How to Grade LP Records

How to Grade LP Records

Look at everything about a record: its playing surface, label, edges...under a strong light. Then based on your overall impression give it a grade based on the following criteria:

10 Mint (M ) Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed. Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all.

9 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. 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. Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides.

8 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. In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

7 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.

At LP-Records.com, we strive for Near Mint (9) and VG+ (8) quality and don't have many VG or 7's. There are exceptions; for instance, when the condition of the cover is a 7 but with a hard-to-find disk in 9 condition; some collectors will buy a VG version of a classic; but generally, all submissions should be of records in really good condition.

Classical collectors especially want at least 9, NM disks and can live with VG+, 8 covers. If your classical lp records have given you many long hours of enjoyment and you didn't especially take care of them, you probably don't have Near Mint records, and we won't be able to sell them. If you took very good care of them and didn't play them to death, or if you perhaps taped them and then listened to the tapes, we will definitely consider listing them. Quality is doubly paramount with classical music buyers.

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