Goldmine's Record Album Grading System

How to Grade:  Look at everything about a record -- Its playing surface, its label, its edges -- under a strong light.  Then, based on your overall impression, give it a grade based on the following criteria:

Mint (M):  Absolutely perfect in every way -- certainly never played, possibly even still sealed  (More on still sealed under "Other considerations").  Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.

 Near Mint (NM or M-):  A nearly perfect record.  Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this, implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect.

The record should show no obvious signs of wear.  A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.

An LP jacket should have no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect.  No cut-out holes, either.  And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.

Basically, an  LP in Near Mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.

Very Good Plus (VG+):  A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.

Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experience.  Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK.

The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.  The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.

Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight ring wear, lightly turned-up corners, or a slight seam split.  An LP jacket may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.

In general, if not for a couple minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint.  All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

A synonym used by some collectors and dealers for "Very Good Plus" is "Excellent."

 Very Good (VG):  Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc.  Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise.  Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.

Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached.  The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers.  However, it will not have all these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+):  Good does not mean Bad!  A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping.  But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white).

A jacket or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine.  Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.

If it's a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually.  Pass it up.  but if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it... but keep looking to upgrade.

Poor (P), Fair (F):  The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating.  The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing.  The LP jacket barely keeps the LP inside it.  Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled, and written upon.

               International bidders must provide address before payment for accurate shipping rates,Thank You!

SHIPPING: FOR LP RECORDS

Shipping costs below for LP's are customary but may not apply to all auctions, items, or destinations. For use as reference only.

USA, $5.00 MEDIA MAIL SHIPPING - $1.00 for additional LP's. Includes heavy duty corrugated mailer and tracking. Insurance or priority shipping available upon request. 

Canada $17.50 USPS FIRST CLASS INTL plus $2.00 for each additional. Priority or Express is available upon request.

 Overseas $32.00 USPS FIRST CLASS INTL plus $5.00 for each additional. (Up To 4 LP's) More than that must go USPS Priority Mail International.

 Items which sell for over $50.00 USA will receive an invoice for the shipping charge plus insurance or registration. THIS IS MANDATORY.

 Insurance is always available and recommended for all purchases.

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CRANK IT UP MUSIC will not be responsible for any losses for any reason if the PRIORITY, REGISTERED, OR EXPRESS rate is not chosen.

USPS REGISTERED MAIL, PRIORITY MAIL, and EXPRESS MAIL are ALWAYS available and encouraged and these can provide you with tracking, insurance, and additional protections if you wish to spend the money to use these services.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: We are not responsible for the import taxes and customs fees your home country charges you when you purchase items from this country. We will not mark any items that we sell as a "GIFT" or misrepresent the value of the item on our customs forms. PLEASE DON'T REQUEST THIS.

We are ALWAYS willing to combine shipping on multiple items to save you money, in fact, we encourage you to buy a whole bunch of our items. Simply let us know that you are bidding on multiple items then request an invoice when you are all finished up and ready to settle your purchase. We will calculate shipping and handling costs and invoice you, we can store your items for you as long as you are actively bidding on additional items for up to 7 days but after that we usually like to settle up and ship your items.

THE CUSTOMER SERVICE:

We strive to provide top-notch customer service and communication to our customers.

 We would like nothing more than to provide a 5-Star transaction on every item we sell.

If you have any questions, concerns, or problems, please contact us via email at

Prior to leaving any adverse feedback and we will be happy to sort things out so everyone is happy.

 Payment:

We accept Pay Pal ONLY. Payment is expected within 7 days of auction's end.

Any items not paid for within 7 days will be re-listed if the successful bidder has not contacted me and requested an extension in time.

Please check your address, if the record is returned due to a wrong address the BUYER will be responsible for the cost of item to be reshipped. 

Shipping:

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE SHIP ITEMS WITHIN 2 DAYS OF PAYMENT. ONCE THEY ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE POSTAGE SERVICES WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER DELIVERY TIMES. BEFORE GIVING A LOW STAR RATING ON DELIVERY PLEASE CHECK POSTAGE DATE STAMP AND REMEMBER WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER POSTAGE SERVICE DELIVERY TIMES.

WE SHIP ALBUMS IN CARD BOARD MAILERS WITH CARDBOARD FILLERS!!!!

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Terms of Sale:

ALL SALES ARE FINAL, Unless I greatly misrepresented the item. We will not be responsible for items damaged during shipping.  Refund will be given only on the cost of the item.  Original shipping cost is nonrefundable and we will  pay the shipping cost to send the item back to us.  Refund will be given once I received the item in original package and in the exact condition the item was sent. Winning Bidder's PayPal account will be credited.

About Us:

 We sell Albums, Cd's, Novelties, Sports and Music Memorabilia, Posters, and other  collectibles. We specialize in Rare, Unique and hard to find Vinyl. Remember there is nothing like the WARM sound of Vinyl.

We have been collecting records for 30+ years, all genres of rock 70's thru present. Some R&B, Soul, Blues, Country, Gospel and Jazz. We will be selling hundreds of them over time.

We have hundreds of lp's and cannot play them all prior to selling. All record grading is visual unless it is listed as being played prior to sale in the description. A few lp's may have flaws in the vinyl or some surface scratches that may be questionable and I WILL play these prior to sale, if they play without skips or excessive noise we will list it in the description as such. We will not sell a record that I would not play.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT WE GRADE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE.  IF NOT SATISFIED PLEASE CONTACT US PRIOR TO LEAVING NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS FOR LOST OR DAMAGED ITEMS.