Collecting

Record grading explained: the Goldmine scale

What Mint, Near Mint, VG+, VG and Good really mean, why vinyl and sleeve are graded separately, and how grade affects value.

A record grade is a seller's shorthand for two questions: how does the record look, and how will it sound? Most US sellers, Discogs and eBay's own "Record Grading" and "Sleeve Grading" fields use the scale from Goldmine magazine. Here's what each grade means in practice.

Vinyl and sleeve are graded separately

A record can play beautifully in a battered jacket, or the other way round. So a good listing gives two grades, vinyl first, for example VG+/VG, which means the vinyl is VG+ and the sleeve is VG. If a listing gives only one grade, ask which part it refers to. At Music Ed Cafe, each record page shows the vinyl grade and the sleeve grade separately whenever the listing states them.

The grades

Mint (M): Perfect in every way. It has probably never been played, and often it has never been taken out of its sleeve. Many sellers never use this grade, because almost nothing truly qualifies.
Near Mint (NM or M-): Nearly perfect. The vinyl is glossy with no visible marks beyond maybe a hint of handling, and it plays without surface noise. The jacket has no creases, seam splits or writing.
Very Good Plus (VG+): Played and cared for. There may be light scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect the sound much, and slight label wear. The jacket may show slight wear or a small crease. For most listening collectors, VG+ is the sweet spot of condition and price.
Very Good (VG): The defects of VG+, but more obvious. Expect surface noise you can hear in quiet passages and at the start and end of sides, with light scratches and some groove wear. The music still comes through clearly. The jacket may have ring wear, a seam split, writing or a sticker.
Good (G) and Good Plus (G+): Plays through without skipping, but with plenty of surface noise and visible wear. The jacket may be split, taped or written on. "Good" sounds generous. It means a record to hear the music, not to collect.
Fair (F) and Poor (P): Cracked, badly warped, or skips and repeats. Usually only worth having if it's very rare.

You'll also see EX (Excellent), especially from UK and European sellers. EX isn't part of the Goldmine scale. It comes from the Record Collector scale and sits roughly between VG+ and NM.

Visual grading vs play grading

Most grades are visual: the seller inspects the vinyl under a bright light. A light hairline scratch can look worse than it sounds, and a deep groove-wear problem can look fine. A play-graded record has been listened to as well. If sound matters to you, ask. Music Ed Cafe offers digitized audio samples of records on request before you buy.

How grade affects value

Value drops quickly as grade falls. Goldmine's guidance is that a VG+ copy is worth about half the Near Mint price, a VG copy about a quarter, and Good or lower only a small fraction. That's why honest grading matters. It's also why an "original pressing" in VG can cost less than a clean NM reissue.

Reading a listing like a pro

Look for both grades. One bare grade such as "VG+" doesn't tell you which part it covers.
Read the notes as well as the letters. "VG+, light marks, plays with faint surface noise" tells you more than the grade alone.
Check the photos of the actual copy, not stock images, especially of the vinyl under light.
Check the return policy on the listing before you buy.