What we do · 02 Preserve
How we preserve every record
Every record that comes through Needle to Wax gets the same treatment, whether it's a common classic or the best record in the collection. Here's what happens between someone's shelf and our crates.
-
01
We dig through it where it lives
We go through the collection on site, record by record, and hear the story behind it before anything leaves the house.
-
02
Back to the warehouse
Every collection is logged as its own lot, so each record keeps its history: where it came from and who kept it.
-
03
Clean the jacket
Covers are cleaned by hand. Years of shelf dust come off before anything else happens.
-
04
New sleeves, inside and out
Every record gets a fresh inner sleeve and a new outer sleeve, so it's protected from the moment it's ready.
-
05
Dust off, then clean the record
We de-dust each record first, then clean it properly. Every record cleaned, no exceptions.
-
06
Grade it, record first
We grade the record, then the cover, always in that order. "VG, NM" means a VG record in an NM cover.
-
07
Our OBI strip, by hand
We print a Needle to Wax OBI strip with the record's details and apply it by hand, the way Japanese pressings do it. You can read the essentials without pulling the record.
-
08
Into the collection
The record is filed into our warehouse collection, ready for the crate and the market where it belongs.
The grading key
Record first, then cover.
Every grade we write has two parts, and the record always comes first. So VG+, NM means a VG+ record in a near-mint cover.
MMint. Never played, still perfect. Rarely used, and only when it's true.
NMNear mint. Looks and plays like new. No marks you'd notice.
VG+Very good plus. Light signs of play or handling; plays cleanly.
VGVery good. Visible wear and some surface noise in quiet passages, but plays through.
G+ / GGood. Played a lot. Noise throughout, still plays without skipping.
F / PFair or poor. For the music or the cover only. We say so up front.