In my last column I discussed the difference between a seller who describes the condition of a record versus one who actually grades the record as well as what questions to ask and what to expect with the former. This time, I’ll discuss the seller who is at least sophisticated enough to attempt to grade as well as the catches involved in dealing with the less-than-concrete world of record grading.
If the seller is in fact grading the album, that certainly doesn’t mean that subjectivity is out the window, but at least there is an accepted, objective standard to use to better set expectations for the quality and value of the item. You can look up the Goldmine standards to get a general idea of what the grades mean, but often sellers use that only as a vague guide or they use some variation of it. Some sellers include a brief description of their grading system in the auction, so always look to see if they explicitly tell you what the grades mean.
The Record Collector’s Guild (http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=17&page=1) has a great piece on the Goldmine standards, so there’s no need for me to rehash that here. Instead, I’ll run through the grades (including common non-Goldmine grades) and what they mean in the nebulous world of Ebay.
Mint (M) – Many sellers and collectors don’t consider this a practical grade. After all, can something be truly perfect? If it’s opened, it’s been touched. If it’s still sealed, who knows what the vinyl is really like. It might not be scratched, but there’s no guarantee that it isn’t warped. I would be a little bit wary of anyone claiming to sell a Mint record. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t bid on it, just that you aren’t likely to get something truly mint. Also, mint is a term that is used for many collectibles and the seller may be simply applying what he or she believes “mint” to mean. It’s probably more often an indicator of ignorance than of dishonesty, but even with that in mind, you should expect a very nice record.
Mint Minus (M-) – This grade should be synonymous with Near Mint (which unlike M-, is a true Goldmine grade), but many sellers will use this grade to indicate that the record is essentially Mint, but has been opened and possibly played. If you buy a M- album, you should expect it to be pristine. No scuffs on the vinyl and essentially no surface noise. The cover should have no signs of wear at all. This grade isn’t used all that often, but you will see it. It is best to treat it like a Near Mint album. If the condition of the record is less than Near Mint, you have a legitimate complaint against the seller.
Near Mint (NM) – A Near Mint record is really the standard collectible album. Price guides use NM condition as the base price you can expect to pay. If the vinyl has anything more than the most minor wear, it is not NM. It should have all of it’s gloss and certainly no obvious scuffs. Any surface noise should be almost inaudible. The cover should have no significant wear, free of scuffs and ring wear. There might be a tiny ding on the corner at the worst. Near Mint is one of the most misrepresented grades out there though. There seems to be a great deal of gray area between this grade and the two below it (VG+ and VG). When dealing with these grades, it might be a good idea to check the seller’s other auctions to get a feel for how they might be grading and then check the feedback to see if it seems that buyers are satisfied. I wouldn’t get too worked up if you buy a NM record that isn’t quite up to snuff, but it might be worth complaining if there are any obvious visible defects.
Very Good Plus Plus/Excellent (VG++/Ex) – These grades are not Goldmine standards, but are commonly used. Because a Very Good Plus album only commands about 50% of the value of the same album in Near Mint condition, this grade is often used to indicate that the record is at the top end of or slightly exceeds the VG+ grade, but doesn’t quite qualify for NM. Usually, it’s a safe bet that the album will be closer to VG+ (or sometimes even VG) than to a true NM, but anything more than minor wear probably warrants contacting the seller.
Very Good Plus (VG+) – As stated above, this record will have about 50% of the value that it would have it were NM. For most collectors, this is probably a fair trade. The album is going to sound fine, with some noise between songs and in quiet passages. The cover might have a few minor, but noticeable dings, but the artwork will not be significantly obscured. For a hardcore collector or an audiophile, stepping up to NM would be a big deal. For the rest of us, VG+ is a very nice album. Even allowing for sellers over-grading, you should be completely satisfied with a VG+ record to play and enjoy. Any flaws that really inhibit enjoyment are worth bringing to the attention of the seller.
Very Good (VG) – Worth about 25% of its NM counterpart, a VG record is still a perfectly good, playable record to have in your collection. Again, the trade-off of condition for price is usually a fair one. You should expect more consistent surface noise, bust still nothing that interferes with the enjoyment of listening unless you’re a real stickler or it’s an album you absolutely love and can’t bear to here marred even slightly. The cover will have definite signs of wear or stickers and residue that may detract slightly from the artwork, but still not seriously compromise it. You do have to be a bit wary when buying a VG record, because the next step down gets into records that are certainly flawed by anyone’s standards.
Very Good Minus (VG-) – This is not a Goldmine grade, but you will see it used frequently nonetheless. If you buy a record with this grade, anything short of skipping is probably fair game. Because a Good record is starting to become overwhelmed by surface noise, one would expect that a VG- is very noticeable, but not quite overwhelming. Perhaps that is the case, but the best case is still a record with rather distracting flaws. Unless the record is unlikely to come up again or be affordable otherwise, anything below VG should be avoided.
Grades below VG– very seldom show up on Ebay as they don’t interest many collectors unless the record is truly rare. A grade of Good (G) should be expected to play without skipping despite heavy surface noise, but I wouldn’t take a chance on that especially since most grading is done visually and it’s often difficult to tell which scratch will pop versus which will skip. If you do bid on something worse than VG-, I wouldn’t bother lodging a complaint if the record ends up being worthless. A rare record that you’ve had a hard time finding and that is being sold by a reputable seller might be worth it for the right price, but typically you should just avoid these. Of course, the terms Good, Fair and Poor are commonly used by sellers who are not actually grading them in which case “good” could mean VG+ and “fair” could mean VG. Ask the seller if it is an actual grade, because these could be real bargains that other buyers avoided thinking it was a grade and not merely a description.
Often, a seller may not know about the inserts that should be included or has simply forgotten about them. Unless noted in the description, it is always a good idea to ask about inserts and their condition. It’s really a crap-shoot as to whether you’ll get the inserts if they aren’t explicitly mentioned and these can often be real gems since there’s so much more real estate for good design on something that’s a full square foot versus a CD booklet.
All in all, I’ve found that record grading is a little bit like the speed limit. The speed limit might be 55 mph, but you probably won’t get a ticket until you go over 65 mph. Yeah, there’s a clear rule, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any wiggle room. In this case, the sellers are like the drivers. They tend to get away with a little more than the law allows. I think it’s human nature to err on your own side when selling something, so many sellers tend to stretch the truth (especially with those in between grades like M- or VG++). That isn’t a big deal as long as you allow for it when deciding how much you’re willing to spend for a particular album.
If the record is more than one grade off from its description, contact the seller. Most will want to work out a deal. If you paid $10 for a NM record and it turns out to be VG instead, it’s only worth 25% of what you expected. To be fair though you should have had VG+ in mind when you bid on it, so perhaps you should consider it to be worth 50% of what you paid. Split the difference and ask them to refund $2.50. Many sellers will do this because they don’t want negative feedback. When setting an expectation for a refund you might also want to consider the actual value you had in mind versus the price you paid. If you considered the album you paid $10 for to be worth $15, you might not take such a hardline with the seller since you did get a good deal anyway. Nonetheless, it doesn’t hurt to ask. The worst the seller can do is say no and then you can opt to leave negative feedback if you really feel you were swindled.
Oh yeah, don’t forget shipping. That’s another way some sellers will try to sneak in a little extra profit.
