KNOW YOUR GRADES
Condition explained.
This short guide follows Discogs’ Goldmine-based grades. Media and sleeves are assessed separately; check each item’s notes.
Vinyl grades
- Mint (M)
- Unused and flawless; reserved for exceptional copies.
- Near Mint (NM / M-)
- Almost pristine, without obvious wear.
- Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Light cosmetic wear; minor marks should not materially affect listening.
- Very Good (VG)
- Audible noise and wear, while the music remains clear.
- Good / Good Plus (G / G+)
- Plays throughout, with substantial noise and wear.
- Fair / Poor (F / P)
- Severe damage; playback may skip, repeat or fail.
Sleeves and other formats
Sleeve grades describe packaging wear, marks, splits and damage. “Generic” means a non-release-specific sleeve, not a condition grade.
For CDs, higher grades indicate fewer marks; lower grades mean heavier wear, with playback problems possible at Fair/Poor. Replaceable standard jewel cases are excluded.
Cassette grades cover tape, shell and packaging wear. Lower grades can mean greater hiss or damage.
For DVD, Blu-ray, VHS and comics, read the listing’s condition and notes; the vinyl descriptions are not a format-specific grading standard.