Norman Johnson & The Showmen ?– Our Love Will Grow - 1970 UK Action RE EX

	£		30
	$		40

MEDIA - VG+
SLEEVE - N/A generic

Great piece of northern soul.

Plays beautifully. Visually it has a drill hole, some light ring wear and some light blemishes to vinyl that do not affect play. See photo...

All originals unless stated.

I followGoldmine grading strictly. What most would grade a VG+ Ex or NM, I tend to grade atVG. Simply because if any damage (visual or not) is audible, by these standards it shouldbe graded as such. Most do not follow this rule.

This appliesto slight clicks, pops or hissing only heard in intro’s or quiet sections ofthe record. If you are still unsure I can on request send a video to you of therecord being played.

My recordsare graded using Autofon 2M series cart and stylus, Project Debut Turntable, Technicsclass A amp and castle speakers.

https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/record-grading-101

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.

NEARMINT (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.

NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickersor other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks” fromsomeone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factorydefects also must be absent; a record and label obviously pressed off center isnot Near Mint. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. (NM recordsdon’t have to be “never played”; a record used on an excellent turntable canremain NM after many plays if the disc is properly cared for.)

NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of anykind.

NOTE: These are high standards, and they are not on a slidingscale. A record or sleeve from the 1950s must meet the same standards as onefrom the 1990s or 2000s to be Near Mint! It’s estimated that no more than 2 to4 percent of all records remaining from the 1950s and 1960s are truly NearMint. This is why they fetch such high prices, even for more common items.

Don’t assume your records are Near Mint. They must meet thesestandards to qualify!

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
or EXCELLENT (E)
A good 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 lightscuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience.Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling areOK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playinghas not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear ordiscoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.

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

VeryGood (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.

VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts inbetter shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-freshrecords. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough tofeel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and somescratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song’s introand ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.

Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. Manycollectors who have jukeboxes will use VG records in them and not think twice.They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were inbetter shape.

VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in themiddle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside,is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seamsplitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though itwon’t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped aprice tag on it, too.

Good(G),
Good Plus (G+)
or Very Good Minus (VG–)
These records go for 10 to 15 percent of the Near Mint value, if you are lucky.

Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through withoutskipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But ithas significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, withsignificant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someonetrying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG– coverhas ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight andmay have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letterswritten across the front to deter theft.

If the item is common, it’s probably better to pass it up. But ifyou’ve been seeking it for a long time, get it cheap and look to upgrade.

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.

Only the most outrageously rare items ever sell for more than afew cents in this condition — again, if they sell at all..