Alternative Systems for Grading Vinyl

The first grading system to be adopted by jazz record collectors was devised in 1943 by a committee of experts, elected by the readers of Record Changer magazine, and under the chairmanship of John M. Phillips. There are other record grading systems, notably the one devised by the sound restorer John R. T. Davies in the 1960s, known as the Davies Record Grading System. This utilises two numbers, one for wear and one for scratches and surface damage.

Images by DJ Paine

Record Collectors Grading System
This system is predominantly used in the UK and is often the go to grading scale for many online and high street stores. The Record Collectors Grading Scale was introduced as part of the Record Collector Magazine which was originally published back in March of 1980 and was initially designed to help collectors identify and value the rarer records of the time.

Mint (M)	The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet. booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records marked as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.
Excellent (EX)	The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
Very Good (VG)	The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects is acceptable.
Good (G)	The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc
Fair (F)	The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.
Poor (P)	The record will not play properly due to scratched, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
Bad (B)	The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.

VJM Record Grading System

Vintage Jazz Mart is the world's oldest magazine for collectors of Vintage Jazz and Blues 78 & LP Records, and has been essential reading for collectors worldwide for 70 years. The VJM Record Grading System is an internationally used and recognised system for grading both 78s and LPs. It is used by virtually all serious record dealers and collectors alike, with an easily understood sequence of letters to show grades and a system of abbreviations to show faults and damage.

N (78) M (LP)	As new and unplayed, there are virtually no 78s that can categorically be claimed to be unplayed.
N- (78) M- (LP)	Nearly Mint, but has been played. No visible signs of wear or damage.
E+ (78) VG+ (LP)	Plays like new, with very, very few signs of handling, such as tiny scuffs from being slipped in and out of jackets.
E (78) VG (LP)	Still very shiny, near new looking, with no visible signs of wear, but a few inaudible scuffs and scratches.
E- (78) VG- (LP)	Still shiny but without the lustre of a new record, few light scratches. LP: Some wear, scratches and scuffs, but no skipped or repeat grooves.
V+ (78) G+ (LP)	V+ is an average condition 78 in which scuffs and general use has dulled the finish somewhat. Wear is moderate but playing is generally free from distortion. Surface noise not overly pronounced. LP: Below average with scuffs and scratches on fewer than half the tracks. No skips or repeat grooves.
V (78) G (LP)	Moderate, even wear throughout, but still very playable. Surface noise and scratches audible but not intrusive.
V- (78) G- (LP)	Quite playable still, but distortion and heavy greying in loud passages. Music remains loud in most passages. Surface noise and scratches well below music level. LP: Lowest Grade. Audible scratches, etc. on more than half the tracks. Listening uncomfortable.
G+ (78)	Grey throughout but still serviceable. Music begins to sound muffled. Heavy scratches.
G (78)	Quite seriously worn and scratched, but music level is still higher than surface noise.
G- (78)	Music still prominent, but wear and scatch damage extensive.
F (78)	Most of music remains audible over surface noise, but listening now uncomfortable.
P (78)	Unplayable.
NB	Damage to labels and jackets, LP should be noted whenever present.

IGuide VJM/10 point Scale System
IGuide has attempted to match the VJM system to a 10 point system, because, buyers feel more secure with sight unseen Internet buying when they are familiar with a 10 point grading system. New collectors in any hobby become advanced collectors through knowledge, including knowledge of terminology. Without such a set of grading terms and definitions, buyers may feel confused and uncertain about the quality of items they are buying over the internet or through the mail. This VJM/10 point scale for grading is similar to systems already adopted in other markets.

C10/N	Store Stock New. As new and unplayed, there are virtually no 78s that can categorically be claimed to be unplayed.
C9/N-	Nearly New, but has been played. No visible signs of wear or damage.
C8/E+	Plays like new, with very, very few signs of handling, such as tiny scuffs from being slipped in and out of sleeves.
C7/E	Excellent. Still very shiny, near new looking, with no visible signs of wear, but a few inaudible scuffs and scratches.
C6/E-	Still shiny but without the luster of a new record, few light scratches.
C5/V+	V+ is an average condition 78 in which scuffs and general use has dulled the finish somewhat. Wear is moderate but playing is generally free from distortion. Surface noise not overly pronounced.
C4/V	Very Good. Moderate, even wear throughout, but still very playable. Surface noise and scratches audible but not intrusive.
C3/V-	Quite playable still, but distortion and heavy greying in loud passages. Music remains loud in most passages. Surface noise and scratches well below music level.
C2/G+	Grey throughout but still serviceable. Music begins to sound muffled. Heavy scratches.
C1/G	Good. Quite seriously worn and scratched, but music level is stillhigher than surface noise.
G-, F, P	The VJM system has these designations for records in extremely poor condition. We do not place these on the 10 point scale because records in this condition have little or no value. In cases where the record is extremely rare, it would be worth the C1 price.

Heritage Auctions Vinyl 12", 10", and 7" Record Grading Scale
Heritage Auctions is the largest collectibles auctioneer and third largest auction house in the world, as well as the largest auction house founded in the U.S. Music memorabilia, especially those pieces associated with Rock and Roll, Blues, and Jazz icons have achieved soaring results in both prices and escalating interest. Stage worn costumes, performance used instruments, music posters, autographs, hand written lyrics, rare records, and awards are fast escalating in value. Heritage Auctions has a separate grading system for entertainment and music posters, 45, EPs, albums, picture sleeves, anf vinyl 12", 10", and 7" records.

MT 10	Mint 10. Vinyl has no imperfections. Vinyl gloss is 100% overall. Label has no wear or noticeable imperfections. Label is bright all original color.
NM 9	Mint 9. Vinyl has no significant imperfections. Vinyl gloss is full. No label wear or imperfections. Label should display full original color, but may have a spindle mark or two.
NM 8	Near Mint 8. Vinyl has a few minor imperfections. Vinyl gloss nearly full. Label wear if any, should be barely detectable. May have a few minor label imperfections. Label should display full, original color, although it my be somewhat subdued. Record should pay without surface noise.
EX 7	Excellent to Very Good Plus. Vinyl has a few noticeable imperfections. Vinyl should display some gloss. May have slight label wear, some label imperfections, and/or slight fading of label color. Record may play with some slight surface noise.
VG-EX 6	Very Good Plus. Vinyl has noticeable, but not major imperfections. May display some original gloss. Label can show some wear, but cannot have large areas of wear. Can have some noticeable label imperfections. Record may play with some slight surface noise.
VG 5	Very Good. Vinyl has several moderate and/or one or two major flaws. Vinyl gloss may not evident. Label may show wear along with, several moderate and/or one or two major imperfections, such as writing, tears, stains, etc. Record may play with some surface noise.
GD-VG 4	Good to Very Good. Vinyl has some major imperfections. Label may be very worn and have some major imperfections along with fading and discoloration. Record will play with some surface noise but no skips.
GD 3	Good. Vinyl has major scratches. Label may be well worn and some of the lettering or label design may be worn away. Record will play through, but may skipping and be rather noisy.

Thursday's Golden Goddies Vinyl Grading
Thursday's Golden Goodies is the Vinyl Lovers' Candy Store! Our Internet Store is mobile friendly, with more than 48,000 different vintage 45 RPM & LP records in stock. We offer the big hits as well as the obscure gems. Rock & Roll's Golden Age is our specialty, although our stock ranges in music of all directions from before the 1950's well into the 21st century. They use a 1 worst, to 10 best, grading system! For records with sleeves/covers, the vinyl is graded first, the sleeve/cover second. Example: NM9/VG7 means NM9 vinyl/VG7 sleeve.

M10	Mint. The record appears new, as though never played. If it has indeed been played, the record shows no wear at all.
NM9	Near Mint. The record appears new at first glace, but a closer look reveals that it may have been played. It shows minimal wear, if any.
EX8	Excellent. Better than VG but below NM. Although this record seems to have been played, it is in great condition. It is likely that this record has had only one previous owner who took good care of it.
VG7	Very Good. This record looks and sounds very good. It has some wear, but should play nicely for a long, long time.
VG6	Slightly better than G. This record has visibly seen some play. It may have some scratches as well as writing on the label. Still this record plays well, assuring listening pleasure for years to come.
G5	Good. This record looks and plays OK. It shows considerable wear, likely from years of play and perhaps changing hands. There may be writing and/or stickers on the label, as well as visible scratches on the vinyl, although good play may not be affected.
G4	Better than Poor but Below G. This is the lowest grading we will list. This record shows a lot of wear and may have markings/sticker on label. It plays OK, but has visibly seen a lot of handling.
wol	Has writing on label. Although this flaw has been considered in the overall grading, the wol notation allows for a more accurate grading.
sol	Has sticker on label. Although this flaw has been considered in the overall grading, the sol notation allows for a more accurate grading.

Image by Alano Oliveira

The Goldmine Grading Guide is the most widely used guide for the buying and selling of vinyl albums.
Click here for The Goldmine Standard on Grading Vinyl Records

Record Changer Magazine
Report of the Record Grading Committee

When listening to a record, we really hear two different things at the same time, namely:

What we want to hear, the music as it was or initially recorded.
Stuff that we'd rather hear, surface noise, foreign noise of all kinds, clicks, distortions, etc.

On a new record, the no. 2 sounds are usually very slight and do not interfere with the enjoyment of the music. As the Record is played more and more, and is subjected to more or less careless handling, and careless storage, the no. 2 sounds increase, and listening becomes increasingly less satisfying. Therefore, record grading is based primarily on the extent to which the foreign noises interfere with or distract ones attention from the music.

See the image below for more detail.

Naturally, two records will fall between two grades. In such cases, both grades should be named. The newer one first, thus: