MEET THE BEATLES 1964 RARE STEREO SXA-2047 CAPITOL COMPACT 33 EP WITH SLEEVE

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MEET THE BEATLES 1964 RARE STEREO SXA-2047CAPITOL COMPACT 33 EP WITH SLEEVE

Here we have a very rare copy of The Beatles “MeetThe Beatles Compact 33” EP. Capitol issued these for jukebox play. You can see in the photos that the record still has a nice glossy sheen. It was hard to get a photo, but at the beginning of side two there is a scuff along the first track, but cannot be heard when playing. The record plays great – can hear some very slight surface noise during the silent parts. I would grade the record as a strong VG+ and the sleeve a VG because there are 2 small seam splits on the top and bottom – see the photos.

Side One:

• It Won't Be Long
• This Boy
• All My Loving

• Don't Bother Me
• All I've Got To Do
• I Wanna Be Your Man

Goldmine Record Grading

MINT (M)
These are absolutely perfect in every way. Often rumored but rarely seen, Mintshould never be used as a grade unless more than one person agrees that therecord or sleeve truly is in this condition. There is no set percentage of theNear Mint value these can bring; it is best negotiated between buyer andseller.

NEAR MINT (NM OR M-)
A good description of a NM record is “it looks like it just came from a retailstore and it was opened for the first time.” In other words, it’s nearlyperfect. Many dealers won’t use a grade higher than this, implying (perhapscorrectly) that no record or sleeve is ever truly perfect.

NMrecords are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markingscannot appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks” from someone trying toblindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects also must beabsent; a record and label obviously pressed off center is not Near Mint. Ifplayed, it will do so with no surface noise. (NM records don’t have to be“never played”; a record used on an excellent turntable can remain NM aftermany plays if the disc is properly cared for.)

NMcovers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.

NOTE:These are high standards, and they are not on a sliding scale. A record orsleeve from the 1950s must meet the same standards as one from the 1990s or2000s to be Near Mint! It’s estimated that no more than 2 to 4 percent of allrecords remaining from the 1950s and 1960s are truly Near Mint. This is whythey fetch such high prices, even for more common items.

Don’tassume your records are Near Mint. They must meet these standards to qualify!

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E)

Agood description of a VG+ record is “except for a couple minor things, thiswould be Near Mint.” Most collectors, especially those who want to play theirrecords, will be happy with a VG+ record, especially if it toward the high endof the grade (sometimes called VG++ or E+).

VG+records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or verylight scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps thatdo not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such astelltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapenthe hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but itshould be barely noticeable.

VG+covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seamwear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerablelocation. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking.Covers with cut-out markings can never be considered Near Mint.

Very Good (VG)
Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VGrecord. That said, VG records — which usually sell for no more than 25 percentof a NM record — are among the biggest bargains in record collecting, becausemost of the “big money” goes for more perfect copies. For many listeners, a VGrecord or sleeve will be worth the money.

VGrecords have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. Theylack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear isevident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail.When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible,especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noisewill not overpower the music otherwise.

Minorwriting, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. Many collectors who havejukeboxes will use VG records in them and not think twice. They remain a finelistening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.

VGcovers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or alongthe edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious,though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splittingwill be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won’t beobvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tagon it, too.

Good (G),
Good Plus (G+)
or Very Good Minus (VG–)

Gooddoes not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it canserve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significantsurface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ringwear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tapeor stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG– cover has ring wear to thepoint of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have evenheavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters writtenacross the front to deter theft.

POOR (P)
and Fair (F)
Poor (P) and Fair (F) records go for 0 to 5 percent of the Near Mint value, ifthey go at all. More likely, they end up going in the trash. Records arecracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made toplay them. Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want to cry.