CDandVinyl - Gradings

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Grading System

In order to assist everyone who buys from us , we follow the Record Collector Magazine set of standards for the condition of records, cassettes and CDs. Anyone buying or selling records must use these conditions to state what amount of wear and tear the disc, its sleeve and/or contents have been subject to. We visually inspect every single one of our items. The standard condition categories we use , and a description of what each one means , are listed below:

MINT (M)

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.

EXCELLENT (EX)

The record shows some small signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might only have minimal signs of wear. Nice copy.

VERY GOOD (VG)

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite surface marks and scratches. Normal wear and tear on the cover and contents is acceptable , although occasionally extra items such as inserts or lyric sheets may be incomplete or missing.

GOOD (G)

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

Why does an item have two grades?

Where an item has two grades supplied , these are in Cover/Media order. For example , the grading EX/M would indicated that the cover is in EXCELLENT condition and the media is in MINT. Where items are given just one grade to describe them , this indicates that they are issued and supplied with no picture cover. The grade they have in this case is for the media.

CDs and Cassettes

As a general rule, CDs and cassettes either play perfectly - in which case they are in Mint condition - or they don't, in which case their value is minimal. Cassette tape is liable to deteriorate with age, even if it remains unplayed, so care should be taken when buying old tapes.

CDs are difficult to grade visually: they can look perfect but actually be faulty, while in other cases they may appear damaged but still play perfectly. Cassette and CD inlays and booklets should be graded in the same way as record covers and sleeves. In general, the plastic containers for cassettes and CDs can easily be replaced if they are broken or scratched, but card covers and digipaks are subject to the same wear as record sleeves.