record, a tangible piece of musical history. Or do
people collect record albums as an investment, knowing that with
the passage of time, these valuable vinyl treasures, if resold, may
bring a handsome return on their original investment?
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Furthermore, people collect vinyl because they may want a piece
of their past, so nostalgia is also an important element for the
record collector. People are also drawn to actually owning a
physical product and may enjoy the ritual that is involved in
listening to the records. And a new generation has discovered
the special allure that vinyl records have, the limited editions,
colored vinyl, picture discs, “audiophile” records (including 180220 gram), the album cover art work, and the sound have all
lured youngsters in the hobby of collecting vinyl records.
But, there are more reasons people collect vinyl. Besides the
aforementioned elements, it is also big business. The old vinyl
records on the auction sites, as well as the hundreds of other
vinyl related web sites, are not selling their collectible vinyl for
rummage sale prices. In fact, at any given moment, there may
be more than six thousand collectible Beatles‟ albums for sale on
eBay. Some have sold for thousands of dollars and it is reported
that the album that is bought and sold the most in vinyl format is
the Beatles‟ “White Album.” But it is not only the Beatles that sell
well and are highly collectible. Artists such as the Rolling Stones,
Bob Dylan, James Brown, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin,
Elvis Presley and even newer artists like Nirvana, Radiohead and
many more are all highly sought after. There is also a keen
interest in “Northern Soul,” Motown records, old blues recordings
as well as jazz, punk and indie vinyl records.
Additionally, there are many recording artists who are reported to
own vast and eclectic record collections. Just as creating music is
their passion, finding rare and collectible vinyl is sometimes just
as important. It is reported that John Lennon was an avid
collector of all the Beatles‟ bootlegs he could find. Peter Buck, of
the rock band R.E.M. is an avid collector as well and there is a
long list of musicians who get the same thrill as all collectors get
when they find a specific vinyl record at an estate sale that may
have eluded them for years.
All of these questions and data provide some valuable insight into
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why so many people collect vinyl records. But as research
suggests, it goes a bit deeper than that. In fact, in his thesis
called Making Music Meaningful: Youth Investment in Popular
Music, David Hayes, a PhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for
Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, explains this
phenomenon.
“The teens are drawn in by the allure of vinyl; to them it seems
to be a more sincere form of sound reproduction. They enjoy the
thrill of finding an obscure or old vinyl record. It could also be a
form of resistance against the RIAA and illegal file sharing. The
teens I interviewed also insisted that the sound quality of vinyl is
superior to that of the modern digital formats and a more
authentic format.”
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060420-2216.asp
I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with a nineteen-year old
vinyl lover from Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada named
Steve Robertson; who was gracious enough to share his thoughts
and views about this old, yet treasured format. What follows is a
short discussion with Steve as he shared his passion and love for
vinyl records.
I asked Steve what drew him to vinyl, why does he prefer this
audio format?
“Vinyl just sounds so much better; it has a unique sound that
can‟t be duplicated. There is a feeling of satisfaction when
actually holding a physical product. And the cover art, not only
from the past, but from new artists, is another reason I prefer
vinyl records over any other format. I also get a sense of
satisfaction in knowing that when I buy an artist‟s work on vinyl,
that I am supporting the musicians who release it, it just isn‟t
another free download,” explained Steve.
I asked Steve how long he has listened to vinyl and about what
format his friends prefer.
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“I have been into vinyl for several years now and vinyl is huge in
British Columbia and most of my friends prefer it as well. We
both like the clear sound and experience you get when playing a
record,” said Steve.
“I really think that vinyl is coming back, it sure is in our area. If
my friends and I had to pick, records would be our choice and the
best option to hear our music. But, they are harder to acquire,
our nearest vinyl shop is an hour and a half away, so we buy
most of our vinyl online.”
It was certainly refreshing to listen to Steve speak about his love
for vinyl records. His enthusiasm for the format was clearly
evident and especially welcome to me, a vinyl purist. And we
both agreed that whatever musical genre it is that you enjoy, it
certainly sounds the best emanating from a vinyl record.
However, there is another reason people collect vinyl records, it is
because it is one of the most pleasurable and gratifying hobbies
one could indulge in. (I am a bit biased) But, if you ask any
collector and the answer they will give you is that records just
sound better. Vinyl is the closest reproduction to the sound the
artist was playing at the time the music was created- it is that
simple. In fact, some artists insist on releasing their music in
record album form because they do not like the artificial sound of
the CD.
There are many analogies that I have heard throughout my years
as a collector as to why people prefer vinyl records. I have
heard, “Vinyl records just sound warmer,” or “I love the
experience of playing a record.” But think of it this way. A vinyl
record is like a fingerprinted reproduction of the music. The
sound is actually etched into the grooves of the vinyl record,
whereas with digital sound the music is compressed into 1' and
0's, or what I refer to as “binary sound.”
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a fellow record
collector about this phenomenon. Jay Self, of Hudson, Illinois,
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has loved vinyl records as long as he can remember. He shared
some of his insights with me and had graciously agreed to share
them with you in my ebook.
Jay, who shares the same birthday as Elvis, has been interested
in vinyl records since he was three years old. At that early age
his mother said that the family would ask him to pick out certain
45's for the household and a “vinyl junkie” was born. His real
collecting days started when he was nine or ten and started
buying his own records. His first LP was “Herman‟s Hermits On
Tour,” a record which is still in his collection today.
I asked Jay about his interest in vinyl:
“There has always been a special affinity for vinyl, the way it
sounds (first and foremost), the way it feels, even the smell of
the cover and the record and the thrill of putting that brand new
album on the turntable (for years I just called it a record player)
and carefully setting the needle in the grooves to hear that rich
sound pour from the speakers.”
“I agree that CD‟s are convenient, portable and have great
clarity, but an album just has a warmth and a depth to it that
CD‟s just can‟t produce.”
We talked about the analogies people use to describe an album‟s
sound and he shared with me something that stood out in his
mind about an article he saw about a gentleman who owned a
record store in Wisconsin who explained it this way:
“He said that a CD was like walking into a room with a high-watt,
bare light bulb illuminating every nook and cranny in the room.
An lp was like walking into the same room, but with soft indirect
lighting that bathed you in the warmth of its glow.”
As we spoke, I could see we had a lot in common, we both love
our vinyl, it is more than a hobby, it is a passion; and it is all
about the music.
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The Digitization Of Music
But now the revered CD is taking in on the chin, so to speak. As
more and more independent record stores are closing their doors
across the country, it is because the sales of CD‟s have
plummeted, not because vinyl sales have gone down. On the
contrary, it is the sale of vinyl and the resurgence of the record
album that is keeping some of these independent stores open.
To this writer, this is a sad day, for the local independent record
store was much more than a store to buy the latest vinyl release.
It was a friendly gathering of record enthusiasts who would share
their thoughts about a particular band that you may not have
heard of; give each other tips about collecting, cleaning, or the
latest sound systems available at the time. It was, and still is in
some parts of the country, a place where audiophiles can reflect
upon the days when album rock ruled the airwaves of FM radio.
It was a place to argue and discuss the best and worst albums
musically, lyrically and which one had the best album cover. The
independent record shop merchant was a friend, a confidant,
someone you could trust and hang out with.
However, I find irony in the fact that the same technology that
was supposed to “do in” the vinyl record, the CD, now has its own
technology battle to contend with-the dreaded download. Ask
any record industry executive about their CD sales and they will
point to a downward spiral. The Recording Industry Association
of America (RIAA) has made music downloading and file sharing
one of their top priorities in the past few years, filing lawsuit after
lawsuit; going after free online sites that it labels as “pirates.”
They contend that the free downloading and file sharing seriously
harm CD sales, record labels and the recording artist.
In fact, CD sales have plummeted (ask Tower Records). Could it
be that the physical part of music is being phased out? And,
although CDs have a wider dynamic range, mastering houses are
encouraged to compress the audio on CDs to make it as loud as
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possible, hence the term “loudness wars.” Since the audio on
vinyl can't be compressed to such extremes, records generally
offer a more nuanced sound. For more information, check out
this explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
It is a strange music world we live in. There has been and is a
major upheaval in the way consumers discover, purchase, and
listen to music. People are listening to music on their cell phones
and fitting their music collections in their pockets with portable
iPods and MP3 players. CDs have slowly lost their appeal to
MP3s. Digitization, it seems, is the new distribution process for
most with file sharing, ring tones, YouTube, iTunes, MySpace,
Satellite radio and downloading is the only option for some. In
fact, digital tracks broke the one billion mark and digital album
sales reached an all-time high with more than 65 million sales in
2008, up from 50 million in 2007; an increase of 32% over the
previous year.
However vinyl records are making a „comeback‟ (although I
submit that they never went anywhere) and in 2008 more vinyl
albums were purchased (1.88 million) than any other year
since Neilsen Soundscan began tracking vinyl sales in
1991. They also report that more than two of every three vinyl
albums were purchased at independent record stores. The top
selling vinyl records for 2008 were Radiohead‟s “In Rainbows”
(26,000 units), the Beatles‟ “Abbey Road” (16,500), and Guns „N
Roses‟ “Chinese Democracy at 13,600 units.
Now, although this isn‟t something I particularly enjoy (I have
never downloaded a song off of the Internet), there is something
to be said for all of this. Artists have a unique opportunity to get
their music heard by the masses and to me that is good for music
in general. If you are interested in keeping up with the digital
world, I have found some nice sites to visit for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_data_compression
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http://www.tinyurl.com/y7ha6b
But, as record collectors, we look at all of this and we can‟t help
but feel sorry for all the “down-loaders” because we know what
they are missing.
That is because we just don‟t want to hear a record, we want to
experience the record, touch it, watch it play, feel the artists‟
expressions and the work they put into making it. We want to
hunt through dusty bins in the attics of people we do not know
and even if we do not find a record for our collection, we are still
satisfied, knowing that for that moment in time, we knew what
interested someone else, what moved them, and maybe we even
made a friend. We want to look at the glorious artwork that went
into each and every album jacket. We want to experience the
concept, the color, the liner notes, and a tangible piece of history.
You can‟t do that with a download or a CD (I guess you could
have some good artwork with a CD cover, but you would need a
magnifying glass to get the full effect).
We won‟t download a song because it is popular. But we might
buy a record because it may have not been popular, and we
might not even like it. However in doing so, it will give us a
better understanding of the records that we have in our collection
that we do enjoy and like. We will always have records in our
collection that we may never have listened to; we may have
purchased them to preserve them. If you download music, this is
a concept you could never understand.
The vinyl record is a survivor. Think about it. Reel to reel tapes,
8 track tapes, cassette tapes, CD‟s, iPods, digital downloads have
all lead an assault to put the pressing plants out of business. But
the vinyl record has persevered. Why? Because of DJ‟s, who kept
spinning records and playing them in the clubs, artists‟ who
insisted on releasing their music on vinyl and the public, from
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collectors (audiophiles), to local bands who “cut records “ on
small labels, the record companies-who will not be driven out of
business, to anyone who insists on buying a vinyl record because
of the sound quality and to the purists, who want to preserve not
only the vinyl records, but the record jackets and sleeves,
themselves a slice of Americana and a piece of who we are as a
culture.
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Vinyl vs. CD
As a lover of vinyl, no one will convince me that there is anything
that sounds better. Vinyl was custom made for the human ear. I
live for the sound, I love the ambience a record album exudes,
the jacket, the art, and yes, even the hisses, crackles, and pops;
to me, are all a part of the music. Even the hum or drone of an
old amplifier, this is how the music was created, so yes, it will
sound this way. But, CD‟s do offer the option of portability (you
can‟t play vinyl in your car), so they do offer something. And
then there is the sound „compression‟ that you get with „digitized‟
music, or what I call “binary sound” and I submit that it makes
the music different.
The subject of vinyl vs. CD will be debated long after you and I
are gone. But, I have an open mind and that being said, invite
you to explore some very compelling arguments and comments
for both sides, analog and digital. You can find them here:
http://tinyurl.com/5l578o
And, although this is a rather old post, the elements and opinions
are no different than they are today. Read it, debate it, and
enjoy it, as it is entertaining and informative. But you‟ll never
take the vinyl lover out of me.
Each person has their own opinion and I am sure that some could
argue that music isn‟t supposed to be heard with a „snap,
„crackle,‟ and „pop‟ that one can get when playing a thirty or forty
year old vinyl record. To the digital purists, who insist that
audiophiles are nothing more than a bunch of geeks who should
find something else to occupy their time, I ask them to look at
these sites and articles that support the vinyl record. They can
certainly explain why vinyl records are far superior to their digital
recordings much better than I can:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_sound_vs._digital_sound
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question487.htm
http://www.cdmasteringservices.com/dynamicrange.htm
http://tinyurl.com/5uphj6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0arCgsAjpA
There are also many, many discussions in forums all across our
land, and if you want to start an argument, go into an audio
forum and start one by proclaiming your love for either format.
You will certainly get some responses from sides, some explaining
the virtues of digital music, and some touting the analog sound of
vinyl. It is an interesting way to spend an afternoon.
19
Records and Art
I want to include a very important section to this book and a
reason many people collect vinyl records. It is to collect the art
from the album cover itself. I have found many web sites
devoted to this subject and have included some of them here for
you to look at:
http://www.albumcovers.net/fr_frameset.asp
Has some large images of album covers, but I was a bit
disappointed when I entered Neil Young into their search and it
came up empty, none the less, there are some good images of
album covers to be found.
http://annexus.homestead.com/home.html
Very interesting look at the psychedelic era of album cover rock,
they even include one of my favorite psych bands: Ultimate
Spinach! A great site to explore psychedelic music and album
cover art from the sixties.
http://www.sarockdigest.com/albumcovers/index.html
Obscure-yes, relevant, you bet, as you enter the world of South
Africa‟s top 50 album covers, very interesting artwork and
photography.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ronaldk/index2.html
A very comprehensive website devoted to album covers done by
cartoonists, very informative, interesting and certainly there are
some bands and artists you have never heard of; but the artwork
is superb.
http://www.superseventies.com/greatestalbumcovers.html
One of my favorite sites, the first 25 album covers list details into
20
the concept of the cover and design, a wonderful site, definitely
worth a look.
http://www.zubeworld.com/crumbmuseum/album.html
If you are a Janis Joplin fan, you will love the in depth look at
Robert Crumb‟s “Cheap Thrills” album cover.
http://franklarosa.com/vinyl/
Record collector Frank LaRosa reviews the world's most ridiculous
and regrettable record albums. Visitors can post comments.
A great site to look at banned and controversial cover art can be
found here:
http://tinyurl.com/9zts9
On the following web site is a list of albums with controversial
album covers which were banned and/or censored:
http://tinyurl.com/yxzhgw
And even more silly and inane album cover art:
http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers
Not everybody buys a record album strictly for the record and we
know that the album jacket has value, but how did this
phenomenon start?
Many famous album covers have been produced since Alex
Steinweiss (the man who is credited with „discovering‟ cover art)
was first hired at Columbia Records. Let‟s explore this innovator
and album cover designer in detail:
At age 23, the “Godfather” of album cover art, Alex Steinweiss
21
accepted a job to design promotional materials for Columbia
Records. What would happen next would revolutionize the music
industry, specifically vinyl records, when he invented the
illustrated album cover. A rather obvious, but brilliant, idea was
to create a titillating graphic package that would, not only protect
the record, but advertise the artist and the music contained
therein (prior to this, records were sold in plain, undecorated
wrappers).
“Records used to be relegated to the back of the stores that sold
refrigerators and stoves. You‟d go to the counter and ask for the
title you wanted,” recalled Steinweiss. “I needed to shake up the
industry, we had to do something like European poster art to
draw the attention of the buyer.”
And “shake up the industry” is just what Steinweiss did. Starting
in 1939 with his first covers, for a collection of Rodgers & Hart‟s
Musical Hits, Columbia executives saw the sales of the illustrated
albums skyrocket, including one by more than eight hundred
percent. Soon after that 78 rpm albums were adorned with
decorated covers and displayed in store windows.
A new medium was born, album cover art became the norm and
attracted established artists and inspired many new artists to
enter the arena. It allowed the record company and the artist to
promote a visual image and identity with the music.
So who was Alex Steinweiss? Let‟s explore his life in detail.
Steinweiss grew up in Brooklyn‟s Brighton Beach area and he
attended the Abraham Lincoln High School from 1930-1934 and
that is where he started his graphic designing career. In a
program taught by Leon Friend, Steinweiss and his classmates
were known as the “Art Squad,” designing school publications,
posters and signs. When he was seventeen, Steinweiss‟ work
was showcased in PM Magazine. He received a scholarship to
Parsons School of Art and graduated in 1937. His first job was as
an assistant to Joseph Binder, a position that lasted almost three
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years, before receiving a call about a new position at the newly
formed Columbia Records. He designed all the covers for
Columbia between 1939 and 1945, a period in which he
developed and honed the graphic art of album cover design. In
the period between 1945 to roughly 1950, he still did cover
design for Columbia, but he was not the sole designer. He also
began “freelancing” and began designing covers for other record
companies.
Alex Steinweiss
As a freelance designer with such record labels as RCA, Decca,
London, and Everest, Steinweiss was considered peerless. Using
his own unique format of blending eye-catching illustrations, vivid
color schemes and playful typography, Steinweiss created album
covers for such musical greats as Louis Armstrong, Bela Bartok,
Count Basie, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman,
Kate Smith, and many others.
His album covers are considered iconic and he designed them as
miniature posters with a distinct personality for each cover. His
signature font, the “Steinweiss Scrawl,” first appeared around
1947 and his style and album cover design is synonymous with
the Golden Age of Jazz, Classical and Popular music that was
23
dominated by RCA, Columbia, Decca, Victor and London record
labels.
In the 1950‟s, Steinweiss added photography to his album cover
design palette. His use of strange, garnish colors, inventive
lighting techniques and numerous visual puns and reference
points only added to his unique style of cover design and has
made him an icon in the music industry. By his own admission,
Steinweiss claims to have designed more that 2,500 album
covers.
His later work, from 1960 through around 1973, was working
with the Decca and London record labels. It was during this
period that he developed die-cut designs and collage. He retired
to Sarasota, Florida around 1974 and remains semi-active,
having designed at least one book cover and several CD covers as
well as having designed liquor bottles, posters, pamphlets, and
titles for TV shows.
All of us owe a hearty thank you to Alex Steinweiss and his
contributions to album cover art and music. Can you imagine no
art work accompanying a vinyl record? I can‟t, and it is a great
thing that Alex Steinweiss couldn‟t either.
I have my favorite album covers and I am sure you do as well.
Rolling Stone Magazine and as well as dozens of radio stations
have compiled their lists of the top album covers of all time. (Sgt.
Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles is a usual
winner) Many famous artists have designed covers as well.
A very famous cover, “Sticky Fingers,” by the Rolling Stones was
conceived and photographed by Andy Warhol. As the story goes,
at a party in 1969, Andy Warhol casually mentioned to Mick
Jagger that it would be amusing to have a real zipper on an
album cover. A year later, Jagger proposed the idea for Sticky
Fingers. But, there was a flaw in the shipping process; the zipper
would press onto the album stacked on top of it, causing damage.
The designer, Craig Braun came up with a solution: the zipper
24
had to be pulled down before the album was shipped, then it
would only dent the label. However, Braun never did figure out
how to keep the zipper from scratching the other album covers.
Some department stores refused to display the album, feeling it
was risqué and not family oriented because of the model‟s snug
jeans and zipper display. But this album is historic because it
broke new ground and also was the debut of the famous Stones
logo: a caricature of Jagger‟s lips and tongue.
Artist Roger Dean is world-famous for his legendary album cover
designs and concepts. He is best known for his partnership with
the progressive rock band Yes and his album covers are peerless.
Dean was born in Ashford, Kent, England in 1944 and spent much
of his childhood moving around the world (he has lived in Cyprus,
Greece, and Hong Kong) with his British army father. The family
returned to England in 1957 where Dean enrolled in the
Canterbury School of Art and earned a National Diploma of
Design. In 1968, he graduated from the Royal College of Art.
Dean preferred to distinguish between design and the reworking
of an existing model or design or inventing and the making of
something new, a concept that would help him later on with his
work.
In fact, one of his inventions was the “sea urchin chair,” a foam
chair which, though appearing to be spherical would conform to
the person sitting in it; who could obtain a seated position of
varying angles. The uniquely designed chair was featured in the
film “A Clockwork Orange” and Dean was commissioned to design
a “landscape” of similar seating for Ronnie Scott‟s Jazz Club.
It was around this time that Dean would embark on the now
25
famous art design work that he is best known for, designing and
painting unique album covers for various rock bands. His first
album cover was for a band called “Gun.” In 1971, Dean
designed the cover for the first Osibisa LP (an African/Caribbean
band) and this cover attracted a lot of attention and interest in
his work. In fact, later that year, Dean formed the partnership
that he is most recognized for, the album cover art for the band
Yes (and along with his brother Martyn, designed the stage set
for the band as well).
As Yes guitarist Steve Howe explains, “There is a pretty tight
bond between our sound and Roger‟s art.” Dean‟s art is
characterized by dreamy, space-like landscapes, floating islands,
and fantasy habitats. He primarily works with watercolors, but
many of his paintings make brilliant use of other artistic media
such as gouache, ink, enamel, crayon, and collage. Dean is also
a highly respected calligrapher, designing logos and titles to
compliment his paintings.
Besides his impeccable and incomparable album covers for Yes,
he has also designed album covers for the rock bands, Uriah
Heep, Asia, Atomic Rooster and Budgie and artists Steve Howe
and Rick Wakeman.
In 1985, Dean landed a gig with Psygnosis and he has designed
the artwork for several videos games, including Tetris Worlds and
the redesign of the Tetris logo. In recent years, he has focused
on his architectural ideas and designs. As an architectural
designer, he has designed homes and sustaining villages and
even designed all the aspects of his own home, from the
construction techniques that were implemented to his own
emotional comfort and security. The design is based on his
“Home For Life” concept that a house should be artistically
appeasing, irenic and environmentally kind; yet cheap and quick
to construct.
Rest assured that whatever project Roger Dean may be working
26
on, it will always be innovative, inspiring, and incomparable and
tackled with an obvious zest. His stylish, conceptual album cover
art will live in infamy for years to come as he continues to
influence new artists to this day.
I have recently purchased a couple of books that feature Roger
Dean‟s artwork and they are truly amazing. His art almost comes
to life in full color right before your eyes. Here are the books:
http://tinyurl.com/575cff
http://tinyurl.com/6yamum
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Many musicians and record labels took full advantage of what
album cover art could do for the bottom line and for the industry
itself. One of the most prolific bands to take advantage of album
cover art and its power of marketability were, of course, one of
the most famous groups of all time, the “Beatles.” From such
famous album covers as “Yesterday and Today” (1966), “Sgt.
Pepper‟s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) and even including the
simplicity of the “White Album”, the Beatles certainly took full
advantage of the allure of a great album cover (it didn‟t hurt that
the music is legendary).
“Butcher” cover
In fact, their album “Yesterday and Today” (also known as the
“butcher album”) is highly collectible and, if you have an original,
highly priced and is one of the holy grails of record collecting.
Although Capitol Records recalled the album, many were released
as promotional material to DJ‟s and critics. Only then did the
uproar ensue. You see, the Beatles were tired of Capitol Records
chopping up their albums and repackaging them (the songs on
this particular release are album cuts from previous Beatles‟
albums including “Help!” and “Revolver”), so they posed with
decapitated baby dolls, slabs of meat and fake blood as kind of a
quasi protest, not ever thinking it would go out to the public.
Capitol Records quickly intervened and recalled thousands of
record albums and pasted over the “butcher cover” with what is
now known as the “trunk cover” (just a picture of the Fab Four
28
with a large trunk).
The Beatles also have one of the greatest album covers of all
time and the group won a Grammy Award (for Best Album Cover)
in 1968 for the legendary album cover for “Sgt. Pepper‟s Lonely
Hearts Club Band.” Created and designed by Jan Haworth and
Peter Blake, the cover features the group posing with a collage of
famous singers, composers, comedians and other worldly figures
including Lenny Bruce (comic), Edgar Allen Poe (writer), W.C.
Fields (comic), Fred Astaire (actor), Bob Dylan (musician), Marlon
Brando (actor), Marilyn Monroe (actress) and Karl Marx
(philosopher/socialist), among many others.
Beatles Sgt. Pepper
But there were a few people that were originally intended for the
front cover, but were excluded, for a variety of reasons. For
instance, Jesus Christ was omitted because the album was
released just a few months after John Lennon had declared that
the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Adolf Hitler was
removed at the insistence of Parlophone Records. EMI requested
that the image of Mahatma Ghandi be removed fearing his
presence on the cover would offend the Indian Market.
Legendary actress Mae West initially refused, but relented after
the Beatles sent her a personal letter. Additionally, an image of
Leo Gorcey was omitted because he had requested a fee for the
29
use of his likeness. (For a complete list of exactly who is on the
cover, please visit:
http://math.mercyhurst.edu/~griff/sgtpepper/people.html)
Moreover, these two Beatles‟ albums exemplify the power of a
great album cover (and in the Beatles case, great music). The
albums also bring to the forefront the power that record
companies have and the restraints that they can utilize to control
the overall album cover package. With this in mind, let‟s explore
some banned and controversial album covers.
The „edited‟ Two Virgins cover
One of the most notorious and controversial albums of all time is
“Two Virgins,” which was released in 1968 by “John Lennon and
Yoko Ono.” On the front cover was a full frontal picture of both,
completely nude, and on the back was a nude picture from the
behind. Paul McCartney had tried to convince Lennon not to
release the cover because of the controversy it would certainly
create. In some jurisdictions, the albums were impounded as
obscenity and distributors were forced to sell the release in plain
brown wrap wrappers. Incidentally, even with this provocative
and disturbing cover, the album was not a best seller, as it lacked
significant content (it was full of bird noises, tape loops,
misplayed organ snippets, and other assorted sound effects).
30
Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix
In that same year, “Jimi Hendrix” released “Electric Ladyland,”
which featured him with a harem of naked women. The album
created massive controversy and was ultimately banned in the
U.S. But, it seems that the re-done artwork for the U.K. version
did not arrive in time, so Jimi and the girls are available in the
U.K. version. The cover was not banned in Europe and import
copies of the album have always been the most sought after
imported record in the U.S. The album was reissued in the U.S.
with a picture of Jimi‟s face (minus his ladies of course).
In 1969, the super group “Blind Faith” (members Eric Clapton,
Ginger Baker and Steve Winwood) released their lone album
together, appropriately entitled, “Blind Faith.” What wasn‟t
appropriate was photographer Bob Seidemann‟s picture of a
topless pre-pubescent girl holding a silver space ship. The album
was then reissued with an alternate cover which showed a
photograph of the band. According to Seidemann, her fee for the
picture was a “young horse” which was purchased for her by Blind
Faith‟s band manager Robert Stigwood.
The Rolling Stones had another album that drew criticism, their
1968 album called “Beggars Banquet.” It was the first cover not
to feature a band photograph; instead the Stones‟ decided to use
a picture of an unsightly, filthy bathroom with graffiti-laced walls.
The record label in the U.K. (Decca) and the U.S. label, London
31
Records, both balked at the cover (it was considered to be in poor
taste) and a bitter three-month legal battle began. The Rolling
Stones lost the battle and the album was replaced with an
elegant formal party invitation (but the cover was restored for CD
pressings in the mid 80's).
Naughty “bathroom
behavior” album
cover first surfaced
in 1966, when the
“Mama‟s & the
Papa‟s” released their LP called “If You Can Believe Your Eyes And
Ears.” The cover, a picture of the “flower power” quartet
squeezed into an old bathtub next to a toilet, apparently received
so many complaints that the record company (Dunhill) was
compelled to rush out a replacement cover, with graphics that
promoted the group‟s hit singles blocking the offending toilet.
They even went so far as to issue yet another cover, this time
removing the toilet completely.
Middle fingers have always been taboo on album covers and the
outrage began in 1957 when Capitol Records released an album
by the doo wop group the “Five Keys.” An innocent cover, it
pictured the vocal group posing together in snazzy suits. But it
seems that lead singer Rudy West‟s forefinger was imagined by
some to be a specific part of the male anatomy. So a decision
was made for subsequent issues to have the finger in question
airbrushed out.
“Moby Grape‟s” self-titled release in 1967, also had a finger of
prominence displayed incorrectly, but the album cover was
quickly airbrushed by Columbia Records.
A misplaced(?) finger/thumb caused another uproar in 1971 when
Warner Brothers released “Alice Cooper‟s” new album called
“Love It To Death.” His “gesture” was not taken too well and was
32
censored, the middle finger being airbrushed away. In fact, four
different versions of the front cover exist, apparently in the
picture his thumb could possibly be mistaken for a specific part of
the male anatomy.
David Bowie-“Diamond Dogs”
“David Bowie‟s” cover art featuring a half-dog, half-Bowie figure
(painted by Guy Peellaert) for his 1974 album called “Diamond
Dogs,” caused quite a stir. Apparently, the record company
(RCA) did not like the fact that the “Bowie-dog” was anatomically
correct and had the offending appendage airbrushed out on
subsequent releases.
Apparently, pulling bubble gum off of a woman‟s exposed breast
is a major crime, or at the very least, a reason to reissue an
album cover. Or so, that is what the German heavy metal band
the “Scorpions” found out in 1979 with their album release called
“Loverdrive.” The album cover features a man and a woman
sitting in the backseat of a car, with the man removing the
scandalous bubble gum from her breast. It was subsequently
reissued with a black cover with a blue scorpion on it (thankfully
the scorpion was fully-clothed). The band had another album
(“Virgin Killer”) cover nixed because of a nude cover of a young
girl.
Scorpions- “Loverdrive”
33
In 1994, scandal found the rock group called the “Black Crowes,”
because their album cover “Amorica” showed pubic hair from a
Hustler magazine photograph. The close-up of a woman‟s “midsection” in a bikini, apparently exhibits too much hair, and made
the public uncomfortable. Pressured by powerful conservative
retail chains, the record company (Universal) had to reissue an
alternative cover, just a bikini over a black background (sans the
offending hair).
It seems that a major retailer in the U.S. wields a lot of power
and influence. When “John Cougar Mellencamp” released his
1996 album called “Mr. Happy Go Lucky,” a picture on the cover
of Jesus and the devil had to be changed. Since it did not affect
the music and he did not design the cover, Mellencamp obliged
and changed the cover to appease the previously named major
retailer.
Rapper “Ice-T” joined the foray with his critically acclaimed 1991
album release called “Death Certificate.” It seems an album
cover showing “Uncle Sam” on a mortuary slab as well as Ice-T‟s
violent lyrics, prompted one state (Oregon) to enforce a
statewide ban on displaying the rapper‟s image in retail stores.
Alternative rockers‟ “Jane‟s Addiction” singer Perry Farrell caused
quite a stir in 1991 as well. When he submitted his original
artwork for the band‟s sophomore album, “Ritual de lo Habitual,”
to his record label (Warner Brothers), they were not pleased.
They released it and the sparks flew, and under corporate
pressure, the group relented and replaced Farrell‟s artwork with a
plain white cover and text from the First Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech.
In 1997, “Aerosmith” released their new album titled “Nine Lives”
which featured a dancing figure with a cat‟s head. The artwork,
taken from Hindu imagery, aroused the anger of some Hindus
and the band and record company apologized, and then changed
the artwork.
34
Alternative grunge giants, “Nirvana” raised the ire of two retail
giants (Wal Mart and K Mart) in 1993 with their album cover art
and a song on their album “In Utero.” The back cover of the
release was changed to read “Waif Me,” instead of the real title of
the song “Rape Me.” Despite the band‟s insistence that the lyrics
for the song were, in fact anti-rape, these aforementioned retail
giants insisted on the wording change. The retail giants also
refused to stock the album because of its artwork (which featured
an anatomical figure and model fetuses), so a “doctored” version
of the back cover was made for them.
The band “Beautiful South” released an album in 1989 called
“Welcome To The Beautiful South,” and the original release
pictured an image of a woman with a gun in her mouth and a
picture of a man who was smoking a cigarette. This album cover
was banned by the retailer Woolworth‟s because, in their
reasoning, it might cause people to start smoking. The album
cover was replaced by pictures of a rabbit and a teddy bear.
Smoking also got the band the “Arctic Monkeys” in trouble with
the “censors” in 2006, because of the cover for their release
“Whatever People Say I Am, That‟s What I‟m Not.” The cover
sleeve depicting a friend of the band smoking a cigarette was
criticized by the NHS in Scotland. They claimed that the band
was “reinforcing the idea that smoking is OK,” a charge that the
band disputed. In fact, the image on the CD itself is a shot of a
full ashtray and the band‟s product manger declared, “You can
see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good.”
Arctic Monkeys
Lynyrd Skynrd
In a sad tale of irony, the band “Lynyrd Skynrd” had their album
35
called “Street Survivors” (1977) pulled by executives after three
band members were tragically killed in a plane crash. You see,
the first album cover featured a picture of the band surrounded
by flames. The album was released a week before the plane
crash that killed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines
and back up vocalist Cassie Gaines. The cover was quickly pulled
and the replacement cover, a picture of the band without the
flames, was quickly introduced. CD reissues have restored the
original cover.
With an increase in the sales of vinyl record albums and a
renewed interest in album cover art, we should, and can expect
more censorship, controversial album cover art, as well as
legendary album cover art to again become part of rock and roll
lore.
When we look back at album cover art throughout the years, it is
kind of ironic that some album covers that are released these
days can cause such uproar because they may have a nude
image on them or sexual suggestive scenes. But „naked vinyl‟
started a long time ago, and, in fact, sold many, many records
before it was decided that it is offensive. Let‟s explore some of
the more interesting facets of „naked‟ album cover art and
erotica.
There is an age-old adage in the marketing world that „sex sells.‟
And let‟s face it, you‟re more apt to buy a particular product from
a curvy supermodel than a housewife with curlers in her hair and
pictured in a robe and slippers, or you may prefer a hunky-heman instead of a pot-bellied, balding gentleman hawking a
product.
So, taking advantage of this motto, the record labels and
specifically, album cover art, used this phenomenon to sell
records. The labels released all kinds of music and „blue‟ comedy
records with one thing in common, nudity, and plenty of it.
It all began in the late 40‟s when album cover designers and the
36
marketing departments for various record labels conjured up a
plan to sell records by adorning the album covers with nude or
scantily clad women. Another slippery gimmick was to make a
play on the title of the record, a visual pun that allowed the
erotica to slip in subtly and unnoticed.
For instance, on an album by Hugo Winterhalter (RCA Victor LPM1904) called “Wish You Were Here,” the cover depicts a beautiful
woman seemingly stranded on a desert island with only a
telescope and her ripped and cleverly revealing nightgown.
Beside her, in a cartoon caption cloud, she is stating the name of
the album. And, yes, this worked, the album sold very well and it
is still cherished by record collectors to this day.
In post-war America in the 1950‟s, stripping as a form of adult
entertainment was in vogue, with some women becoming minor
celebrities. Why even American idol Joe DiMaggio had a welldocumented affair with a hooker. Sex was selling magazines,
posters, calendars and everything else in between. And jumping
on this bandwagon, record companies rose to the occasion by
releasing hordes of “Music to Strip By” records.
Cinema and magazines soon jumped in with big and low budget
films and the success of the adult magazine „Playboy‟ helped pave
the way for an increase in the use of „naked vinyl‟ record covers.
In fact, famous Playboy models like June Blair, Dawn Richard,
and Jayne Mansfield were featured on record album covers.
Playboy even released a few records now and then, such as
1958‟s “Playboy Jazz-All Stars LP.” In the same year the
magazine featured a pictorial montage about erotic album cover
art, even using the headline “Music To Make Your Eyeballs Pop.”
Playboy documented that the record companies were utilizing a
discovery that was made popular by the paperback and romance
book publishers-that nudity on the covers sells.
But the „naked vinyl‟ and erotica vinyl cover phenomenon was
just getting started. The 1960‟s brought the public „stag party‟
37
records, sex-obsessed vinyl covers that not only featured risqué
music and lyrics, but „live‟ blue comedy as well. Kind of like
sports cards for adults, these „stag party‟ records were highly
sought after and collectible.
Yes, the public was snatching up these raunchy and „blue‟ comedy
records and two record labels on the West Coast in particular took
full advantage of the opportunity to cash in on the trend. It
became an excuse to release as much crass comedy and trashy
sex songs as they could. Based in L.A., Fax Records was one of
the most prolific labels, and had four distinct „sex genres‟ that
they focused on. They, of course, capitalized on the „stag party‟
themed records, but also included a „personality‟ series, a special
„erotica „series as well as a „themes and scenes motion picture
set‟ series. These records were all about sex, in many forms, and
were both educational and entertaining.
The second West Coast record label, LAFF records, focused on the
American Nightclub Comedy Circuit and promoted their releases
by quipping “Recorded at the scene of the applause, on the stage,
or at an intimate party, the live and living heart-tugging, buttonbusting laughter of America‟s funniest comic personalities; on
LAFF Records just for you!! Have a Party, Have a LAFF!”
And LAFF backed up their claims with coarse and crude comedy
records including a record called “Tales You‟d Never Tell Your
Mother,” from raunchy comedian Kenny Carol. A country
comedian, Sam Nichols‟ (Cowboy Sam-The Old Cowhand From
The Rio Grande) slow southern drawl was a perfect medium for
his crass comedy; including a country comedy song called
“Courtin‟ on a Mule.” Other “naked cover” comedians included
the lascivious Rex Benson, the „blue‟ comedy of Bub Thomas, the
stand-up dirt of Bert Henry and many, many more.
But the coarse comedy was not limited to the men. Faye
Richmond, Madame Mame, Terri “Cupcake” O‟Mason, and many
others were all successful entertainers in their own right. All
these records invited the public into the intimate world that was
38
popularized by the rich, famous and sexually successful,
embellishing “You Are There” or “Rubbing Shoulders With
Hollywood Greats.”
Not to be outdone by their counterparts, many East Coast record
labels followed suit. None were more successful than the Davis
and Que record labels and both of them focused on saucy songs
and risqué nude cover art. Davis, in particular, had a cavalcade
of stars that would churn out „double entendre‟ songs that had
been popularized on the Vaudeville stages. In fact, the owner of
the label, Joe Davis, also wrote some of the songs and brought
talented entertainers to the genre as well as a classic line of
album cover art. The Que record label produced more of the
same material, but the records were dubbed as “sexucational,‟
with songs and stories to inform the uninitiated.
In 1967, it seems that the attitudes about „naked vinyl‟ had
changed over the years, being replaced by peace, love-ins, and
flower children. When Jimi Hendrix released his album “Electric
Ladyland,” that featured Jimi surrounded by naked and buxom
beauties, it created quite a stir. The cover was replaced, but the
genre did not go away altogether, rather it was replaced by popart covers, psychedelia, and slender, beautiful European women
who would grace various covers from a multitude of musical
genres.
Maybe the fad had run its course; the gimmick wasn‟t nearly as
popular by the end of the 60‟s. But, now instead of getting
coarse comedy, stag party specials and often quality music to
accompany the „naked vinyl‟, instead it became an avenue and a
tool to release terrible music, by not so talented musicians; all
packaged in a sexy cover and priced to sell.
Foreign music from Italy, France and Germany and other
countries flooded the market with substandard music, but they all
had one thing in common-„naked vinyl „covers. Cover versions
and greatest hits compilations were hastily recorded and rushed
39
to press, all including that special feature that the record
companies knew the public would enjoy, never mind the music.
In the 1970‟s, the „easy listening‟ music boon was in full swing,
full of Hammond organ medleys, smoochy-sax covers of pop hits
and ear-bending violins destroying popular classics. Artists such
as Gil Ventura, Klaus Wunderlich and the „Latin Lounge Lizard‟
covers of Robert Delgado were all cashing in on the fading fad.
In addition the 70‟s saw an exotic extravaganza of foreign music
that the public would probably have never have gotten to hear,
sans the „naked vinyl‟ album covers. Mysterious countries all of a
sudden were thrust into the music spotlight, from Borneo to the
shores of South America and Africa. No country or culture was
excluded. From the erotica landslides of misguided music of
traditional song, all merged with native naked women in exotic
poses that were happily hawking the substandard music.
In the late 70‟s, another phase of „naked vinyl‟ came in the “disco
era.” The Ohio Players released a wonderful erotic series of
„almost‟ nude cover art. Sexual innuendo on the form of an
album cover was not lost with the disco „divas‟ “Silver
Convention,” whose cover for their album called “Save Me”
created waves. Their frontal nudity of “Discotheque Volume
Two,” not only features their big hit of the era “Get Up and
Boogie,” but a startling cover of a handcuffed female. Blended in
with a list of steamy, seductive songs, the cover grabbed
audiences‟ attention as well as their eyes.
But as the disco era closed and the 70‟s drew to a close, society
seemed to tire of the market and album cover nudity was no
longer a mainstream wonder. Album cover artists and record
companies all left sex to the imagination and returned to the safe
images and cover art that was G-rated. With the advent of the
compact disc, album cover art was led into the annuls of music
history and pretty much became a non-issue.
That is not to say that „naked vinyl‟ disappeared from the shelves.
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On the contrary, there have been many album covers that have
caused quite a stir from Jimi Hendrix‟s “Electric Ladyland, David
Bowie‟s “Diamond Dogs” and the band Jane‟s Addiction.
Anticipating trouble with the album cover, the band released the
1990 album called “Ritual de lo Habitual” with two covers. One
cover, which featured singer Perry Farrell‟s artwork (male and
female nudity), was released along with a „clean‟ version of the
cover with the text of the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution, that promotes free speech.
All we can ask is where was the censorship in the heyday of
„naked vinyl‟ album cover art? Now pop artists, rappers and rock
and rollers can sing and say anything they want on a record. You
can turn on the radio and hear the “Frankie Goes To Hollywood”
sexual number “Relax,” but god forbid you show any nudity on an
album cover.
But all is not lost for the lovers of „naked vinyl‟ cover art, as the
90‟s and beyond have seen album cover art and specifically
„naked vinyl‟ return as record companies and designers are not
afraid to use the human body to sell music. Vinyl is back, with
the public demanding the format as well as the album cover art
that accompanies it, no matter what the format, because as we
have all learned; sex sells.
Additionally, the Internet is full of sites related to album cover art
and is just too numerous to list. There are sites devoted to fan
favorites, the weird and unusual, particular decades and so on.
Many users have turned to ebay to find lost art treasures from
their childhood. But I want to share a website and album cover
artwork finder that is not only convenient, but a must have for
any art lover.
Want to look at some of these album covers and take a stroll
through rock art history? I recently spoke with Richard Nicol, the
program designer and owner of “Album Cover Finder.”
(www.albumcoverfinder.com) The program has been available for
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more than two years and is a godsend for anyone interested in
album cover art. “Album Cover Finder” allows the user to not only
find specific searches for interesting album cover art, but also
allows the user to download selected songs from the release. I
asked Richard about his fascination with album cover art.
“I‟ve always been interested and loved album cover art and
wanted to create a database where the users could not only look
at album cover art, but experience it as well. The program allows
the user to browse through the cover art of a particular band and
also lets the user to download particular songs through iTunes as
well. The main feature is convenience, you can utilize iTunes and
not only get more of an experience for the music, but the great
artwork involved with the music and artists.”
But, “Album Cover Finder” is more than just iTunes and album
cover art. The program allows users to look at different art work
from different countries as well. Some of the art work involved in
a US release may be different from that of a UK release or
German release, only adding to the experience. The program also
allows users to review artist biographies, read reviews of a
particular release, and add the artwork to their iTunes library and
an iPod. “Album Cover Finder” also allows users to find additional
cover art from a particular artist or band, copy the artwork to a
clipboard and has artist videos and applicable tour information.
“Album Cover Finder” is a fully functional way to search for album
artwork and includes free updates for registered users.
42
The Preservation Of Vinyl
& Cover Art
While doing research for this book, I discovered a website
devoted to the preservation and appreciation of vinyl and the
cultural impact that the vinyl record has had society as a whole
Check out the web site:
http://www.vinylrecordday.com
Gary Freiberg, founder of Vinyl Record Day, was kind enough
to talk to me about this book and thought this subject should be
included and I wholeheartedly agree.
You see, their main purpose is to promote the preservation of the
vinyl record and the art associated with it. Record album music
and art have influenced our culture in many ways. This website
explores these influences and even has dedicated a day every
year to celebrate vinyl records. The day is August 12; the day
Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. The celebration of Vinyl
Record Day is the Saturday following August 12 and the purpose
is to “celebrate with family and friends and enjoy music that
reminds us that regardless of national news or personal
challenges, life always has its goodness.”
“Lastly, Vinyl Record Day is to ensure the monetary value of vinyl
records. Prices for records are subject to supply and demand as
most everything else is. Through greater mainstream visibility,
VRD hopes to help further grow the demand for vinyl, securing
value so those who own record collections of any size will have
additional benefit by caring for them.” (Quoted from Vinyl Record Day
mission statement, reprinted by permission.)
Organizations like this help keep the appreciation for the vinyl
record strong. Show your support for this organization, first, by
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recognizing Vinyl Record Day celebrating with family and friends
and spinning your favorite tunes and second, by becoming a
supporter. For information, please visit:
http://www.vinylrecordday.com/supporter.html
Vinyl Record Day is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to
the preservation of the Cultural Influences, the Recordings and
the Cover Art of the vinyl record. To read an interview I did with
Gary visit: http://tinyurl.com/396kwr
VRD UPDATE (01/01/09):
Vinyl Record Day (VRD), Founder Gary J. Freiberg has announced
the United States Postal Service has accepted Freiberg's proposal
for a full review and consideration by the Citizens' Stamp
Advisory Committee to issue a First Class stamp series
commemorating the vinyl record. The advisory Committee is
responsible for making stamp subject recommendations to the
Postmaster General.
"The intent for the stamp series is to raise awareness that we
need to preserve our audio history that is available only on the
vinyl record and to educate the public on the importance of
preserving individual record collections. The RIAA has estimated
only five percent of all recordings have been transferred to
compact disc or other digital formats. There are a countless
number of recordings that will never be transferred to other
formats because it is not economically feasible for record
companies to reissue releases that will not have commercial
support. What many term are "old records" time has turned into
audio historical documents, issuing a stamp series would be a
major contribution to heightening the public's awareness of the
importance of preserving the audio and visual history of the vinyl
record." said Freiberg.
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If adopted the series would be issued in 2011. Though final
decision has not been made, Freiberg is encouraged, as the initial
positive response from the manager of Stamp Development was
made in less than a week. Freiberg will keep me informed when
new information is available.
(November 2008 update- Gary continues to receive positive
feedback and a „Stamp Specialist‟ has told him that the Vinyl
Record Stamp is one of 25-30 stamp proposals the Stamp
Committee is considering. So, considering that they get more
than 50,000 proposals, this news is certainly encouraging!)
Framing famous covers
Visit this world famous site for record album framing:
http://tinyurl.com/29keqc
Example of “framed art
“The Record Album Frame - There's two primary reasons our
patented Record Album Frame is the one chosen by the
Smithsonian, Home & Garden TV, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
and thousands of Internet purchasers: It's the look - our
patented frame creates the best display for Album Cover Art. And
it does so without clips, just slide your LP into our acrylic frame to
matte and frame your album cover instantly. Hanger is attached
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on back, ready to display.” If you visit, drop Gary an email and
tell him how you found his site!
Vinyl Art
I also have had the privilege to speak with another person
involved in the preservation of vinyl, but on a different level. I
have seen custom jewelry, purses, clocks and other items made
with recycled and worn out records, but what artist Daniel Edlen
does is a must see.
Using old, generally unplayable vinyl records (LP‟s) as a canvas,
artist Daniel Edlen is creating one-of-a-kind „Vinyl Art‟
masterpieces, adding a new dimension to the art of vinyl albums.
I spoke with Daniel about his love of art and music and how he is
able to merge the two on the unique canvas of a vinyl record.
“My Dad introduced me to records with the Beatles‟ “Revolver”
album,” explained Daniel. “My Mom volunteered for the local
library, running the used book sales. They would get records as
donations and I got first crack at them because they were usually
too beat up and they didn't sell well. Then I had an art project in
my teens with white pencil on black paper and I thought, why not
try to paint on some of these old records.”
But as a record collector yourself, isn‟t this almost blasphemy,
using a vinyl record as a canvas?
“I have struggled with that question, especially after the reaction
I've gotten from some collectors. My answer is that I do try use
albums that would practically ruin a good phonograph needle,
and also, I'm turning something that likely would sit in a box in
someone's garage into something they can hang on their wall to
celebrate their musical culture. It's something unique and
creative that is a great ice-breaker, starting conversations about
46
music, art, and all things retro.”
When asked about the process, Daniel detailed:
“The actual painting part of the process verges on meditation for
me, it just flows. I'm always listening to music while I work,
often whom I'm painting. It's a joy to do what I do, and when I
write my blog posts, I often end up adding how lucky I feel that
my passion allows me to touch people. The tricky part is finding
and sizing the right image of the musician. I place the portrait so
the label becomes part of the composition, sometimes
highlighting specific information, like the title of the album or
certain tracks that make that particular record special or
important. I use just white acrylic paint, using the density to
create the shading. The whole process takes about a day."
Recently, Daniel has also begun creating time-lapse videos that
he's uploaded to YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dedlen. These show the
development of the paintings, using about twenty-five pictures
taken as the painting goes through its stages, and are backed by
music recorded by the subject of the piece.
So, just who is Daniel Edlen? Obviously a very talented artist, he
would draw and paint for fun and enjoyment throughout his
formative years and after experimenting with other art media
(such as sculpture), he did a few pieces of what he now calls
„Vinyl Art‟ for friends and family as gifts.
His audience not only loved his work, they encouraged him to try
selling them. So with the support of his wife, family and friends,
Daniel decided to utilize his talent and passion to, not only make
something new from something old, but to create a whole new
way for music-lovers to share that passion. For Daniel, the
payoff is peoples' reaction when they see the pieces for the first
time.
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Copyright Daniel Edlen 2008 (used by permission)
Daniel has opened up a web site and online gallery
http://www.vinylart.info/why.htm so the public can see just what
he does. Framed simply in a black metal LP frame with the
album sleeve behind, the focus is on the original painting.
As a vinyl record collector and enthusiast, I am excited and just
48
marvel at the „Vinyl Art‟ history and one-of-a-kind paintings that
Daniel Edlen creates everyday. Daniel keeps his audiences
craving more, and as an artist, that is all you could ever wish for.
Are you interested in acquiring a unique piece of art? Through
special arrangement with collectingvinylrecords.com and famed
artist Daniel Edlen, I have arranged for a 15% discount on a
purchase of this amazing art. Email me
([email protected]) and write “Vinyl Art Discount” in the
subject line and I will email you the code to use) Then you
contact Daniel, give him the code and you qualify for a 15%
discount!
More Vinyl Cover Art to enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQaaVTBSGoU
On a personal not, I got “hooked” on record collecting when I was
about ten years old and I put my first needle on one of my older
brother‟s 45 records by the McCoy‟s. The song? Fever and I
could not get enough of the few seconds of the drum introduction
for some reason. It was a big deal for me to be able to borrow
his records and use his stereo, and I still have some of those
original 45‟s. The only problem is the grooves have been worn
out from being overplayed. (For a more detailed explanation
about this phenomenon please visit):
http://www.lastfactory.com/record_wear.html
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Converting Vinyl To CD
One of the ways I circumvent this problem is convert my vinyl to
CD. This process serves many functions. It helps to preserve the
vinyl, by “ripping” it to CD; you do not have to play the record
every time you want to hear that particular artist. That saves
wear and tear on the precious vinyl (especially if it is a rare
record!). It makes the vinyl record “portable,” meaning you can
take it anywhere, without worrying about damage, theft or
overplaying. You can also play it in your car and this is especially
great if you have a vinyl record that is not available on any other
format.
There are many software programs out on the market that you
can use and even web sites that you can pay to have this done.
They are too numerous to list and I have no one program that I
can recommend. But I will tell you what I use to convert my
vinyl to CD.
I have purchased and highly recommend the TEAC Multi-Music
Player/CD Recorder GF-350. This is an easy way to convert
old vinyl to CD and also converts cassette tapes as well. If you
are interested in learning more about this wonderful innovation,
please visit:
http://tinyurl.com/26wlk2
Another method and a very easy system that is gaining popularity
is the USB Turntable. Check it out here:
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http://tinyurl.com/2cxz3g
I still have some of my brother‟s old records. It was a big deal
for me to clean his Pinto (yes that was a car back then) and get
to use his stereo and listen to Neil Young, Jethro Tull and the
Beatles. It wasn‟t long after that, that the vinyl bug bit me,
realizing that even though there may not be monetary riches in
collecting records, the artwork, the music and the thrill of the
hunt are the riches and that is what most people don‟t
understand.
Now, you may ask yourself….is there money in a collectible
record? Look at the recent sales at www.popsike.com and you
can see there are some very valuable vinyl treasures bought and
sold recently!
You can check the final auction price that a particular vinyl record
sold at. Although this may not be the true value of the record, it
is however, an indication of what collectors are paying at that
particular time for that particular recording.
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I have also located a site that gives you the results of ebay
auctions and can give you a good idea of what is “hot” and selling
at any particular time. A very interesting and informative site, it
is definitely worth looking at:
http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com/
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Kinds of records
Vinyl records come in various sizes and what you decide to collect
is of course a matter of personal preference. Some are partial to
45 rpm (revolutions per minute), while others collect 33 rpm‟s;
commonly known as albums. But, I will detail it a little more as
there is inconsistent language in the music industry to define the
types and sizes and I follow the guidelines established by Jerry
Osborne, as defined in his many record price guides. Below is a
synopsis of the details:
LP- 10 or 12 inch, most common, and are also referred to
as albums. They play at 33 and a third rpm. But there is such a
record known as a 10 inch or 12 inch single (also known as a
maxi-single) that play at 45rpm.
EP- 7 inch records that usually have more than one track
on one or both sides and some even have multiple bands on each
side
Singles- commonly known as 45's because of the speed
they are played at (45 rpm). But they can be manufactured to
play at 33 and one third rpm (sometimes simply known as 33
rpm). If a 7 inch single has more than one track on either side, it
is considered to be an EP. (Note: singles are usually priced for
the record and there are usually separate sections for the “picture
sleeves,” which can be traded or sold independently).
78's- as the name implies, these records play at 78 rpm and
are usually 10 inch records, but a few 7 inch 78 rpm records have
been manufactured.
These are the main types of records, but there have been a few
53
five and six inch records made, although they are not usually
listed in the record guides. I own several “Hit Of The Week”
cardboard records that I presume were made in the 1940's and
they measure nine and one-half inches, so I am not exactly sure
what category they fit into. And do you remember records that
were included on boxes of cereal? These certainly were not made
for sound quality and I would suspect that not a lot of them
survived throughout the years
Colored Vinyl
There are records that come in almost every color imaginable,
but does that make them more valuable? That is not such an
easy question to answer and I must say that it depends. First,
there must be a market for the record; someone must want to
acquire it. Second, the record label itself could also help
determine the value and thirdly are these records readily
available? Some of the colored vinyl was produced as “limited
edition” specials, but there have been times where a record
company may have determined to issue a “limited edition” series,
but because of the sales of the record; maybe instead of the
1,000 they said were to be issued, they released over 5,000.
Beatles „Limited edition‟ colored vinyl
54
You see, colored vinyl was, and still is a marketing tool. The
grooves of the record play the same way as their bland and
similar black vinyl, but because people want different colors, the
record companies (and bands) are more than happy to oblige. I
own many colored vinyl records (I even have a white vinyl record
that is a 45 that is shaped like a heart) and I do see a price
variance, mainly because of the scarcity of the records produced.
For instance, as an example of colored vinyl being worth more
than it‟s black vinyl counterpart, I own a Chipmunk‟s record from
1959 (Liberty 3131 “Let‟s All Sing With The Chipmunks” on red
vinyl). There is another element to take into consideration with
this particular record, are the Chipmunks drawn as cartoon
characters of animals? My copy is the Chipmunks drawn as
animals, which happens to add more value to the record. But, it
is also on red vinyl. The black vinyl of this particular record is
listed at $25-40 (using Rockin‟ Records Price Guide by Jerry
Osborne), while the red version of the same record (with the
Chipmunks being drawn as animals) is listed at $50-75. So in
this case, the colored vinyl is quoted at a higher price. That is
usually the case with colored vinyl, it may be worth more than a
“regular” copy, but there are many variables (condition, number
of copies in circulation, demand, artist etc) to consider, and in
this case, just the way that the Chipmunks are represented on
the cover factor into the overall value.
Picture Discs
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Again, this is another marketing ploy by the record companies
and the artists to sell their vinyl. The same elements as colored
vinyl apply and since these vinyl records are pressed in limited
quantities, you will find that they do command a higher price than
a “regular” version of the same recording. But don‟t expect very
good sound quality, these are made to be looked at and admired,
not played. Take a look at some of these beautiful and, often
valuable pieces of art here:
http://www.angelfire.com/rock/picturediscs/
http://www.prince-picturedisc.com/picture_disc_gallery.html
And to read more about picture discs:
http://www.vinylunderground.net/article.html
I have actually just begun collecting picture discs and find them
true pieces of art. And I have a great site to suggest to you if
you want a great selection of picture discs. Go to the site and
then click on the ”picture discs” heading in the menu:
http://tinyurl.com/3ahqv7
Mono vs. Stereo
In the early years of vinyl record production, “mono” sound
reproduction was the only option available. Crude (by our
standards today), but acceptable, this offered playing your
records and hearing the sound from a single speaker; until stereo
became the “norm” in the early sixties. In fact, you will often
find that there are often “stereo” versions and “mono” versions of
56
the same vinyl recording, most with different price ranges
(usually the mono version are listed at the higher price because
there are less quantities of these records and the demand is
higher). Additionally 45's (7" inch singles) remained in “mono”
format well into the 1960's because that is the type of audio
equipment the buying public (teenagers) had in their homes.
I read that Rolling Stone‟s manager Andrew Loog Oldham claims
that the band‟s best work in the 1960‟s was all recorded in mono
and insists that “if you want to hear the Stones as we intended
you to hear them, listen to the original mono albums.” Motown
president Berry Gordy, Jr. regarded mono as the “cat‟s meow”
and made sure that the engineers at Motown gave it all their
attention. Even the great album by the Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper‟s
Lonely Hearts Club Band,” was originally recorded in mono and
then converted to stereo and as George Harrison insisted “You
haven‟t heard Sgt. Pepper if you haven‟t heard it in mono.”
Yes, the music does sound different, but mono was phased out in
1967, although it lingered on in the U.K. for another year. And
although this format was largely ignored in the 70‟s (we had
stereo, a new and exciting concept in music) and as the stereo
versions of recordings became more popular; mono versions of
records were phased out. But, there are the purists who love
mono and, in fact, some classic albums from the 60‟s are being
reissued in the format (albeit some on CD). Some of these
include MCA‟s repackaging of the Who‟s “A Quick One: Happy
Jack,” which used the original mono master tape for the release,
Pink Floyd‟s LP entitled “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” which
has also been reissued in mono format and The Crazy World of
Arthur Brown‟s 1968 self-titled, debut album released on CD in
1991 with side one of the record recorded in mono as a special
bonus on the CD release.
For a more detailed look at the mono vs. stereo debate, I have
57
found a few sites I hope you find interesting:
http://www.bcae1.com/stermono.htm
http://www.beatlelinks.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18854
Promos
This is a very misunderstood aspect of vinyl record collecting and
only adds confusion to the novice collector. This is a very
“slippery slope,” as the saying goes. While there are certainly
some promotional copies of records that are very valuable, most
1960's era mono promos are relatively common (some promo
copies of the same record even out number original pressings of
the same recording) and are usually priced at the high end of
what a “regular” copy of the same record would be estimated to
be worth.
For the most part these promotional copies were not intended to
be bought or sold. Some will read: Demo, Demonstration, Not
For Sale, Dee Jay Copy or some other identifying wording, some
may have a punch hole, the bar code may be missing or some
other defacement to the record or album jacket. The label used
for promotional records is often different than the standard
release with some record companies using a white label.
Sometimes catalog numbers may differ from the regular release.
If you are collecting promotional 45's, you should remember that
most 45's were issued in promotional format and often in large
quantities. Record labels were promoting their artists‟ and freely
gave these records to radio stations in the hope of gaining air
time. Therefore it is not surprising to see more promo‟s than the
regular releases of the same record.
58
But there are exceptions and you should be alert and vigilant
about identifying these records. Some promos that were released
to radio stations combined artists in an attempt to gain
recognition for one, by pairing the artist with a more popular one.
Still, some promos were released to try to highlight potential hits
from an upcoming album, a teaser, if you will. I have some
promos in my collection that actually say “Dee Jay Side”
suggesting to the DJ the potential “hit” side of the release.
Some promotional records become more collectible because they
are sometimes mono promo albums (before the record company
abandoned mono for stereo format around 1967). Radio was
somewhat slow to this conversion and some albums that were
released in stereo only format (i.e. Janis Joplin, Cream and
others), were mixed into mono format for radio play, thus
creating a unique collectible.
Furthermore, other forms of collectible promotional records are
promos that will change the order of the songs on an album or
some that the music or lyrics were changed. There also could be
several “mixes” of the same promotional record. Another form of
collectible promotional material could be a promo-only
compilation of an artist‟s greatest hits, sometimes designed to
arouse interest in newer material with some records even
including one or two new songs on the record. In addition, record
companies are capitalizing in the audiophile‟s interest in
promotional material by releasing “custom” promos on highquality “Quiex II” vinyl. Artist‟s such as The John Lennon
Collection (Geffen 2023) and an album by Fleetwood Mac
(Mirage, W. B. 23607) fall into this specific collectible promo
genre. To learn more about this specific area of vinyl record
collecting, you should pick up a copy of Goldmine‟s Promo Record
and CD Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/3xamxl
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Bootlegs
This is a very misunderstood aspect of vinyl record collecting and
adds confusion, especially to the novice collector. Most of the
world‟s most famous vinyl records have been “bootlegged” at one
time or another. Artist‟s such as Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling
Stones, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam,
Metallica, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Kate Bush,
U2, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Phish, Pink Floyd, to name just a
few, have all been “bootlegged”. In fact, Bob Dylan, along with
Bruce Springsteen, are the most bootlegged American artists;
while the Beatles and Led Zeppelin hold that distinction among
the British bands. Each person has their own opinion about
bootleg copies of records and the fact is they exist and are
collected. It is well known that John Lennon actively collected
every Beatles bootleg he could acquire.
While some people will pay exorbitant amounts for bootlegged
copies of records, most record guides do not cite their existence,
except in rare circumstances. Suffice to say, some can be
valuable, but identifying the value (and sometimes the record)
can be problematic.
Yet there are some very famous “bootlegged” records including
Bob Dylan‟s “Basement Tapes” and his release of the two-lp set
“The Great White Wonder.” Dylan has subsequently released
more material from this era, including “Flower” and “Troubled
Troubadour.” Moreover, in 1971, the entire “Basement Tapes”
acetate was compiled onto one disc, “Waters Of Oblivion.”
In 1969, the Beatles were in turmoil and as they argued with
each other about their final album “Let It Be,” test pressing
copies were made by producer George Martin. But at least one of
these somehow made it to the American radio airwaves and
weeks later it appeared on the streets as a bootleg titled “Get
Back and 12 Other Songs.” This recording became one of the
most known and highest selling bootlegs of all time.
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In 1969, John Lennon hurriedly released a live recording of the
first Plastic Ono Band concert (at the Toronto Peace Festival)
because of a bootleg recording that was in circulation. The
Rolling Stones also acted upon their bootlegged material by
releasing live LP‟s in the 1970‟s.
It is said that what is now regarded as the legendary jazz
musicians Charlie Parker‟s most influential and important music is
preserved because somebody had the wherewithal to illegally
record it. Much of Hank William‟s classic radio broadcasts were
also recorded and circulated long after the original music had
been forgotten. The Grateful Dead were adamantly opposed to
people taping their concerts, yet without this music being taped,
the band could not have released some of their most
mesmerizing music (in fact, the band actually oversaw many of
these bootlegged recordings and helped produce the bootlegged
records they released).
The history of bootlegging dates back to the 50‟s with the
availability of reel-to-reel tape recorders. People would record
popular blues, jazz, and even opera, with both the tapes and
vinyl recordings (more often on 45‟s) circulating in the
underground bootleg industry. In the eyes of the bootlegger,
they were recording music history and this music history should
be chronicled and preserved for all who wanted to hear it (for a
price of course).
But bootlegs do add value to the music landscape. One could
argue that without these recordings, the public may have never
gotten to hear specific songs or out-takes. In fact, some music is
alive today because somewhere, somebody legally or illegally
recorded and distributed it.
Now this is an aspect of vinyl record collecting that I personally
do not venture into. Although there may be some very valuable
bootlegs, to me, there are just too many other variables to take
into consideration. Is it a counterfeit or a bootleg, and what is
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the difference? I asked Google the same question and had over
600,000 results. I found some of them very interesting and I
thought I would share some of my findings. To read more about
this you can visit these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootleg_recording
http://tinyurl.com/36bjyg
http://www.culturecourt.com/Ajo/media/boots3.htm
http://www.bobsboots.com/bt-labels.html
Counterfeits
Counterfeits differ from bootlegs, in that the counterfeiter is
trying to deceive the buyer. They package the material as if it
were the original and often reproduce the producer‟s trademark
and logo. They mislead the consumer into believing that they
are, in fact, buying a legitimate product. There are many, many
resources on the Internet (too many to list), so my suggestion
would be to Google “vinyl records+counterfeits” to get a better
understanding of this part of the record collecting world.
I have listed a few sites of interest:
http://tinyurl.com/3xr7yz
http://www.sidestreetrecords.com/articles/colorPdEtc.html
http://tinyurl.com/6las9s
http://tinyurl.com/6xpfbd
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Guide to Audiophile LPs
Recently, I have found a detailed explanation of „audiophile‟ vinyl,
(http://www.audiophilelps.com/) and it is certainly becoming
more and more popular; as classic rock and roll icons, as well as
up and coming artists, are now releasing vinyl in this manner. I
did not write this, but I feel it is important enough to warrant
inclusion in the ebook:
“Audiophile - in Latin 'lovers of sound' “
Overview
It's no exaggeration to say that vinyl has experienced something
of a resurgence in the last decade. In a world of musical
convenience gained from the introduction of CDs in 1983 and
more recently mp3 players, many ask what the appeal of vinyl is
and why people are still buying. It would be easy not to
understand its appeal if you have never heard how good an LP
can sound on a good music system. From the moment you open
a record, the size of the artwork, its touch and smell suggest that
it‟s something special, beyond the simple convenience of CDs, but
nothing comes close to the experience of listening to it. If you are
using a good turntable and hi-fi, playing a record can be a
wonderful and enjoying experience, arguably being a much closer
experience to hearing the music live - with an analog medium
sounding less artificial than CDs and compressed digital formats.
The increase in vinyl sales over the last decade are not just from
'normal' LPs you can still buy in some stores and online, but also
from the sale of audiophile vinyl pressings, which are
manufactured with much greater care and always arguably sound
much better than cheaper releases. Please find below a
comprehensive overview of audiophile vinyl pressings - how
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they're made, what the big labels are releasing audiophile records
and links to reviews of some of the best sounding releases we've
heard. Think of us as your guide to the best quality records now
available, allowing you to listen to your favorite albums fresh,
enjoy as close to a 'live listening experience' in your home as
possible and gain the best possible listening experience from your
music system.
General Overview
- Vinyl Quality. Most audiophile LPs are now released on vinyl
weighing either 180 grams ('180g') or 200 grams ('200g') and
are denoted as such to indicate the greater quality of the vinyl
used, often being 'virgin vinyl' meaning purer vinyl is used rather
than the recycled plastics used in the production of standard LPs.
A result of the greater quality and weight of the vinyl is usually
lower surface noise and less cross talk. Please note: earlier
audiophile LPs (including those from MFSL, Nautilus, Nimbus
Supercut, etc.) were released on standard weight vinyl, but the
quality of the vinyl used was very pure and as such, the quality of
the sound on these releases is as good - or in some cases better,
than the quality of newer releases. Furthermore, heavier vinyl
arguably has a longer life and can withstand repeated plays more
than the cheaper, less pure vinyl used on standard LPs.
- Original Master Tapes. Audiophile records are often mastered
from the original tapes that were used to record the album in the
studio or live. This is in contrast to many standard LPs which are
mastered from sixth, seventh or even eight generation copies or
dupes. With each successive copy sounding less like the original
tapes and losing something in the copying process, mastering
from the original tapes means that the sound of the resulting
record will be as close as possible to the sound of the original
tapes and thus as close as possible to the experience of actually
being there during the original recording. Many audiophile records
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are mastered from the original tapes and clearly state this on the
record, for example, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) releases
are all labeled 'Original Master Recording' to make this as clear as
possible!
- Half Speed Mastering. Half speed mastering refers to the
speed of mastering the original recording onto the master
lacquer, which is then used to make the masters that press each
LP. Many standard LPs are mastered at standard speed, which
means that the master tape moves at the same speed as the
original recording session and the master lacquer moves at 33
1/3 rpm. In contrast, it is also possible to run each of these
machines at half speed. As a result, there is twice as much time
for the cutting stylus to cut every possible detail and delicate
groove modulation, resulting in LPs where you can hear details
and nuances on your favourite albums that you never heard
before. Furthermore, mastering at half speed uses less power and
as a result the cutting head amplifiers use only one fourth as
much power, resulting in much greater head room, better
dynamic range, frequency response and lower distortion. This is
another reason why resulting audiophile LPs can sound much
closer to the sound of the original recording in comparison to
standard LPs.
- Mastering Process. Audiophile LPs are produced with much
greater care and consideration at every stage of the mastering
process. Some labels clearly state a special feature of their
mastering process. For example, Classic Records use tube
amplification in every stage of their mastering process, following
the logic that tubes sound warmer and less clinical than
transistors and as such, the resulting LPs should follow suit. In
many cases, mastering engineers may have to work with master
tapes that are damaged or which need level adjustments to
compensate for deterioration. It is an art to do this and to still
achieve a sound as close as possible to that of the original
recording. In some cases, there will be master recording notes to
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work with, but damage to a recording tape over time can mean
that some albums take considerable time to master properly. In
any case, there are some clear cases of significant improvements
in sound from some audiophile LPs when compared to original
pressings, for example with Carole King's Tapestry from Classic
Records, which sounds much more realistic and less 'EQ'd' than
standard original pressings. There are some mastering engineers
who have achieved small celebrity status for the quality of their
mastered albums, for example Steve Hoffman and Bernie
Grundman.
- 45rpm, One-Sided LPs, etc. Many audiophile labels have
recently released some LPs which are playable at 45rpm. This is
an extension of the logic used for mastering at half speed.
Mastering an LP at 45rpm rather than 33rpm gives a greater
groove length in which to press x period of music, which should
arguably result in greater detail and resolution. One sided
masters follow similar logic, with the suggestion that this results
in one perfect playing surface.
- Direct to Disc. Some audiophile LPs were released using this
process, which means that the pressing is made live, with the
signal from the session going through to the cutting lathe. The
logic behind this approach is that the resulting recording should
be devoid of the limitations of a recording medium and should
have low distortion, excellent dynamic range and the widest
possible frequency response. However, the practicalities of this
approach have meant that these releases tend to be solo
performers and are of the majority jazz albums. Furthermore,
modern digital and 'lossless' recording techniques on newer
albums mean that the benefits of this approach are arguably less
important now.
- Original artwork, labels, and inclusions. Most audiophile LPs
include where possible accurate reproductions of the original
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cover art, LP labels and any other inclusions which were included
at the time of the original release. Such dedication allows you to
enjoy the record as if you were buying it for the first time again,
but with the advantages of the better mastering.
- Poly-lined inner sleeves. Most standard LPs are packaged
using cheap paper sleeves, or in worst cases cardboard sleeves,
which can scratch and scuff the vinyl when removing and
replacing it before and after play. In contrast, most audiophile
LPs are packaged with poly lined inner sleeves, which include a
sheet of poly lining to protect the vinyl from getting damaged and
for safer storage. Mofi refer to their version of these as 'rice
paper inner sleeves', which are also now available in packs of 10,
25 and 50 so that you can replace cheap inner sleeves with these
superior replacements.”
Audiophile Labels
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL)
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL or Mofi) was one of the first
companies to release audiophile records in the late 1970s.
Denoted as 'Original Master Recording' due to the mastering from
the original tapes at half speed, Mobile Fidelity went through
several periods as a company, which is reflected in the dates of
their releases. However, the philosophy of releasing the best
possible sounding releases has remained, as has the company's
dedication to presenting luxury packages that include original
album artwork and sleeve notes wherever possible.
The earlier releases from the 1970s and 1980s, were pressed on
'super vinyl', which was standard weight (as most audiophile
releases during the period were), but was an extremely pure vinyl
produced by JVC in Japan, so pure in fact that it is translucent
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when held to the light and feature 'an extraordinarily quiet
playing surface, extreme durability and a lifespan many times
exceeding conventional pressings'. In 1979, Mofi released their LP
master of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' which was a huge
seller and became the benchmark hi-fi system test LP for years to
come. Following this release, Mofi started to release further
releases from 1980 onward. These earlier pressings have some of
the most quiet surfaces available of any audiophile LPs. In fact,
many near mint and mint examples have next to no surface noise
and the level of resolution is incredible. Many releases from this
period often sell for high sums second hand, but they are still
usually the best sounding releases of the album in question
available and likely to rise in value in future, thus also being an
investment to some buyers. These releases were mastered by
Stan Ricker and Jack Hunt.
Mofi also released three now legendary LP box sets. The first
released in 1982, 'The Beatles Collection' is legendary as being
the best sounding release of the fab four's albums ever available.
The second released in 1983 was 'Sinatra,‟ a collection of his best
albums from the Capital label years. The third released in 1984,
the 'Rolling Stones Collection' was a collection of their first
albums, none of which was released separately (only 'Some Girl's
and 'Sticky Fingers' - two of their later albums, were released
separately by Mofi). Each box collection is expensive to obtain,
but are worth every penny and are arguably three of the best
audiophile collections ever released and were all individually
numbered. These box sets also included the 'Geodisc' which is
arguably one of the best cartridge alignment tools available, but
is now available from Mofi and is in store. During this period, they
also released several UHQR (Ultra High Quality Records) titles
which were pressed on 200 gram (200g) vinyl and marketed as
sounding better than their standard counterparts. They also
released some cassettes during this period using the same
mastering processes, but these are rarer and arguably less
desirable now than the LP releases.
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The next wave of releases came in 1994 and were referred to as
the 'Anadisq' series. These used a different vinyl compound and
were released on heavy 200 gram (200g) weight vinyl and
mastered using the 'Gain system'. These releases were also all
individually numbered.
The original company folded in 1999, but was resurrected by
Music Direct and is now releasing audiophile LPs and CDs again.
It‟s debatable whether the newer LP releases equal the quality of
the earlier releases, but the company still follows the same
'Original Master Recording' philosophy. These newer releases are
mostly released on 180 gram (180g) weight vinyl and include
some 45rpm releases.
Classic Records
Classic Records are a recent US audiophile label dedicated to
producing high quality new LP pressings. Each release is
mastered at half speed from the original master tapes using an
'all-analog mastering process' which also uses tube amplification
at every stage of the mastering process. The majority of their
releases are pressed on high quality 200 gram (200g) weight
vinyl, which has virtually no surface noise and sonically superior
dynamics. Classic Records are also highly dedicated to releasing
each album with the original artwork, LP labels and any other
materials which were included with original pressings. Their
dedication to this is shown in the quality of the each release, with
albums having thick, heavy duty sleeves, and many being
presented exactly how they were when originally released. For
example, Led Zeppelin's III has the original wheel cover, 'In
Through the Out Door' includes the brown paper bag cover, and
booklet, The Who's 'Tommy' includes the original booklet and trifold sleeve. In short, Classic Records have aimed for each release
to be a sensory experience, and as close to the experience of
buying the original LP as possible. As a result, their releases allow
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you to enjoy the experience of buying your favorite albums over
again, being in sight and touch exact replicas of their original
counterparts, but with the advantage of the quality of the LP
included, which in many cases far succeeds the quality of the
standard LP release.
Classic Records are critically acclaimed for the sound and
presentation of their releases, many of which are now considered
to be the definitive releases. These include the Led Zeppelin
catalog, which sound of which is breathtaking, The Who catalog,
and many more. They are also due to release the Beatles catalog
in late 2007 or 2008 - so we will get to enjoy these albums once
more and see if they equal or exceed the quality of the Mobile
Fidelity releases!
Nimbus Supercut
Nimbus Records have achieved somewhat of a legendary status
within the audiophile circle for their 'Supercut' releases, which
were only available by mail order through the Hi-fi magazines
'Practical Hi-fi' and 'Hi-fi Today' in the early 1980s. Nimbus
mastered each release from the original master tapes using the
best available mastering processes. Infect, Nimbus employed
many techniques for each release that were not commonly used.
For example, generally when bass moves from channel to channel
on an LP, groove modulation is employed to reduce the
movement of the stylus and this results in this bass being
centered more over both channels. Most audiophiles would argue
that this - and in fact anything, which changes the original
recording should be avoided although this is common practice on
most LPs. For example, the release of 'Joan Armatrading' had
bass moving from channel to channel in several places, but
Nimbus did not limit this, resulting in an outstanding pressing.
Nimbus also had the ICI company produce an extremely pure
vinyl for the LPs, which has amazing frequency reproduction and
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is virtually noise free - similar in quality to the 'super vinyl' used
on earlier Mofi pressings. Due to their rarity and small pressing
quantities, they are often more expensive than audiophile LPs
from other labels, but the sums paid can be justified by the
outstanding quality of the pressings and the fact that they tend to
rise in value over time and as such are deemed as investments
by some audiophiles. Other releases included Pink Floyd's 'Wish
You Were Here', Beatles 'Sgt Pepper' and Wings 'Band on the
Run' and many other excellent titles.
Nautilus
At a similar time to the original Mofi LP releases, Nautilus
released a comparatively smaller - though excellently mastered
number of audiophile LPs in their 'Superdisc' series. Most of these
were mastered at half-speed and pressed on high quality
standard weight vinyl. These are also rare releases and were
released in limited quantities. Nautilus also released some direct
to disc releases.
CBS Mastersound
This label released a large range of half speed mastered LPs
during the 1980s, all mastered on excellent quality vinyl and
using the best available mastering techniques. These releases
also include a 'CBS Mastersound Information Sheet' (where still
included), detailing the mastering processes used. These releases
are arguably sonically equal to many of the earlier Mofi releases,
but often do not command such high sums and as such are
usually quite a bargain. The exceptions are for some of the
releases which are outstanding such as Pink Floyd's 'Wish You
Were Here'.
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Sheffield Lab
This label released a range of audiophile LPs during the 1980s,
many of which were mastered direct to disc.
Pure Pleasure
Pure Pleasure are quickly gaining an excellent reputation for
releasing excellent sounding jazz and blues releases on 180 gram
(180g) vinyl, many of which are mastered from the original
master tapes.
Sundazed
Sundazed are dedicated to releasing older rock, folk and
psychedelic albums, which have included much of the Bob Dylan
catalog (in original mono), the Byrds catalog (also original mono)
and many more. Each release also includes faithful reproductions
of original artwork and LP labels and are pressed on high quality
180 gram (180g) weight vinyl. The Bob Dylan releases are
arguably the best sounding versions of these albums available,
each having a much fresher sound than on standard pressings which in some cases can be surprising, for example with 'Highway
61 Revisited', on which 'Like a Rolling Stone' sounds much fresher
than most other versions available.
Warner/R.T.I.
These releases are mastered at half speed, often by some
celebrity mastering engineers, including Stan Ricker - who
mastered many of the earlier Mofi LPs. They are pressed on high
quality 180 gram (180g) weight vinyl and are always presented
with high quality thick artwork sleeves and LP labels.
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DCC
DCC released a small number of audiophile LPs, most notably the
Doors catalog, which were arguably the best releases of their
albums ever available, many of which were mastered by Steve
Hoffman.
Japanese LPs
Japanese LPs are often highly regarded for having excellent
sound quality and for being produced on excellent quality vinyl.
They can usually be identified by an 'OBI strip', a long piece of
paper around the cover with the album details in Japanese. Some
releases are also pressed on red vinyl, which some argue has
greater sonic qualities than standard black vinyl, though this is
debatable and arguably depends more on the actual quality of the
vinyl used.
Conclusions
Audiophile LPs are generally more expensive as a rule of thumb in
comparison to standard LP releases, but as the saying goes, you
get what you pay for. The greater care, craftsmanship,
presentation and most importantly the sound quality of audiophile
LPs mean that you are getting something truly special, that will
allow you to get the very best out of your music system, and
enjoy music the way it was recorded and supposed to sound.
Many people who head audiophile vinyl are surprised by the
details and sounds they can hear on their favorite albums that
they have never heard before and the entire experience is like
buying the album for the first time and enjoying how good it
sounded when you first heard it. What's more surprising though
to the majority of converted vinyl enthusiasts is how much better
audiophile LPs can sound in comparison to their CD counterparts,
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making a real case for vinyl as a format and a luxury for any high
end music system that deserves only the very best.
I do own several „audiophile‟ records and the sound is amazing. I
think that this writer captured the true meaning of what an
audiophile record is, I hope that you found it as compelling as I
have.
Audiophile Awareness
This section is new (as of February 2008) because some readers
have asked why I do not address specific issues with regard to
turntable set up. This is a vital part of record collecting and the
experience of listening to and enjoying our vinyl. But the fact is,
I am not an expert in this area and I think it is best left to an
expert to detail the elements that go into turntable set up.
That said, I have been in contact with an expert, his name is
Michael Fremer, (http://www.musicangle.com). Michael is the
senior contributing writer to Stereophile Magazine and an
expert in all things analog. So I feel it is imperative to learn about
a sensational DVD (21st Century Vinyl: Michael Fremer's Practical
Guide to Turntable Set-Up) that Michael has created and to
summarize what is on the DVD and what you can learn, I have
gotten permission for the reprint of a review written by Jeff Day.
(reprinted by permission from http://www.6moons.com):
Michael Fremer's DVD is available at most audiophile websites like Acoustic
Sounds, Music Direct, Elusive Disc and others like them. If you've been
reading about HiFi for any time at all, you've no doubt learned that Michael
Fremer is the most visible analog man in the HiFi press. Michael also has his
own website devoted to music called the Music Angle which you'll want to
check out. For those few who may not know, Michael writes for an audio
print magazine called Stereophile. Stereophile has done an excellent job of
covering the breadth of the HiFi hobby for many decades.
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Michael's DVD on turntable setup is obviously a labor of love and contains
lots of good information on tweaking a vinyl system for optimal
performance. The DVD is arranged into six video chapters and contains over
three hours of content: Why We Love Vinyl, Mysteries of Mastering, Tools of
the Trade, Setting up a Pro-ject RM-5, Setting up a VPI Scoutmaster, and
Final Words. The DVD even includes a PDF article that Michael wrote on
turntable setup. It covers many of the topics in greater detail and provides a
tutorial which you can print out to reference while setting up your turntable.
There's lots of good information in the article that I found to be very
informative and helpful.
Why We Love Vinyl
Let's take a look at the six video chapters first. Why We Love Vinyl is an
introduction to the joys of the vinyl medium. You'll find Michael to be a witty
and funny fellow who has been enjoying vinyl for nearly fifty years. You'll
also get to see his personal record collection. It's breathtaking! You know
how a library looks with aisles and aisles of books? That's Michael's record
collection. If the Smithsonian ever loses their collection, he should be able to
bail them out in fine fashion. In this chapter, Michael gives a brief overview
of the dominant forms of recorded music with their up- and downsides: 78s
and reel-to-reel tapes, cassette tapes, the four & eight track cassettes, CDs
and of course LPs. Michael goes through an interesting array of LPs and their
charms but I'm not going to tell you about that in detail. I promise you this:
one of those album covers will earn Michael's DVD an R rating from the
prudes among you. But you'll need to get the DVD for yourself to become an
amateur censor.
Mysteries of Mastering
In Mysteries of Mastering, Michael visits mastering engineer George Marino
of Sterling Sound in New York City to show us how records are made.
George and Michael talk about how in video production there are color
standards and the like to work from. In audio, there are no such standards.
The mastering engineer has to make artistic choices that will portray the
music in the best possible way to fulfill the musicians' intent for their music.
George gives a nice overview of the mastering suite and how his equipment
is used during the mastering process. I particularly enjoyed this discussion.
It's worth the price of the DVD alone.
Tools of the Trade
In Tools of the Trade, Michael presents an overview of the tools you'll need
to set up your turntable, from the least expensive to the very expensive in
each category of tool. Michael stresses that you don't have to spend a lot on
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tools to perform a good setup on your turntable. "Don't get crazy, just set it
up and enjoy it!"
Setting Stylus Pressure: A stylus pressure gauge is the first thing you'll need
and there are decent inexpensive ones to choose from like that venerable
old Shure standby or snazzier and more expensive ones from Micro-Tech,
Arm Load Meter, the Cartridge Man, May Audio or Wally Malewicz's scale. For
most people, a digital scale is the way to go for ease of use.
Setting Horizontal Cartridge Geometry: Next up is setting the horizontal
geometry of the cartridge. You can use the paper setup template that comes
with your tonearm -- it'll work just fine -- but stay away from the fixed size
metal protractors because their 'one size fits all' approach doesn't work all
that well. Each arm is different so each alignment template is unique to that
brand of arm. If you want to go for the precision approach, the Wally Tractor
is made custom for your tone arm and Michael feels it's well worth the
money.
Michael says there are a couple of other tools you should have on hand to
make your life easier while setting up your cartridge. The first is a good
light. Michael fancies 'The Little Light' and recommends that you get one.
Michael also recommends getting a good small magnifying glass with 4-6
times magnification.
Setting Vertical Tracking Angle: Michael includes an interesting discussion on
vertical tracking angle (VTA) where he describes how it takes a lot of
movement at the back of the arm to have any real effect on the VTA but that
a small change in stylus pressure will make a significant change in the stylus
rake angle which is closely related to VTA. The lesson is this: if your tonearm
doesn't have easily adjustable height, don't sweat it. You can accomplish
essentially the same thing by changing the stylus pressure to alter the stylus
rake angle.
When setting arm height, the best place is to start with the arm parallel to
the record because that's how most cartridge designers design their
cartridge to track correctly. You can set your arm to parallel a couple of
different ways. Michael shows how to use a piece of a ruler to set the VTA
very easily and for very little money. If you really want to be exact, you can
use the Wally blade. Michael also recommends that you get a pair of small
needle nose pliers to install or remove the tonearm leads from the cartridge
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pins.
Setting Anti-Skating: The next topic Michael covers is anti-skating. Skating
is the force that causes the arm to pull towards the center of the record. The
anti-skating adjustment of the tonearm corrects for the skating so that the
stylus is centered in the record groove rather than drifting one way or the
other. Michael covers the method most commonly used on tonearms to
correct for skating, the weight and string method. He also introduces Wally
Malewicz's method for setting anti-skating, which he considers to be the
best. Michael says that for most arms there's a little sliding scale and if you
set it to the same number as the tracking force, you'll be all set.
Setting Azimuth: The next aspect of setup covered is azimuth. Azimuth has
to do with the perpendicularity of the stylus to the groove. Setting the
azimuth correctly minimizes crosstalk between the channels, which affects
soundstaging, imaging and how big of a picture you're going to get. Michael
describes a couple of ways to do this: you can do it by eye, you can put a
mirror on your platter, or you can be really accurate and use a voltmeter to
measure the amount of crosstalk in each channel (Michael's preferred way).
Setting up the Pro-Ject RM-5
Michael uses the example of setting up a Pro-Ject RM-5 turntable that just
arrived in his mail with a Blue Point Special Evo III cartridge to give you a
feel for how to get started from analog ground zero. When you buy a new
turntable and unpack it from the shipping container, you'll need to follow the
manufacturer's directions for initial setup, which with the RM-5 starts with
removing the transport screws that protect the motor during shipping. After
having done that. Michael recommends that you remove the felt mat so that
you can set up the cartridge without having to worry about snagging it on
the felt, which could destroy its fragile cantilever. Before you do any more
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with the table, level it with a bubble level on the plane of play where the
stylus would move across the surface. The next step is really important says
Michael - using small rubber wedges to secure the platter so it won't move
as you continue the setup.
After Michael has completed the initial setup of the table to prepare for
cartridge installation, he proceeds to mount the cartridge and attach the
tonearm leads to the cartridge pins. Michael includes some nice tips that I
think will make this an easier process for the ham-fisted among us. The next
step is adjusting the vertical tracking force of the cartridge, which is
accomplished via the tonearm's counterweight. Michael likes to first adjust
the counterweight so that the arm floats and then he approximately dials in
the tracking force per the cartridge manufacturer's recommended value
before taking on the next task of setting the horizontal geometry with the
supplied template. After the horizontal geometry is dialed, Michael goes back
and dials in the correct tracking force before moving on the adjusting the
anti-skating.
The next step in the setup process is setting the vertical tracking angle and
stylus rake angle (VTA/SRA). Michaels says that some people think setting
VTA is nonsense because you have to change the arm-post height 4 mm to
get a one degree change in VTA - that's a lot. Michael says not to sweat the
VTA too much, just make sure it's in the ballpark. From VTA Michael moves
to setting the azimuth. Michael demonstrates a couple of methods for doing
this such as using a mirror or a voltmeter and includes detailed instructions
on the PDF file included with the DVD. That's it! Now you're ready to play a
record!
Wrapping up
While I will not describe it here (you'll have to get the DVD for that treat),
Michael goes on to set up a Rega P5 and VPI Scoutmaster turntables to
provide a couple of more examples from which to learn by observation. The
combination of video and PDF files provides a wealth of information on
turntable and cartridge setup that no analog lover will want to be without.
The PDF file contains a great deal of useful information on turntable setup
and record cleaning. I learned a lot about turntable setup from the contents
of Michael's DVD and I plan to use my newfound knowledge in setting up
turntables here at the moons. I highly recommend Michael's DVD to anyone
interested in LP records and turntables. It's obviously a labor of love and
easily worth its modest asking price. Many thanks to Michael for going
through all the work to put together this fine resource and share his
extensive knowledge and experience with the rest of us!
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http://tinyurl.com/6xtp3s
21st Century Vinyl: Michael Fremer's Practical Guide to Turntable Set-Up
(2006)
The DVD is an amazing look at the finer elements of turntable set
up. Michael also talks about cleaning vinyl (which I address in a
later chapter) in great detail and it is obvious that his methods
and tips can be helpful to even the most experienced of
collectors. Michael has also released another DVD for 2009 -both
are well worth the price of admission!
It's a Vinyl World After All (2008)
http://tinyurl.com/atr49l
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Types Of Music
But, what type of music should you collect? Obviously, this is a
matter of personal preference. Some love country music and
some acid rock. Some love the album format, while others prefer
the 45. But there are enough genres of music and sizes of
records out there to keep any collector busy for eternity.
Some collect EP‟s, 45‟s, 78‟s, Punk, Jazz, Funk, Reggae, Folk, or
Comedy records. Additionally, a collector could look for albums
by Rap artists, Blues records, Soul Music, “indie” music, Gospel or
Christian Music. You could also collect Psychedelic Rock albums
and covers, Doo-Wop singles, Garage Band Music, Heavy Metal,
Spoken Word, Classical records, Compilation recordings, colored
vinyl, picture discs, imports, promotional copies, demos or
Soundtracks. I‟m sure I left some out, but you get the idea;
there is something for everyone. However, you don‟t have to
limit yourself to one specific genre. You can do what I do and
collect them all.
You could also collect specific labels or record companies. A
fellow collector is partial to Reprise Records and RCA Victor and
amassed quite a collection in that specific area.
Then there is what I like to call the “specialty markets.” This
would include the Beatles, Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan,
the Grateful Dead, Beach Boys, Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix, to list a
few. These artists are in a league of their own because not only
are some of their record albums highly collectible but there is a
premium on the memorabilia as well. This is not to say every
record by these artists is super valuable, on the contrary, it is
just that these artists seem to command more attention.
But are there some genres of music that are worth more than
others? I would say definitely, yes. Besides the specialty
markets, history plays an important role in determining the worth
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of a particular record. Hillbilly records (roots of country-1930‟s
and 1940‟s), obscure Motown records, Rockabilly from 19481955, as well as records from the roots of rock and roll are all
highly sought after and collectible. I have also seen a term used
for soul music called “Northern Soul” and it at the time of publish,
it is a hot commodity in the vinyl collecting world. Additionally,
many R & B albums from the 1950‟s suffered from poor
marketing and distribution and consequently can fetch $1000 or
more per record.
But if you are a younger record collector, you can see that this
author shows his age. What about the vinyl records from 1985 to
the present, aren‟t they collectible, don‟t they have value? Of
course they do and I‟ll tell you why. Artists like Nirvana, R.E.M.,
Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Metallica, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Madonna and many, many others released vinyl records.
Some were released with collectors in mind, being released as
“limited editions,” such as Metallica‟s “Vinyl Box Set” (R1-76156);
which consisted of 5,000 numbered copies of their first four
albums pressed on two records each. Some vinyl releases
contained “extra tracks” that the CD version would not include,
again to appease the vinyl lovers and make them even more
collectible. In 1998, the Dave Matthews Band released a vinyl
record called “Before These Crowded Streets” (RCA 67660) which
you can pick up for around $200 in near mint condition.
Children‟s recordings by Walt Disney or Sesame Street characters
have their own unique market and can be of some value to
certain collectors. There are some Soundtrack‟s from movies and
Broadway musicals that have value and have their own collector
books available with their own price lists. But, one must
remember that there is not a huge market for Broadway shows
that were released in the 1950‟s.
Jazz recordings have become an intriguing and upcoming market,
with demand rising steadily in the last few years. In fact, there
are specific books for collectors to determine the value of jazz
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records. Additionally, there are price guides for collectible 45‟s,
record picture sleeves, R & B, Alternative Music, British Invasion,
Beatles‟ recordings and memorabilia, Christmas records, Elvis
records, children‟s records…you get the picture.
But you must remember the value you get for any specific record
is only what someone is willing to pay for it. Additionally, a
record doesn‟t have to be old to be valuable. Somebody has
to want it. And just because a book tells you a record may be
worth sixty dollars in near mint condition, and you decide to sell
it, you then must try to get that price for the album and trust me;
there is a lot of haggling going on at these record shows and
auctions. This brings us to our next and most important element
of record album collecting-grading the record.
Added in late November of 2008:
Learn more about specific record labels and music that have been known to fetch great
prices at eBay; this report is another great resource to any record collector!
You'll find out:
-
which classical labels you should keep an eye out for and what specific thing
to look for on the label of each.
what local treasures are lurking right under your nose that are sought after in
the rest of the world, and why this can mean money in the bank for you.
which famous artist designed album covers in his early days, and the big
bucks they're bringing in now.
the most consistently valuable jazz label.
What two cities to look for on the most valuable blues labels (no, it's not New
Orleans).
the rule of thumb to find rap records worth reselling.
which literary figures are going for big bucks on "Spoken Word" records on
eBayville.
places to look for records, and where to sell them (not just on eBay).
Plus: things that affect record values, myths and truths about records, many photos of hotselling albums, prices from the top down to $100 for Rock and Pop, and much more.
This special report is only $19.95. Finding even one of the records of the type listed in this
report will more than pay for it. Just click the link below, and you'll be directed to a
download file, so you can start your record buying and selling fun tomorrow.
http://tinyurl.com/6bosvn
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Grading Vinyl Records
First and foremost, we must consider the condition of your vinyl
record album. Condition is everything, because condition will
ultimately decide what you will pay for an album or conversely,
what someone would be willing to pay you, if you decided to sell
the record.
But it is not only the condition of the vinyl record that determines
the price of an album. The condition of the album jacket must be
taken into consideration as well, as this has become a market in
itself. People have been willing to pay money for the album
jacket, (remember the art reference earlier) the liner notes,
inserts, posters, sleeve or anything else that came with the
release with no regard for the record itself (they may already own
a good copy of the record, but a poor quality album jacket).
How you grade your record albums is the single most
important factor in any record collection and one that is
the most subjective. What may be a mint or very good record
to you may not be to the more experienced record collector. In
an ideal world, everyone would be able to play and test every
record before they would buy it and everyone would agree on a
grading system. But, alas, since that is both impractical and
impossible, records are usually graded according to industry
standards.
Now, just what are the “industry standards”? While shopping
online for vinyl you may encounter web sites with their own way
of grading a vinyl record. Some will use the standard grading
terms like mint, very good or excellent, good, fair or poor and
then put a series of plus or minus signs behind them. To me this
can get quite confusing. Others may incorporate a numerical
value ranging from 10-1, with 10 being the best or mint. It is
imperative that you understand how the merchant or individual
grades the records before you decide to make a purchase from
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them.
The Goldmine Grading Guide is one grading system that is widely
utilized. Below is a summary of the Goldmine Record Grading
System and it is what a lot of people use. (Refer to the Official
Goldmine Grading System if you need more information regarding
the grading and valuation process for records.) This is found in
the Goldmine Record Price Guides For a listing of price guides:
http://tinyurl.com/2jgpxq
(Always View and Grade Records with Proper Lighting)
MINT (M)- perfect vinyl record album, possibly never
opened (still sealed, but even that can be deceiving as it is easy
to reseal them), no writing on the label or fading, no wrinkling,
no color-wear. Be very cautious when buying a record that
someone rates as a “mint” record because it is my opinion there
is really no such thing, every record has some flaw to it; even if it
is brand new. Even an old record album, still sealed, may be
warped or could even skip when played.
NEAR MINT (NM)- almost perfect record-like you just
brought it home from the record store, this record should have no
signs of wear, maybe played once or twice, the album cover or
jacket should be in pristine condition with no creases, folds, splits
or defects and have all its original applicable inserts. Record
album should play with no background noise and certainly not be
scratched or warped. This is also the highest price listed in all
Goldmine price guides. (It is important to note that this is not a
time line sliding scale, meaning that because an album was
manufactured in the 1950‟s, does not mean it gets special
consideration because of its age. It must “stack up” to or meet
the same standard as the album made in the 1990‟s and that is
why these record albums command such high prices; there just
are not too many of them around.)
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VERY GOOD PLUS/EXCELLENT (VG+/E)- (generally
worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value) you will find that most
record collectors‟ collections will fit into this category because
they went to great lengths to preserve the vinyl, the album jacket
and its contents and because this is what they are most likely to
purchase (assuming a near mint copy was not available or just
too expensive). The record should have a minimum of visual
(slight ring wear) or audible imperfections that do not detract
from the sound quality of the record. The album cover may have
some slight wear, some turned corners, creases, or slight seam
split. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK and
acceptable to most collectors. In short, this is a record you would
be comfortable paying a premium price to acquire, taking all
things into consideration.
VERY GOOD (VG)- (generally worth 25 percent of the Near
Mint value) The difference between VG and VG+ is subjective but
suffice to say that VG is a step down from VG+ in that the
imperfections are more pronounced (groove wear, ring wear) and
not only can you see the difference you can hear the difference
(and in my opinion, that is the ultimate test). I find that a lot
records that fall into this category were well-taken care of, but
you must remember the reason these people purchased the
record in the first place, not so much as a collector‟s item, but to
be played; hence the record and the album jacket will show signs
of human handling or the occasional beer spill.
GOOD (G)- (generally worth 10-15 percent of the Near Mint
value) obvious signs of wear and scratches obviously that
whoever owned the record did not take care of it. It will play
without skipping, but you will probably pass on adding it to your
collection. Why? Unless it is an album you have been searching
for or you just have to have it (maybe you knew some band
member), it is generally not worth that much. You do have a
decision to make if you know that it is a rare record, but it may
be best to wait until you can find a better copy of it.
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There are a couple of other ratings to consider FAIR and POOR
but unless these albums are the rarest of the rare, it is best to
shy away from these, as they are best suited for the trash. It is
my experience to not buy anything lower than a record rated
Good because 1) of the low resale value of the record and 2) the
quality of the sound, which is why I buy the record in the first
place.
But for some who invest in rare record albums and hard to find
record labels, a good rated record is OK to add to their collection
because that might be all that there is left to choose from.
Scarcity plays an important role in deciding whether to add that R
& B record from the 1940‟s to your collection, if the supply of
records available is limited; you may have to go with a lower
grade than you normally would. Ultimately, it is up to you to
decide what you are willing to sacrifice in both dollars and sound
quality.
I feel it necessary to share another widely accepted grading scale
that is used by buyers and sellers worldwide. It is my belief that
the term “industry standards” is best described by Jerry
Osborne‟s grading scale. Jerry Osborne has been a pioneer in
the record collecting hobby and has written over 130 record
price guides and in my humble opinion is the “Godfather of
Record Collecting.” We will talk more about him in detail later.
But, first, let us talk about the record grading again. The
Osborne Grading System is as follows:
Mint: Absolutely perfect, nothing less. To allow for tiny
blemishes, the highest grade used in the Osborne record guides is
described as near-mint
Very Good: Minimum visual or audible imperfections which
should not detract from your enjoyment of owning them. This
grade is half way between good and near-mint
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Good: Item may be good enough to fill a gap in your
collection until a better copy becomes available-will show definite
signs of wear and tear, probably evidencing that no proper care
was given to the item. Even so, should play without skipping.
Osborne warns that visual grading may be unreliable.
Accurate grading may require playing the record (play-grading).
Be honest about condition and apply the same standards to the
records you trade or sell as you want one from whom you were
buying to observe. Then use the following formula to determine
values on lesser condition copies:
For Very Good condition, figure about 25% to 50% of NearMint range of price given in Osborne Record Guides
For Good condition figure about 10% to 25% of Near-Mint
price range given in the Osborne Record Guides
The Osborne Record Guide then discusses another
recommended grading system and one I think can best describe
the condition of a vinyl record. Here is the 10-Point Grading
System as seen in the Osborne Record Guides:
10: Mint
9: Near-Mint
8: Better than VG but below NM
7: VG
6: Better than G but below VG
5: Good
4: Better than poor but below G
3: Poor
2: Really Trashed
1: It hurts to think about it
Now, I wrote about these two methods to illustrate a point. As I
stated earlier, grading vinyl records is very subjective and until
the industry decides on one across-the-board grading system,
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grading vinyl will remain a constant source of debate in the hobby
as well as buying and selling records. Use the grading system
you are most comfortable with and learn to adapt if there are
other kinds of grading systems in place.
But, I guess when it is all said and done; the only true way to
“grade” a record is to play it. You can look at it all you want and
see the physical flaws, but until you play the record, you can‟t
know what problems will arise form these imperfections until you
hear the music.
I want to share an interesting experience I had recently involving
a purchase of a 45 record by the Yardbirds. I was browsing eBay
one night and decided to purchase a record that the seller rated
VG+. I paid the $3.00 for the record, it was shipped, and when I
opened the package, was I disappointed. I would have never
“graded” that record a VG+; I would have graded it at G, if that.
So I emailed the seller and told them of my disappointment and
we exchanged some angry words. He told me to play the record.
I did and it is then I decided, yes the seller was right in his
grading assessment. The record played very well and did warrant
the VG+ grade that he had given it. In fact, after several emails
we are still in contact today, swapping collecting stories, and
becoming e-friends. So, I learned a very important lesson about
the grading process and one that I want to stress here. There
are two ways to grade a record, visual grading, and play grading.
But, we could also include a third “grade”....trust. You have to
trust the source you are buying your vinyl records from. This is
even more critical when dealing with online auctions and
merchants.
There is another factor to consider when buying old record
albums and that is- the sealed album. They tend to bring higher
resale prices because of the obvious- they have never been
opened. However, take into consideration that they may have
been re-sealed; the record may not be in mint condition (even
though it may be 20 years old.
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Record Guides
As collectors, buyers, or sellers of vinyl, we put our trust in the
record price guides that are released yearly. This gives us an
idea of what to pay for a specific record or, conversely, what to
charge, if we are selling an album. The guides supply us with
updates on trends in the industry, what genres are “hot” and
overall record prices. Some collectors use Goldmine Price Guides,
while others swear by Jerry Osborne‟s Record Price Guides. I will
not get into the debate on which one you should use, that is like
me telling you which kind of car to drive. It is a personal choice.
There are specific record price guides for Beatles‟ records, Elvis
records, comedy price guides, Christmas albums and
compilations, alternative music, country & western, 45's, 78's, R
& B.... the list seems endless. The price of records in the guides
are dictated by current trends in the marketplace, auction selling
prices, artist‟s deaths, overnight stardom, private sales,
information supplied to the publishers of the guides from dealers
and collectors, online record site sales catalogs, record
conventions and many other variables. In the case of Jerry
Osborne‟s Record Guides, they use the criteria listed above and
then take the overall average price to develop their price to list in
their record price guide for a particular record, thus ensuring the
greatest possible accuracy.
But there is a master flaw with all record price guides regardless
of the publisher. They are often outdated by the time they go to
press. And because the vinyl record collecting market fluctuates
so much, Osborne Enterprises and specifically Jerry Osborne,
have done something remarkable. Using the technology available
today, Osborne has created a new service called CYBERGUIDES,
ensuring that anyone who signs up for the service will never have
to use an out dated record price guide again. To find out more
about this great service go to:
http://tinyurl.com/2wz4gg
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Now, as a record collector, I am ecstatic about this service. Sure,
I will still have the published guides in book form, they are
portable and great to read and look at.
But, when I want the most up to date record prices that are
available, I just go to my computer and my Osborne Cyberguide,
which is updated on a weekly basis. You see, each day, Osborne
Enterprise revises, corrects, and updates the database and every
weekend Cyberguides is delivered via email to your home. You
then have the most up-to-date record price guide on the planet!
Rockin‟ Records, Jerry Osborne‟s newest (2008) Record Price
Guide is loaded with the best collector information with over 1000
pages and has prices for over one million records. It is regarded
in the record collecting industry as the best available guide and
is the one that is accepted by most major insurance companies.
(as of Feb-2009 there will be a new edition coming very soon)
Rockin‟ Records is the most comprehensive guide to date with
over 56,000 different artist sections and spans over 100 years of
pop, rock, country, jazz, blues and more from 1901 to 2006. No
guide includes as much rare soul and pre-war blues, both hot
commodities in the vinyl collecting world. They even have a
section that will help you appraise records that, for whatever
reason, do not appear in the guide. To pick up your copy of
Rockin‟ Records:
http://tinyurl.com/59d269
As I write this short ebook about vinyl record collecting, I have to
think about the history of collecting vinyl. No one has done more
for the hobby than Jerry Osborne. For those of you who do not
know who he is, let me introduce you to the “Godfather Of Record
Collecting:”
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Jerry Osborne
Jerry Osborne (www.jerryosborne.com) has written more than
over 130 record price guides and continues to add to that total.
He has also published three collector news and marketplace
magazines “Record Digest,” “Music World,” and “DISCoveries.”
He is highly recognized in the record collecting industry with
major coverage in magazines and newspapers including: “USA
Today,” “People Magazine,” “Reader‟s Digest” and “Cashbox” to
name just a few.
Mr. Osborne has also been a guest on many radio and TV talk
shows to discuss record collecting. Shows such as “Good Morning
America,” “Today Show,” “The Nashville Network,” among others,
have all shared Jerry‟s company.
He was also handpicked to write the introduction for “The
Archives Of Graceland” (the official auction catalogue). He and
Sun Records founder Sam Phillips are named “distinguished
contributors.” This honor reflects the amount of respect Jerry
Osborne has earned throughout the years in the industry.
Jerry Osborne is also known as “Mr. Music,” which is a popular
weekly newspaper feature distributed to papers nationally by
World Features Syndicate, where he answers reader‟s questions
about music, records and collecting.
There are so many more accolades and accomplishments to list,
but clearly, no one has done more for the hobby of collecting
vinyl records than Jerry Osborne.
A side note, I have just be named a moderator for the forum that
is run by Jerry Osborne. My nickname is fonzzz (an old nickname
from high school) and I am often seen posting about album cover
art, vinyl records and I post the column “This Date In Music
History” every other day. The forum is located here:
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http://www.jerryosborne.com/cgi-bin/Forum/YaBB.pl
Stop by, sign up and say hello to your fellow vinyl lovers and
collectors!
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Cleaning Your Records
Now, is it possible to take an old dusty record album and clean it
so it plays to your satisfaction? A lot depends on its age, just
how bad of shape it is in, your preferred method of cleaning and
of course, your sound system.
Ask any professional record album collector or even the guy next
door who has a record collection about the best way to clean an
old record and you might get two different answers. But one
thing is certain-you do not have to spend exorbitant amounts of
money on expensive record cleaners and gadgets. That being
said, there are some record cleaning products on the market
today that do an outstanding job and it is a matter of personal
preference as to which method you employ to clean your vinyl.
I have found several web sites that explain various ways of
cleaning vinyl records. I found them very useful and informative
and thought you would as well:
http://tinyurl.com/2y9r2a
http://tinyurl.com/6yrg84
http://www.garage-a-records.com/nitty.html
http://tinyurl.com/yqx92d
http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/recordcleaning.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-9969495-47.html
I have looked at the “vacuum type” record cleaning machines and
I‟ll keep my money in my wallet, I have my own system.
Everyone has their own opinion on the best methods and I will
share a simple process and what has worked for me throughout
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my years as a record collector.
First, remember that unlike CD‟s, vinyl records have no coating
that protects them from the elements (dust, humidity,
fingerprints, oils from your skin, static electricity). Handle your
records like you would a glass figurine, being extra careful never
to touch the grooves. Dust is one of the record album‟s
worst enemies and you must clean your records before and
after you play them. Before playing any record, you must wipe
it with a moist antistatic cloth. Additionally, there are some nice
inexpensive record album brushes on the market, which do a
great job of removing the dust particles from the playing surface.
There are also some ideal felt brushes to lightly clean the
grooves. Furthermore, I have seen advertisements for “record
cleaners” and it is my advice to stay away from these products,
as some could actually be harmful to the type of record you are
cleaning. Never use an alcohol-based fluid on a shellacbased record (78). However, it is ok to wash your record. Let
me explain.
This is a delicate procedure and can be a bit time consuming but
is well worth the time invested. You must be careful not to get
any water on the label (it may run or peel). I have found that
distilled water (you must use distilled water, ordinary tap water
has too many harmful chemicals and additives), mixed with a
little bit of Ivory dish soap works wonders for removing dirt and
dust from older record albums. I have also used the water I get
from my de-humidifier; it is de-ionized, de-mineralized, and aptly
suited for this purpose.
Mix just a couple of drops of Ivory dish soap into a cereal bowl
with some lukewarm water. Then, taking a cotton cloth (an old
white T-shirt works fine) or even a soft toothbrush, lightly wash
the grooves in a circular motion in the opposite direction of the
needle flow. If you are doing a 45 record this doesn‟t take too
long, but a record album can take awhile; the important thing to
remember is to take your time. Do not soak the record, but get it
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wet enough to remove the dirt and sediment build-up. Next, dry
it with another cotton cloth or place the record in a plate rack to
dry and you are ready to go; just let the record dry sufficiently
before playing. (Never play a wet record!) Be sure to have the
proper stylus on your record player and replace it as needed.
I want to elaborate just a bit on the turntable and stylus used for
playback. Honestly, I am not an expert in stereo equipment and
speaker systems and I will not insult you by talking way over
your head with technical terms. But, I do know good sound when
I hear it. I have a system to suit my needs and hopefully you do
as well, but I must stress that you keep your stylus up to
date or you could do permanent harm to your beloved
record albums. Additionally, the sound quality will suffer if your
needle is worn out. Each time you play a record, you are, in a
sense, wearing it out. It is imperative to employ the proper
stylus for your particular turntable and that the stylus is in the
best shape for you to preserve your vinyl records. If you are
shopping for a turntable, you can look at my “turntable store” at:
http://tinyurl.com/28jzt4
or try these audio products/places:
http://tinyurl.com/2drvzo
http://tinyurl.com/6xtp3s
21st Century Vinyl: Michael Fremer's Practical Guide to Turntable Set-Up
(2006)
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Storing Your Records
Record albums need to be stored out of direct sunlight and away
from any heat source for obvious reasons. Warping can ruin a
record and its value. Additionally, your records should be kept
away from extreme damp conditions (basements). The result
could be mold on the record or album cover or inner sleeves
causing irreversible damage. Personally, I store my collection in
a walk-in closet in custom record racks that I constructed (I bring
a de-humidifier into the closet in the summertime to reduce the
moisture content in the air to preserve my collection). There are
racks and storage bins available at reasonable prices, if you
should opt to go in that direction.
There are varied opinions on this, but personally I remove all
cellophane plastic wrapping from my albums. I feel that the
cellophane will shrink over time, thus warping the vinyl and
ruining their value. Additionally, I store my album jackets inside
plastic sleeve covers and the record is stored outside the jacket
(but inside the plastic sleeve cover) in acid-free heavy paper
record sleeves (acidic paper can damage vinyl and labels after
prolonged contact in the jacket). This is the optimal method for
storage and will help preserve your precious collection.
Never lay your albums on top of each other or store them in that
manner. Record albums should be stored vertically and always
kept away from extreme heat and cold. There are only two
places a record album should be- in their respective
jackets/sleeves or playing on your turntable.
I like to store my vinyl records in plastic LP sleeves to protect and
preserve the record and the album cover as well. There are many
places to find these materials online, but I use and highly
recommend www.sleevetown.com because they are service
oriented, they have reasonable prices and fast shipping.
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Sleevetown carries inner LP record sleeves that are antistatic,
fifty micron, high-density polyethylene and are tested with 200
gram "audiophile" vinyl as well as the older and more common
LPs. They offer a secure storing space for your cherished vinyl
records.
Now you certainly would want to keep the original sleeve the
album came in, as some contain lyrics, notes and pictures and
could be a part of the collectible portion of a particular album. It
is imperative to put your vinyl in an acid-free sleeve, be it, white
paper, or antistatic polyethylene because over time acidic paper
can damage your vinyl and original labels after prolonged contact
with the jacket.
You should protect the outside of your album as well and if you
excuse the pun, sleevetown.com has you covered there as well.
They offer outer sleeves which will protect your vinyl jackets from
dust and other household pollutants (especially smoke).
Personally, I like to use the re-sealable outer LP sleeves with
clear PolyPro, with a fold-over flap and long-lasting adhesive strip
to seal your LP jacket against the aforementioned pollutants.
These polypropylene sleeves combine high-clarity heat resistant,
moisture resistant and chemical resistant protection for a costeffective method to safeguard your treasured record collection.
Sleevetown.com also stocks LP "mailers" if you are buying or
selling records, 7" record sleeves, 10" record sleeves as well as
an assortment of record care products such as record brushes,
disc washer, cleaning cloths and much more. If you stop by, tell
them you heard of them from collectingvinylrecords.com, I would
appreciate it.
To check out Sleevetown:
http://www.sleevetown.com/
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Where To Find Vinyl Records
Over the years I have added record albums to my collection in
many ways, from neighborhood garage sales to highly publicized
record swap meets and from a number of trusted online sources.
But the most important aspect about collecting record albums is
to be resourceful.
I once ran an ad in a local paper announcing that I was searching
for albums from the “garage rock era” and that produced quite a
few responses. But I was able to weed them out, talking to the
people on the telephone, asking specific questions about what
artists they may have, consequently saving me time going to look
at albums I probably would not have been interested in. Some
leads were fruitful, some were not, but the point is I was able to
add some quality records to my collection with little effort and
minimal cost.
Now if I had just put an ad in the local paper stating-Record
Albums Wanted, I may have been inundated with unwanted calls,
but because I narrowed my search, I was able to find more of
what I was looking for.
Another way to find records, is to ask around or the “word of
mouth” method. I was talking to my neighbor about my
collection and he told me his brother was also a collector and we
wound up getting together and trading a few (we both had some
duplicates, more on that later) and I actually traded an old
accordion (he is a collector and plays) for several 1960‟s albums
that I had been looking for, so bartering worked very well in this
example. So it is best to let your friends, neighbors, co-workers
or anyone who will listen that you fancy collecting record albums
and would like to know if they know of anyone who has any.
Maybe they were a collector at one time and have lost interest in
the hobby and would just like to be rid of them. I have picked up
some small collections in this manner.
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I tend to stay away from the larger “record shows” or record
swap meets because the sellers of the records tend to know
exactly what the albums are worth and will command top dollar
for them. If you are searching for a particular record album and
it is a must have, by all means, pay the price, barter or do what
you have to do to add it to your collection. But let me let you in
a little secret. If you go to record show, and you are just looking
to add to your collection- go an hour or two before they close.
You can get some great deals because anyone who has ever
moved hundreds of record albums will tell you, the less you have
to move, the easier it is. So get there late and talk them down a
bit and you can add to your collection a little cheaper.
Another reason I stay away from the record fairs or “swap meets”
is that the record vendors themselves will go through each others
good‟s before the general public gets a chance to and probably
snatch up anything that is of any value or especially rare and
highly collectible. Additionally, do your homework before the
record fair; know what you are looking for and how much it is
worth. It might even be a good idea to take a price guide along
with you.
Many people take their records to the local charities like Goodwill,
Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul Society and you can find
whole collections if you are lucky. This method, as with all
rummaging methods, is hit and miss...but on the right day...at
the right time…you can add many treasures to your collection, at
a very reasonable price. But bear in mind, some of these records
were discarded for a reason, some are just best suited for the
trash, however, I still love to look.
A very valuable, but often overlooked resource that is available to
vinyl record collectors, are the advertisements in the record price
guides. It seems so simple, but the ads are there for a reason
and the firms who advertise in the guides certainly know what
they are doing in my book-they know there target audience. I
have found some nice record shops right in front of my nose!
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But my personal favorites are the estate sales and auctions
because I seem to have the most luck at these types of locations.
I recently went to a local estate auction and because of inclement
weather there was a small turnout and I was able to take home
five crates of record albums with about 30 albums apiece in each
of them for the opening bid of five dollars. I had looked through
three of the crates and the other two I bid on just because no one
else wanted them and when I got them home I was very satisfied
with the results, as my twenty five-dollar investment was worth
much more than that.
With the advent of the Internet, there has been an obvious
increase in online sales of record albums. It has also had an
effect on record prices as well as some records that were thought
to be rare are more common than previously thought. All the
albums collecting dust in someone‟s closet and thought to be
gone forever are now being listed, bringing down the value for
some genres of music.
However, the market has evened out somewhat and something
interesting is happening. Online auctions have been bringing out
some positive effects in values in some areas. Modern jazz sales
and demand have increased in recent years, as these vinyl
records have been disappearing in large numbers from the record
stores and have found their way to the online auction sites.
But it is buyer beware, especially with regard to the online
auction sites. Because of grading issues, what may be a quality
record to some, may not be quality to others. That being said, it
is my practice to be very selective when purchasing my record
albums online. I must truly trust the source and that the sources
I am buying from comply with the aforementioned grading
guidelines before I will make a purchase. I am not insinuating
that every record dealer in an online auction is shady; on the
contrary, you must find one you trust. Check the ratings of the
person, the feedback other buyer‟s have left, for that will give
you the best indication of who you are dealing with. Another
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option is to make a small “sample purchase” from a particular
seller to see if what they advertise is truly what they deliver. If
you are satisfied with your goods then you could process a larger
order for collectible records or memorabilia. If you are interested
in checking out what eBay has to offer, approach with caution.
Go to eBay here:
http://tinyurl.com/5oq5rl
As I researched eBay for this ebook, I wanted to make sure to
mention, that although you may encounter some problems, most
of the transactions flow smoothly and are done by reputable and
honest people. A keen eye and care is definitely needed.
I also happened to find a great, well respected “ebayer” who also
operates www.recordsontheweb.com. The owner and operator
was gracious enough to speak to me about her business. Laura
started selling records online in 1997 after working for many
years in radio as a DJ and having a true love for vinyl.
“I felt compelled to open a record store and as a vinyl enthusiast
wanted to help people find reasonable vinyl records at a
reasonable price,” explained Laura. You can find vinyl at her web
site and also on ebay at:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlittlelam
She started in the business of selling vinyl records in 1988 near
Sacramento, California, running a retail store named “In The
Groove Records.” After operating the “brick and mortar” store for
more than ten years, she sold her business and has been
supplying fine vinyl records online with her web site and as an
ebay “Power Seller.” The records are expertly packaged with
quick and sent out quickly after each purchase.
I asked her what genre of music sold the best and how she
grades her vinyl records.
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“We carry multiple genres of music including jazz, rock, blues,
country, and soul and have over 15,000 records in stock. But I
would say that the jazz and rock, along with our great selection
of 45‟s from the Motown era are our bestsellers. We grade
conservatively according to the Goldmine Magazine Standards
and the highest grade we give a record would be near mint
(NM),” explained Laura.
For these reasons I highly recommend her web site and ebay
store. As a vinyl collector, there is not much more you could
want from a seller. The aspect of Laura‟s business that impresses
me the most is the 100% feedback rating she has accrued over
the years on ebay.
I find it remarkable that after literally
thousands of transactions, there has not been one dissatisfied
customer.
Laura also offers a premium record appraisal service and is
interested in buying both large and small collections. Mainly
interested in 1950‟s & 1960‟s jazz, blues, rock, soul and country,
Laura will travel for large collections (she just recently returned
from a trip to Florida).
An online record store I have had success with is
www.forevervinyl.com. Forever Vinyl sells quality collectible
records at fair prices and has access to or in stock over two
million out of print, rare music and collectible records and CDs
from around the world.
Forever Vinyl has also developed a record dealer network that
works hand in hand with other vinyl and music dealers around the
world to find records you've been looking for. They never charge
an up-front fee to find a record. With a success rate at finding
records of 96% with the normal turnaround time being 2 to 5
weeks, it is a valuable resource for any collector (see the latest
article about Scott in the vinyl record appraisal section).
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The owner, Scott Neuman, is a vinyl record collector and counts
the rare Beatles‟ “butcher block” album among his most prized
albums in his collection as well as a “nice jazz collection” from the
1950's.
“I also have some rare acetates from Elvis Presley,” Scott said,
“And I remember the first records that I bought were early
Motown. I also liked the folk scene, particularly Bob Dylan, Joni
Mitchell, and Joan Baez.”
Additionally, Scott feels that there has to be an element of faith
when dealing in used vinyl. He prefers vinyl records to any other
music format because of the “humanistic feel” that you get with
an album instead of “bits and bytes” and also feels that the
packaging of records (the cover, liner notes, lyrics, sleeves,
picture discs, etc.) all add to the allure of vinyl records.
Another web site I found online for vinyl records (Music Stack)
can be found at: http://collectingvinylrecords.musicstack.com
You see, Music Stack is not just a single source, but an online
“superstore” and a music comparison shopping portal for over
300 independent records stores worldwide which offer millions of
titles of rare vinyl recordings.
Online since 1997, Music Stack specializes in finding hard to
acquire vinyl records and out of print music, promos, 12", 10" 7"
singles and limited edition releases. It is very easy to see why
Music Stack has built such a loyal customer base.
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Additionally, if you cannot find a particular vinyl record at the
site, they offer a service called “post a want.” This service acts
as an Internet detective and your “post” will be sent to their
network of over 300 record stores who will contact you
immediately when they track down your vinyl recording.
Furthermore, you can request vinyl in many formats including lps
(double, triple, or quad releases), 78 vinyl records, 45's, vinyl
picture discs, as well as all types of memorabilia (posters,
calendars, programs, sheet music, photographs, etc.). Oh, did I
mention that this is a free service!
I have also found some nice collectible vinyl from a web site
called www.vinylencore.com, that has a large selection of quality
used vinyl in all music genres. Based in western Canada under
the guidance of Manager Doug McLean, Vinyl Encore offers a
unique blend of Canadian rock and pop. They also carry country
and western, classical, Christmas, instrumental, jazz, easy
listening, soundtracks, international, religious, children‟s, comedy
genres as well. Another important selling point of this particular
web site is that they can be emailed in several languages
including: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.
Although the “independent” or local/neighborhood record stores
are slowly closing their doors, something interesting is
happening. Independent record labels are going online to
promote their bands and music with great success.
One such web site, www.vinylcollective.com has mixed these two
elements and has formed a unique niche for vinyl lovers to find
fantastic “indie” music. I spoke with Virgil Dickerson of Vinyl
Collective and Suburban Home Records about his web sites
and his interest in collecting vinyl records.
“I have been collecting vinyl since the early 1990's and just love
the sound of vinyl,” said Virgil. “Although it is hard to describe,
vinyl just has a brighter sound, it rocks harder. I also enjoy the
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packaging, the liner notes, and the artwork you get with a vinyl
release.”
Vinyl Collective was founded in 1995 in Denver, Colorado and is a
great source on the Internet for “indie” music. In addition to
mainstream indie artists, they also promote their own
“homegrown” talent with bands such as: Drag The River, Love Me
Destroyer, Tim Berry, Ghost Buffalo, and Stereotyperider, among
others.
I talked with Virgil about the term “indie” music, as I was a bit
confused as to exactly what it means.
“To me, the term indie music could mean music that is released
by independent record labels,” explained Virgil. “It could also be
interpreted to mean something you hear on college radio-sort of
a mellow-alternative music style.”
Additionally, I did another interview with Virgil, mainly about the
sales of vinyl records by independent music stores like Vinyl
Collective that are not being counted in the total vinyl sales in the
U.S.; thus making the sales numbers unreliable. We also talked
more about Suburban Home Records and Vinyl Collective. So, if
you are looking for quality indie vinyl, I highly recommend
www.VinylCollective.com (tell Virgil I told you to stop by!)
If you are looking for rare 60's/70's and 80's LPs and 7" singles,
you can‟t go wrong with www.metro-music.com. In business
since 1978, owner and record dealer Steve Lorber has designed
the web site to be user-friendly. I talked to Steve about MetroMusic.
“We intentionally left off the fancy whistles and bells,” explained
Steve. “We wanted users to come to the site and be able to find
exactly what music they are looking for. And one of our
strongest features is our customer service; we take the time to
make sure our customers are satisfied.”
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Steve also is an eBay power seller and is very proud of his high
ebay rating.
“Our rating is at 99.8%. I‟ve only had a few unsatisfactory
feedback comments left and have many repeat customers. Check
out his ebay store at:
http://tinyurl.com/6m56wv
Steve started collecting records as a hobby when he was about
twelve years old and his passion manifested into a business
venture in 1978. We talked about the hobby of collecting vinyl
records.
“Although collecting records has changed throughout the years, I
still enjoy the challenge of searching for and chasing vinyl.”
Steve talked about one particular record finds from his over 40
years in the record business.
“Driving by a record store in Washington, D.C., I saw that
employees were carrying boxes of records to the sidewalk to sell.
I stopped by and was able to find loads of sealed albums by Mad
River, Human Beinz and others and I picked up at least a couple
of thousand sealed Capitol Record albums for a half a dollar each.
It was a very exciting time for me and some of those albums will
command top dollar today,” explained Steve.
We also discussed grading vinyl records and Steve agrees that
this is a very subjective aspect of not only collecting records, but
buying and selling records as well.
“To get the best idea of the condition of a record, you should
combine the visual grade with the play grade. It is a bit tricky
because some of the older vinyl is thicker and may have deeper
cut grooves, so visually it may not look ideal; but may certainly
play well on your turntable.”
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This is where the trust factor of grading vinyl is the most
important, especially when buying online. Personally, I would
prefer a record collector/business that has experience in this
area; they have the knowledge and have probably graded
thousands of records. This is why I highly recommend
www.metro-music.com, they are trustworthy, Steve is certainly
experienced, and they offer quality customer service.
With over 14 million music and music related items from more
than 400 independent stores I am sure that you'll find what
you're looking for at Net Sound Music. Check them out here:
http://tinyurl.com/2zrl52
Want another source for vinyl? Try InSound, an online Indie
store selling CDs, vinyl, LPs, MP3s, Band Posters and T-Shirts
Find them here:
http://tinyurl.com/22m7gq
I have also started up an “a-store” with Amazon, which, seeing
the boon in the sales of vinyl records, have now incorporated a
vinyl record section into their website. They allow me to promote
540 vinyl records and I do my best to keep it updated.
http://tinyurl.com/2vdw4p
(my Amazon “a-store)
You can also pick up great collectible and reissued vinyl records
at Vinyl Universe. Check them out here:
http://vinyluniverse.com/a=CollectingVinyl
Another fantastic option is Records By Mail, an online „super
store‟ that caters to the vinyl record collector. I have had many
happy transactions and I think you will be pleased at their topnotch vinyl record inventory. Visit them here:
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http://tinyurl.com/58vn9x
I have also had great success with a record store from the
heartland of the United States, www.backtrackrecords.com. In
fact, they carry the genre of music that I am most interested in,
60‟s rock. I recently had a long discussion with the owner of
Backtrack Records, Jeff Loos; here is the article I wrote:
Vinyl Is Back
An Interview with Jeff Loos of Backtrack Records
Vinyl is back. From the „error‟ by a Fred Meyer employee (where
LP‟s were ordered by mistake), major electronic retailer Best
Buy‟s stocking vinyl in select stores and mainstream recording
artists releasing records gain, the resurgence is upon us.
And in the heartland of America, records are a hot commodity. I
recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Loos, owner of
Backtrack Records, (www.BacktrackRecords.com) located in
Lincoln, Nebraska. Backtrack Records has been selling vinyl
records in Lincoln for over 16 years, mostly as an online entity.
But the „brick and mortar‟ store is a busy, bustling arena of
quality, vintage LP‟s, with a special emphasis on the 60‟s music
scene.
Let‟s explore Backtrack Records with owner Jeff Loos:
We keep reading about the resurgence of vinyl records,
what is your take on this „new found love‟ of records?
“First of all, records really never left, they just got pushed to the
side because of all the hype on CD‟s,” explained Jeff. “We then
find out that CD‟s aren‟t all they were hyped up to be and the
price really never came down like they claimed-plus they are
digital binary sound.”
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“The record industry did keep pressing records during this time
except it was on a much smaller scale. People who still owned
turntables from the middle price range to high end always knew
that a clean record LP was superior to the CD in sound, if the
record was an analog pressing in which almost all are.”
“We‟ve had a retail store for over ten years from 1988-2000 and
went to the world-wide web and decided after seven years to
reopen the retail store. I‟m glad we did because I have previous
customers from the past come in and I ask them what they have
done for the past seven years and almost all say they still been
spinning their vinyl and are glad we are back open (that‟s a
dedicated customer). Also we‟ve made many new friends world
wide who love the sound of records over CD‟s. Countries in the
U.K., Germany, Sweden, Holland, Spain, Japan, Australia, etc,
are all pressing and selling vinyl.”
“I‟m so amazed that almost all of my customers know that vinyl
records are analog and CD‟s are digital plus they know the
difference that analog is a continuous sound wave and CD‟s are
sampled and chopped up in bits. This can get a lot deeper but I
don‟t want to get into that but you can just Google in „analog vs.
digital‟ and it will give you the true scoop.”
“Finally, I can say that most of the major record labels are up and
pressing again, not everything is getting pressing but lots of great
artists. Recently I just purchased the new “Doors” box set and it
sounds fantastic (what a great job by Mastering Engineer Bernie
Grundman, Jac Holzman the founder of Elektra Records and
Bruce Botnick the original Doors producer did on this box set).
The “Complete Clapton” box is great as well as the “Traveling
Wilbury‟s” new release. Another “Led Zeppelin” box is coming
out soon. The pressing are usually a short print, so if any doubt
don‟t get left out because some of these pressing will be worth as
much as some of the originals.”
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What is it about the sound of vinyl that makes it better
than a CD or really any digital format?
“Vinyl LP‟s (analog sound) is primarily the reason LP‟s sound
better than CD‟s. It all comes down to a true continuous sound
wave length vs. digital sound bits, with a gap between each
sampled bit. The system you play your records on is very
important and there are quite a few variables that play a role in
the sound you hear. Power source, turntable, speakers and more
all come into play, it can pretty deep and expensive if you want
to go for the high end equipment,” explained Jeff.
I refer to digital sound as „binary sound,‟ is this a good
comparison when debating analog vs. digital sound?
“From what I understand is that if we took an analog pressing
and tried to convert it from its source to a computer, it first must
go through a process converting it to binary numbers so the
computer can read it. So I would say yes your correct in saying
that digital sound is a binary sound into bits,” said Jeff.
I imagine that you have amassed quite a collection, what
are some of your personal favorites in your own collection?
“Actually, when I first open my store in 1988, I promised myself
and the store-that the store came first. It paid my rent and let
me buy more inventory to make a better store. So really, I
personally don‟t have huge collection for myself. I do have my
favorite bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Beatles,
and Pink Floyd- you get the idea classic rock.”
When did you first start in the business and why did you
pursue this retail genre?
“I have a Bachelors Degree in Teacher College and couldn‟t find a
teaching job in the area back in the 1970‟s/80‟s, so I decided to
open a retail record store. I always loved “Dirt Cheap” records in
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Lincoln, and a friend of mine owned it and moved the store to
Omaha and said why don‟t you open a store in Lincoln and that‟s
we did. It‟s a fun job but still it is a lot of work. Cleaning
thousands of records by hand does take some time and patience.
The love of the music and the customers are by far the most
interesting part of the job. There always seems to be a challenge
either finding that rare record for someone or finding the new
vinyl that is being pressed.”
I always tell people about the “thrill‟ and adrenaline rush
that I get while „crate digging‟, what are your thoughts
about record collecting?
“It‟s like an Easter egg hunt for me. I‟m always thumbing
through record stores while on vacation looking for that rare
find,” detailed Jeff. “I seem to always see something from the
60‟s or 70‟s I haven‟t seen in the past. There‟s ton‟s of groups
out there that have only one or two albums and sound great, but
only a handful of people know about them and the radio didn‟t
play their music. There are so many major bands that tie in to
another band that goes on forever. Look at the “Traveling
Wilbury‟s” and all the bands those guys played in.”
Regarding grading records, what methods do you utilize
when grading the records that you sell?
“The Internet is the tough place to grade records because in the
retail store I leave the record open for the buyer to inspect. I try
to be tough on grading because I hate to have returns. On the
Internet we grade record & cover as a M- (extremely clean, looks
& sounds like a new record), VG++ (possible small wear but
looks and plays close to new), VG+ (minor scuffs, possible small
noise but no skips and plays ok), VG (usually end up in my $1.00
section or the goodwill).”
Is there any particular genre of music (i.e. blues, jazz, etc)
that is selling the most in your store, what is “hot” right
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now?
“I would say that classic rock is really the best right now. From
college kids to the baby boomers, they all seem to be playing this
genre. Jazz and blues hold their own but I have to stick with the
classic rock,” said Jeff.
How large is your „online‟ inventory?
“Our online inventory is about 6,000 records, we have added a
few more, but since we opened the retail store, I‟ve kind of got a
little behind on the data basing of our inventory. We have a little
over 15,000 items in the store.”
What about selling on eBay, what experiences have you
had, good or bad?
“eBay is fine for what they do but I really don‟t sell much there.
I‟ve had a few of the high dollars items and moved them on eBay
but I really don‟t sell any of the $8.00 to $15.00 records there. I
would rather sell them on our site at www.backtrackrecords.com
or www.MusicStack.com or www.Gemm.com,” explained Jeff.
What is the best „record find‟ that you have ever been a
part of?
“One of the best finds was an original 1958 Buddy Holly “That‟ll
Be The Day” Extended Play with the liner notes on the back cover
in near mint condition. I‟ve also had a couple of the Beatles
“Butcher Cover” 2nd state version.”
Where do you see vinyl records five years from now?
“Five years from now I see vinyl records still holding their own in
the market,” predicted Jeff. “High end tube equipment seems to
coming into the scene more and more. The audiophile market
seems to be holding its own. The companies are continually
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trying to make the analog sound even better. The “Doors” box
set is a good example. The vinyl of this set actually sounds
better than the original records because they are using the new
technology. Life is good when the sound keeps getting better.
Don‟t forget some people just play music while other people listen
to music, there is a big difference.”
What is the difference between an audiophile record and a
„regular‟ record?
“An audiophile record is mastered at better equipped mastering
plants such as Mobile Fidelity, Classic Records, Speakers Corner
and the like,” explained Jeff. “Many of the U.S. records are
mastered at the home plant and pressed at RTI. The people, who
master the record, produce it and engineer it, are all very
important. Also many companies are going to 180 gram & 200
gram vinyl claiming a nice big platter makes a difference. The
companies are also using virgin vinyl which also helps. Let‟s not
forget that many of the late 50‟s and 60‟s records were taken
very seriously when it came to sound. Mercury had the “Mercury
Living Presence” series, “RCA Living Presence” “London
Bluebacks” & “Columbia SAX Series.”
“Regular records sound good on a middle range turntable, high
end turntables, and equipment need high end quality records.
You are wasting your hard earned cash if you play a high end
record on a low end turntable.”
So, there you have it, vinyl records are back and we have learned
why; from a gentleman with his hand on the pulse of the vinyl
resurgence. Let‟s hope that the music keeps always being what it
is all about, and if musicians and record companies really care
about the sound, the vinyl record will live forever.
It is web sites like Vinyl Collective, InSound, Music Stack, Vinyl
Encore, Forever Vinyl, GEMM, Collector‟s Choice, Metro-Music,
Records on the Web, eil, Records By Mail, NetSounds, Vinyl
Universe and Backtrack Records that have made the hobby of
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collecting vinyl become so popular in the past few years. You see
vinyl records that were thought to be held only by the serious or
professional collectors can now be obtained by the “average Joe”
and someone who is just starting their vinyl record collection.
Vinyl is so much more accessible with the Internet and the online
community.
What makes online record retailers desirable for a beginner or
established record collectors are that they have a knowledgeable
staff, are open all the time, take multiple forms of payment and
their expansive inventory makes shopping for collectible records
an easy and fun process.
There is another online resource for vinyl record lovers, my new
site called www.buyvinylrecords.net. What I am doing, and this
is an ongoing project, is making the ultimate online directory for
vinyl retailers. Right now, Buy Vinyl Records has links to over
325 online vinyl shops and I will be incorporating many, many
more in the months to come.
But you are not limited to online record stores as a source for
collectible records. You can browse forums as well and find some
great deals on old records:
http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/index.php
There are many other forums related to vinyl records and it is
easy to find them and one that will suit your needs. To find a
particular forum go to Forum Find.com located at
http://www.forumfind.com/. Just type in record album collecting
or vinyl records and there you can meet people who share the
same interests as you. (Perhaps you collect punk or new wave).
However, I think one of the most interesting places to meet
record collectors and find used vinyl sites are web rings. Being a
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record collector requires you to be resourceful, and it is important
to make contacts wherever and whenever you can. Web rings
define these principles- they are convenient, free, and easy to
navigate and these people usually share the same passion about
record collecting as you do. You see, web rings are one of the
best ways to find great web sites. Similar sites are grouped
together in rings and each site is linked to another by a simple
navigation bar, forming a concentration of sites. This allows
users to navigate and browse more freely throughout the ring
and develop virtual communities based on the ring topic (in our
case, collecting vinyl records, but it could be anything...there are
scrap booking web rings, coin collecting web rings etc.) And did I
mention this is free?!
http://u.webring.com/hub?ring=vinylrecordswebr
If you were to find an album that you already have and the price
is reasonable, it is a good idea to go ahead and pick up an extra
copy of the record. It can be used to trade with other collectors
(as I did with my neighbor‟s brother), you could possibly resell it,
or it may even be an upgrade from the one you currently own.
Your record album collection will be better for it as you continue
to add and refine your collection.
There are some abbreviations you may encounter when seeing
record albums listed for sale. In addition to the aforementioned
condition abbreviations (i.e. M= mint condition, VG+= very good
plus, etc), you may see some of the abbreviations listed on the
next page:
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Boot: bootleg (illegal pressing)
Cc: cut corner
Cov, cv,cvr: corner
Demo: demonstration record
Dh: drill hole
Dj: disk jockey (promotional) record
Ep: extended play (can be used for both 45s and LPs)
Gf: gatefold
Imp: import
Ins: insert
Lbl: label
M, mo: mono
Orig: original
Ps: picture sleeve
Q: quadraphonic
Re: reissue
Rec: record
Rw: ringwear
S: stereo
Sl: slight
Soc: sticker on cover
Sol: sticker on label
Ss: still sealed
Sw: shrink wrap
Toc: tape on cover
Ts: taped seam
Woc: writing on cover
Wr: wear
Wrp: warp
You may run across many more that are not listed here. Just
check the particular web site or guide for a “legend” of
abbreviations. Another site that I have found very helpful:
http://members.tripod.com/~Vinylville/faq-1.html
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Selling Record Albums
If you plan to sell your record albums, how would you go about
doing this? Well don‟t assume just because you are selling your
collection or just a few albums that you will find a buyer. Like
everything else that is bought and sold, there must be a demand
for it.
It is imperative that when selling your records to know what they
are worth. I spoke with “Mighty John Marshall,” an
experienced seller/appraiser about this dilemma.
“In this genre of collectibles, instead of buyer beware (which is
true of anything bought or sold), I add the term „seller beware‟
because it is the seller‟s responsibility to know their records are
worth.”
I also asked John about his thoughts on vinyl and the difference
in sound between the CD and vinyl.
“People who grew up with vinyl may be a bit biased; they are
more familiar with the format and can relate to it easily. Vinyl
also has a fuller sound to it and there is something intimate about
dropping a needle on a record,” John explained.
Now, who exactly is “Mighty John Marshall?” For those who are
not familiar with him, let me provide some background
information.
Known as the “King of Collectibles,” John Marshall has been in
the vinyl record/collectible industry for more than 30 years and is
currently one of the most popular guests on radio shows in the
U.S. because of his experience and he helps listeners determine
the value of their records. John Marshall started accumulating
records in his teens while living across the street from a jukebox
distributor. He amassed an impressive collection by not only
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getting records from the business across the street, but by also
contacting jukebox companies on the east coast to send him
whatever they didn‟t want to him (John said that some overstock
was just thrown out in those days). He has bought and sold
records for many, many years at many local and national record
conventions but doesn‟t actively pursue that now John also
provides a valuable service at his website www.moneymusic.com.
“I inform people who have no idea of what their records are
worth and give them the best estimate that is available at the
time. This insures them that they will get a fair price for their
records,” explained John. “I also urge people to always under
grade and to make an honest representation of what they are
selling.”
John‟s website www.moneymusic.com provides online record
appraisals. For the most accurate appraisal, John requires you to
email him the title of the song/record, the artist, label, and the
catalog number and he then will determine the market price for a
near mint copy. Customers will get their appraisals within 24
hours and the cost is two dollars per record. If your records are
worth less than the appraisal fee, there will be no charge. He
does not establish values for bootlegs, imports and warns people
to be careful of these types of records.
Another valuable service incorporated into the website is “Mighty
John‟s Yellow Pages of Record Collectors and Dealers” which
contains the names, addresses, and phone numbers of record
collectors and dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With this
book you could contact more than one collector or dealer to get
the fairest price for any records you may have for sale. It is
organized alphabetically by state or province and is available for a
reasonable price ($9.95).
In addition to the “Yellow Page Directory,” Mighty John has
several valuable tools for the novice collector or established
collector as well. I picked up a copy of “From Records to Riches,”
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a package of two audio CD‟s that explains everything you should
know about the value of records. In these audio CDs, Mighty John
discusses some of the little things that can make the same record
worth different values (i.e., condition or if the record has its
original sleeve etc.), how to spot originals from re-releases and
counterfeits, secrets to making the most money with records and
much more. I whole heartily endorse this CD set and if you are
serious about your record collecting this is a “must have” element
to not only learn to enjoy your hobby, but if you thinking about
going into business as a record dealer.
Also offered on www.moneymusic.com is “Mighty John‟s
Compilation Price Guide,” a CD that lists the value of more than
10,000 compilation albums and “Mighty John‟s Soundtrack Guide”
and of course, “Mighty John‟s Gold Price Guide,” a CD that lists
the values of more than a million records from 1902 to the
present (45's, albums and 78's) by over 53,000 recording artists.
Mighty John has also begun to deal in collectible and classic TV
shows and memorabilia with his new venture:
http://www.themightyjohnchannel.com
There are other avenues to secure the valuation of your record
collection, if you decide to sell or if you need the value for other
purposes (if you have a large collection or valuable collectible
records it is wise to have them appraised for insurance purposes).
The value of vinyl records is very subjective and certainly up for
debate. There are many elements that go into ascertaining just
how much a specific record or a whole collection may be worth.
Do you use fair market value, replacement value, or record price
guide value? As I found out, it all depends on the circumstances,
and the best way to achieve these objectives is to have your
collection professionally appraised.
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Appraising Vinyl Record Collections
I had the opportunity to speak with professional appraiser and
music historian Stephen M. H. Braitman about the elements
that go into putting a value on a record collection.
But, first, let me introduce Stephen. He has been involved with
records and music since the late 60's, writing and editing several
entertainment and music publications. He also has been a dealer,
buying and selling records, posters, and related memorabilia
throughout the years. His widely acknowledged expertise in the
marketplace for music and memorabilia makes his appraisal
services very important for estate planning, charitable
contributions, expert testimony and for insurance and coverage
claims. His many credentials include: passing the American
Society of Appraisers (ASA) Principles of Practice and Code of
Ethics exam in 2004, completing courses on such subjects as the
Uniform Standards for Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)
Personal Property Valuation, Methodology-Research and Analysis
as well as the legal and commercial environment of appraisal. He
is also a music analyst with Gracenote, the digital music
management company.
So what does all this mean? Stephen M.H. Braitman is a
qualified, certified appraiser. Why is this unique service so
important? As I discussed the details of his occupation with Mr.
Braitman, let‟s explore some of the details that go into a record
collection appraisal and how a record collection should be
appraised.
“This is a new service, a new genre so to speak,” he said. “The
service is being offered for those people who may have large or
small collections and have really no idea their worth.
Unfortunately, there are no legal requirements to qualify as an
appraiser except in the real estate market, but the IRS and the
Appraisal Foundation have led the way with the adoption of
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nationally recognized standards that reputable appraisers in all
fields use. The IRS, for example, uses the concept of fair market
value, meaning the agreed-upon price paid by a willing,
knowledgeable buyer to a willing, knowledgeable seller. One of
the reasons I entered this profession is, not only because of my
love for music and music memorabilia, but because I felt that the
industry needs certified appraisers to provide critical assistance in
defining the values of collections for insurance purposes, estate
planning, tax donation claims, personal disputes and investments.
Part of the job is also being called upon as an expert witness to
attest and back up the values set upon a collection. That‟s where
I enter the picture.”
When asked what exactly goes into an appraisal, Stephen
explained:
“There are many variables that have to be recognized when
placing a value on a collection. It also depends on the purpose of
the appraisal. For instance, the IRS uses fair market value in
determining the value of donated material. But, replacement
value in insurance cases different; it‟s higher because you‟ll be
paying a higher cost to recover certain collectibles, let‟s say, that
may have been lost in a fire. So, the intent of the appraisal must
be taken into consideration as well.”
“We research what are comparable items in the current
marketplace. There are several aspects to research that include
recent and relevant sales, trend analysis, professional consensus,
retail stores, auction prices as well as record guide prices. The
record price guides are a nice starting point, but they may not
reflect true value because of the variables just mentioned.”
“Our first order of business in an appraisal is generally to
examine the physical items, if possible, and note the condition,
edition, or other key points of recognition. Then we conduct
extensive research to ascertain the current marketability of the
items. Our service concludes with a certified document that
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details the estimated retail value and the current wholesale value,
depending on the type of appraisal. We also include a statement
of the overall quality level of the item or collection, including
condition, pressing edition or the cultural or historical desirability.
This document exceeds the appraisal requirements of the IRS and
the insurance companies.”
We discussed one of the most confusing and subjective elements
regarding vinyl records: grading the vinyl. I asked Stephen what
method he uses.
“It is actually a combination of many methods, including the
Goldmine Standards that have been set up in their many
publications, the „Good Rockin‟ Tonight‟-formula, and my own
formula. I like to take it a step further and use a 100-point
scale, and deduct points for every flaw, not only on the record,
but the picture sleeve (if it is a 45rpm), LP jacket and cover. I
would like to see a uniform standard set up sometime in the near
future, something that everybody in the industry could agree on,”
said Stephen.
There are also a couple of ways to have your memorabilia or
record collection documented and appraised, as Stephen details:
“We actually offer two distinct services, the professional
appraisal, and a quick evaluation of your memorabilia or record
collection. This entails you sending us a list of your items from
which we provide a detailed document with a range of market
values based on comparables. You‟ll be able to tell whether you
have something worth $1.00, $10, $100, or more. This process
is quicker and less expensive that the formal appraisal and is
most useful in estimating what a sale to a dealer might bring,”
explained Stephen.
“Our service includes, not only the appraisal of records and
record collections, but posters, flyers, handbills, programs, CDs,
promotional items, tour books and other music collectibles. (I
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don't handle musical instruments, which is a very different kind of
specialty). It is important to have your items or collections
appraised to gauge the potential replacement value, assist in
estate planning goals, tax elements and other factors. I have
much more information on my Website,
http://www.musicappraisals.com
As we wrapped up our interview, we talked about our love for not
only music, but the historical audio format of, vinyl records. I
asked Stephen about one of his most memorable record collection
appraisals.
“I did an appraisal for a gentleman in Texas and he had a
wonderful and superb record collection. But, when he put on an
old 78rpm of Robert Johnson and played it on his professional
sound equipment, and as the music filled the room, you could
have swore that Mr. Robert Johnson himself was playing for you
right then and there. It was a wonderful and enlightening
experience, and one I will never forget,” recalled Stephen.
So, not only does Stephen M.H. Braitman offer valuable and
unique record appraisal services, he also gets to archive,
appraise, and handle important parts of audio history, and gets to
hear them as well. And that is a reward that you can not put a
value on.
More about vinyl record appraisals:
Another well respected and world renowned vinyl record
appraiser is the aforementioned Scott Neuman of
www.forevervinyl.com I had a chance to interview Scott about
this rare service:
Everyday it seems that we read about the resurgence in the sales
of vinyl records. In fact, in a recently-released 2007 RIAA sales
report, the American music industry sold 36.6 percent more
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Extended Play (EP) and Long Play (LP) records than it had in the
previous year; increasing vinyl sales revenue by 46.2 percent.
And the world of collecting vinyl records is also reaping the
benefits from this renewed interest in vinyl. But how does one
place a value on these classic recordings, what is a rare record
worth and what is the process for acquiring such information?
I spoke with vinyl record historian and record appraiser Scott
Neuman, owner of www.forevervinyl.com about this dilemma and
some of the obstacles one may encounter. But, first, let‟s meet
Scott and review his background.
Scott Neuman is a vinyl record veteran who started working in
the music industry at an early age and has been a record
collector/dealer/appraiser since 1975. He has been an on air disc
jockey for several radio stations, worked in television as an
announcer and cameraman and has also owned and operated a
record store. And keeping up with the times, Scott was one of
the first “online” record shops, operating www.forevervinyl.com;
which boasts an inventory of well over 2 million records.
I asked Neuman about the renewed interest in vinyl
records and the allure of vinyl.
“Listening to records used to be a time to be enjoy with a few
friends, hang out, listen to the music and read the liner notes on
the back,” explained Neuman. “Maybe you enjoyed the gatefold
sleeves in a personal way, maybe you just enjoyed slipping the
sealing material off the cover on your pants by rubbing the corner
of the record on your knee, taking the record out, getting that
little “pop” of static electricity, and taking a slight sniff of the
vinyl. Then lining up the needle on the record after cleaning it
and sitting down to enjoy the fruits of your work. All of that is
very hard to do with a CD or MP3. Records are personal,
something to share with friends. Sure, CD‟s are nice and so are
MP3‟s. But records force you to listen to them.”
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And, what is the allure, and can you tell me about your
record collection.
“The allure? For all the reasons above,” said Neuman. “All
formats have their points. I just like handling vinyl. I was a DJ
for years and used to use records to entertain in the Philadelphia
and New York area. I didn‟t just play records. We made a night
of entertainment. As for the digital sound, I prefer the warmer
sounds I get from vinyl.”
“I do have a music collection and my favorite items are not
necessarily rare. I do have a large jazz collection from the 50‟s in
mint condition that I‟m not ready to sell yet. These would be first
pressings by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Monk, and a few others.
I also have some rare Beatle items that I enjoy looking at
including a first state „butcher‟ cover and an “Introducing the
Beatles” in excellent condition that isn‟t counterfeit. I also
appreciate Gold and Platinum RIAA award albums given to
various artists, autographs by various artists and also Vogue
picture discs which were picture discs pressed on 78 records.
One more thing I enjoy owning are various acetates. These were
one off pressings by artists used just for test and listening
purposes and were normally destroyed after a final production of
a product. You can sometimes hear alternate versions of your
favorite songs. These items self destruct the more you play them
so it‟s wise to record them and put them away for safe keeping.”
Neuman is also one of the world‟s most renowned vinyl record
appraisers and offers this service on www.forevervinyl.com.
There are many variables that go into what a particular record
may be worth.
I asked Neuman about the demand for this service and
what makes a record valuable.
“Forever Vinyl gets more than twenty calls a day for customers
looking for appraisals for estates and charity donations,” detailed
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Neuman. “As far as the elements of an appraisal, it depends on
the needs of the customer. For donations, we draw a number of
different elements to get the correct market value for your
collection. We neither under nor over appraise your collection.”
What makes a record valuable?
“What makes a house value? Location, location, location. When
it comes to records, demand, demand, demand. Age is not a
determining factor in record collection, demand is,” stated
Neuman.
When donating records to a charity, what are the main
obstacles a person might encounter?
“There really aren‟t any obstacles per say other then finding a
non-profit entity to accept them. The IRS is very picky about fair
retail market value as they should be. We should all pay our fair
share of the tax burden. It‟s important to understand that the
IRS considers the value of a collection to be based on the value
and use of the entity you are donating the collection to. If you
donate the collection to a university, and they hold on to it for
three years, possibly put it in their library and make the collection
available to the students to learn from, the appraisal will normally
stand. If you donate the collection to a thrift shop, the IRS will
normally look at what the thrift shop sold the collection for and
adjust any appraisal value over that amount. Needless to say,
we highly recommend finding a charity that would value and use
the collection rather then just dump the collection for pennies on
the dollar.”
Tell me about your appraisal services that are offered at
Forever Vinyl.
“As you know, many records are now valued in the hundreds and
thousands of dollars. Because of the amount of appraisals that
are requested per day, we've instituted a reasonable fee to cover
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our cost, time, and expertise for these appraisals. Our current fee
is $20.00 for the first item of the appraisal and $5.00 for each
additional item. For collections with over 200 pieces, please call
us 732-505-5337 for adjusted rates,” explained Neuman.
“All information must contain the following information- Artist,
Title, Type of item, Condition (1 - 10 is fine with 10 looking like
its brand new), Label, and Label Number. If the item is a 45
single, does it have a picture sleeve? Also any other comments
you'd like to make about the item. Examples could be if it's a
promotional or "Not for Sale" copy, if it's a test pressing or
acetate, if it's autographed and so forth. If necessary, we can and
will travel to your location. For those of you with larger
collections, we do work on a rate of $200.00 an hour plus travel,
food and lodging expenses, if you need us to come to you. This is
only by appointment. Many of our customers have used this
service. We also can accept items shipped to us for appraisal.
Feel free to contact us for more information; we‟d loved to help
your put a value on your collection.”
So as the sales of vinyl records and the interest in this historic
audio medium continue its upward trend, so too, will the need for
vinyl record appraisals. Thankfully, we have vinyl record experts
like Scott Neuman to help us put a value on our collections.
Additionally, I have also just started to do appraisals (see my
website www.vinylrecordappraisals.com) and you can contact me
at [email protected] (my home email address, just put in
the subject line “Record Appraisal” and I will answer you
ASAP).
Depending on the size of the collection, the price varies, but I am
very reasonable (I charge $1.00 per record with a MINIMUM of 10
records) and email with any questions that you may have, we can
work something out 
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How To Determine Record Values
So what are the variables that go into placing a value on vinyl
records? Besides the previously mentioned condition of the
vinyl record, there are many other elements to look at. In the
case of the Beatles (and other artists) the color of the record
label, what kind of print is actually on the record (for instance,
Mfd. by or Manufactured By), sometimes even the placement of
the logo and in the case of RCA, where the dog is located on the
record label (who is named Nipper, by the way), all can have an
effect on the value.
But, the value of a record is, and this is putting it in a very
simplistic way, is what a person is willing to pay another person
or business for the record. But there are many other variables
that must be considered to put a value on a record, let‟s look at
them:
Scarcity
Many, many millions of vinyl records are in circulation, with
almost every household in the US, either having some vinyl
records at one time or another. We even had a vinyl record
„boon‟ from around 1955-1980. But, how many of those records
are still around and more importantly, what condition are they in?
For instance, rhythm and blues records from the 1950‟s suffered
from poor promotion and publicity, therefore there were fewer of
these that were pressed. The record companies that produced
these particular records were small and lacked the resources that
the larger record companies enjoyed, some may have been
limited to only one or two thousand being pressed, On the other
hand, the Beatles records were massed produced and they
benefited from much larger pressings and are a fairly common
record (depending on the label) and some are not worth as much
as one might think. This brings us to another element-demand.
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Demand
Like any other commodity, vinyl records are subject to the old
supply and demand adage that is prevalent in any free market
society. Record values were affected by the Internet age,
especially with the many online auction sites. Records that were
thought to be rare and valuable suddenly came out of the closets
and basements and were put up for sale and brought some prices
down. But, that has evened out at this time and the record
guides and prices reflect that. If there is a demand for a certain
genre or artist, chances are the price will go up, more people
want these type of record and there is more competition for
them. For instance, the music genre called Northern Soul
(commonly known as Motown) enjoyed resurgence in sales in the
past few years, driving up the prices. Conversely, there is not a
lot of demand for classical music (in fact, there aren‟t even any
price guides for this genre of music); therefore you cannot expect
to get much for the records.
History
This element of putting a value on a vinyl record goes hand in
hand with the relative scarcity of the record. Many special
musical genres in recorded music often command a higher price
because of their place in music history. For instance, the early
roots of country music from the early 1930s and 1940‟s, early
jazz recordings, the rock and roll „infancy‟ recordings (including
rockabilly, rhythm and blues, the „girl‟ groups of the 60‟s, ) are
often highly sought after and therefore of more value. Some
early Motown, psychedelic music, surf music, garage band rock
and doo wop often command a higher price because these are
records that have a prominent historical value in recorded sound.
Artist or Group
Obviously there are some musical icons that sell better than
others and are in command. Early Elvis records, the Beatles, the
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Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix
just to name a few all command top dollar because there is
always a demand for these records. But that is not to say that
some obscure bands or artists are precluded from being valuable,
on the contrary, there may be an artist that you have never
heard of and the record may be selling for thousands of dollars.
LP Jacket, Inserts, Picture Sleeves
When issued, some records came with an added incentive and
that is also collected and can add value to a record. LP‟s came
with fantastic artwork, inner sleeves with liner notes, lyrics,
posters, cut out and all these elements are included when
establishing a resale price. Again, the condition of these „extras‟
must be taken into account when ascertaining the value of the
record. 45rpm records came with picture sleeves and some of
them are even more valuable than the record that they may hold.
The Year of Release
First pressings may be of more value than a reissue of the same
record ten years later. For instance, a Beatles record that was
released in 1965 is of more value to a collector than a reissue
that was released in 1980.
The Record Label
Some record labels are also more collectible than others. Old R &
B or jazz on the record label Bluenote is generally worth more
than if the same music and artist are released on another label.
Another example is Beatles‟ records released on the Capitol
record label as opposed to the Vee Jay label. For instance, if you
were to the record “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on the Capitol
label, it will generally be worth more than the same record on the
Apple label (which was formed after the record was issued).
Certainly there are exceptions, but there are a lot of record labels
that suffered from poor distribution and, quite frankly, there are
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not that many to be had.
Stereo vs. Mono
As a general statement, all 45‟s manufactured by all record labels
after 1970 were pressed in stereo. But there were labels that
issued records between 1957-1970 that were issued in both
formats, and you would have to check the catalog number of the
record to find out which one you may have. Some mono versions
may be worth more than there stereo counterparts, while some
records in stereo may be worth more than mono; it all depends
on the artist and label.
As we review, we see that there are many elements that can
factor into ascertaining what a record may be worth. We have
covered the basics, there are more like picture discs, colored
vinyl, promotional releases, misprints, why even the color of the
record label may affect the price; but this is a good starting point.
One element we should highlight is what you get for a record can
also be determined to who you are selling the record to, a dealer
will probably give you only a portion of what the record may be
worth, or you may be able to find a rare and valuable record at a
garage sale for pennies on the dollar. And that is the fun part for
record collectors!
There are many avenues to use when trying to sell records.
Placing an advertisement in a newspaper may not get you the
results you are looking for, so instead, you may want to place an
ad in one of the record collecting magazines like Goldmine and
target your specific customers. To buy a subscription to
Goldmine or for more information:
http://tinyurl.com/3y43kp
Online auctions have found a niche for record sales, but I tend to
stay away from these avenues because of safety concerns and
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payment problems, but that is a personal preference.
Additionally, you could ask a dealer to sell the record(s) on your
behalf and then take an agreed percentage of the sale.
Furthermore, you could set up a consignment deal with a thrift
shop or put them up at a neighborhood garage sale.
But there is one very important issue that must be addressed in
both buying and selling record albums. As I stressed earlier,
condition is the most important factor in deciding the value
of any record album and you must grade your records
accordingly. If you are selling, grade conservatively because you
are better off giving the buyer more than they bargained for,
rather than grading the record(s) based on what you wish the
record would look like.
The most critical factor in buying or selling record albums is
determining what the records are worth. For instance, a Bob
Dylan album called “The Free Wheelin” Bob Dylan (1963) can be
worth up to $12,000 (NM), if it includes specific tracks (songs).
But you have to play the record to know if it includes these tracks
because the label is misprinted. The only way you would know
this information? By purchasing vinyl record price guides,
http://tinyurl.com/2jgpxq
http://tinyurl.com/22zcyg
you can get the book value of your record. Although the prices
listed in the guide are a collaboration of many sources, they are
not “written in stone” but are widely accepted and used by
professionals and amateurs alike. This is a must read guide for all
record collectors and what most people use to find the value of a
particular record album.
Record Collector Magazine is based in the UK and uses experts
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from around the world to present a thorough and detailed look
into vinyl record collecting and vinyl valuation with special
features, up to date news, reviews, interviews, and advice.
They also have released the “Rare Record Price Guide”-2008
Edition, which is the world‟s leading authority on prices of rare
and collectible records pressed in the UK. The guide covers every
era from the 1950's on and every genre of music including pop,
rock „n‟ roll, blues, soul, reggae, jazz, dance, indie, country, folk
and more. It features over 100,000 entries with over 1,450
pages and is a “must have” for any serious vinyl record collector.
It is available at:
http://www.recordcollectormag.com/
Another aspect of collecting that I must mention is that of
documenting your collection. There is software available on the
Internet that will help you catalog your vinyl records. This is
important, not only for insurance purposes, but for your own
personal benefit, as you may want to print a list of what you have
in case you decide to sell some of your records and quite frankly,
to remember exactly what you have.
A program I highly recommend is Music Catalogue Master,
distributed by www.kixsoftware.com. Music Catalogue Master is a
powerful software tool that will allow you to organize and catalog
your vinyl into a fully searchable database. It enters vinyl record
albums automatically by connecting via the Internet. It will
download all the available vinyl record information into its
database including: artist name, title, label, year of release, times
and more. For collectors, there is a whole separate area for
information like purchase price and current value. If you have a
large collection, it is wise to catalog it.
One other note, Music Catalogue Master is shareware, which
means you get to try it for free for 21 days. If you don‟t like it,
just uninstall the program from your PC- no cost, no obligation.
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Can‟t beat a deal like that!
There are other components that directly affect the price of a
record. The year of pressing (you must be careful here, as there
are many “re-pressings” of records), specific numbers on the
jacket and LP, inserts, the label the record was recorded on, the
year of release, the color of the label, the interest in the band or
artist and much more. By educating yourself, talking to other
vinyl collectors, visiting forums, surfing the net and reading about
this hobby; you can begin to amass a vinyl collection and enjoy
this wonderful hobby.
However, I would do an injustice to all the readers of this book if
I did not mention a site that I found while doing the research for
this book and one that is what I like to call the “holy grail” for the
record collector.
The Record Collectors Guild
(http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/) is one of the most
comprehensive web sites available on the Internet today. In
addition to informative articles about vinyl records and music, the
site also addresses the appraisal of your collection, the care of
vinyl, grading issues, insurance issues, LP cover art, and where to
find vinyl, online or offline. Additionally, they keep the members
informed about upcoming events and record shows all over the
United States and Canada.
The site also has a forum and if you are looking for collectible
records, you have found the right place. These are serious folks
with serious collections, who are knowledgeable and would be a
perfect place to start if you were going to build a collection of
vinyl records. And you can find some of my recent articles
posted there 
134
Insuring Your Valuable Collectibles
OK, you have your vinyl records stored properly, have complete
documentation of your collection and enjoy your music everyday.
But what if something unforeseen happens, a fire or some other
catastrophe? A unique insurance agency called Collectibles
Insurance Services; LLC is here to offer peace of mind and,
most importantly, insurance for your collectibles.
I spoke with Dan Walker and Debbie Spilman of Collectibles
Insurance Services, LLC, about collecting and why it is important
to have insurance on your treasured collectibles.
“Some may think that they‟re homeowners insurance policy
covers their collectibles, but in most cases your homeowners
policy is designed to cover personal property and is not nearly
enough to protect your treasured collectibles,” said Dan. “They
may limit the collection to a percentage of the total value of your
home, limit the amount that they will pay for theft of valuable
items like silver, crystal, guns, stamps and paper documents or
be based on actual cash value rather than the collectible or
replacement value.”
Collectibles Insurance Services (www.collectinsure.com) differs
from the average homeowners‟ insurance policy, in that, insuring
collectibles is all they do. The service can insure a collection of
stamps, advertising memorabilia, sports cards, vinyl records,
antique tools, vintage clothing, trains, toys, weapons (guns,
knives swords), entertainment memorabilia and much more (see
the website for a complete list).
“Normal homeowners policies don‟t generally deal with
collectibles, we write policies specifically for a person‟s
collectibles, whether it is a rare book collection, stamps, coins,
sports cards, vinyl records and the many other collectibles that
we deal with every day,” explained Dan.
135
Valuation of a collection is subjective and estimating what a
certain collection is worth depends on many variables and
researching different avenues.
“We strongly encourage prospects from overvaluing their
collections. We cannot insure „emotional worth‟, but can insure a
varying array of collectibles. We ask that people have a paper
trail, save receipts for what they may have paid for items;
documentation is very helpful, take video of the collection or
pictures. Validation is an important element. Don‟t over insure
and if necessary get a second opinion,” detailed Debbie.
How does one go about ascertaining the value of a collection or
their collectibles?
“Price guides are great, but they are just one of the tools used
when trying to gauge a value of a collection,” explained Dan.
“Replacement value would be what a knowledgeable buyer would
pay a knowledgeable seller for the items, it is an agreed upon
price between two knowledgeable individuals in a sales
transaction. You must price your collectibles realistically for
insurance purposes.”
“The valuation process could also be aided by a professional
appraisal (although that is not always necessary), professional
consensus, price guide values, what the collectibles may be
selling for on the market at the specific time, our own resources
and expertise and because no two collections are the same, all
these factors are available in helping people determine what the
value is. We also have a number of resources on file and
references listed on the website including valuation aides,
inventory aides and dealers to help people along so they can put
a figure on the collections worth in which to write a policy,” said
Dan.
What kind of resources that are used in the valuation process
depends on the items in the collection, as Debbie explains:
136
“We provide reference to many entities in the process including
obtaining information from the Kovels.com, American Stamp
Dealers Association, Price Miner, Antique Trader, Beckett.com,
CBGXtra.com (for comic book collections), collect.com, Goldmine
publications, Military Trader, trains.com and a number of other
resources, depending on the genre of the collectible.”
I inquired about insurance when you are moving the items, from
whether down the street or across the country; doesn‟t the
moving company provide insurance for that?
“Submitting a claim to them is much more difficult to do, as the
moving companies would require much more documentation to
validate a claim if there were breakage or something else were to
happen,” explained Debbie. “Again, validating just how much the
collectibles are worth is a key element in settling a claim.”
A myth with regard to collectibles insurance is that every item in
the collection must be itemized and professionally appraised.
“No appraisals are necessary. You estimate the value of your
collection and determine the amount of insurance, we need a
ballpark figure,” detailed Dan. “Although an inventory is not
always required at the time of application to purchase insurance,
Collectibles Insurance Services strongly recommends its
customers maintain an inventory to streamline, provide proof,
and expedite claims in the event of a loss.”
Another myth regarding insuring collectibles is that the cost
would be more than people could reasonably afford.
“A collectibles policy is typically less costly than scheduling items
on your homeowners insurance,” said Dan. “The price of
insurance should not deter a person from insuring their
collections, the items are priceless to the hobbyist, or collector
and you will find our rates are not overbearing and are costefficient. We cover everything from autographs to Zippos or
137
something in between. And Collectibles Insurance Services‟
carriers are A rated and above.”
It is reassuring to know that purchasing insurance for your
collection is not as difficult as one might think it to be. The
process is not such a daunting task as it seems and it is also
reassuring to know that there are professionals specifically
trained in this field and a company that specializes in just this
type of insurance.
I found both Dan and Debbie a pleasure to speak with and I am
sure that they can help you with your insurance questions and
needs
(On a personal note, I am in the process of ascertaining exactly what I have. With
over 10,000 records in my collection, it is a slow and tedious task, but, because I
know the value of my collectible records, it is imperative that I have documentation
to provide this insurance company in case of a problem. I suggest you do the
same, and although what you have may not be easily replaced, it is good to have
an insurance policy to cover whatever loses you may incur)
138
Conclusion and Information
This ebook has, if you pardon the pun, just scratched the surface
of the world of record album collecting. Many books have been
written about the evolution of the phonograph, records, the
artists who made them, the equipment used to play them and
collecting in general, but I‟ll wrap it up for now.
I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into the fascinating world of
record collecting and record enthusiasts. I hope you enjoy the
“hunt” and wish you many days of fruitful collecting!
If have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at
[email protected] (put in the title line “E-Book”) and I will
get back to you ASAP. I personally answer all emails.
Whatever music you listen to and whatever format, please enjoy
it, for that is what it is all about.
Sincerely,
Robert Benson
www.CollectingVinylRecords.com
www.BuyVinylRecords.net
www.VinylRecordAppraisals.com
139
Links and resources I have found helpful:
Want to get the latest news about vinyl records, vinyl record
sales, vinyl record releases? Sign up for “Google Alerts”!
Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google
results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
This is a great FREE service and you can add just about any
keywords you would like. Have a favorite band? Add their name
to your alerts and get the latest news about them delivered right
to your email address on a daily basis. Personally, my alerts
consist of vinyl records, vinyl record releases, and vinyl record
sales. I have found many interesting web sites, blogs and feature
stories about vinyl records and suggest you try it; it is very
informative and easy to do.
There are hundreds of other informative and interesting sites on
the Internet. If you have any you would like to include please
email me at [email protected] and I will add them in the
next update. Again, I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading
this ebook and feel free to email me with any comments or
questions.
140
Vinyl Record Sites and Sites of Interest
Folk-Rock web site:
http://www.parkrecords.com/
Rock Music Resources:
http://www.geocities.com/rockmusic_myownsite/records.html
For the Beatles fan in all of us:
http://www.beatlelinks.net/links/
For the Jazz lover‟s, check out:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/
For the latest Punk updates
http://www.punknews.org/
For the metal lover‟s
http://www.metalunderground.com/
Roadrunner Record‟s Latest
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/
An online resource that is second to none
http://www.vinylrecordscollector.co.uk/index.html
For your listening needs
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/
To read about the history of the vinyl record
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record#Vinyl
A record playing VW van?
http://tinyurl.com/2qctjo
141
For an comprehensive look at recording history and discographies
and if you need information on specific records or labels, this is a
wonderful record collector‟s source
http://www.bsnpubs.com/index.html
For a list of collector‟s information:
http://tinyurl.com/3y7s54
If you have time and you love the Beatles, check out the
“ultimate” Beatles site:
http://beatlesnumber9.com/
Another record collector web site:
http://tinyurl.com/2u4trk
Metal group reviews and more:
http://antipyromaniacs.wetpaint.com/page/Deep+Purple
For an “up-close” look at vinyl records, record wear and more try:
http://tinyurl.com/2a3vdp
The next new thing for playing vinyl (I‟ll wait until I can afford it)
http://laserturntable.com/
The world's Greatest Classic Rock Memorabilia
http://tinyurl.com/yvyd32
Give The Gift Of Music
http://tinyurl.com/yve5bl
LP Saver Phono CD Recorder- Play your records and cassettes.
Record your albums and cassettes onto a CD.
http://tinyurl.com/2m3lbo
Rock & Roll Beverage Coasters
http://tinyurl.com/3yxl4m
142
Please support our advertisers!
www.forevervinyl.com
www.backtrackrecords.com
Jerry Osborne‟s Vinyl Village- vinyl record forum for collectors!
143
http://www.industrial-silence.com
http://tinyurl.com/58vn9x
http://collectingvinylrecords.musicstack.com
http://tinyurl.com/5alvjg
144
http://www.JerryOsborne.com
www.KixSoftware.com
Catalog Your Collection With The Best Program You Can Find!
http://tinyurl.com/5tzl4p
www.RockArtPictureShow.com
Thank you so much for reading my ebook and I hope you have
enjoyed the content. Watch my website and blog for updates!
:O)
145
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The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting by Robert

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