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CRAIG CHASE VINYL

Don (ccvinylman) Larter, Owner

1. Honest, conservative play-grading,using a strong light, high quality stereo equipment and Goldmine standards (please see my ME site for reasons why I perform this time-consuming service for my customers). I emphasisize the sound of the record rather than the appearance of either the vinyl or the jacket (though appearance is taken into account):
• 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.

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   There are many fine sets of Beethoven's complete Symphonies, each having its own charms, strengths and aural rewards.  I may be opinionated, but I'm not stupid enough to venture an opinion as to whose set is "the best"!   In the top ten, however, I'd have to put Dr. Walter's stereo set with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.  Maestro Walter was indeed a poet of conductors.   His way of getting to the essence of the music was little influenced by trends, fads, didacticism or any one of a myriad of other excesses which quite simply bypass altogether the spiritual component of musical interpretation.     He had an almost unrivaled way of listening within his mind's ear and then eliciting from the orchestra the sounds, tempi and moods he heard and, yes, felt.  He was a romantic, but his balancing of mind and heart achieved quite often a perfect equipoise.         
• Label/Data:   Columbia:  D7S 610, seven stereo disks in deluxe presentation case, with a pocket/page for each disk, a deluxe booklet with pictures, commentary, historical background and more, and a facsimile chalk drawing of Dr. Walter, approximately 22" x 17" when unfolded. 
• Description:

             ---Orchestra/Group:   Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Westminster Symphonic Choir

             ---Conductor:  Bruno Walter and Warren Martin (Director of Choir)

             ---Soloist(s):  Emilia Cundari, soprano; Nell Rankin, mezzo-soprano; Albert Da Costa, tenor; William Wilderman, baritone

            ---Work(s) Performed:  Beethoven:  Complete Symphonies, Nos.1-9

• Condition of Record: Visual grade:   Average grade, NM- .  There is a patch of vinyl defects/surface stains on the first band of the Sixth Symphony, about 1" x 1".  The patch was not removed with alcohol or "Goo Gone" or soap and water.  On s.2 of the first record at the very end of the side, there is a faint scratch   The band contains the first movement of the Second Symphony, I believe.    Play grade:  Average grade, NM-.   The aforementioned patch does sound fairly obviously, though intermittently,  for a couple minutes.  The aforementioned scratch does tick softly and intermittently for a minute or so.  

• Condition of Jacket/Sleeve/Box:  Very good.  No major defects or flaws.  Quite presentable. 

PLEASE NOTE:  I neglected to enter the correct weight of this box-set in the shipping section of my listing.  Please forgive me.  The correct weight is six pounds, 12 ounces.  Please use this additional information to determine the cost of shipping to your Zip code or country.  Airmail Parcel Post shipping to Japan, for example, would be US$43.25; to Hong Kong, US$46.85; to the UK, US$41.05.  Priority Mail delivery to California, for example, would be $15.80; to Michigan, $8.15; to Florida, $12.25. 

To determine the shipping charges yourself, have your email server (e.g., Yahoo!) "search" for the following:  "USPS Domestic postage calculator", OR "USPS International postage calculator".  Once at the USPS site, you will be led through a simple series of steps enabling you to determine the cost of shipping the Beethoven box-set to your address. 

Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but while listing the Walter/Beethoven set my mind was distracted as I thought about a collection of records I was scheduled to appraise in Cleveland on Tuesday.  Good news!  I acquired the collection, and a good collection it is!   About 3000 LPs, mostly, with classical, jazz and world music genres well represented. 

Included in this collection is a Capitol box-set of Nathan Milstein's mono recording of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for unaccompanied violin; a goodly number Janos Starker cello albums on the Mercury, Period and Renaissance labels; numerous titles from jazz greats, including Jelly Roll Morton, Theolonius Monk, Charlie Parker and many more!  The jazz labels include Blue Note, Riverside, Verve, Prestige, Fantasy, Le Jazz Cool, Savoy and many others.  I also have some 45s and 10-inch LPs in addition to the regular LPs, and the former owner of this collection, now deceased, took excellent care of his collection!  I'll be putting together a preview of this collection in the weeks to come.  If you want me to send you this  preview by email, simply request one by writing to me at drlarter@yahoo.com.  Thanks!