Conditions and Grading

How I grade: for the most part I follow the internationally accepted standards laid down by Goldmine (and Jerry Osbourne’s Rockin’ Records, which was the “gold standard” for all things record collecting back was I was heavily involved in it many years ago), with the addition of the “VG++” grade that some don’t care for (please see below for more info on that). Those grading standards are also generally recognized by Discogs, and Reverb LP when they were around (although I suppose that can vary by seller on those platforms).
I don’t give a grade of Mint (M), because I don’t believe I’ve ever had a record that had absolutely zero flaws—nothing at all wrong or imperfect about it—and so the highest grade I give is Near Mint (NM), which is reserved for records (or jackets) that are practically or essentially perfect. I won’t ever use a grade of NM+ as that doesn’t make sense to me...NM is the best you can get, in my opinion. And then, so that we’re all on the same page, here are the specific criteria I use for grading, as well as pricing/valuation (for grades that have no pricing/valuation info at the end of the description, I just estimate between the value of nearby grades that do have valuation info listed):
NM = NM records will be shiny, with no visible defects (including no major factory defects). There will be no writing, stickers or other markings on the label, and no marks from a turntable spindle (and no surface noise when played). Covers will have no creases, ring wear or seam splits of any kind. In my opinion this is the best condition that you could expect a record to be in. I generally price a NM record somewhere in the neighborhood of the Rockin' Records price guide range for a NM copy of said record.
NM- = A record graded NM- is almost NM; not quite down to the “VG+” range, but still not quite good enough to be a straight-up NM. Records that I have graded NM-, or even VG++, have been graded by other reputable sellers as NM (some sellers—including reputable dealers who own and run well-respected used record stores, that have been in business for decades—even graded as M something that I had graded as NM-). This is not the same as VG+ or VG++, it is a higher grade than both of those.
VG++ = A VG++ record is almost NM-; it's still technically in the “VG+” range, but at the very highest end of that range—basically a VG++ record is one that is better than pretty much everything else that is graded as VG+ but still not quite as nice as a NM or NM-. For those that don’t like the use of a “++” designator, please just consider any records I’ve graded as VG++ to just be VG+ (but you can be confident that it will be a superb specimen, and know that it will be priced accordingly).
VG+ = A good description of a VG+ record could be “except for a couple of minor things, this would be NM or NM-;” another could be "the same issues that you would expect from a VG record, but to a lesser degree." Records graded VG+ will show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience; one could even encounter a VG+ record with a slight warp that does not affect the sound. Minor evidence of handling will probably be present as well, such as spindle marks around the center hole (but the spindle hole shouldn’t be misshapen). There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration on the label and/or cover, but it should be barely noticeable. Cover may have some very minor seam wear or a small split at the bottom, or may have some defacing (such as a cut-out or other unobtrusive marking). I have seen many records for sale by other sellers through the years that they had graded as VG+ that I would never have graded higher than VG-, and some I wouldn't have graded higher than a G. I generally value a VG+ record at about 50% of the value of a NM copy (based on Rockin' Records' valuation), and I would usually price such a record a little below that.
VG = A record in VG condition will have lost most of its luster, and other surface issues—like groove wear and light scuffs and scratches—are visible and can produce surface noise and pops (although the noise shouldn’t be overpowering). The cover and label can have minor writing or stickers/tape, and signs of use/handling like ring wear, creases and seam splits. I generally value a VG record at about 25% of the value of a NM copy (based on Rockin' Records' valuation), and I would usually price such a record a bit below that.
VG- = A VG- record is almost VG; not quite down to the “G+” range, but still not quite good enough to be a straight-up VG. This is not the same as G+, it is a higher grade than G+.
G+ = A G+ record is almost VG-; still technically in the “G” range, but at the high end of that range.
G = A record that I’ve graded as G is basically “good enough” to own and keep in a collection—a copy worth having, maybe as a placeholder for if/when a better copy becomes available—but it is notably less pristine than a VG- (or better) copy; generally you’ll find more issues than you’ll find things to be impressed with (although those issues shouldn’t be “catastrophic” or so severe that the record isn’t worth keeping). You probably won’t find any records for sale here in the “G” range at all, but if there are they would most likely be at least a G+ (and it would still have to be something special for me to even bother with it in that condition). If I do post one for sale I will generally value a G record at no more than 5% of the value of a NM copy (based on Rockin' Records' valuation), and I would usually price such a record a bit below that.
G- (or below) = You can pretty much expect that you won’t find any of these grades for sale here, because I generally don’t bother with these records.
To give a broader (and hopefully more concise) description of how I grade: I consider NM to be essentially perfect; anything less than that is graded less than NM. I consider G to be "good enough" to keep if another copy can't be found or if I can't afford a better copy, and even then only until a better copy comes along (hopefully sooner rather than later); most records I won't even bother with a G copy of—only if it's sufficiently rare does it really make sense, in my opinion. And then VG is right about at halfway between those two.
The extra designations of the "pluses" and "minuses" then come into play, but I see those as extensions of the letter grade in front of them: so a VG+ record, to me, is really a VG record (if we're only using NM, VG, and G)—and so is a VG++ record—but in both cases they are better than the average VG record (but not quite as nice as any NM records). A NM- record is still technically "near mint" to me, but not quite the best that it could possibly be (but superior to anything in the "VG" range). And then the same goes for VG- records: they're still technically in the "VG" range, but maybe not quite as nice as the average VG—althought a VG- record would still be better than anything in the "G" range, even a G+. And of course, a G+ record is just a G record; not as nice as anything in the "VG" range, but better than most others in the "G" range.
As for a broad description of valuations at key points in those grades: NM=100% of book value; VG+=50% of book value; VG=25% of book value; G=10-15% of book value ("book value" meaning the NM value according to Rockin' Records).
Hopefully that, along with all of the detailed descriptions and tons of pictures of the records that I have for sale, will help to make my grading a little easier to understand—but definitely contact me before buying with any specific question you may have.
When I list two grades for a record (for instance, like I do in the page titles for the pages on this site), the first grade is for the record itself and the second grade is for the cover/jacket. If the record is a double (two-disc) album, then there will be two grades listed for the record; the third grade will be for the cover/jacket. In such cases, the first grade of the two record grades will be for the disc with side 1 on it; the other record grade is the other disc.

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Shipping Costs I pack everything well, so that it will arrive safely...but just in case, I include insurance to cover each shipment up to the purchase price of each item in the shipment. Each item has a shipping/handling cost added to it; I've discounted the shipping costs already due to the current health crisis, so I'm not able to offer shipping discounts if you purchase multiple items. I generally prefer using USPS Priority Mail. Under normal circumstances, I can get an order packed and shipped out within 48 hours (often within 24 hours, and sometimes the same day the order is placed); I send out tracking info via email once I have it from USPS. Shipping is $8 per item for continental US shipments, and $35 per item for everywhere else. Continental US shipments: $8 per item Rest of world: $35 per item

Return Policy

Please ask any questions that you have about a record, that you’re not able to discern from all of the pictures that I have posted for each record (all of them have at least 15 pictures…one has 48!), BEFORE you make your purchase. I do NOT accept returns; all sales are final. However, if you feel that any record that you get from me does not match the pictures and description posted online for that record please contact me within 48 hours of the time the record is delivered by the shipper; if the item was damaged in shipping, I’ll begin the claims process.
If the shipment was not damaged but you feel that the item was misrepresented, please email me as much detail as you can about the discrepancy (including pictures); the expectation in such a situation would be that there is something with the record that wasn’t in the pictures or the description, but it should have been. If that is the case, I will only accept a return if: A) you contacted me within the 48 hour window, and B) we determined the record to be not up to your expectations based on the description and grade, but it’s not a shipping damage situation, and C) the record is returned to me in EXACTLY the same condition that it was when I shipped it out initially (return shipping, just like the initial shipping cost, is the responsibility of the customer). If all three of those conditions are met, I’ll refund the record price (less the initial shipping cost); if the record is returned in a lesser condition than what it was originally sent out in, I’ll adjust the refund accordingly.
Again, please use the pictures and descriptions, and please ask questions before you purchase!

Seller Information

As noted earlier, I'm not a record dealer; I'm not looking to buy any collections, or any records from those looking to sell theirs. I just have a ton of records that I've collected for years and years, and I've decided that it is now time to part with most (if not all) of them. So since this is not a record store, and I’m not a record dealer, I don’t really have store hours when I’m available, or a phone number I can post online for prospective customers to use to ask questions about specific records, shipping, et cetera. But if you want to speak with me on the phone about any of these records please email me your number and when is a good time to call and I’ll get in touch with you.
Please check out my reviews on Reverb; I have bought and sold thousands of dollars worth of musical instruments/gear on Reverb (I've had an active profile on Reverb for several years now), and I have always gotten rave reviews from buyers and sellers alike. All of the records that I have for sale on this website are also listed on Discogs and CDandLP.com (and most of them were also on Reverb LP when it still existed), as well as my personal website StehensVinyl.com, and so if you prefer to transact through Discogs or CDandLP.com please feel free to do so—but please be aware: it costs me more to do business via this site or those other marketplace sites (as opposed to my personal website), and so I've adjusted my prices on those sites (including this one) to reflect at least a little bit of that extra cost.