Mint (M)
Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been
played, possibly even still sealed.
Near Mint (NM or M-) A nearly perfect record. Many dealers
won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly)that no record
is ever truly perfect.
The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or
EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost
invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or
other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the
same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and
the like.
Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just
got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was
played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of
it.
Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have
slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening
experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are
"OK".
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it
should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by
repeated play.
Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight
wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have
slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or
corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
Very Good (VG)
Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more
pronounced in a VG disc. 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, 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, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only
two or three of them.
Good (G), Good Plus (G+)
Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus
condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping.
But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove
wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white).
A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the
bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to
overwhelm the object.
We accept returns. We try our best to properly grade
the vinyl records and follow the above criteria. If you are not satisfied
for any reason, please contact us first. Vinyl records we ship via USPS
Media Mail which can take from 2 to 10 days to deliver. We ship
fast! We ship within 1 business day. Please see pictures for
condition of item.