Every used record you buy has been graded. The grade is the shorthand that tells you what to expect: a NM copy looks and plays like new; a VG copy has visible wear and audible crackle; a G copy is rough. The system everyone uses in the U.S. is the Goldmine Grading Guide. Discogs grades use it. Every reputable indie record store uses it. eBay sellers use it (with varying honesty). Episode 7 walks through the scale, what each grade actually means in practice, and how to read grading without getting burned.
This follows Episode 6 on shopping at a record store. Episode 8 on Thursday covers vinyl vs streaming.
The Goldmine Scale
Grades from highest to lowest. Records are graded separately from jackets, so a listing like VG plus / VG means VG plus vinyl, VG jacket. If only one grade is given, assume it applies to both.
Mint
Absolute perfection. Most reputable sellers refuse to use this grade because it implies the record has never been played or even removed from the shrinkwrap in a meaningful way. Sealed is a separate concept: a sealed record can still have seam splits, ring wear through the shrink, or even be resealed (a known fraud). If a seller grades something M, assume they mean NM and verify.
Real world: rarely used honestly
Near Mint
The working top grade. Looks essentially new. No visible scuffs, scratches, or scuff-rings. Labels unmarked, no writing, no spindle marks beyond hairlines. Jacket crisp, no ring wear, no seam splits, no corner dings. NM is the grade that modern audiophile reissues aim to ship at. A NM original first pressing in a rare title can cost multiples of a VG plus copy.
Real world: premium used pricing, most new pressings
Very Good Plus
Light wear visible on close inspection. A few light surface marks that do not affect playback. Jacket may have minimal ring wear, light corner wear, or a small seam split at the bottom. This is the realistic top grade for most used originals. Most serious collectors consider VG plus the floor for a collection copy, and the grade they are happy to pay a premium for.
Real world: most used priced above $15
Very Good
Obvious wear. Surface marks you can see without tilting to catch light, audible crackle in quiet passages, jacket wear that includes visible ring wear, corner bumps, or seam splits. The record plays through without skips. VG is where prices drop significantly. For cheap common titles, VG is fine for listening. For expensive titles, VG is a price-negotiation grade.
Real world: bin copies, common title listeners
Good and Good Plus
Heavy wear, visible scratches, noticeable surface noise throughout, jacket wear that may include tape repairs, water damage, writing, or heavy splits. Plays without major skips. Good is a misleading name. G means playable but rough. These are cheap bin copies, placeholders, or records you buy for the jacket art to frame.
Real world: dollar bin, placeholder copies
Fair and Poor
Skips, loops, unplayable sections, or jacket destroyed. Collectors sometimes buy P copies to cut up the jacket for framing or to harvest the inner sleeve.
Real world: rarely sold except for parts
How to Read Common Abbreviations
- SS: Still Sealed. Has never been opened.
- OG: Original pressing.
- RE / RP: Reissue or repress.
- Promo: Promotional copy, often stamped, drilled, or with a white label.
- WLP: White Label Promo.
- TP: Test Pressing. Pre-release pressing, very limited.
- Cutout: A record with a drilled hole, clipped corner, or sawmark marking it as label overstock return. Sometimes a price concession in the grade.
- WOL: Writing on label.
- WOC: Writing on cover.
- COH: Cut out hole.
- NAP: Not affecting play. Used to qualify surface marks.
- strong VG+: Seller hedging upward from VG plus. Often effectively means VG plus minus a hair.
- weak VG+: Seller hedging downward. Often effectively means strong VG.
Grading Honesty
Grading is not an objective science. Reputable shops grade conservatively; they would rather undergrade and be praised than overgrade and be returned. Unreputable sellers overgrade routinely. This is called gradeflation.
Red flags for overgraded listings:
- NM used copy of a common title priced low. Real NM copies of popular albums get a premium. A $15 "NM" Rumours is almost certainly VG plus at best.
- Seller photos that hide the surface. Legitimate used sellers show the vinyl tilted under light. Hidden surfaces suggest hidden damage.
- "Plays perfectly" with no visible grade. Play-grading alone is a flag. Serious buyers want visual grading too.
- Mismatched vinyl and jacket grades without context. NM vinyl in a G jacket at a premium price is often a resealed record or a promo with damage.
How Discogs Uses Goldmine
Discogs follows Goldmine. Discogs grading on the marketplace uses the same scale, and the Discogs community is generally strict. Buyers can leave feedback rating the accuracy of the seller's grading, which creates real stakes for accurate grading. A seller with hundreds of positive feedbacks and no grading complaints is trustworthy. A seller with recent "overgraded" feedback should be avoided.
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Vinyl 101 FAQ
NM looks new. VG plus is the collector floor. Everything below VG plus is a price negotiation.
