Please take the time to read the following BEFORE bidding. Thank you.
A word about the grading system.
I will only grade open/used records Mint- minus at the highest. Mint- will be perfect, no marks at all under a bright LED lamp, no spindle marks on the label, as good as if you opened a new record. The cover will be immaculate. Flaws that are in a record from the manufacturing stage will be described aside.
Grading records is a subjective thing, one mans Excellent is anothers VGC. A lot of people only look at records in normal room light. They can look fantastic in such light. Put them under an LED lamp however and what is revealed is startling. Which leads on to my next point, a brief description of the different types of marks found on vinyl records.
Sleeve removal scuffs/lines are caused by the record being removed and replaced into the inner sleeve. A lot of these are made from paper that actually scrapes the record surface. They can be unsightly when viewed under the LED but don t normally cause distortion to the sound quality, except when there are so many the record looks like a skating rink.
Finger/thumb nail lines are caused by the nail catching the surface when placing/removing the needle. Again unsightly but not likely to affect playback. These are normally termed hairlines .
Needle scratches/lines are caused by careless placement/removal of the stylus and will affect playback. They can vary from light scratches, that wont affect playback too much to heavy feelable scratches, these produce constant ticks/pops and may make the record jump.
The Record Collector guide doesn t actually go far enough in my opinion. Excellent for instance states shows some signs of use but wont affect playback . What are some signs of use? Below I try to clarify.
Mint Brand new/sealed item. However records that are brand new aren t always perfectly made, they sometimes have flaws from the pressing.
Mint- Record visually has no marks whatsoever, no marks at all on the label. However records that are brand new aren t always perfectly made, they sometimes have flaws from the pressing. Sleeve perfect.
Excellent Very close to Mint- except for a few insignificant sleeve removal marks, maybe a trace of spindle wear. Sleeve would have maybe a single small flaw, like a crush to a corner or slight crease.
Excellent Maybe some light sleeve removal scuffs, the odd hairline, still a lovely copy. Maybe light spindle wear. Cover would maybe have a couple of crushed corners or very light rubbing to an edge or corner, maybe just a hint of ring wear.
Excellent- Still a nice glossy shine with slightly more sleeve removal scuffs/hairlines. Slightly more wear to sleeve but still crisp and clean.
VGC Still a nice playable copy with maybe the odd light non feelable needle scratch, a few hairlines, heavier scuffing. Sleeve would have some rubbing to edges/spine and corners, ringwear, sticker removal marks, maybe a name in biro.
VGC Light needle scratches, some may affect playback. Many scuffs, hairlines. Sleeve has maybe small spilts to edges/spine, corners well worn, some staining, biro marks, heavy sticker damage.
VGC- Still playable , no jumps or sticks but there will be more pronounced distortion in the form of more constant ticks and clicks, popping. Sleeve will have heavy wear, splitting etc but be intact.
Below this I will not list except in the case of rare records which would be play tested and described on an individual basis. Below is Record Collectors actual guide, this may help show how I have tried to enhance it.
Grading System: In order to assist everyone who buys and sells rare discs, Record Collector magazine has originated a set of standards for the condition of second-hand records, I have added a or - to my gradings where applicable.
MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.
EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.
FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise it may even jump.
The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.
POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.
