1955 HELEN MERRILL S/T lp EMARCY 36006 BLUE BACK

$

462

DON'T MISS MY CURRENT AND UPCOMING AUCTIONS FEATURING OTHER RARE VOCAL JAZZ LPS INCLUDING BILLIE, ELLA, PEGGY LEE AND HELEN MERRILL!!!

HELEN MERRILL "Self Titled" 1955 lp on EmArcy (MG 36006). Mono, deep groove pressing. Blue/Silver drummer label. Back of cover has text and photos printed in blue. This is an ultra scarce jazz artifact with a reasonable reserve set. Read description below carefully; by bidding you agree to have done so.

Records conservatively graded under bright light according to goldmine standards (see bottom of page for reference)

VINYL:  VG- A beautifully recorded lp that still retains Merrill's voice with remarkable fidelity. Plays with only light surface noise that doesn't come close to overwhelming the sound. Unfortunately, the record skips during "Yesterdays", side 2/track 1, but near the end of the song. Rest of album sounds so great that I'm only downgrading to VG-.

JACKET:  VG This is a gorgeous jacket. I see NO flaws on the glossy front and it still retains its shine. Same with the back--the borders have darkened a little with time and there's only the most subtle hint of ring wear at the very top and bottom but it's barely noticeable. Spine is still crisp and strong showing only limited wear to the print. Corners still reasonably sharp with only light wear. The only flaws are small seamsplits: 3/4 inch in upper right corner; 1.5 inch in lower right corner; and beginnings of 1 inch in center of bottom. If not for the seam splits, this jacket would be near mint.

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Mint (M)

Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed. Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all.

Near Mint (NM or M-)

A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling. An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like. Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap. Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides. Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK". The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount. In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG)

Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+)

Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white). A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.

Poor (P), Fair (F)