Call me old-fashioned, but I am so reluctant to buy sight unseen that I simply never do it anywhere. I think it's difficult enough to make a judgment about condition even if you can eyeball the disc, since only the most obvious flaws are readily apparent. But then I'm fortunate, because I live within a mile of two top-notch used shops that have more than enough stock at reasonable prices to keep me happy.
Purchasing used lps on Audiogon
What has been your experiecne with purchasing used vinyl on Audiogon? As a record collector of some 30 years, I have had mixed results. I have bought a pristine Tina Brooks Mosaic set for a very reasonable price and I have also purchased three import lps from the same seller which were all inferior reissues (a fact that wasn't revealed perhaps due more to ignorance than malice). These imports were not particularly well packaged and definitely were not mint. I did not leave negative feedback because the total outlay of cash in this case was small and grading is, unfortunately, a very subjective science. I have had sellers ignore defects like split seams and noticable cover ring wear. Your thoughts/experiences as buyers/sellers?