Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 31, 2018

DEAR JERRY: Can you identify a recording from the late '50s or early '60s, with a clock ticking in the background as the male singer can't sleep because he is thinking of a girl?
—Mackenzie Garfield, Portsmouth, Ohio

DEAR MACKENZIE: Surely this tune is "Image of a Girl," a huge hit by the Safaris, featuring lead singer Jimmy Stephens, in the summer of 1960 (Eldo 101). This record peaked at No. 6 nationally.

Note these are the Safaris, not the Surfaris who are best-known for the 1963 instrumental, "Wipe Out."

Here's a humorous memory: the first time I heard "Image of a Girl," I wasn't sure if the sound in the background was a clock or a ping-pong match.

DEAR JERRY: Whether a record is in mint condition is fairly easy to determine. Either it looks and plays like brand new, or it doesn't. But can you briefly explain the other commonly used grades, and relative to mint prices, how they affect value.
—Jordan Renfro, Salem, Ore.

DEAR JORDAN: Gladly. It has been several years since we devoted some space to record grading, so here goes. What follows are the standardized systems for record grading, used and endorsed by buyers and sellers worldwide:

MINT: A mint item must be absolutely perfect. Nothing less can be honestly described as mint. Even brand new purchases can easily be flawed in some manner and not qualify as mint. To allow for tiny blemishes, the highest grade used by most dealers is "near-mint."

VERY GOOD: Records in "very good" condition should have a minimum of visual or audible imperfections, which should not detract much from your enjoyment of owning it. This grade is halfway between good and near-mint. For very good condition records figure about 60% to 80% of the near-mint price range.

GOOD: "Good" means good enough to fill a gap until a better copy becomes available. Good condition merchandise will show definite signs of wear and tear, likely because no protective care was given the item. Still, records in "good" condition should play all the way through without skipping. For good condition figure about 20% to 40% of the near-mint price range.

Another grading scale is the 10 Point System, which allows for more grades between good, very good, and mint. This is how the 10 Point System works: 10: MINT. 9: NEAR-MINT. 8: Better than VG but below NM. 7: VERY GOOD. 6: Better than G but below VG. 5: GOOD. 4: Better than POOR but below G. 3: POOR. 2: Really trashed. 1: It hurts to think about it.

Naturally, most older records are going to be in something less than near-mint condition. It is important to use the near-mint price range only as a starting point in record appraising.

As I've been saying for over five decades: "Condition is Everything!"


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