John Coltrane; Cattin' With; Prestige 7158, DG, Bergenfield, RVG, heavier press

$

46

Gawd this is good. Like really, really good Coltrane on Prestige. Cattin' is one of my favorites, and I think the only album better Coltrane did for the label was his self titled debut ... but my opine is neither here nor there. The task at hand! Here is a copy ripe for playing and enjoying. It's got plenty of paper scuffs, plays closer to VG+ (I can quite confidently say that), but I err on the side of caution. Because the appearance takes me back a bit, it's a solid VG. The cover is still very well preserved. See more below ...

VINYL: VG (7.5 of 10): The scuffing throws me off. ... I'm really curious about the original owner. Like ... how did it get this many paper scuffs? I'm thinking it was stored without an inner. ... The gloss is about 90% still, but the scuffs detract from its condition. A few light hairlines, but they blend in with the scuffing so it's analytically hard to tell them apart. It plays quite solidly, and it's definitely a heavier press for Prestige records of this period. Overall, I really think collectors and pretty serious record enthusiasts will dig it. Hardcore audiophiles may want to hang back and just watch the market. It's got some (though very little) classic light background noise (perhaps 10% noise 90% music). But, in my opinion, it still retains very desirable character. 

COVER: VG+ (8.0 of 10): Quite nice. Retains full gloss. Has some dings on the corners and opening, but has strong spine and seams! Bottom of the spine has about 1" of light cracking, but still holds together perfectly. There's some age and soiling to the back paste on, but nothing horrible. No writing. A very nice example. 

COVER SPLITS: None.

Vinyl Weight:  Around 170g

VINYL SPECIFICS: Deep Groove; RVG machine stamp; Bergenfield MK label; Mono; 7158 catalog. 

VINYL ABNORMALITIES: None.

SPECIAL NOTES: Pretty decent, I say. A beautiful middle ground vinyl with some solid aspects, and some not desirable aspects. On one hand, you get noise, and the scuffing isn't good to look at. On the other hand, it plays better than expected, and even retains a great playable character. It's for sure not for discerning audiophiles. It's for collectors and lovers of Coltrane and vintage in general. The cover shines, but the vinyl falls flat of VG+ by a few ticks. True vinyl collectors won't be dissuaded by the scuffing and instead will likely see the true value. 

THE SELLER: I'm an AVID jazz collector (and have been for quite some time). I do have all the pedigree classic rock, and dabble in blues and a few other genres, but overall I'm a jazz vinyl collector. That's my specialty. I try to present each album as a unique piece. I strive for an academic-level quality of evaluation. Every vinyl has its positives and negatives, and I hope to depict that reality in each of my listings. I used to sell for volume, but I now want to focus on quality and presentation. Each of my listings is presented after careful evaluation and note taking. As such, I probably won't have any more than 3 listings up at a time (if that), and they may be few and far between ... but when they do come up, rest assured it's a listing presented by a collector. The only reason I sell is to keep my collection on a rotational basis until I get the exact pieces I want. I recommend any potential bidder evaluate the detail and photos critically to evaluate whether or not to add the piece to their collection. I've attempted to consider album historical importance, vinyl performance, overall aesthetic, and unique character. 

Grading: My scale consists of ... G, VG, VG+ ... NOTHING ELSE. I refuse to use the word "mint." Instead I use words describing luster, paper scuffs, scratches, nicks, gouges, needle drops, etc ... and it's all detailed in the vinyl description area. The only time I'll use "mint" is if the LP is sealed. The number after each G/VG/VG+ scoring is meant to describe general eye appeal in combination with the audio during my vinyl audition. It's meant to give you a better idea of the overall piece presented. In other words, you get a general (then more-specific) idea of what the piece is. I also note any cover splits, pressing abnormalities, or additional notes needed (pressing bubbles, radial hues, inconsistent look, possible water damage, etc.). I will provide as much information as needed such as matrix markings, vinyl weight, stamping marks, or any other attributes of note.

* All vinyl I sell is cleaned with a vacuum system and home crafted, all natural enzyme cleaner. I've created my own vacuum cleaning system and process. It's a 3-step process of clean, vacuum, rinse two times. 

** All covers I sell are sanitized and properly wiped down with a lightly alcohol/de-ionized water solution.

*** If I find a short cover split, I will try to repair it if possible. If I do that, it is noted. If the split is too big, then I'll leave it as is for consideration. Regardless, any splits, or lack thereof, are noted.

**** All vinyl ships in a proper record shipping box, with vinyl OUTSIDE the sleeve to protect the cover. Each piece is sent with a 4mil plastic sleeve.

***** All vinyl I sell has been auditioned IN FULL on a Lenco (Bogen) L70 (B62) with a Denon 103 cartridge, using a (modern) generic Pioneer receiver through Polk speakers. While not a professional HiFi system, it most certainly isn't a beginner's setup.

****** All vinyl shipping is $4 in the USA, via Media Mail (any album over $100 gets free insurance). All overseas shipments are charged by WEIGHT. So check WEIGHT before you bid -- there should be a calculator up to to get a general idea of cost.

******* Generally I have a NO RETURNS policy -- unless you have a damn compelling reason.

******** Each auction starts at $4.99, and I let the market dictate the price from there, based on condition and evaluation from myself. I let the vinyl community tell me what it's worth -- forget Discogs, Musicstack, or past eBay listings. You all need to tell me what it's worth.