Welcome To

CRAIG CHASE VINYL

Don (ccvinylman) Larter, Owner

 Introduction (Revised 28 March 2010)

Craig Chase Vinyl (hereafter, CCV) is unique in ways directly affecting you, a buyer of vinyl records. 

First, as the owner of CCV I clean every record  I sell (and its jacket).  What other seller does that?  The answer is easy:  NONE!

Second, I play-grade every record I sell.  What other seller does that?  Not many!

Third, occasionally I provide you with some comparative prices I've researched on eBay, so that you can make an informed decision when there's an "identical" item from another seller.  Keep in mind, however, that my listed item will likely be the only one that is both cleaned and play-graded.   If possible, my starting bid will either match or be lower than the competition's.

In exchange for these three valuable services, you'll find my prices to be marginally higher than the seller whose sideline is records and who doesn't even have a turntable on which to play the records he sells!  (Yes, there are several sellers like this, believe it or not.)  I seldom, if ever, start the bidding at 99 cents.  About the lowest-price record I sell starts at $3.62, which in today's economy is pretty darn cheap!   

When you compare the burden of a slightly higher price to the peace of mind you get by knowing in advance what your desired record sounds like, however, I think you'll agree I'm a good person to do business with. 

If you haven't already, please give me a try.  I ship quickly (usually within 24 hours of receiving payment), I ship safely, and I communicate with you at each step of the sale.  Moreover, I offer a no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee in the eventuality I mess up.  Believe me, it doesn't happen very often! 

Over the past seven years, hundreds of people from about 60 countries around the world have bought records from me, and not one has given me a negative feedback.

Best wishes to you, and thank you for looking me up!

• Sealed = Unopened and unplayed; condition unknown
• NM+ = Near Mint Plus. Extraordinarily clean and quiet; may not have been played
• NM = Near Mint. Clean and quiet, regardless of scuffs or apparent defects
• NM- = Near Mint Minus. Less quiet than NM, with a bit more background noise regardless of its source.
• VG++ = Very good plus plus. Noisier than NM-; may say why.
• VG+ = Very good plus. Noisier than VG++; will say why.

NOTE:  My basic grading for album jackets/boxes includes Good, Very Good, Almost Excellent, and Excellent.  Good signifies it has some challenges, including wrinkles, soiling, ripped seams and possibly writing.  I usually repair ripped seams with hot glue, and surface grime I remove with gentle cleaning products, such as GOO GONE, which dries without staining.  I finish most album jackets with a furniture spray to restore sheen and remove dust and fingerprints.  Very Good signifies slightly better condition of the sleeve, with no rips in the seams and a higher level of cleanness in general.  Almost Excellent is a step above Very Good and is what you'd expect of a jacket that has been well cared for.  There might be a slight corner bump or small evidences of wear, such as almost invisible, hairline scratches, but that's all.  Excellent is what you'd expect of a jacket that has never shed its shrinkwrap sleeve because it's either still sealed, or only the open end has been slit.  Still, if a corner is bumped or wrinkled, or if dirt has managed to penetrate the shrinkwrap, or there is some other defect, I'll likely downgade the jacket to Almost Excellent.  If you're a real jacket fanatic, I'll always be glad to give you in an email additional details of the jacket's condition.  Simply ask! 

2. Professional cleaning (again, please see my ME site for reasons why I perform this time-consuming service for my customers) of virtually every record and sleeve sold, by using proprietary methods that are extremely gentle and effective on records.
3. The offering of a wide variety of repertoire and genres, particularly classical, at many different price points.
4. Fair dealing, prompt and friendly communication, and speedy delivery.
5. My expecting payment within 10 days of purchase, unless negotiated otherwise.
6. A no-questions-asked return policy if our play-grades differ significantly. I will even refund the return shipping charges (though not the initial, to you, shipping charges).
7. Posting of positive feedback for high bidders who pay in a timely fashion (or who email me saying why they do not); posting of negative feedback for those who do not.

NEW LISTING!

Item Description   I'm not sure why this rendition of Beethoven's Third was suppressed.  One rumor (or rumour, for you Brits!) is that the master tape was run at the wrong speed during the disc-cutting process, or some such thing.    When I compared the first few measures of the Furtwangler recording of the Eroica to Karajan's ca.1962 version with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Furtwangler started at least a half-tone higher!   Keep in mind, however, that European tuning standards are different from American tuning standards.  Even so, both recordings originated in Europe.  Maybe the engineers at Urania did do something wrong in the mastering process.   At any rate, the copy up for bids is is decent shape, but it has been played a bit and has been the victim of less-than-careful handling.  I've listened to the recording from beginning to end, though, and there are no skips or sticking points.  Even the ticks, and there are quite a few, are not egregious in their loudness.  There are even patches of NM- and even NM!    Urania's vinyl was not that great to begin with, so with a rarity of this caliber, one cannot be too choosy.  Instead of a reasonable reserve price of, say, a couple hundred bucks, I'll start the bidding at US$99.99 and let the marketplace determine where the price goes.  Best wishes!    
• Label/Data:   Urania:  URLP-7095 mono.  The rare, suppressed first edition; recorded in Europe but made in America
• Description:

             ---Orchestra/Group:  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

             ---Conductor:  Wilhelm Fürtwangler

             ---Soloist(s): 

            ---Work(s) Performed: Beethoven:  Symphony No.3 in E-flat Major, Op.55 "Eroica"

• Condition of Record: Visual grade:  VG+  Well-played copy, but it retains most of its sheen.  Random surface scratches here and there on both sides.  No gouges or deep scars, however.  Play grade:  VG+ to NM throughout, with s.2 quieter than s.1.  Ticks off and on, but nothing loud or pervasive.  Crackly background during much of disk.  Average grade would be VG++.

• Condition of Jacket/Sleeve/Box:  Very good.  Clean and sound, with the exception of the top seam, which had a four-inch opening  until I hot-glued it shut.