My name is Sophia Singer.

I started Spiral Classics in 1994, selling carefully graded classical LPs by mail order. Based in the UK, in the English Midlands, I have had many customers in Britain, Europe, China, Japan, USA, Taiwan and all over the world.

I will be retiring before the end of 2024. I still have many superb records in stock, which I am selling at a discount. All the records remaining in my stocklist have been graded the way I have graded them for the past 30 years:

I examine each LP very carefully, under a strong light, then play any marks that are visible, to see if they sound.

This kind of grading is very important if you're spending a lot of money on a rare, collectable LP record. But I think it's also important if you're buying an inexpensive LP. You're buying it because you want to play it for your delight in the music, the performance, the recording.

This method of grading is very time-consuming, so Spiral Classics has never been a huge business. I have an assistant who packs records, cleans them and does some administrative work. But I've done all the grading & describing of LPs myself. And I like to give a personal service to all my customers.

Why have I spent 30 years working at Spiral Classics? Because I enjoy it! I love the music. I love the sound quality of vinyl LPs. And it gives me great pleasure when my customers tell me how delighted they are with the LPs they've bought from me. But I am 79 years old now, so I think it is time to retire and enjoy my own collection!