GOOD COVER
A Good cover will have just about everything wrong with it. It will have seam splits (possibly taped and repaired, but only with scotch tape. No duct tape or masking tape repairs). These are big turn offs. May have magic marker writing on the cover but still if they are in huge letters, it is a big turn off. In essence, the cover will look virtually trashed, but some artwork will still be noticed. If the artwork is worn, it is POOR and the cover is worthless. Huge tears or gouges in the cover will also make the cover POOR. Be careful about sealed records that have been water damaged. Mildew still can get inside and cause great damage to the cover and the disc. Use common sense and you will save yourself from an overgrade.

***NOTE Sealed records that have water damage should be opened. Otherwise you will be in trouble later on when the cardboard starts to deteriorate inside the shrink-wrap. Attempt to dry the covers using a hair dryer (be sure to remove the record first!)

G+ and VG-
This is separate from the above. Many records that appear in VG condition often play less than very good. Goldmine defines them as better than Good, but less than Very Good. The value should not increase more than the value of a Good record. Meaning they all should be priced somewhere within the same guideline (most often it is 10 to 15% for Good, and only 15% for Good Plus (G+) and Very Good Minus (VG-). With a G+ record, it will look just as the described condition for Good, yet may play better than it looks. Dynamics are usually good enough to overpower the surface noise. Same for VG-. However VG- and G+ are of the same value. It is more of a visually and audibly combined grade. There should be no large price increase for these records. Price them like G records and you should not have a problem.

FAIR, POOR
The easiest way to define this is if it does not meet the lowest grade above (GOOD), it is trash. It is worthless. Unless it is so rare, it won't be sellable at all. It is OK to throw them away or give them to someone who just wants to have them. It won't be playable for the most part, and so they are not much good hanging onto them. Very few poor records are collectable. Some rare colored vinyl or picture discs are OK, and can still be nice to have, but they won't be good enough to play again.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT VINYL QUALITY:
Many people will buy reissues of past oldies. The era in which the vinyl is pressed makes a big difference to the way it will last and how it will sound for years to come. Original 50's and early 60's used quality materials to produce LP's. Smaller labels used less than great vinyl. A good pressing is often identified by it's thickness. Also the depth of the grooves. These will generally be better for the person who seeks quality originals. There is still the question as to the use of styrene. These are more brittle and damaged easily when played on poor equipment. Finding good playing styrene can only be found by playing them. Some styrene will play better than others. Styrene was used in all decades (late 50's up to the late 80's). Recycled vinyl was used in the mid 70's up to the late 80's as well. Poor vinyl meant less playing time for these items. Finding them NM is a problem. Many issues can be found, brand new, with hairline cracks and grayish discoloring. They may play nice but are unless you find them flawless and play perfect, don't overgrade them! Beware of imports from countries such as Taiwan and Korea. Although the vinyl appears thick (almost too thick), the sound mastering and plate mastering are inferior. They sound as bad as bootlegs, since they were mass produced using less than superior technology. They also were placed in paper sleeves that looked cheesy. Some may sound better than others, but beyond that, they are not very collectable. They are more of a conversation piece rather than a valid piece of sound recording. Collectors often just pick them up for the novelty factor, not because they expect them to play good.

Quick rundown in abbreviated Grading System

MINT (PERFECT)
NM
EX or VG++
VG+
VG
G (with minor exceptions to G+ and VG-)
F and P (Trash)

GRADES THAT DON'T EXIST: Be wary of these grades!
M+
They are trying to say the record is better than MINT! No such animal. If you see this grade, avoid the record like the plague. Mint is the highest grade anything can ever be. And 99 out of 100 times the record won't even be mint! Man is not perfect! So how can a man-made product be better than perfect? Answer: Impossible.

EX+
If you read the above the same rule holds true here. No such thing as EX+. It is just another confusing grade that does not have any defined level of agreement among collectors. People who use this grade don't want to lose money on their collectibles. By upping the grade, means upping the price. Just be fair. Use conservative grades.When you grade a record, put yourself in the shoes of the potential buyer. Would you want to get a record with this grade and discover some overlooked flaws? If you sell a record for big $$$ be prepared for criticism. People will examine the record with more than just a quick glance once they receive it. Overgrading will only make you look bad. And too many unhappy customers means very few repeats (or perhaps no customers in the long run).

VG+++
Come on, 2 plus marks are enough! No such animal!

G++
Ok so I use it once in a blue moon. But at least I describe the way the record plays, to a tee! The price does not go up. The grade is just a good selling point. Realistically though it does not exist. Use it seldomly, if ever

Copyrighted 1996 by Weldon T. Toms.