Grading Standard · Goldmine / Discogs
Every scratch, mark and skip changes what a record is worth. This guide walks through the eight standard condition grades, from Mint to Poor — for the vinyl itself, and for the sleeve that's protected it.
Values as a percentage of Near Mint price, per the Goldmine Standard (Discogs' published grading guide). Good/Good Plus and Fair/Poor are quoted as combined bands, not separate figures — Mint has no fixed multiplier and is rarely used as a grade.
Note: Goldmine describes Good/Good Plus as one combined tier, and Fair/Poor as another — the split below is for clarity, not an official distinction.
The record is absolutely perfect in every respect — no scuffs, no marks, no groove wear at all. Most graders reserve this for a still-sealed copy, since even careful handling can introduce the faintest mark.
Reality check: many sellers use Mint far too loosely. If a record's ever been out of its sleeve, Near Mint is usually the honest ceiling.
Looks and plays like it was just taken out of the shrink. Under a raking light there are at most one or two hairline marks that don't touch the sound. Labels are clean and edges aren't dinged.
Plays: silent surfaces, full dynamic range, no added noise even on quiet passages.
Shows it's been played and loved, not abused. Light marks are visible under bright light but you can't catch them with a fingernail.
Plays: mostly clean, with maybe a touch of background swish on the quietest grooves.
Visible groove wear and a scattering of light scratches you can feel but that don't cause the stylus to jump. Labels may show writing or spindle marks.
Plays: consistent background noise and some crackle throughout, most noticeable in quiet intros. No skipping.
Surface noise and visible scratches throughout, from repeated play or storage without inner sleeves. Still tracks end to end without skipping.
Plays: consistent crackle and pop over the whole side, audible even during loud passages.
Heavy visible wear — deep-set scratches, a dulling of the vinyl's shine, possibly light warping. Bought for the music or the rarity, not the condition.
Plays: loud, persistent surface noise and some distortion throughout. Still tracks end to end without skipping — that's the line between Good and Fair.
Damage is impossible to miss — deep scratches, visible warping, groove wear heavy enough to change the tone. Exists mostly for records too rare to throw away.
Plays: repeated skipping or looping is likely, along with heavy distortion and constant surface noise.
Cracks, severe warping, chunks missing from the edge, or groove damage too deep to track properly. Kept only as a placeholder for an irreplaceable rarity.
Plays: expect constant skipping or grinding, or the record may not track at all.
A record's condition and its packaging age differently. Standard listings show both, written media first: VG+ / VG means the vinyl is Very Good Plus while the sleeve has dropped to Very Good. Use the toggle above to check each against the same scale.
Hold the record at an angle under a strong point-source light so it skims across the surface. Marks invisible under flat overhead light show up immediately — the standard test collectors expect a seller to have done.
Discogs uses the same eight-point Goldmine scale, so a grade means the same thing on either platform. The difference is convention: Discogs listings almost always show media and sleeve grades side by side, with flaws spelled out in the comments rather than folded into the grade.
Why this matters when you sell: overstating condition is one of the commonest reasons a record comes back. See Selling vinyl: eBay vs Discogs.