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SRO Records Vinyl Grading Guide

How We Grade Records (and Why It Matters)

Vinyl record grading is part science, a ton of experience, and frankly knowing not to lie to yourself or others. A significant part, for us, is to grade conservatively – yet low – if you want happy customers. What do I mean by that? If a record is open, and fantastic – and I mean magnificent in quality – we call it EX or Excellent (EX), so most of the time a buyer is going to receive an album that is often considered Near Mint or NM. At SRO Records, we grade conservatively, clearly, and consistently, because nothing kills trust faster than optimistic grading. This guide explains exactly what our grades mean, how we arrive at them, and where we draw the line on what we’ll sell online.

A Quick Word About Grading Reality

All grading is subjective, but not all grading is honest. We visually inspect every record under strong light and play-grade anything remotely valuable that raises questions. We talk about our testing gear – it’s pretty nice, state of the art early 70’s gear for the most part.

If a record looks borderline, we grade it down, not up. Our goal is simple: when you open a package from SRO Records, the record should look as good or better than you expected, not worse.

Goldmine vs. eBay Grading – Why We Follow eBay Standards

The Goldmine grading system is widely referenced in the vinyl collecting world and serves as a helpful baseline, but in practice it often leads to optimistic interpretations, especially online. At SRO Records, we follow eBay’s grading standards, which tend to be more conservative and more closely aligned with buyer expectations in real-world transactions.

In our experience, what Goldmine might call Near Mint is frequently closer to Excellent once a record is actually handled and played. There’s just too much wiggle room between VG and VG+. Using eBay’s definitions allows us to grade more consistently, reduce surprises, and ensure that records arrive looking and playing at least as good as described, not worse.

SEALED / MINT (M)

Vinyl
Factory sealed. Vinyl is assumed to be mint but unverified until opened. As with any sealed record, pressing defects are possible – we don’t play sealed records.

Sleeve
Sleeve condition is graded strictly by what is visible through the shrink wrap. Cut corners, saw marks, or shrink tears are noted.

Important: “Sealed” does not automatically mean perfect. It means unopened.

NEAR MINT (NM)

Vinyl

  • Nearly flawless with no obvious marks
  • Extremely faint sleeve scuffs may be present
  • Hairlines visible only under strong light
  • Plays quietly with no distracting noise

Sleeve
Appears new, clean, and well cared for. No major creases, ring wear, or writing.

NM is the closest thing to “new” you’ll find without shrink wrap; we frankly nearly never use this grade, unless we know we’re the first ones to pull the record out of the sleeve.

EXCELLENT (EX)

Vinyl

  • Bright and glossy with light surface wear
  • Minor scuffs or hairlines
  • Nothing that affects play
  • Plays very well with minimal background noise

Sleeve

  • Light creases
  • Minor edge wear
  • Very small corner dings

Artwork remains clean and presentable.

EX records are strong players and great daily listeners.

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)

Vinyl

  • Visible scuffs and hairlines
  • Some surface noise during quiet passages
  • No major playback issues – music still dominates

Sleeve

  • Creases
  • Corner dings
  • Edge or seam wear
  • Chipping or aging from acidic inner sleeves

Still fully intact and displayable.

The SRO Records Line in the Sand

Here’s where we get opinionated – because experience matters.

Anything below VG+, unless it’s rare, unusual, or historically important, does not get sold online. Period. What’s the point?

  • We do not ultrasonically clean rough copies
  • We do not photograph records from flattering angles
  • We do not pretend condition is better than it is

Those records go into:

  • $10 boxes at record shows
  • $1 boxes when they deserve a second life
  • Occasionally a crate labeled “Make a Planter Out of This”

Someone will enjoy it. It just doesn’t belong in an online listing.

VERY GOOD (VG)

Vinyl

  • Dull appearance with many hairlines and scuffs
  • Persistent surface noise
  • Plays through without skipping

Sleeve

  • Seam splits
  • Moderate ring wear
  • General rough handling

VG records are playable but far from pristine.

GOOD PLUS (G+)

Vinyl

  • Numerous marks and scratches
  • Significant noise
  • Pops and crackle throughout

Music usually overpowers the flaws – usually.

Sleeve

  • Heavy wear
  • Seam splits
  • Possible water damage

GOOD (G)

Vinyl
Copious, unforgettable marks. Skipping or repeating is likely.

Sleeve
Heavy ring wear, large seam splits, or water damage.

This is a placeholder copy at best.

FAIR (F)

Vinyl
It’s round. That’s the nicest thing we can say. Skipper gonna skip.

Sleeve
Whatever is left of the original sleeve.

Final Thoughts on Grading

We grade records the way we’d want them graded if we were buying them. No hype. No optimism. No games.

If you ever have questions about a specific listing, we’re happy to answer them before or after purchase. We do make mistakes, and sometimes our turntable tracks a record better than other people’s turntables. If something is wrong, return it for a 100% refund – no questions asked.

That’s how record stores used to work. We’re just doing it online now.

Why “Mint” Records Rarely Exist in the Real World

“Mint” is such a beautiful word; it implies perfection, untouched surfaces, factory-fresh reality preserved against time magnificence. It also happens to be one of the most abused words in record collecting, usually by people who have never stopped to consider what a record has to survive before it ever reaches their hands.

A record has already lived a life before you see it. It was pressed, put in a stack, sleeved by a machine that was having a long day, stacked, boxed, shipped, unboxed, shelved, flipped through, re-shelved, and possibly transported again. Even records that were never played were handled, and vinyl definitely remembers handling, heat exposure, shipping debacles, you name it. Expecting perfection from an object that has been through all of that is optimistic at best.

True Mint literally means untouched, unplayed, unhandled, and unimpaired in every way. Not “played once.” Not “looks new.” Not “I don’t see anything.” Mint is much more theoretical more often than practical, and most records described that way simply aren’t. They might be Near Mint or Excellent. They might be very clean, very sharp, and very enjoyable. But perfect is a high bar, and gravity, friction, and human hands are relentless. Simply put, unrealistic.

Sleeve scuffs alone disqualify most records from true Mint status. They happen when vinyl moves inside paper, and vinyl always moves inside paper. You don’t need abuse to cause them, time is more than enough. Add in inner sleeves that were slightly too tight, jackets that flexed under weight, or records that were removed once and put back carefully, and the idea of untouched perfection starts to collapse quickly.

Then there’s the jacket. Corners soften. Spines compress. Ring wear doesn’t ask permission. Jackets live in the real world, stacked next to other jackets, pressed together on shelves, moved from place to place. A jacket can look excellent and still show the subtle signs of existing. That doesn’t make it bad. It makes it honest.

This is where buyers get themselves into trouble. When “Mint” becomes the expectation instead of the exception, disappointment is guaranteed. Perfect records become the goal rather than great ones, and people start rejecting copies that would sound phenomenal over marks that don’t affect playback at all. Collecting turns from listening into inspection.

Experienced collectors eventually recalibrate. They stop chasing the word and start evaluating the object. How does the vinyl look under light? How does it feel at the edge? How clean are the labels? Does the jacket still hold together structurally? These questions matter far more than whether a seller used a specific letter grade.

At SRO Records, we’re beyond conservative with that word for a reason, including “Near Mint” which, to me, is sort of what comes out of a brand new opened record. Not because perfection doesn’t exist, but because it’s rare enough to deserve respect when it actually shows up. Calling everything Mint doesn’t elevate the record; it devalues the term. Honest grading builds trust. Inflated grading builds returns. If I may be so blunt, the only way you’re getting a true mint record is to pull it off the assembly line floor before it’s been sleeved. That’s mint.

A truly great record doesn’t need hyperbole. It needs accuracy. Most of the best-sounding records you’ll ever own won’t be perfect; they’ll just be well cared for, thoughtfully handled, and still capable of doing exactly what they were made to do. That’s more than enough.

If you find a record that genuinely deserves the word “Mint,” appreciate it. Just don’t expect it every time you open a sleeve; we ultrasonically clean brand new records and slag comes out, so what really is the mint you’re looking for? Vinyl lives in the real world, and that’s part of why we like it.