Secondhand Grading Explained
Our in-house team work around the clock to ensure our secondhand records are inspected and graded consistently, so you have peace of mind that you are getting what you pay for.
While our grading system is adapted from the Goldmine Grading System, there are slight variations in terminology. Here's how it works...
CURRENT GRADINGS WE USE
| Disc/Cover | Meaning |
| EX | Excellent |
| NM | Near Mint |
| VG+ | Very Good Plus |
| VG | Very Good |
| VG- | Very Good Minus |
| G+ | Good Plus |
| G | Good |
On the item's page, under the 'description' tab, there is a grading present. It may look something like this:
[INSERT IMAGE EXAMPLE HERE]
If it says VG/G+
This is two gradings split by a forward slash. The grading on the left of the slash is for the record, the grading after the slash is for the cover.
DEFINITIONS:
EXCELLENT (EX)
We almost never use this. An Excellent record is so good that most brand new records don't qualify for this grade.
NEAR MINT (NM)
A good description of a 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.
Our NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markings do not appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks” from someone having tried to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects also must be absent; a record and label obviously pressed off centre is not Near Mint. If played, it will do so with no surface noise.
NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.
NOTE: These are high standards, and they are not on a sliding scale. A record or sleeve from the 1950s must meet the same standards as one from the 1990s or 2000s to be Near Mint! It’s estimated that no more than 2 to 4 percent of all records remaining from the 1950s and 1960s are truly Near Mint. This is why they fetch such high prices, even for more common items.
VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
A good description of our VG+ record is “except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint.” Most collectors, especially those who want to play their records, will be happy with a VG+ record.
VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. There may be slight warps that do not affect the sound or minor signs of handling, i.e. tell-tale marks around the centre hole.
VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom (the most vulnerable location). There may be some very light ring wear or discolouration, but it should be barely noticeable. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out hole, cut corner, embossed or gilt promo stamp.
VERY GOOD (VG)
Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record. That said, VG records are among the biggest bargains we offer, because most of the “big money” goes for more perfect copies. For many listeners, a VG record or sleeve will be worth the money. However, if you consider yourself to be very fussy, you may want to stick to VG+ and better.
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. The noise should not overpower the music otherwise. They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.
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. There may be writing on the cover, price labels, or slight sticker tears
VERY GOOD MINUS (VG-) GOOD PLUS (G+), GOOD (G) and GOOD MINUS (G-)
On the better grades, the record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. However, there will be significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label may be worn.
Generally the cover may have significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to unsuccessfully remove tape or stickers.
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.
The final two grades are really just going to be placeholders in a collection, though it's worth looking out for albums where the Disc/Cover grades are far apart - for instance a disc might be VG+ but the cover totally ruined, or vice versa (especially if a disc is badly warped, or has one deep scratch, but the cover is fine), in which case they are offered for sale in case someone wants to improve their own copy.
OTHER ABBREVIATIONS WE USE
| 7 | Seven inch record size |
| 10 | Ten inch record size |
| 12 | Twelve inch record size |
| Bonus 7 / 10 / 12 |
Comes with original bonus disc, often only original pressing |
| FOX | Foxing (brown marks) on cover, inner or label |
| HOC | Hole On Cover |
| RE | Reissue |
| SEALED | Still has manufacturer’s seal |
| WOC | Writing On Cover |
| WLP | White Label Promo (white version of regular label) |
