FAQ

New means the record came to us from the label or distributor and has never been sold, returned, or owned by a third party outside the store. That's it — no asterisks. Unless a listing says otherwise, everything in the shop is New.

Completely normal — and worth explaining, because it surprises people coming from CDs or big-box retail. A lot of new vinyl, especially dance 12″s, is never shrink-wrapped in the first place. You can go down the rabbit hole of why some people prefer one over the other, but the fact of the matter is that new vinyl comes both sealed and unsealed. Distributors routinely ship new stock unsealed, and we sometimes open a copy ourselves to verify the pressing or photograph it.

An unsealed New record is still New: unplayed, unowned, full stop. Where we know a copy's sealed status, the listing says so. One honest caveat the trade has always known: shrink wrap is not a guarantee of condition — a sealed record can still have a factory blemish under the wrap. We'd rather tell you what we actually inspected than point at plastic.

Often, yes — and it isn't a defect. Pressing plants are industrial places: a record comes off the press hot, gets trimmed, sleeved, and boxed, and along the way it can carry traces of the process — residue from the mould-release agent used in pressing, fine vinyl shavings, and paper dust shed by the factory inner sleeve. Fresh vinyl also holds a strong static charge, so it pulls in airborne dust the moment it leaves the sleeve.

None of this is wear, and none of it affects a record's condition or grade — it's simply how records are made. It is, though, why a brand-new record can crackle on its first spin when there's nothing wrong with the pressing.

The fix is easy. A pass with an anti-static carbon-fibre brush before each play handles surface dust. If you can see specks or hear persistent crackle, a wet clean — by hand or with a record-washing bath — floats the factory residue out of the grooves, and most records only ever need it once. After a wash, slip the record into a poly-lined inner sleeve rather than back into the factory paper one — that's often where the dust came from in the first place.

B‑Stock is a record that has never been owned outside the retail chain, but that we can't honestly sell as flawless. Typically that means one of two things: a copy flagged at the factory or distributor for a cosmetic blemish — a dinged corner, a seam knock, a light pressing mark — or a customer return. The same convention is used by the distributors we buy from.

Every B‑Stock listing describes the actual flaw in plain words, carries a grade, and where it's visible, shows you photos of the exact copy you'll receive. B‑Stock is priced down accordingly. If a record is B‑Stock, you'll know why.

Second Hand means the record was previously owned out in the world — bought or traded in from a collection — and has crossed back over our counter. It says nothing by itself about physical state: a second-hand record can be anything from played-to-death to still sealed. That's what the grade is for.

Every Second Hand listing carries a media and sleeve grade, honest notes, and photos of the actual copy.

We grade on the Goldmine scale — the same standard Discogs uses — so a grade here means the same thing it means everywhere you already buy records. Media and sleeve are graded separately and shown as a pair, media first: NM/VG+ is a near-mint record in a very-good-plus sleeve.

Two house rules, both on the conservative side. First, we grade what we can inspect: a grade is a claim about the copy in front of us, and our notes tell you whether a record was assessed visually, on the deck, or both. Second, nothing that has been opened gets called Mint. Near Mint is our practical ceiling, which is the convention careful dealers have always kept.

A short key. Media and sleeve are each graded on this scale.

NM Near Mint

Looks and plays essentially as it left the press. No visible wear worth mentioning; sleeve crisp.

VG+ Very Good Plus

Handled with care. Light cosmetic marks that don't intrude on playback; sleeve may show minor shelf wear.

VG Very Good

Clearly played. Some audible surface noise in quiet passages; visible wear on record and sleeve.

G Good

Plays through, but with significant noise and obvious wear. Priced to match. We stock this grade rarely and describe it thoroughly when we do.

You may see EX (“Excellent”) on other sites — it belongs to a different UK grading tradition, not the Goldmine scale, and the two don't line up cleanly. We don't use it, to keep our grades unambiguous.

For B‑Stock and Second Hand — yes. Where a listing carries condition photos, they're of the exact copy on the shelf, not a stock image. New records use the release artwork, since every copy is interchangeable.

We ship with Australia Post. Every order ships in a rigid record mailer and is padded accordingly.

Orders are dispatched within 3 business days and every parcel is tracked — you'll get the tracking number the moment it ships.

Australia-wide, and internationally to most countries. Postage is calculated at checkout by destination and weight — vinyl is heavy, so we recommend combining multiple records into one order to make the postage more cost effective.

Even though we do our best to give you the best possible online record purchasing experience, sometimes things just don't work out as expected. If there's anything wrong with your order — if a record arrives damaged, faulty, or not as we described it — contact us within 24 hours of delivery with photos and a description of the problem. Please don't post anything back before we've talked: we'll always try to work with you to find a solution first. Where a return is needed, you will be required to post the record back to us, and once the issue is confirmed we can organise a replacement or a full refund.

While we will always try to work with you on any issues that arise, we do not offer change-of-mind returns — so choose your record carefully. A record, after all, is your commitment to your collection and the music you love. Every record is described, and in the case of B‑Stock or Second Hand records we grade and, if need be, photograph the item, so you can buy with confidence. If you're unsure about a record, we love a chat, so get in touch before you order and we'll tell you anything you want to know about the copy on the shelf.

B‑Stock and Second Hand records are sold as described — the flaw or wear in the listing is exactly why the price is what it is, so the described condition isn't grounds for a return. Like everything in the shop, they're not eligible for change-of-mind returns — and each one is a one-off, which is why we describe, grade, and photograph them the way we do.

A returned record doesn't quietly go back on the shelf as New. It's inspected, and if it's staying in the catalogue it's re-listed as B‑Stock — graded, described, and priced down. That's the whole point of the class: you always know a copy's story.