Grading Guide: Our Commitment to Quality Vinyl

We get it: grading is the holy grail of record buying. When you’re investing in high-quality vinyl, trusting that the grade matches your expectations is everything. That’s why we take precise and consistent grading seriously.

What sets our grading apart:

1) 30+ Years of Experience

Our Master Grader has collected records for over three decades. That’s thousands upon thousands of records inspected by hand, cleaned and graded. Thousands of collectors have trusted his judgment. His track record on hitting the right grade is proven by the 100% feedback rating for records he's graded over the years sold through various channels.

2) Our Conservative Vinyl Record Grading Guide

This guide adheres strictly to the official Goldmine Standard but applies conservative criteria. We rarely use the "Near Mint" designation for used records, ensuring that when you see a grade from us, you know exactly what to expect.

Grade	Shorthand	Description and Our Criteria
Mint	M	Factory sealed, unplayed.
Near Mint	NM	A record that appears unplayed or played once with exceptional care. Under bright light, may show only the faintest evidence of being handled or removed from its sleeve - no visible marks, scratches, or scuffs. Plays completely silent with no surface noise, ticks, pops, or clicks. Minor pressing plant variations (color streaks, light spindle marks) that don't affect playback are acceptable. Jackets may show the slightest shelf wear but appear essentially new. The record is flat.
Near Mint Minus	NM-	Extremely close to NM. May show very light signs of use - faint sleeve scuffs or one barely visible light mark. Plays completely silent or with at most the faintest whisper of surface noise that doesn't distract. Still an exceptional copy. Jackets may show very light wear. The record is flat.
Excellent	EX	A record that shows light evidence of careful play. May have very light surface marks visible under light Plays with minimal surface noise - perhaps infrequent faint background noise that will not detract from listening. Still well above average quality. Jackets may show mild wear such as a slight seam split (1" or less), light edge creases, or a corner ding. The record is flat.
Very Good Plus	VG+	This is a record in great condition with minimal wear and lots of life left. There may be light marks that generate occasional or infrequent background noise that does not overpower the music that will not overpower the music. There will not be marks that can be felt with the back of a fingernail.
Very Good	VG	Noticeable wear. This grade is reserved for records that fall below our strict VG+ standard. VG records may have feel-able scratches or scuffs, or show a moderate number of light marks visible under dim light. Surface noise may occasionally overpower the music.

3) Grading Done Right: Our 4 Point Process

Every pre-owned records goes through a proprietary 4-point cleaning system beginning with an ultrasonic bath of distilled water and Tergikleen, double-rinsed in a second ultrasonic distilled water bath, vacuum dried and then visually graded.

Once meticulously cleaned, under special bright halogen lights, each record is examined for hairline marks, scuffs, feel-able marks, production flaws, spindle marks and other important condition factors.

If records appear below our high standard (EX), some or all of the record will be play-graded on high-end gear, listening for ticks, repeating noises, non-fill, pops, surface noise, groove wear and other potentially disrupting noise.

Jackets are photographed in detail and any blemishes or wear will be described. We do not grade inner sleeves but we will note splits or other significant blemishes.

We don't open sealed records. If you purchase a sealed record, upon request, we can unseal the album to ship the record outside the jacket for safety. We will happily clean new records by request.

4) We sell VG+ graded records and higher

We maintain strict criteria for what makes it unto our site. Our regular standard is VG+ (Very Good Plus) or better, so you know you are adding vinyl in great condition to your collection.

We strive for complete transparency and accuracy. If you ever feel a record arrived in a condition other than what you were expecting, please reach out so we can promptly address your concerns.

Questions? We are always happy to "Talk Vinyl" with other collectors. Fill out our contact form and we'll be in touch.