Grading

All used records for sale on this website are photographed individually using a high definition camera. That means the item in the picture is the item you are buying.

We use the Rare Record Price Guide as a reference to our grading system.  All records are graded visually and we always grade the cover first and then the vinyl record. So a description of EX VG means that the cover is EX and the vinyl record is VG

Sealed (S)        Record is sealed, it is assumed to be unplayed and mint. 

Mint (M)            Like new but not sealed. (Most records that are 30 to 40 years old cannot be mint. As a result we will hardly, if ever, use mint to grade a record. 

Excellent (EX)  The cover and other items might have slight wear and/or creasing. The record shows some signs of having been played but there is very little lessening in sound quality.

Very Good (VG) Normal wear and tear on the cover and extra items is acceptable with no major defects. (a sticker removal mark or writing with pen, for example, will get a VG grading even if the cover is mostly "EX".) The record has obviously been played many times but displays no major deterioration in sound quality. There may be noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch.

Good (G)          The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration. The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches.

Fair (F)              The cover and contents will be badly torn, stained or defaced. The record should be just playable but will display considerable surface noise and may even jump or skip. 

Poor (P)            Cover and contents will be badly damaged or missing, record will not play properly due to scratches or other damage. 

Bad (B)              The cover will be unrecognisable or very badly damaged, the record will be unplayable or even broken. Only used as a collection filler. 

Pluses and minuses (+ or - ) Used to give a bit more of a descriptive idea on condition, for example: a cover that is mostly EX but has a small sticker removal mark, will be graded VG+ 

If you are unsure on the quality of a particular record and would like to know more about it please get in touch and we will do our best to send you photos and a more detailed description, it is not possible to do this for all our records due to time constraints.