Grading guide
One set of grades for everything on Analog Renaissance. Records have had collector grades for decades; tapes, video and discs never had a shared standard, so here's ours.
Grading honestly
- Grade under a bright light, and play it if you can. Tick “Played & tested” only if you did.
- Grade the media itself, then describe the sleeve, case or jacket in your description.
- When you're torn between two grades, pick the lower one. Happy buyers come back.
- Photograph the flaws. Your photos are part of your grade.
Records
Vinyl LPs, 45s, 78s. Grade the record by how it plays, not just how it looks; describe the sleeve separately.
- NewNew / Sealed
- Factory sealed, never opened. Note any seam splits or corner dings on the shrink.
- MMint
- Unplayed and flawless. Rarely the right grade for anything used.
- NMNear Mint
- Looks and plays like new. Maybe a faint scuff from the sleeve, no sound from it.
- G+Good Plus
- Light to moderate wear: scuffs, hairlines, maybe some surface noise in quiet parts. Plays through cleanly with the music in front. Most used records land here.
- GGood
- Heavy wear and steady noise, but plays all the way through without skipping.
- F/PFair / Poor
- Skips, cracks, warps, or won't play cleanly. For the label or the cover art only.
Cassettes, 8-tracks, reels & DAT
Play both sides if you can. Check the tape itself: no wrinkles, no sticky or shedding tape, pads still in place (cassettes), splice and foil intact (8-tracks).
- NewNew / Sealed
- Sealed in the original wrap.
- MMint
- Unplayed, perfect shell and case. Tape wound tight to the start.
- NMNear Mint
- Plays like new on both sides: full highs, no dropouts. Shell and inlay crisp.
- G+Good Plus
- Plays well on both sides, maybe a little hiss or slightly dull highs. Case scratched or cracked, inlay worn or creased.
- GGood
- Noticeable warble, dropouts or muffled sound, but plays all the way through.
- F/PFair / Poor
- Tape snapped, eaten, sticky or shedding. Missing pads. For parts or the inlay.
VHS & Betamax
Run it in a working deck for a few minutes at the start, middle and end. Check the window for mold (white speckles or webbing on the tape): moldy tapes damage players, so always say so.
- NewNew / Sealed
- Factory sealed. Watermark or hologram on the shrink if it had one.
- MMint
- Unplayed. Perfect sleeve or clamshell, no stickers.
- NMNear Mint
- Sharp picture, steady tracking, clean sound. Sleeve like new.
- G+Good Plus
- Plays well; maybe some tracking lines at the start or here and there. Shelf wear, rental stickers, rubbed box edges.
- GGood
- Frequent tracking issues or a worn picture, but watchable start to finish. Box heavily worn or missing.
- F/PFair / Poor
- Mold, creased tape, or won't play through. For the cover art or as a collectible shell.
CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, LaserDisc & MiniDisc
Hold the disc under a bright light at an angle. Scratches across the disc (from the center out) matter less than ones that follow the track around.
- NewNew / Sealed
- Factory sealed.
- MMint
- Unplayed, no marks at all. Booklet and case perfect.
- NMNear Mint
- No visible scratches. Plays perfectly. Case and booklet crisp.
- G+Good Plus
- Light to visible scratches, plays through without skipping. Case or booklet worn, creased or cracked.
- GGood
- Heavy scratching; may stutter in a spot but plays through. Missing booklet or artwork. LaserDisc: some rot speckles but plays.
- F/PFair / Poor
- Won't play through, cracked or delaminating. LaserDisc: heavy disc rot.
Books & sheet music
Flip every page. Mention writing, highlighting, ex-library marks, missing dust jackets and whether it's a first edition (check the copyright page).
- NewNew / Sealed
- Unread and in the publisher's wrap, or straight from a bookstore.
- MMint
- Unread and flawless. Dust jacket (if any) perfect.
- NMNear Mint
- Looks unread. Tight spine, clean pages, no marks.
- G+Good Plus
- Read and shows it a little: shelf wear, spine creasing, a name inside the cover or light page tanning. Nothing missing.
- GGood
- Well worn: loose spine, notes or highlighting, stains or a torn jacket. All pages present.
- F/PFair / Poor
- Missing pages, water damage or broken binding. A reading copy at best.
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