Record Collector Grading System

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint. 

No used record would be graded as mint; an almost perfect second hand copy could be near mint though.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

The list goes down through good, fair and bad but I wouldn't sell a record that was less than very good unless it was just as a collection filler.

All of these grades can be fine tuned by plus/minus, eg. NM-, near mint minus;  VG+, very good plus, etc..

I am lucky that most of my LPs come from a single source and I already know the condition and how they were kept, resulting in an unusually high amount of near mint and excellent plus grading. I am not being overly optimistic when describing these records, just fortunate to have been left this huge collection

CDs  I usually grade my CDs as excellent although most of them are near mint. A scratch does not necessarily ruin a CD if it is shallow and does not go right through to the playing surface, but as with records, any marks are played through before listing on eBay.