Industry Standard Vinyl Record Grading System
The following is the grading system first developed by Goldmine Records. Virtually all methods currently in use for the grading of records, is based in some way, shape, or form, on this system. Rather than offer some variation of the original system first developed by Goldmine Records, Fox Music Company will display the Goldmine vinyl record grading method in it's entirety.
Look at everything about your vinyl record. It's playing surface, it's label, it's edges...under a strong light. Then based on your overall impression give it a grade based on the following criteria:
Look at everything about your vinyl record. It's playing surface, it's label, it's edges...under a strong light. Then based on your overall impression give it a grade based on the following criteria:
Contents at a Glance
Mint ( M )
Record Grade
Mint (M)Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed. Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all. A perfect record in every way. Many dealers won't use this grade implying perhaps correctly that no record is ever truly perfect.
The record should show no signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An lp cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, or saw cuts either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.
Basically, an LP in mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
Near Mint or Mint Minus
Record Grade NM or M-
Near Mint (NM or M-)A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying perhaps correctly that no record is ever truly perfect.
Near Mint (NM or M-) is the highest price listed in all "Goldmine Price Guides". Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.
The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like. Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
Very Good Plus
VG+
Very Good Plus (VG+)Generally worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value. A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.
Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK".
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.
Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.
Very Good ( VG )
Record Grade
Very Good (VG)Generally worth 25 percent of Near Mint value. Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.
Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price. This, not the Near Mint price, should be your guide when determining how much a record is worth, as that is the price a dealer will normally pay you for a Near Mint record.
Good
Good (G), Good Plus (G+)Generally worth 10-15 percent of the Near Mint value. Good does not mean bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white).
A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.
It is a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But, if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it...but keep looking to upgrade.
Poor - Fair
Poor (P), Fair (F)Generally worth 0-5 percent of the Near Mint price. The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating.
The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing. The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled, and written upon.
Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.
How Vinyl Records are Made
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How Vinyl Records are Made
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Vinyl Record Care and Maintenance
Protect Your Valuable Vinyl Phonograph Records
Vinyl Record Care and MaintenanceCleanliness is absolutely mandatory if the optimum sound capability of the vinyl record is to be realized. A clean record will not only sound better, but last longer. It has long been proven that repeated playing of dirty phonograph records can cause permanent damage to the vinyl. Preservation of your valuable or irreplaceable records requires careful cleaning. Not to mention that stylus wear is greatly accelerated by playing dirty records, and with high price of cartridges these days, playing dirty records can lead to significant and unneeded expense.
Visit This Squidoo Lens For More Information on
Vinyl Record Care and Maintenance
Goldmine Record Album Price Guide, 5th Edition
by Tim Neely
Goldmine Records Record Album Price Guide
by Tim Neely
Goldmine Record Album Price Guide has the detailed descriptions and current prices you need to determine what your vinyl is worth. From Abba to ZZ Top, you'll find your favorite vinyl LPs and their variations. This massive reference also features the industry-standard Goldmine condition grading guide, valuable tips on buying and selling records, and a detailed guide listing record
company labels, numbering systems, and production years.
The Goldmine Record Album Price Guide features 70,000 vinyl LPs from 1948 to 2007 with detailed listings along with up-to-date values and 400 photos. Also included is essential information on grading, buying and selling records
Purchase a Current
Goldmine Record Price Guide
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Goldmine Records Jazz Price Guide
by Tim Neely
Goldmine Records Jazz Price Guideby Tim Neely
Collectors of jazz on vinyl know how difficult it can be to find pristine copies of original classic jazz recordings, and ever-changing market values can make pricing those albums even more difficult. With this fantastic, updated 2nd edition, collectors will be able to accurately price records using the most current market values.
This all-encompassing reference features all types of jazz issued on 33 1/3 rpm long-playing records, including Dixieland, bebop, big band, swing, West Coast, fusion, modern and many others. It includes over 40,000 albums released between 1948 and today, valued in three grades of condition, as well as a thoroughly illustrated label
guide for easy distinction between first editions and later pressings. Collectors will discover thousands of records not listed in any other price guide!
The Goldmine Jazz Price Guide Contains listings for over 40,000 records in all types of Jazz, updated prices reflect today's market values an illustrated label guide aids in identifying original editions.
Purchase a Current
Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide
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Goldmine Price Guide to 45 rpm Records, 6th Edition
by Tim Neely
Goldmine Price Guide for 45 rpm Recordsby Tim neely
Whether you're an avid collector searching for a hidden treasure at a flea market, garage sale or thrift shop, or you want to dispose of a trunk full of dusty records, you need this authoritative and comprehensive guide for accurate identification and current pricing of 45s. Don't get stung. Have Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records on hand!
Need Accurate Prices Fast? Find Them in This Easy-to-Use Book! The Goldmine 45 rpm price guide features 80,000 prices and descriptions for 45s, EPs and accompanying picture sleeves (7-inch singles only)with 400 photos. This value guide also includes essential information on grading and selling your records
Purchase a
Goldmine Price Guide to 45 Rpm Records
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Goldmine Record Collectors Magazine
a Magazine that Caters to the Music Collector
Goldmine Record Collectors MagazineGoldmine is a music magazine that caters to record collectors. The cover stories and articles deal with all types of music such as rock, r & b, pop, country, jazz, reggae, punk, alternative, and so on, with the greatest emphasis on artists who were popular in the '60s and '70s. Recent cover stories include interviews with surviving members of the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, the Four Seasons, and the Dave Clark 5's lead singer Mike Smith. There are also annual issues devoted to Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
Each issue of Goldmine includes articles on recording stars of the past and present with discographies listing all known releases, a listing of upcoming record-and-CD-collector conventions, album reviews, hobby and music news, a collecting column, a letters section, and Collector Mania, which focuses mainly on hobby trends and questions on collecting.
There are also country and jazz sections that contain interviews with vintage artists - most recent country interviews include Bobby Bare, Guy Clark, and Merle Haggard. The country section also provides helpful info like upcoming tv appearance and cd release dates, while the jazz section offers esoteric essays from jazz historian Carlo Wolff. Dahl's Digs column where celebrated author Bill Dahl Motown: The Golden Years "digs" up some rare musical treasures from the past that have been recently reissued.
Since Goldmine is a magazine for record collectors, there are a number of ads by vendors who carry rare/promo vinyl and cds, as well as a classified section where you can state what you're looking for If you like a lot of genres of music, especially music recorded during the '50s through the '80s, then I think you will enjoy Goldmine.
Subscribe to Goldmine Magazine
Goldmine Magazine (1-year) Subscription
What Type of Records Do You Collect??
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kiwisoutback wrote...
This is really helpful, especially for those that plan on selling their vinyl collection (which I'm sure a lot of people might be considering in this economy!). Thanks for the info, Squid Angel blessed!
Posted April 20, 2009
ratso wrote...
Excellent lens, I'm sure glad I held on to most of my 45's and 33 1/3 vinyls from the 60's and 70's. :) 5*
Posted December 12, 2008
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FOX MUSIC COMPANY:Audio Rarities - Indie Record Store
Watertown Wisconsin
Fox Music Company, is a Indie Record Store Nestled in the Heart of Historic Watertown WisconsinVinyl, Phonograph Records, Long Plays, LPs, Albums, EPs, Wax Stacks or Stacks of Wax,
7's 10's or 12's, 45 rpm, 33 1/3 rpm, 78 rpm or maybe...., for you its Digital? Compact Disc, CD's, DVD's, Blur-ay, Hi Def, what ever your favorite term or Format,
Fox Music Company has a Large Inventory of Records & CDs, New & Used.
Fox Music Company, is located Downtown Watertown on the corner of Main Street and First Street. The record store is in the historic "Merchants National Bank Building" Our entrance is on First Street at the top of the wheel chair ramp.
The City of Watertown is located in the South Eastern portion of Wisconsin and is centered where the counties of Dodge and Jefferson meet. The North side of Watertown sits in Dodge County, the South side in Jefferson County. In the East-West direction we are midway between Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Take the Fox Music Company Picture Tour
Fox Music Company at eBay
Visit Our eBay Store - FOX MUSIC vinyl records album lp cd
Fox Music Company sells vintage vinyl on eBay as well as in our bricks and mortar store. Our eBay Store name is FOX MUSIC vinyl records album lp cdWhew thats a mouthfull and hard to remember!! However our eBay ID is much easier to remember foxmusiconline
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by Fox Music company I Squidoo, Do You??
Vinyl Record Care and Maintenance
Cleanliness is absolutely mandatory to achieve the best sound quality of your vinyl records. A clean vinyl record will not only sound better, but last longer. It has long been proven that the playing of dirty records will result in a rapid deterioration of quality and degradation of the original recorded sound, or simply can cause permanent damage to your vinyl records.
Read More
Grading Your Vinyl Records
The following is the grading system first developed by Goldmine Records. Virtually all methods currently in use for the grading of records, is based in some way, shape, or form, on this system. Rather than offer some variation of the original system first developed by Goldmine, Fox Music Company will display the Goldmine record grading method in it's entirety.
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Vinyl Records.., What Are Vinyl Records..??
Vinyl records were introduced and marketed as the unbreakable record, unlike its shellac counterpart of days gone by, that would break at the drop of a hat and becomes more brittle over time.
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David Stone Martin and the Art of Jazz In the world of jazz there is one artist collected the world over who has never played an instrument not even a note of music but has left his mark on the jazz culture. Illustrator David Stone Martin was one of the most prolific and influential graphic designers of the postwar era, with his signature hand sketched graphics with two or three primary colors, perfectly capturing the energy and spontaneity of the jazz idiom.
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What Type of Records Do You Collect??
Vinyl Record Collectors come in as many shapes as sizes and generations as the vinyl records they collect. Why do people collect records??
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What Is A Phonograph Record??
A phonograph record is an analog sound medium that consists of a flat disc record with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the outside edge (lead-in) and ending near the center of the record (lead-out).The audio content of the record is contained within the spiral groove which extends for more than a half mile. The groove itself is actually narrower than the thickness of a human hair yet
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Lenny Bruce the Charlie Parker of Comedy
When once asked to describe jazz, trumpet legend Miles Davis sarcastically but saliently replied, "You can sweat it down to four words: Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker." Now trying to apply that same old-school, new-school trailblazer to comedy is somewhat more a problem.
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Static Electricity and Your Vinyl Records
Because static electricity plays such a major role in the problem of vinyl record cleaning and that we have repeatedly referred to the malice effects of static electricity, we feel an explanation of this phenomenon is in order.
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Audio Rarities
Fox Music is a Indie Record Store Located in the Heart of Watertown Wisconsin in the Downtown Historic District on the corner of First and Main Street. Our online location Fox Music Company - webpages where you can find and search by Artist, Album or Song - Read Reviews, Bios or Listen to Audio Clips of new release and back catalog tiles and a whole lot more......
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Don't Forget To Take The Fox Music Company
Indie Record Store Picture Tour
Hosted on flickr (yahoo images)...and of coarse you must stop and visit with
Tyson and Boogie
the Record Store Mascots or... is it "Mas-Cats"
Looking for a Turntable or Replacement Cartridges??
or Would You Like to Convert Your Record Albums to CD??
Are you looking for a turntable....., maybe an upgrade or a replacement for the one you gave away when records went out of style or maybe you looking for a turntable to transfer your vinyl records to compact disc, what ever your reason we have you covered with such classic names as Thorens, Marantz, Music Hall, Stanton , or maybe you need is one of todays USB Port Turntables.
The Ion LP2CD Turntable is the fastest, easiest way to convert your vinyl records to CDs with none of the hassle of connecting a computer. Listen to your music in the car, at home, on your computer, or any place with a CD player!
Vinyl Records For Sale at eBay
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With SIRIUS Satellite Radio, you can listen to what you want, when you want, wherever you are. You get over 130 channels, including 100% Commercial-Free Music from every genre, plus Sports, News, Talk and Comedy - all with crystal-clear, coast-to-coast coverage, all in one place and all at your fingertips. Sirus Satellite Radio
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Shop Over 350,000 Products Including New Releases and Back Catalog, CD's, New Vinyl, DVD's, Video Games and Acce... (more)
Shop Over 350,000 Products Including New Releases and Back Catalog, CD's, New Vinyl, DVD's, Video Games and Acce... (more)
