Our condition ratings appear in the form "vinyl condition/cover condition". Each is rated according to the descriptions in the table below. If there is no cover or just a generic cover is included, the rating will appear as "vinyl condition/-". If an empty cover is offered, its condition will appear as "-/cover condition". Our condition descriptions often include the flaws that caused us to assign the ratings shown.
| Mint (M) | Perfect Condition. The vinyl looks new and sounds as though it was never played. The cover looks untouched. Some argue that the only mint records are brand new, unopened ones still in their original packing. |
| Wear Mint (M-) | Vinyl is near perfect. At most, a light scuff appears on the record, but it plays without noise or skips. The record cover is near perfect with only minor signs of wear- no "ring wear" on the cover. (Ring wear is when the outline of the record inside shows through the cover.) |
| Excellent (EX or VG++) | Vinyl plays without skips. There may be some minor surface scuffs that do not affect the sound quality. The record cover may have some minor wear, including ring wear, but overall, is in good shape. The cover may have some minor creases on the corners but no split seams. |
| Very Good+ (VG+) | There will be some surface noise and the vinyl may show wear, including surface scuffs and light scratches. However, the record is still very listenable as there are no deep scratches that cause skips. The cover corners may be slightly bent, but not broken. Seams may have wear but no tears or holes. |
| Very Good (VG) | There will be some surface noise, including pops and clicks and the vinyl may show wear, including surface scuffs and light scratches. The record is still listenable as there are no deep scratches that cause skips. At higher volume levels, the music should overpower any pops and clicks present. There may be noticeable wear, including ring wear, on the cover but overall it should still be in good condition. Cover may have split seams but not complete separation of the sleeve panels from each other. |
| Good (G) | Vinyl is well-played and shows it but still plays without skipping. It may have substantial surface noise, pops/clicks and/or loss of dynamic range in areas due to worn grooves. Quieter styles of music may be practically unlistenable. The cover may have many problems including seam splits, tears, and writing. |
| Fair (F) | Vinyl is well-played and shows it but still plays without skipping. It may have substantial surface noise, pops/clicks and/or loss of dynamic range in areas due to worn grooves. Quieter styles of music may be practically unlistenable. The cover may have many problems including seam splits, tears, and writing. |
| Poor (P) | Vinyl is well-played and shows it. Still plays but may skip. It may have substantial surface noise, pops/clicks and/or loss of dynamic range in areas due to worn grooves. Quieter styles of music may be practically unlistenable. The cover may have many problems including seam splits, tears, and writing. |