Secondhand Grading Guide

Vinyl Condition Guide (Goldmine-based)

We’re picky about grading. 

We follow the long-standing Goldmine rating system as adopted by the wider vinyl collecting community. Because we sell only vinyl, grades below refer to record (vinyl) and sleeve (jacket). For Japanese pressings, we also grade the Obi strip separately.

If the record you receive isn’t as described, tell us. Your order is covered by our condition guarantee. Photos are always of the exact copy for sale so you can judge the sleeve and overall presentation yourself.

What we grade

  • Vinyl: Visual inspection under strong light; if we do a play-check we’ll note it in the listing.
  • Sleeve/Jacket & Inserts: Outer sleeve, inner/lyric sleeves, posters, etc.
  • Obi (Japan only): Treated like an insert; graded on its own line.
  • Generic sleeves: If a release comes in a plain company/white sleeve, we’ll mark it “Generic” (these aren’t individually graded, though we may add a note on condition if helpful).

Mint (M)

Vinyl: As close to perfect as records get—used only for factory-sealed copies.
Sleeve: Same rule as the vinyl: sealed only. Even sealed jackets can show faint handling from distribution, so we use “Mint” sparingly.

Near Mint (NM or M-)

Vinyl: Virtually flawless. Plays cleanly with no audible issues; no obvious wear or spindle trails. Many sellers treat NM as the practical “top” grade.
Sleeve: Looks newly opened—no creases, folds, seam splits, cut-outs, saw marks or punch holes. Inserts (lyric sleeves, posters) are equally crisp.

Excellent (EX)

Vinyl: Just shy of NM. A few ultra-light paper scuffs or hairlines; minimal signs of play (e.g., only a handful of faint spindle marks per side, if any). Should play beautifully.
Sleeve: Very light handling only—perhaps a softly bumped corner or tiny mark. If not for one or two minor flaws, it would pass for NM.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

Vinyl: Cared-for and played. Light scuffs or very fine scratches may be present but shouldn’t disrupt enjoyable listening. A slight, inaudible warp is acceptable. Labels may show faint ring wear or a few spindle marks.
Sleeve: Mild edge/corner wear, small crease, light ring wear, or a short split are possible. Cut-out/promo marks may appear. We’ll note specific detractors in the description.

Very Good (VG)

Vinyl: Noticeably more wear than VG+. Surface noise/ticks will be audible—especially on quiet passages, intros and fades—but the music remains dominant. Groove wear may be visible; light feelable scratches can produce intermittent noise. We rarely list VG copies online unless the title is scarce or desirable; details will be spelled out in the notes.
Sleeve: Clear signs of handling: ring wear, more pronounced creasing, and seam splits (sometimes on multiple edges). Stickers, tape or writing may be present.

Good / Good Plus (G / G+)

Vinyl: Plays through without skipping but with heavy background noise and visible wear/scratches. Expect consistent crackle or ticks.
Sleeve: Well-worn with obvious splits, strong ring wear, tape, writing, or other defects. Functional but far from pretty.

Poor / Fair (P / F)

Vinyl: Cracked, badly warped or skipping/repeating—best treated as non-playable. We do not list records in this grade for sale online.
Sleeve: Severely damaged (water damage, major splits on multiple sides, heavy writing, etc.). We don’t sell sleeves in this state.

Obi (Japanese editions)

  • NM/M-: Clean, crisp, no tears or heavy wrinkles.
  • EX: Very slight handling or a tiny nick.
  • VG+: Small tears, light wrinkles or minor discoloration.
  • VG or below: More pronounced tears/creases, tape or writing.
    We always call out notable Obi issues in the notes.

A few practical notes

  • Photos: Always the actual item.
  • Play grading: Listings will say when we’ve listen-checked a record; otherwise grades are by careful visual inspection.
  • Specific flaws: Things like seam splits, writing, warps, or cut-out/promo marks are described in the item notes so you know exactly why a copy isn’t higher grade.

If anything arrives below the stated grade, message us and we’ll make it right.