LENNY WILLIAMS SOUL__COULDN'T FIND NOBODY / LISA'S GONE

$

473

Please understand and excuse my lack of sales volume.  I am new to E-Bay.  I bought my first record in 1953 and have accumulated almost 10,000 vinyls through the years.  I am an avid music lover and collector.....but not a record collector.  Now retired, I have digitized the collection for my computer sound system.  I still have the music, but no longer require the records.  So I have decided to make them available for others to enjoy through E-Bay. Most of this collection was purchased by me as "new" items and have been sleeved and protected their entire lives.  Records that I have bought from individuals may not have been as well cared for before my purchase, but they have been protected and handled properly since that time.  The audio quality on virtually all of these recordings will grade from 6 to 9, with the vast majority grading 7 to 9.  (See my grading guidelines below.)  All items have been marked for "black light" identification which is undetectable to the naked eye and in no way compromises the item. RECORD LABELS, SLEEVES AND/OR JACKETS - All records are sleeved, although not necessarily with the original issue.  If the sleeve adds any value to the item, sharp, clean photos will be provided and I will point out all flaws that I am aware of. RECORD CONDITION - All records have been "play" graded using the guidelines below.  I will not sell any record that skips. In all probability my idea of a "G" or a "VG+", or any record grade, is going to be different than yours.  Grading guidelines are much too broad and subjective to be consistently interpreted and understood from one person to another.  So my purpose here is to convey to you a condition, and not necessarily a grade.  I grade my records on three levels; the visual appearance of the label, the visual appearance of the vinyl and the audio quality the record produces.  I've tried to give my grading guidelines definitions that can be recognized and understood in definitive terms.  Hopefully, instead of telling you I grade a record as VG (and you wondering what that really means) I can accurately convey to you what the record looks and sounds like and you can apply your own grading standard to it.  Our grades still may not agree, but we will both know the attributes and shortcomings of the disc. Blemishes (such as tape and its residue, stickers, marking or writing on the record, label peel and separation where someone has removed an old sticker) and their effect on record value are extremely subjective and mean different things to different people.  Therefore, I grade a record as though those blemishes did not exist, and then point out those blemishes to you.  These flaws are usually obvious and photographs easily convey their extent.  I feel this system will allow you to more intelligently determine an overall "grade" or value based on your own personal requirements and standards.   Visual Guidelines - LABEL Visual Guidelines - VINYL Audio Guidelines 10 Mint Label flawless 10 Mint Vinyl flawless 10 Mint Sound flawless 9 NM Label looks new.  Must search for flaws. 9 NM Vinyl shows very little sign of handling 9 NM Sounds new 8 VG+ Slight label wear and/or subtle visual ringing 8 VG+ Vinyl has minor surface scratching 8 VG+ Noise subtle in quiet areas, otherwise undetectable during playback 7 VG Some label wear and/or light ringing into label stock 7 VG Vinyl has moderate surface scratching 7 VG Noise in quiet areas but subtle during playback and not distracting 6 Good+ Label worn but obviously sleeved  6 Good+ Obvious scratches - the kind that will photograph 6 Good+ Some record noise during playback but not to an objectionable level 5 Good Label rough, obviously not protected 5 Good Vinyl mishandled 5 Good Obvious noise/wear during playback but listenable - no skips I realize there is still a lot of room for interpretation in these guidelines and suggest you e-mail for audio clips.  Please request clips by artist and title.  Audio clips are 128 kps MP3 files which start PRIOR to needle drop and are completely unedited. This is a 45 rpm single of Lenny Williams' 1968 recording of "I Couldn't Find Nobody / Lisa's Gone" on Fantasy (618).  It is a Promo Copy.   LABELS - At arms length, the record appears to be new.  Label colors are bright and clean and the vinyl has a high gloss.  But upon closer examination the label on the "Nobody" side has very light ring wear covering about 75% of a circle.  The wear is on the ink and the label stock has not been breached.  Ring wear is just starting on the "Lisa" side  (you really have to look for it)  and covers about 50% of the circle.  The white ring in the vinyl seen at the bottom of the label is a reflection and not in the record.  I would grade both labels as VG+ (8) or better.  EXCEPTION - there is a void of red printing ink, less than 1/8" in diameter, in the orange band directly below the "S" in "Fantasy".  This is a production flaw and not mishandling  (see photo).  The spot directly to the top right of that same "S" is a spot on the photo and is not in the label.  I'll point this out only as a curiosity, and if anyone knows the purpose I would appreciate a note.  There is a line of eight (8) embossed dots (not debossed, embossed from the down side of the label).  Each dot is much smaller than a pin head, and the line of eight is about 1/4" long.  There is a line of these dots extending from the center of the label in the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions.  The label was obviously produced this way intentionally, but I've never seen it done before. VINYL - Both sides of the vinyl look very good and the record has obviously been sleeved its entire life.  Under bright light  (I use a 200 watt bulb)  you have to look very close to find signs of handling.  I feel very comfortable rating the vinyl appearance of this record as Near Mint.  EXCEPTION - see audio. AUDIO - The audio is clean on both sides.  The "Nobody" side sounds like a new record and I grade the audio as Near Mint.  The "Lisa" side is a much quieter song and an occasional subtle "click" can be heard during playback and even then, certainly not distracting.  I would grade this side as VG+ (8).  EXCEPTION - Some idiot, probably me, installed a 1/4" long scratch on the "Lisa" side starting at the outside perimeter in the 11 o'clock position.  I was unable to get this to show in a photograph.  How upsetting this is depends on your needs.  But I don't know how to place a value on seven (7) low-key "clicks" at the beginning of a song  (and one of them is hidden by the first sounds on the record)  on an otherwise great copy of a very rare and valuable record.  So you'll have to do that. PAYMENTS - All payments are due in U.S. dollars.  PayPal, cashier's checks and money orders are accepted.  Personal checks accepted on U.S. banks only and must clear my bank before the item can be shipped.  Payments not received within 10 days of auction close are subject to relisting.  Non-paid items will be reported.  I must reserve the right to refuse bids from buyers with excessive negative feedback. SHIPPING - All records are mailed in sturdy, professional grade record mailers.  U.S. orders are shipped USPS First Class Mail.  The cost is $4.00.  Orders outside the U.S. are shipped USPS First Class Mail International.  The cost is $2.50, to help cover the cost of packaging and handling, plus the cost of mailing, which varies by destination.  Insurance is the responsibility of the buyer.  Insurance is not available for USPS First Class Mail International and shipping must be upgraded to Registered Mail or Priority Mail International in order to obtain this coverage.  If insurance coverage is waived by U.S. or International buyers, the buyer agrees to assume responsibility for loss or damage of the item once it has been mailed.  Cost of insurance and mailing outside the U.S. will be quoted once the auction has closed and the amount of insurance and the shipping destination are known.  Winning bids funded by PayPal can only be shipped to the address on the PayPal account used.  SAVE ON SHIPPING.....if you purchase multiple items to be shipped at the same time, shipping charges will be greatly reduced.  Rates vary by destination, but the savings are considerable. Please feel free to e-mail with any questions you may have.