Cueing issue

That's what I thought lewm but he says its working. Just to make sure the test would be to raise and lower it with the arm in the arm rest. It should drop nice and smooth even without the arm. If it sticks at all then lewm nailed it.

Oh well if its lead-in then its obvious. The program area of most records is almost perfectly flat but the lead-in area on some records is curved with a bit of a lip. So its possible depending on the angle and your anti-skate for the stylus to touch down in the flat area between the grooves, then "ride the curve" downhill at about the same rate as the lead-in groove, so instead of falling in right away its going along the flat surface a turn or three.  

The only other explanations are dust or a sticky arm. I find it hard to believe slaw has a problem with either of those. He's too good. So it has to be the lead-in lip. I've had the same happen to me, just hardly ever, and I know what it is so no big when it happens.

Seems unlikely, but sounds like what might happen if the stylus just happens to catch a speck of dust just right. After a few seconds, or if you lift, its gone. Have you been able to look real close while its doing this? Sounds like might be too brief amount of time...

Is the arm lift going low enough for all records? If not the lifter can usually be adjusted with a tiny little allen wrench.