Grading Vinyl Records

Mint m absolutely perfect in every way.

Grading vinyl records.

A badly warped record is most of the time if not all. Goldmine vinyl grading system explained in detail goldmine is the standard in record grading. The goldmine grading system explained the goldmine grading system was 1st created in the early years of record collecting. Goldmine grading system defined.

But we recognize that there are many variables to grading a record. When buying or selling vinyl records it s easy to be subjective about the condition a record is in. For example if the record is perfect but you hear a background noise when playing according to the guidelines it can t be higher than vg. Since grading vinyl records can be subjective there have been some effort to standardize a grading guide.

Many ebay auctions and stand alone web sites swear by it. These grades were established from various other resources pertaining to collecting for example coin book comics and card collecting goldmine magazine first published a grading scale in 1974. What is the goldmine grading system. Never been played and usually sealed.

To visually grade a record inspect the sleeve and any inserts lyric sheets posters etc for ring wear discoloration sticker residue and seam splits. Contentsthe vinyl grading systempoor p or fair f good g very good vg very good plus vg excellent e near mint nm mint m when shopping for used records understanding the way vinyl is graded is important. Grading a vinyl record is inherently subjective but knowing what to look for will help you accurately determine what condition a record is in. People have been willing to pay money for the album jacket.

In fact it s essential to your collection piece s quality. It has undergone changes through out the years. To determine a vinyl record album s value the most important factor is its condition. The goldmine grading system was 1st created in the early years of record collecting.

It is now the most widely used guide for the buying and selling of vinyl albums. Over the years the goldmine grading guide has tried to standardize this. Near mint nm the record has been on a shelf between other records. Questions in this section.

There are no marks on the vinyl and the whole package is complete. You might get weird grades while messing with the answers. Vinyl grading isn t an exact science but it s certainly a useful metric. The vinyl looks glossy and clearly has only been played a few times.

The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Goldmine developed the guide below and it is now the most widely used guide for the buying and selling of vinyl albums. It will ultimately decide what you pay for an album or what someone will be willing to pay you.