The Vinyl Grading Scale Explained: Mint, NM, VG+, VG and Below

Record grades look like a precise system, but they are really a shared vocabulary that every seller applies a little differently. Here is what each grade is supposed to mean, where the scale gets stretched, and how to read a listing so the copy that arrives matches the one you thought you bought.

Why record grading exists

Two copies of the same pressing can be very different objects. One has spent decades in a sleeve on a shelf; the other was played at parties with a worn stylus, stacked flat under other records and stored in a damp basement. Grading is the shorthand the hobby uses to tell those copies apart without seeing them.

The most widely used system in the US is the one popularised by Goldmine magazine, and most online sellers use some version of it. Marketplaces and discography databases ask sellers to choose from a similar list, which is why you see the same abbreviations everywhere. The scale is subjective. Nobody slabs records the way coins or trading cards are slabbed, so a grade is only ever as good as the person who gave it.

The grades, from top to bottom

Here is how each grade is generally understood for the disc itself. Wording varies between sellers, but the order and spirit are consistent.

Some sellers add pluses and minuses (NM-, VG++, VG-) to fine-tune a grade. There is no shared definition for these in-between grades, so read them as the seller's opinion rather than a standard step.

The Excellent (EX) grade

You will often see EX in listings from UK and European sellers. Some UK publications and dealers use it as a step between Near Mint and Very Good, but different sellers place it in different spots. If a rare record is listed as EX, ask the seller how it compares with NM and VG+ on the scale you use.

Grading the jacket separately

A proper listing gives two grades, usually written disc first then jacket: VG+/VG means a VG+ record in a VG sleeve. The same names are used, but the defects are different.

• Ring wear: a circular outline worn into the cover by the disc inside it.
• Seam splits: open seams along the top, bottom or spine. Note the length of each split.
• Edge and corner wear: softened, dinged or bent corners and frayed edges.
• Writing, stamps and stickers: owner names, store price stickers, radio station stamps.
• Cut-out marks: drill holes, notched corners or saw cuts made when unsold stock was remaindered.
• Water damage, staining or a musty smell.
• Spine fading and sun damage on the front.

Labels can also carry their own defects, such as writing, stickers, spindle marks (fine lines around the centre hole from repeated placement on a turntable) or tears. These are usually noted in the description rather than given a separate grade.

Visual grading vs play grading

Visual grading is exactly that: the seller looks at the record under light and assigns a grade. It is fast, which is why most sellers with large inventories do it. Its weakness is that some marks that look bad play fine, and some records that look clean have groove wear or pressing noise you can only hear.

Play grading means the seller actually listened to the record, ideally all of it. A play-graded listing should mention specific things: light crackle in the lead-in, a tick on side two track three, quiet background throughout. Play grades depend on the seller's equipment, so a worn stylus or a poorly set-up turntable can produce noise that is not in the record, and a forgiving system can hide noise that is.

How sellers stretch the scale

Grade inflation is the hobby's oldest problem. It is not always dishonest. Plenty of casual sellers have never seen a genuinely Near Mint record next to a played one, and an enthusiastic seller can talk themselves into a higher grade. Either way, the effect on the buyer is the same.

Common red flags

• “Looks NM, not play tested” on an older record with no photos of the disc.
• One grade for the whole package with no separate jacket grade.
• Stock photos or images copied from a discography database instead of the actual copy.
• “Plays great” with no grade at all.
• Photos taken in dim light, at an angle that hides the playing surface, or with only the jacket shown.
• Descriptions like “normal wear for age,” which tell you nothing.

Sellers who grade conservatively

The opposite exists too. Experienced dealers who rely on repeat customers often grade down to avoid returns, so their VG+ can look like someone else's NM. Over time you learn which sellers fall where. Feedback that mentions grading (“better than described,” “graded accurately”) is worth more than generic praise.

Why grades matter so much for rare records

For an ordinary used record, the difference between VG+ and VG is mostly about listening pleasure. For a sought-after original pressing, condition is one of the biggest factors in how collectors value a copy, alongside the exact pressing, completeness and originality. Collectors chasing an upgrade will often pay a large premium for the cleanest copy they can find, while worn copies of the same pressing can be far easier to buy.

That is why you should never research value by title alone. When you look at completed sales, filter mentally by grade and by pressing. A VG copy of a first pressing and an NM copy of a later reissue are two different markets.

How to grade your own records

You do not need special equipment, but you do need consistency.

1. Use a bright, single point of light. A strong desk lamp or a phone torch shows scuffs and hairlines that diffuse room light hides. Tilt the record slowly through the light.
2. Look at the whole surface. Check the lead-in, the run-out area and the spaces between tracks. Note anything you can feel with a fingernail as a scratch rather than a scuff.
3. Check for warps and dish. Lay the record on a flat turntable platter and watch the edge as it spins, or sight across it at eye level.
4. Play it if you can. Listen to at least the first track of each side and the quiet passages. Write down specific noise.
5. Grade the jacket separately. Measure any seam splits, note writing, stickers, cut-outs and ring wear.
6. Round down when in doubt. If you are unsure between two grades, choose the lower one. Nobody complains about a record that is better than described.

A cheap illuminated loupe or magnifier is useful for checking whether a line is a surface scuff or a groove-deep scratch, and for reading tiny runout etchings while you are at it.

Using grades when you buy

Once you know the vocabulary, you can use it to protect yourself.

• Decide the minimum grade you will accept for a given record before you start looking.
• Read the full description, not just the grade in the title.
• Ask for photos of the playing surface under strong light and of any defects mentioned.
• Ask whether the record was play tested and on what kind of setup.
• Check the return policy for items that are not as described.
• Compare against completed sales of the same pressing at the same grade before you bid.

If you buy regularly, a few honest sellers whose grading you trust are worth more than any single bargain. When you find one, keep buying from them.