Useful Record Collecting / Selling Terms ･ﾟ✧

January 25, 2024

For those interested in the 78 rpm collector’s experience, here are useful terms…

Acetate: you will put this on the turntable once (1) to capture the audio digitally, then never touch this again

Nice: the condition of a record for sale, ranging from “dragged across a parking lot with four holes in it” to “unplayed, cherubic”

Like New: the record has a chip the size of a quarter along the rim

Rare: it’s not

Very rare: might actually be rare

Wall Piece: a rare record that should NOT be hung on a wall hipster-style, in great condition, that when shipped by the seller will arrive broken due to their ignorance OR an actually trashy record that is pre-broken for you, 1/3 of it missing

Check photos for details: provided by sellers who won’t bother to tell you what tracks or musicians are on the record; dark, blurry photographs which can’t be read. extra credit for taking photos of about ten records at a time, which would’ve been impossible to read even if the photo had turned out

I grade conservatively: “don’t ask for your money back” insurance statement to prevail against dingdongs

Visually graded: somehow more accurate than half the gradings on discogs

Experienced at shipping 78s: the only sellers you want to buy from

Pre-War: another indicator the seller knows what they’re talking about

Pre-War Blues: how to lose your wallet for 5 ½ minutes of music

Pre-War Hillbilly: $15

Bluegrass: very clear electric guitar or accordion solo

One very old 1930s vinyl album: amazing. every word of what you just said was wrong.

Rich-R-Tone: automatically expensive

Elvis Sun record: check five times to make sure they’re not selling you a 2010s repress for $500