Frequently Asked Questions

• First physical releases (or the earliest provable commercial artifact) with ≤3,000 copies pressed, ideally pre-major or pre-breakthrough. We include 7″/12″ singles, EPs, LPs, and occasional 10″ shellac, CD or cassette formats if they are the first commercial issue.

• Promos: Included when tied to the initial release campaign and contemporaneous with the first stock run.

• Acetates/test pressings: Documented only when they functioned as the first commercial artifact or were distributed beyond a single studio copy; otherwise excluded or shown in a research note.

• Reissues/represses: Excluded.

We triangulate label/plant logs, matrix/runout variants, trade-press announcements, dealer archives, and auction records. Where exact counts are impossible, we publish a best-supported estimate and cite sources in the entry notes.

A conservative hybrid of Goldmine and auction practice:

• Media: M / NM / EX / VG+ / VG / G

• Sleeve: same scale, with explicit notes (ring wear, splits, writing).

• We do not up-grade sealed items; “sealed” is a packaging state, not a condition grade.

Yes. Every entry lists matrix/runout, pressing plant cues, and notable variants. Where helpful, we add label typography and paper stock notes.

Yes. We lend to vetted exhibitions with museum-standard environmental, security, and insurance coverage. See our Loan page for requirements and a request form.

We do not offer public appraisals but we may seek out targeted acquisitions aligned with documented gaps in the Archive; proposals are reviewed case-by-case.

Included only when they are the first commercial format for a debut of an iconic artist (e.g., some 2000s singles). They are accessioned and labeled as such.

To document and preserve first physical releases that show how culture travels: from small to large, local to global, with verifiable data. See Why Debuts Matter for the full statement.