GENERAL FAQ

BOOTLEGS AND COUNTERFEITS

We do not sell bootlegs or counterfeits; all vinyl and CDs are official pressings and never copies.

GIFT VOUCHERS

We offer gift vouchers that can either be used on our website or in our high-street shop. You can find them here. We have £10, £20, £30, and £50 vouchers available to order through the website, but if you require a different amount please email us (sales@vinyltap.co.uk) with the amount you wish to purchase, and we can arrange it.

GRADINGS AND PICTURE SLEEVES / PLAIN SLEEVES

Gradings are in the form of Sleeve/Disc, e.g. EX/MINT. In this case the sleeve is in excellent condition (first grade) and the disc is in mint condition (second grade). If there is only one condition, i.e. /EX, it means that the item is not in a picture sleeve and that the disc/record is excellent. Records that aren't in picture sleeves will either be in a company sleeve or a generic plain sleeve.

You can usually tell if an item has a picture sleeve or not from the description and image displayed on the item's product page. If you are unsure, please feel free to ask.

Our grading system that describes the condition of an item is as follows:

Rating Grading Description
10/10 MINT Perfect
09/10 EX+ (EXCELLENT PLUS) Nearly Perfect
08/10 EX (EXCELLENT) Light Wear – Slight Signs Of Use
07/10 EX- (EXCELLENT MINUS) More Signs Of Usage – Any Defects Mentioned In Description
06/10 VG+ (VERY GOOD PLUS) Sleeve Shows Wear – Disc Will Have Some Scuffs – No Deep Marks
05/10 VG (VERY GOOD) Sleeve Is Worn – Disc Is Scuffed And Well Used
04/10 VG- (VERY GOOD MINUS) Sleeve Is Very Worn – Disc Is Very Scuffed
03/10 G (GOOD) Very Very Worn Sleeve – Very Very Marked Disc
02/10 F (FAIR) Pretty Beaten Up - Only If You Really Need It – Collection Filler Until You Find Another Copy!
01/10 P (POOR) Terrible

MATRIX NUMBERS

In recent years the matrix numbers (the run-out groove code) have become very important for collectors, and this is why we list the important ones. The general rule is that the first pressing is -1/-1 or A1/B1, but in some cases the first pressing can be a higher number. Some people think that the lower the number there is a slightly better sound as well, but in general the earlier the pressing the more collectable, similar to book collecting and first pressings etc. Any doubt or if you require more information on an item, please ask.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

We accept most options - credit/debit cards, PayPal, cash (sent with tracked and insured delivery if sent by post, UK Pounds/Euros/US Dollars only), and UK personal cheques (allow for clearance).

YEAR OF ISSUE

You can usually tell if the year mentioned is an original or a re-release from the description. If in doubt please ask and we will check for you.

MAIL ORDER FAQ

DELIVERY TIMES

We send items all around the world everyday. Here is a rough guide to how long delivery takes approximately:

UK: 1 to 3 working days
EU: Normally up to 1 week, but occasionally 2 weeks
Rest of Europe: 1 to 2 weeks
South America: 2 to 3 weeks
Japan: Usually 1 week, but allow up to 2 weeks
Australia: 2 to 3 weeks
USA: Normally 1 week, but allow up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Rest of World: 2 to 3 weeks

PACKING

All of our items are parcelled using strong specially designed cardboard packaging, with extra card placed inside the parcel to further protect the order. Each vinyl in an order is placed in a clear plastic sleeve and plain paper white sleeve, and is separated from its cover (unless it is advertised as sealed), to prevent any damage, such as seam splits to the sleeve. If an item is sealed, and you would prefer the vinyl to be placed outside of its sleeve before dispatch, please let us know.

SEALED NEW ITEMS

Because we have a physical shop many new items are opened so we can master bag and keep the discs behind the counter in the shop for security purposes. If you would prefer a sealed item then please ask and we will let you know if we have a still sealed copy available. Also one thing to remember is that not all UK releases are originally released sealed.

SHOP FAQ

COLLECTING ITEMS FROM THE WEBSITE

Any items on the website can be collected from our shop, there is a collect option on the checkout page if you place the order through the website. We can usually have the order ready for collection within a few hours during opening hours, unless a longer dispatch time is noted on a product's details, please allow up to 1 to 2 working days. If you provide a phone number or email address with your order, we can confirm with you when they are ready to be collected.

DISABLED ACCESS

The main shop floor has easy wheelchair access.

BASEMENT FLOOR

We have a basement floor that is open Tuesdays and Fridays, which has new vinyl LPs £3 to £15, and used LPs, 12" vinyl, 7" vinyl, CDs and cassettes all 50p to £2.

OPENING TIMES

The opening times for our Huddersfield shop are:

Main Floor: Monday to Saturday: 9am until 5:30pm
Basement Floor: Tuesdays and Fridays: 9am until 4pm

RECORD STORE DAY

We participate in Record Store Day every year, more information about the event will be added to the website nearer to the event.

Have any other questions? Please feel free to contact us.