Buyers should be aware that some sellers do misrepresent their product, saying that many of their records are Mint; when in reality a Mint record is very rare. Examining a picture closely or asking additional questions is advised. Grading is very subjective and each seller will have his or her own rating standards. The system below is the one that I follow. There is also a 1-10 number grading system that usually corresponds to the Mint-Poor scale.

Grading Scale

• Mint (M)
• Near Mint (NM)
• Very Good + (VG+)
• Very Good (VG)
• Good (G)
• Fair (F)
• Poor (P)

Grading Records
Visual vs. play grading? In an ideal world, every record would be played before it is graded. In the real world, the time involved makes it impractical for most dealers.

Mint (M): Absolutely perfect in every way, certainly never played, still sealed. Even some brand new records cannot be considered mint.

Near Mint (NM): The practical category for records that appear to have no flaws.

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 care of it. Record surfaces may show slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs/ scratches but do not affect listening experience. The label may have hardly noticeable wear or discoloration. The center hole will not be misshapen. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves may have some slight ring wear, lightly turned-up corners, edge wear or a seam split. An LP jacket may have wear signs (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 either in quantity or severity in a VG. Surface noise may be evident upon playing, especially during soft sections, but will not distract from your enjoyment. Groove wear may start to be noticeable, as will light scratches that will affect the sound (deep enough to feel with a fingernail). Label or covers may have stickers, tape, or writing.

Good (G) and Good Plus (G+): A record in Good or Good Plus condition will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear. A sleeve or jacket will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects may also be present. A record in Good condition should be considered to fill a gap in a collection until another can be found to replace it.

Fair and Poor records are generally not found on ebay unless they are being sold for purposes other than playing.

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