Sell Retro Glossory

Here’s a helpful glossary that covers technical terms for: Vinyl Records, Cassette Tapes, VHS Tapes, MiniDiscs, CDs, Video Games, 8-Track Cartridges, Memorabilia and Vintage Coins:

Vinyl Records

  • 33 1/3 RPM / 45 RPM / 78 RPM: Speeds at which vinyl records are played. 33 1/3 is standard for LPs, 45 for singles, and 78 for older records.
  • LP: “Long Play” record, typically 12 inches in diameter, with a standard capacity of about 20-25 minutes per side.
  • EP: “Extended Play” record, shorter than an LP but longer than a single, usually containing 3-5 songs.
  • Groove: The spiral track on the record’s surface that holds the audio information.
  • Reissue: A re-release of a previously issued album, often remastered or released with additional content.
  • Skipping: When the needle on a record player jumps forward, often caused by dust, scratches, or warping on the record.
  • Crackle: The popping or static sound that can sometimes be heard on vinyl, often due to dust, wear, or imperfections in the grooves.
  • Warped: When a record’s shape becomes uneven or bent, typically due to heat or improper storage, causing playback issues or distortion.

Cassette Tapes

  • Compact Cassette: The standard audio cassette, with two miniature spools holding magnetic tape.
  • Type I / Type II / Type IV: Different tape types used in cassettes, with varying magnetic coatings for sound quality.
  • Dolby Noise Reduction: A feature that reduces background hiss, improving sound clarity on cassette tapes.
  • Rewinding: The process of winding the tape back to the beginning to replay content.
  • Wobble: An audio fluctuation in pitch, usually caused by uneven tape speed or mechanical issues with the cassette player.

VHS Tapes

  • SP / LP / EP Modes: Playback speeds for VHS tapes; SP (Standard Play) offers the best quality, LP (Long Play) doubles recording time, and EP (Extended Play) triples it.
  • Tracking: Adjustment to correct picture quality issues, like static or skipping, in VHS playback.
  • VCR: “Video Cassette Recorder,” the device used to play and record on VHS tapes.

MiniDiscs

  • MiniDisc (MD): A small, optical disc format developed by Sony for audio storage.
  • ATRAC: “Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding,” the compression technology used in MiniDiscs to store music.
  • MDLP: “MiniDisc Long Play,” which extends recording capacity by compressing audio further, with options for 2x or 4x the length.

CDs

  • CD-R: “CD-Recordable,” a type of CD that allows one-time recording.
  • CD-RW: “CD-Rewritable,” which can be erased and recorded over multiple times.
  • Track: Each individual song or piece of audio on a CD, with most CDs holding up to 80 minutes of audio.
  • Digital Remastering: The process of enhancing audio quality, often used for reissues on CD.

Video Games

  • 8-bit / 16-bit / 32-bit: Terms that describe the processing power of gaming consoles or computers; higher bits generally allow for better graphics and complexity.
  • ROM: “Read-Only Memory,” the game data stored on cartridges or discs.
  • FPS: “First-Person Shooter,” a game genre where players experience the game from the protagonist’s viewpoint.
  • RPG: “Role-Playing Game,” a genre focused on character development and story progression.

8-Track Cartridges

  • 8-Track: A magnetic tape audio format, popular from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, that uses a continuous loop of tape within a plastic cartridge.
  • Program: Each 8-track cartridge is divided into multiple “programs” or tracks, usually four, which play continuously in a loop.
  • Track Change: The automatic switching between programs; users could switch to different programs, though there’s no way to skip songs.
  • Wow and Flutter: Describes slight speed variations in playback that can affect audio quality; common with magnetic tape formats like 8-tracks.
  • Head Alignment: The positioning of the playback head to ensure clear, balanced sound across programs. Misalignment can cause issues like poor sound quality or bleed-through from other tracks.

Memorabilia

  • Autograph: A signature, typically from a celebrity, athlete, or historical figure, collected on items like photographs, sports equipment, or personal objects.
  • Provenance: The documented history or origin of a collectible item, proving its authenticity and increasing its value.
  • Limited Edition: Items produced in limited quantities, often numbered, to increase collectibility and perceived value.
  • Mint Condition: Refers to an item in perfect or near-perfect state, showing no signs of wear, damage, or usage.
  • Ephemera: Collectible items made from paper, like posters, tickets, or flyers, intended to be temporary but preserved by collectors for their historical value.

Coins

  • Obverse / Reverse: The “obverse” is the front side of the coin (usually displaying the main image or profile), while the “reverse” is the back side.
  • Mint Mark: A small letter on a coin indicating the mint location where it was produced, such as “D” for Denver or “S” for San Francisco.
  • Numismatics: The study or collection of currency, including coins, paper money, and tokens.
  • Bullion: Precious metal coins, typically gold or silver, valued for their metal content rather than their face value or historical significance.
  • Proof Coin: A coin struck with special dies and polished to a mirror-like finish, often highly collectible due to its quality and finish.

This glossary offers a helpful reference for enthusiasts and collectors to understand the unique language associated with these media formats.