Faq   

 
What is thecurerecords.com?
A website about the The Cure official discography worldwide.
 
Is thecurerecords.com official?
No, it is not connected to The Cure. It is a free, independent, non-profit making website.
 
What is the purpose of thecurerecords.com?
It was created with the final aim of bringing to light never seen existing The Cure official records. By helping everyone organize their collections, at thecurerecords.com we expect to always attract new fans and collectors worldwide and to learn about new pressings.
 
I want to contribute. What shall I do?
Digitize the record you want to contribute with and click the Submit new record link on the Home page. Attaching the images is critical to the process of listing new records as they are key proof of their existence.

Do I need to scan everything?
Yes. Even if you think your copy is different on only one part, we need not only the scan of that part but the whole thing. Tiny differences you did not notice may exist on other parts, and we cannot afford that risk or we would be listing non-existing items. Respecting this rule is critical to the reliability of the site.

How do I scan a 12" sleeve?
Scan it 4 times. We will piece the parts together. If you use Photoshop, you can do that for us with Photomerge (
File > Automatize > Photomerge).

What if I send photos, not scans?
Photos are usually too blurry, have an undesired perspective, and suffer from light burning, which in the end leads to hard editing work with unsatisfactory results. So unless the item is very, very rare, photos submitted are likely to be removed from the pending updates list without further explanation.

What are the most common reasons for contributions not being taken?
1)  Incomplete scans
2)  Cut edges
3)  Small size
4)  Dark background
5)  Inlays removed from the case

We do not inform members about their submissions being removed from the Pending updates page. Should you find your item has been removed and want to know the reason, contact us and we will kindly explain.

Shall I remove the back inlay from the CD case?
No. Regarding CDs and any other formats, simply follow any of the examples on the site to get a close idea of what we want. Whenever possible, please add a white background while scanning. That helps us get better results.

Where do the images come from?
99.9% of the images are scans from personal collections given by their owners.

Do you think my copy is a "new item"?
It is sometimes unclear whether the slight differences you found on your copy make it a new item, for we always will suggest you to scan it first and then submit it to the site. It is the quickest way for us to give you a prompt accurate answer. Note that stickers, or any extras, make an item new when they are "The Cure" or "item" customized. Generic stickers, jagged sleeves (ie. Italian promo-style sleeves) or generic extras do not turn a copy into a new item (exceptions listed on the site are due to be removed with time).

Classifying by country: how does it work?
The "Country" of an item is the target country. For instance, an item is "Japanese" not when it is made in Japan, but when Japan is the country it was marketed for. Logically, the manufacturing country matches the target country in most items, so the usual "Made in" inscription is the best reference to start with in case of doubt. The target country is easily spotted on items that have a sticker, a special seal, a folder, etc., since they are usually printed in the local language. But the target country is sometimes not that obvious, and is told in different ways depending on the case: sometimes by the sleeve (ie. French tapes made in Holland), the labels (Israelian CDs, US CDs made in Japan, EU CDs made in Germany), the rights society (Belgium 7"), the matrixes (many CDs from UK, France, or Germany), or even by the info given to us by Marketing representatives or dealers (ie. the EU Japanese-like Vinyl Replica CDs).

Do you list mislabeled vinyls and white label test pressings?
Except for worth noting exceptions, we do not list mislabeled records when the label is completely missing. There is no way for us to know whether the labels were missing from origin or removed later on to make the record look mislabeled. When the label is not missing, but misplaced, then yes we do list the record as a new item. Regarding white label test pressings, we list them when we trust the source, the scans are high quality and we can read the inscription on the dead wax.

Is there any record for sale?
thecurerecords.com does not sell or trade and all the images shown are meant for reference only. However, some items may be found available for sale by our members. These items show up in the Trade section.
 
Can I contact other collectors?
Yes, if you are a member. Sign in, then click on the "Contact member" link located in the collectors profile box.
 
What are the records quotations based on?
They are basically based on ratings given by our members. Click here to learn about our Price guide. Quotations should give a clue as to the amount you should expect to pay or get paid for a mint and complete copy.
 
Is thecurerecords.com exhaustive?
No. The number of known official The Cure records grows constantly, as with new visitors and registered users.
 
Do you list bootlegs?
No.

Are all the records listed official?
Up to a 99%, yes. We take great care not to include unofficial items like bootlegs, fakes or amature live recordings. However, exceptionally, this site lists certain unofficial items we have called "Non-official". They are The Cure actual titles that have been industrially pressed, released and locally distributed by actual labels as ordinary commercial releases in their respective countries. Click "Non-official" to display these items.

How can I tell my record is official, bootleg or fake?
Unfortunatelly, not always there is a way to tell for sure, even if you are a longtime hard collector. But generally, "bootlegs" are commonly easy to spot when the title is not official, they are made by an unofficial label or feature unreleased content. Regarding "fakes", they are home-made and pretend to be official and very rare, from special promos to test pressings or acetates. Most are commonly easy to spot mainly due to the poor quality of the print or the artwork design. However, some fakes are virtually impossible to spot, like white labels and CD-Rs, for we suggest to never buy unless you profoundly trust the source.
 
What are quarantined items?
Quarantined items are items we doubt they should be listed. Sometimes because we seriously doubt on their authenticity, sometimes because we believe they do not exist. As a consequence, in the long term these items are due to be removed (fakes) or remain listed with empty boxes (unexisting).

What are "Strangely HTF" items?
Very few items have the following in common: they are the ordinary commercial or promo copy of a Cure official release and, surprisingly, they are very hard to find while their rarity remains fairly unnoticed. They are so ordinary, no one could ever suspect they are that scarce unless told so, or learnt through proper attention over the years. They are something like the black sheep in their families. We have grouped these "Strangely HTF" (hard to find) items in Popular searches.
 
Can I download my personal lists?
Yes, you can download them in Microsoft Excel format any time you want. Log in, then click on the list you want to download, then click "Download".
 
 
 
 
Please contact for any further questions.
 



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