Ask before the lot runs. On a standard lot a late bid puts the clock back to ten seconds, so there is room near the end — but on a sudden-death lot the clock never moves.
The questions
"Can you tilt the disc into the light?" A record shot flat is a black circle. Scuffs and hairlines exist only at an angle. Non-answer: a photo of the label.
"Can you show the run-out?" The etched matrix identifies the pressing, which is most of what decides the price.
"Have you played it, and how did it sound?" The single most valuable sentence a record seller can give you, and it costs them one play.
"What is the grade — disc and sleeve separately?" Written disc/sleeve. One number is ambiguous; ask which half it describes. How records are graded.
"Can you hold it edge-on and turn it?" A warp that stops a record playing is rarely visible flat.
"What is included?" Inner sleeve, insert, poster. Say what is missing before you bid rather than after.
What protection covers
A disc that skips where it was said to play, a reissue sold as an original, a sleeve not described: seven days from delivery.
Questions people ask
Is a reissue worth buying?
Often, and sometimes it sounds better. It is only a problem sold as something else.
What is ring wear?
The circular mark a record wears into its own sleeve. Cosmetic, sleeve-side, worth stating.
Should I bid on an unplayed, ungraded record?
At a lower grade than the seller is hoping for.
More: buying records, what they are worth.