Vinyl Record Grading in Japan

Рет қаралды 1,054

Күн бұрын

This video offers a brief overview of the different record grading system approaches used by Japanese sellers, along with some tips you'll find useful if you plan to go record shopping in Japan.
Footage from Den Bosch, Osaka, Asakusa & HMV Shinjuku is provided by Awatar - a remote record shopping service (awatar.net)
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Den Bosch '23 Record Fair virtual walk-through with Awatar
02:03 HMV Record store in Tokyo
Okayama record stores
03:54 Groovin’ Records
04:45 Medel Music
05:19 Harioto Records
05:49 the last record fair in Okayama
Japan Record Fairs
06:31 Osaka record Fair ’21
06:59 Penny Lane Records
07:23 Osaka record Fair ’22
09:37 Rook
10:04 Blue Soul Records
10:24 Gris Gris
10:38 Banana Records

Пікірлер: 37

@Ambie86 10 ай бұрын

This video is so freaking cool; I find all of this fascinating. Thanks for taking the time to educate us ;)

@SteviesVinylCupboard 11 ай бұрын

Ok I'm gonna rate this video a VG+ or even a M-. Wow Michael this is so very informative, you're really blowing the lid off of how they do things in Japan. I get the impression from this that there are a lot of really decent buys here for me between 1-2kYen and the message here is buy with confidence, there can be no losing face for the seller. PS Yukata lookin good on the RiceSama

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Indeed! Buy with confidence in Japan. Often the grading is sandbagged and the quality of the disk is better than indicated by the seller. I have bought used records for ¥100 and ¥400 in the used bins that were in VG+ condition.

@frenchvinyladdict 11 ай бұрын

Wow very interesting and useful video, thank you Michael. A trip to Japan is on my bucket list. I really got the feeling that the whole Japaneese society is built on mutual trust

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

I will never get tired of stories about lost wallets and umbrellas dutifully returned to their owners.

@VintageLuxmanStereoCollector 11 ай бұрын

Great vid and you answered my question about using Google Translate. Love the 2022 Osaka record fair. What a great idea.

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

It’s indispensable for all survival in Japan. It can take on full pages of text in seconds. Thanks for watching and commenting, as always.

@VintageLuxmanStereoCollector 11 ай бұрын

@@ricefieldrecords - I will be ready to record shop for my next visit to Japan thanks to you👍👍

@davethepickupartist7161 11 ай бұрын

Disc available at the counter to prevent shoplifters I guess. Great camera work

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

and also butterfingers....nervous hands can lose control of a record. We've all experienced that before. Some stores offer to take every used record out of the sleeve and allow customers to inspect; but at the counter and in full view of staff. Thanks for the kudos on my camera work. I really appreciate that.

@sitomdd 11 ай бұрын

wow, super informative but also kinda scary 😂 want to visit japan for a long time now but I'm scared by the amount of record stores, jazz cafès, hifi stores etc. I should visit in the few days of a vacation... nice idea to retire there!

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Either Shinjuku and Shibuya are your two best bets for a couple of days of record shopping in Tokyo. For new records, Disk Union, HMV or Tower Records. For used records, Disk Union.

@musicalarmchairs 11 ай бұрын

Great video, will go back over your previous videos. Between 2000 and 2015 I made multiple trips to Japan. In the early 2000s there was no google translate and navigating to find some record shops was difficult. The record fairs were great as you could easily find them (typically in basement levels) of department stores that didn’t have one of those food supermarket floors. Even regional cities like Mito in Ibaraki and Chiba etc had record fairs back then. Obviously records back then were much cheaper, there was no Discogs and rare stuff sometimes slipped through dirt cheap. Hope to visit Japan again one day

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Take a look at my Okayama videos, especially Orab Record. They are indicative of some very special shops who have fantastic rare inventory and are not set up for e-commerce. Granted, one could find most anything at the megastores but those are fiercely competitive. The single owner shops don’t have that type of traffic. Meaning, the item will likely still be there weeks later. Thank you for your historical knowledge. If you ever venture back to Tokyo, let me know. Cheers!

@musicalarmchairs 11 ай бұрын

@@ricefieldrecords yes have been to Okayama to see the gardens. The typical 1-3 are Okayama, Kanazawa and Mito. Have visited all of those at least once. Yes would love to come back to Japan, I am sometimes in Dalian China wife’s family) and it is a relatively short side trip to see parts of Japan as there are a number of direct services. Finally coming back after Covid disruptions

@musicalarmchairs 11 ай бұрын

@@ricefieldrecords out of interest do you come across many TBM (three blind mice original records) during your shop visits and if so how’s the pricing. I do get some here in Australia from a record shop that often visits Japan and has some good contacts but they keep going up and up

@ricefieldrecords 10 ай бұрын

@@musicalarmchairs I have not come across many TBM in store visits. I don't know why. 250 record stores in Tokyo, and I have visited less than 10% of them. They will turn up, I'm sure. When they do, I'll include them in a video. (sorry for the delay. YT slugged your comment as spam and I just found it...)

@highrantdistrict 11 ай бұрын

Hey there Michael, that was interesting! While dozens of different grading systems may not work within a common marketplace like Discogs, at the store level, those levels of descriptions are awesome. No issues with having to view the discs with employees watching, as that helps ensure that the record stays in the advertised condition if the shopper doesn't purchase it. Good stuff! Cheers, Tom

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Exactly! And the store can put the record back in the bins and the customer can leave the store with or without a purchased record(s). No pressure to purchase. Thanks for watching and commenting.

@Cookingwithsteveg 11 ай бұрын

I rarely shop retail. On occasion I do and I always pay out my spindle hole for it! It’s extremely difficult if not impossible for a middle class wage earning vinyl collector (oh hell, even upper middle class wage earner) to amass even a small collection of high quality rare sought after original pressings. Prices are very high and yes ridiculously inflated in many cases. Gouging and liquidation are directly related to condition. Love the Kimono, Michael!

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

I don't think average Japanese buyers are sales targets for ¥165,000 Frank Zappa records; I think it's foreign collectors. The exchange rate is amping up tourism here; even record tourism. Savvy collectors are also buying online from reputable stores. But I agree, the prices are ridiculous. These are not fine art prints but priced and coveted as much, just the same.

@UncleDansVintageVinyl 11 ай бұрын

That's why you should collect Jackie Gleason LPs!

@Cookingwithsteveg 11 ай бұрын

@@UncleDansVintageVinyl 😂 Only if it’s mint!

@UncleDansVintageVinyl 11 ай бұрын

@@Cookingwithsteveg They're more collectable if they have been played a few years on a Voice of Music turntable with a ceramic cartridge tracking at 9 grams--and have never been cleaned!

@Labor_Jones 11 ай бұрын

GREAT VIDEO. Best information video on Records I've seen period bar none! I loved how it starts with ZAPPA - I have two of those now. I bought a Box of Albums on bid knowing among them was hidden Zappa's 2nd and 3rd albums, so it was fun to see that. Mostly the film had good film work (I'm guessing it's the IPHONE doing a lot of it) Good Editing between you and the show and tell... over all really (really) good work!!! ... btw, I'm uploading a VIDEO on Where I'm living (could all day Uploading)... Basically Squaller really. I'm a true patriot honorably discharged, shirt of medals hiding essentially from COPS (Nazis) who would find ways to capture and make me a PRISONER in my own land!!! I really don't blame you for leaving this place (the USA). Even if we (the country) move in the right direction the Violence is sure to grow and Jew, Christian, Muslim, Black, Brown, and even White are going to DIE and not in small number I believe... THE HEDONISM drives the Fascist, and they are many. LOVE and PEACE - m. :)

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

I'm very glad you liked the video, Marvin. You've been one of my best commenters. My use of stills I attribute to your earlier suggestions.

@Labor_Jones 11 ай бұрын

Sweet, I said something I can't remember ;) lol - @@ricefieldrecords

@UncleDansVintageVinyl 11 ай бұрын

All prog rock records should be graded using the appropriate French term: merde.

@tokioPK 11 ай бұрын

@ricefieldrecords Great video, thanks! Wish you'll do one about Tokyo stores, or a series!

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Hello! On my channel there are 4 videos on Tokyo record stores from late last year. Here are the titles and the dates: 10/23/22 Mezurashiya! Record Store in Tachikawa Tokyo 10/30/22 Introduction video: Tokyo Record Stores 10/31/22 Disk Union in Shinjuku, 12/26/22 Tokyo: Oldest Jazz Kissa, New Japanese Art, Rock & Soul Vinyl at Disk Union Shinjuku, Kabuki Theater

@tokioPK 11 ай бұрын

@@ricefieldrecords you are a star, love your channel!

@Grooverski 11 ай бұрын

I mean, that grading is kind of a necessity if taking records from out of the sleeve is forbidden. Personally, I do it for my own convenience and reference in the future.

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Forbidden, because if the customer drops the record on the floor, the stores have no recourse.

@Grooverski 11 ай бұрын

@@ricefieldrecords I get it. That’s the whole idea behind detailed description/grading.

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

@@Grooverski That’s retailers. Consumers like you and me who sell used records online; many of them are not so diligent. I pass over many used records on Yahoo and Mercari that read, “Good condition; visual check only”. Those records sit unsold for months if the prices are too high.

@oldskool1979 11 ай бұрын

I dont care about grades.. I wanna see with my own eyes....

@ricefieldrecords 11 ай бұрын

Well true. but we're talking about second hand or used records. You can only see the surface of the record. Lack of spindle wear can be deceiving. The previous owners may have used subpar stylii and/or were too aggressive with tonearm weight. A playgrade will give you more insight before purchasing. I can't tell you how many times I was fooled by "visual grade only" and had buyer's remorse....