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I try my best to give an honest assessment of the condition of the records I sell based on the Goldmine Grading Guide. I do not claim to be an expert at grading, but I try to be as objective as possible. I also try to show the quality as best I can in the photographs I take. Please look at the photos to see the condition for yourself. Below I've included an abridged description of each Grade from the Goldmine Record Grading 101 post which you can find online.
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Grading Scale
MINT (M)
NEAR MINT (NM OR M-)
EXCELLENT (E) or VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
Very Good (VG)
Very Good Minus (VG-), Good Plus (G+) or Good (G)
POOR (P) and Fair (F)
Detailed Grading Descriptions
MINT (M)
These are absolutely perfect in every way. Often rumored but rarely seen, Mint should never be used as a grade unless more than one person agrees that the record or sleeve truly is in this condition.
NEAR MINT (NM OR M-)
A good description of an NM record is, "it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time." In other words, it's nearly perfect.
NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers, or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any spindle marks from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. If played, it will do so with no surface noise.
NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind. Covers with cut-out markings can never be considered Near Mint.
EXCELLENT (E) or VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
A good description of a VG+ record is "except for a couple of minor things, this would be Near Mint."
VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole.
VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear, minor ring wear, or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking.
VERY GOOD (VG)
VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.
Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won't be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written on it or stamped a price tag on it.
VERY GOOD MINUS (VG-), GOOD PLUS (G+), or GOOD (G)
The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG- cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft.
POOR (P) and FAIR (F)
Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them. Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want to cry.