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Writer's pictureRandy Stepp

Making the Grade: Understanding the Used Vinyl Market

Updated: Mar 14


Vinyl records displayed in a record store

Like classic movies, recorded music documents a moment in time and can serve as a widow into our past. Collecting vinyl music is a wonderful way to open that door and gain insight into another place in time. Vinyl also serves as one of the better formats to hear music. In many cases the original vinyl pressing of an album utilized analogue master tapes to transfer the music. As a result, the elements of music, dynamic range, sonic quality, and texture tend to be as close to the master as possible and with minimal loss.


Other mediums, such as compact discs and MPEG files, compress the music by converting it to a digital format. As a result, some claim that the music is not as warm and does not have the same depth and breadth as music on vinyl. That said, technology has come a long way and digital converters have softened digital and reduced the “coldness” that some claim is present with digital music.


Regardless, of the medium, there is no better feeling than dropping a needle on a vinyl record and sitting back to enjoy your favorite beverage with your favorite person while listening to your favorite music. For some reason, be it nostalgia or the science of it all, vinyl just sounds better and is certainly (or at least it feels like it) more intimate and personal.


That said, there is nothing worse than sitting down to enjoy your favorite record and hearing clicks, pops, and skips as the record spins. It can also be frustrating to spend the time searching for your favorite record or a record you’ve always wanted to add to your collection, only to find out that the pressing was poor, and the full range of the intended musical experience is blunted or distorted.


Before you go on a hunt for that album you’ve always wanted, it is wise to know which vinyl pressings are the best. Even though original releases tend to be from the original analogue master tape, some are not. Reissues can sometimes be a much better listening experience. However, some reissues are not pressed from the original analogue master. Many use a digital copy for reproduction. Therefore, the resulting product may not be at the level you expect and quite possibly be a letdown. I had this experience with a Steely Dan Aja release by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs. Apparently, the original analogue master tape was not available at the time of this pressing. Being a novice at the time, I assumed that it had to be a great pressing because it was a MOFI record. Not the case. It is an okay pressing, but not the best. Now I am searching for a great copy of the original release.


That brings us to grading used records. The odds that I find a sealed copy of Aja are slim. If I do find one, I’ll most likely be asked to pay a premium. Therefore, I’ll likely choose a previous played version that is acceptable to me. Knowing that not everyone cares for records well, I’ll need to be very picky as I seek an acceptable copy. To accomplish my goal of finding the best record possible I will be forced to rely on the grading system that is “universally” in place with vinyl record enthusiasts and resellers. Below is a summary of that system. However, even though most use the system well and grade their vinyl accurately, a physical inspection is always a best practice. That said, physical inspection at the time of purchase is not always possible. This is especially true if shopping online. Therefore, it is best to check online reviews and understand the return policy. If returns are not permitted, it could be a sign that the vendor is not reputable. I say this because any vendor that is worth their weight in salt will stand behind their product.


Knowing that record condition rating is not an exact science and subjectivity weighs in on the grading process, by following the universal grading system outlined below we can improve the odds of making a good purchasing decision.


Vinyl Record Grading System

  • Mint (M) – Absolutely perfect and in a condition that represents a new unopened purchase. A mint rating communicates that the record has never been played, may still be sealed, has hyper-stickers, and the jacket is not bent. Think as good as a new release.

  • Near Mint (NM) – The record may have very limited and barely noticeable wear. This includes the jacket, inner sleeve, and vinyl. The vinyl looks glossy, and it is evident that it has only been played a few times. There are no marks on the vinyl and the entire contents of the original package are in place and complete.

  • Excellent (E) – Similar in many ways to NM, but there may be a few very light marks from the vinyl being slid in and out of the inner sleeve. There may also be signs of light wear. For the most part, the record itself has been played very few times and the vinyl is still glossy.

  • Very Good Plus (VG+) – A step down from Excellent. However, the record is visually acceptable. There may be visible wear to the jacket, inner sleeve, and vinyl record itself. When listened to, marks on the vinyl should not be audible. There should be very few, if any, background pops and clicks.

  • Very Good (VG) – Very good records have been played a few times. However, the owner that loved the music also showed a reasonable amount of love to the vinyl. The jacket and sleeve may be fairly worn, and the vinyl may have dulled from use. However, the record is still usable. Light pops and clicks may be present. The vinyl may show light scratches. The jacket may show signs of edge splitting. The inner sleeve may be torn from the vinyl slicing the seam. A very good record can be listened to and enjoyed, but it is visually and audibly a used record.

  • Good (G) – Good can be a very misleading rating. To me a rating of Good screams “I’ve been over played” and maybe not taken care of very well. The vinyl will be scratched, scraped and the gloss pretty much gone. The jacket will be bent, worn, split, or have water marks. The inner sleeve will be torn and possibly not original if present at all.

  • Poor (P) or Fair (F) - Nike’s slogan is “Just Do It”. Your rule of thumb for a Poor or Fair record should be the slogan of D.A.R.E., which is to “Just Say No.” The record will be scraped and scratched and possibly with deep scratched, causing it to skip when played. There will be no gloss. As a matter of fact, it will probably look dull or cloudy and warped. The jacket will be beat up and possibly taped together. The same may be true for the inner sleeve if there is one. Attempting to listen to such a record will cause you frustration and be unpleasant. The pops, clicks, skips, and hissing will make the overall experience very bad, which is beyond its rating of poor.

When working through the decision-making process, try your best to evaluate vinyl under bright light, tilting the record to catch reflective angles that may reveal defects in the vinyl surface. Note that some records can look superficially perfect but have a small flaw in an isolated area that may only include a few grooves. Be sure to look at the very beginning of the first track on each side, as this is where the needle drops and can be a place where damage to the record is most likely to occur. This is also where people tend to grip the record as the pull it from the inner sleeve, leaving fingerprints, which will usually attract dust and grime.


The presence of fine hairlines and lite scuffs may have been the result of leaving a record out after it was played and not returning it to its inner sleeve. It can also be a result of a paper inner sleeve. No matter the cause, fine lines and scuffs are very common and usually do not affect heavy weight vinyl, such as 180-gram or 200-gram pressings. Any scratches that standout and can be felt are a reason to reject a record.


Click here to learn more about grading vinyl records.

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