The problem with sealed 'mint' vinyl sales

2-feign-reluctance

If it's not opened to verify no warping or other damage, etc, can someone really claim an LP is "sealed & mint"? Also, MINT means unplayed right? The thin plastic wrapping has no bearing on the ACTUAL records themselves right? Maybe implications for the gatefold if the shrink is removed & your 2 yr old plays fingerpaint with a bowl of yogurt as the medium.

dankind

Yeah, I was very lucky to get my money back from a very conscientious Discogs seller for a sealed copy of Avocado that was too warped to play on my system. (The warp actually tossed my tonearm from the outside to the center of the disc. Yikes!)

I know that by actually opening it and attempting to play it, I diminished the value, but he was very awesome about refunding me the full amount for the returned vinyl.

He could get it to play on his system, but he could see why I could not.

Others sellers might not be so understanding.

tino_11

dankind said:

Yeah, I was very lucky to get my money back from a very conscientious Discogs seller for a sealed copy of Avocado that was too warped to play on my system. (The warp actually tossed my tonearm from the outside to the center of the disc. Yikes!)

I know that by actually opening it and attempting to play it, I diminished the value, but he was very awesome about refunding me the full amount for the returned vinyl.

He could get it to play on his system, but he could see why I could not.

Others sellers might not be so understanding.

Sounds like a great seller. My opinion that is that if its sealed, the buyer is taking on the risk of the items contents.

RoleModelsinBlood31

Yep, that's the risk you take. I used to look for sealed copies only but because of damaged and un returnable items I've turned to buying opened ones that the seller can answer questions about scratches, skips, warps, etc. vinyl is too expensive for me to be buying broken shit.

The only stuff I buy sealed now are preorders really, because you can almost always get a return or a replacement from the seller. I find I can almost completely negate any possible bullshit that way. Anyways, I think I've spent close to $800/month on vinyl this last year

HesCalledDyer

Mint derives it's name from coin collecting. "Mint" condition means just that, the condition the coin is in when it leaves the mint, aka pressing plant. Same should go for vinyl. I've always been in the camp that nothing is mint once it touches human hands or is exposed to elements outside the plant. Sealed or unsealed. So technically, yes, mint means unplayed. It does not necessarily mean there is no damage or defect to the record. I would personally never grade a record as mint when selling and I'm leery of purchasing from folks who use the term. If it's sealed, just say "sealed" and don't give it a grade.

PJ_Soul

Mint is necessarily sealed (assuming the original was sealed... PJ has sold unsealed releases, so you can call those mint too if they haven't been touched, i.e. the record hasn't even been taken out of the jacket, but there is no way to prove that, so it would be pointless to rate them as mint).
Since I started collecting I have felt that if you want it sealed/mint, it's 100% buy at your own risk. Obviously the seller can't possibly know about any damage if it's sealed, and the buyer sure as hell doesn't want the seller to open it and check (usually) if they're looking for sealed. I actually did ask a seller to do that once, with a guarantee that I was buying it, and he did the online equivalent of laugh in my face. And I get that, because what if he discovered the thing was warped?? Well then I'm certainly not going to want it, and would back out of the deal. And then the seller is stuck with an album he can't get rid of.
Of course the exception is brand new records sold in stores for retail prices. Stores should do refunds for new merchandise that has flaws.... but not all record stores will even do that. Good stores will, but I have heard of places that have a strict no refund policy on anything bought sealed. Which is ridiculous.

2-feign-reluctance

Thanks for the comments guys.