| Grade |
Description |
| Mint |
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 advertised as Sealed or Unplayed
should be Mint. |
| Excellent |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
The
record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc.
The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing. |
| Bad |
The
record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler. |
| CDs & Cassettes |
As
a general rule, CDs and cassettes either play perfectly - in which case
they are in Mint condition - or they don't, in which case their value is
minimal. Cassette tape is liable to deteriorate with age, even if it remains
unplayed, so care should be taken when buying old tapes.
CDs are difficult to grade visually; they can look perfect but actually
be faulty, while in other cases they may appear damaged but still play perfectly.
Cassette and CD inlays and booklets should be graded in the same way as
record covers and sleeves. In general, the plastic containers for cassettes
and CDs can easily be replaced if they are broken or scratched, but card
covers and digipaks are subject to the same wear as record sleeves.
|
