A | Can I Play With Madness | |
B | Black Bart Blues |
The Goldmine Standard for grading is used
for my vinyl listings:
Mint (M)
The sleeve and cover are absolutely
perfect in every way. To qualify as Mint, the record must never have been
played and is possibly still sealed. Mint should be used sparingly as a grade,
if at all. Note that a record can be sealed and not Mint. There could be sleeve
discoloration, ring wear, or vinyl warp if guidelines on how to store vinyl were not followed. If you suspect your record
is in Mint condition, do not play it.
Near Mint (NM or M-)
A nearly perfect record. A Near Mint
(NM) record has more than likely never been played. The vinyl will play
perfectly, with no imperfections during playback. The record should show no
obvious signs of wear. The sleeve of a 45 of EP should have no more than the
most minor defects, such as any sign of slight handling. The LP cover should
have no creases, folds, seam-splits, cut-out holes, or other noticeable similar
defects. The same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric
sleeves, etc. Many dealers won’t give a grade higher than NM, implying (perhaps
correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
A Very Good Plus (VG+) record will
show some signs that it was played and handled by a previous owner who took
good care of it. Any defects are of a cosmetic nature and do not affect the
actual playback. In theory, a VG+ record should sound the same as a Near Mint
(NM) one. Vinyl surfaces may show some signs of wear, such as slight scuffs or
very light scratches. Slight warps that do not affect
the sound are okay. The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it
should be barely noticeable. Spindle marks may be present. Picture sleeves and
inner sleeves will have some wear, slightly turned-up corners, or a small
seam-split. An LP cover may have sparse signs of wear and may be marred by a
cut-out hole, indentation, or cut corner. In general, it plays perfectly, and
if not for some minor aesthetic wear, it would be Near Mint.
Very Good (VG)
The defects found in a Very Good Plus
(VG+) record will be more pronounced in a Very Good (VG) item. Surface noise
will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song’s
intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will
start to be noticeable, such as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with
a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or
have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of
picture sleeves or LP covers. However, a VG item will not have all of these
problems at the same time.
Good, Good Plus (G, G+)
A record in Good (G) or Good Plus
(G+) condition can be played through without skipping, but it will have
significant surface noise, scratches, and visible groove wear. A cover or
sleeve will have seam-splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape,
writing, ring wear, or other defects will be present. While the record will be
playable without skipping, noticeable surface noise and “ticks” will almost
certainly accompany the playback.
Poor, Fair (P, F)
The record is cracked, badly warped,
and won’t play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve could
be water damaged, split on more than one seam, and heavily marred by wear or
writing. The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully
split, crinkled, and written upon. Poor (P) or Fair (F) records are generally
worth very little, at most 5% of the Near Mint (NM) price.