Our vinyl and CDs are carefully graded in a system closely aligned with the Goldmine & Record Collector standards, grading both sleeve and media. Note that CD sleeve grade only refers to the booklet or insert and does not reflect that of the jewel box; only in the case of digipack items will the grade apply.

MINT (M): A brand new item, in most cases still sealed and factory-fresh. Both sleeve and media in perfect condition.

NEAR MINT (NM): An item that appears almost new but is secondhand. The item will have been very carefully looked after by the previous owner, possibly hardly played and has little or no sign of wear to record or sleeve.

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+): A vinyl or CD graded as very good plus will be close to near mint but not quite. There may be slight signs of use, the odd blemish but nothing serious. A vinyl will play nicely with little surface noise and the sleeve will be in nice shape. An excellent item that’s been used but played and stored with care.

VERY GOOD (VG): A nice item, albeit with more obvious wear and tear. The record or CD will probably have some very light scratches or scuffs and there may well be some surface noise on vinyl. A CD will have light scratches that shouldn’t affect play. The sleeve or insert may have some creasing, modest shelf-wear, staining or discoloration. An average item, VG is perhaps the most common grade for secondhand records that have been played and enjoyed, and should be ok for your collection.

GOOD & GOOD PLUS (G & G+): A record that has scratches, plays with surface noise and a cover that’s seen better days, possibly with tears, seam splits, ring-wear and writing etc. A CD will have scratches and may stick/jump because of them but probably plays mostly ok. As long as you’re not too fussy it should be acceptable until a better copy comes along.

We are very strict with our grading, ensuring our appraisal of discs is fair and honest. In some cases we may even under-grade items; You may well find that a VG disc from us will match VG+ graded discs from some other sellers. We are therefore confident that collectors buying from us will be more than satisfied with their purchases.