Here’s an easy to read and reference table version of the Discogs’ How To Grade Items instructions.
Enjoy it, use it, love it. And read the notes after the table.
Turn your phone to landscape orientation to see the table properly.
| Condition | Playgrade | Visual grade | Cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| M | Sealed, unopened. | Sealed, unopened. | Sealed, unopened. No issues, bends, etc. |
| NM | Plays perfectly with no issues at all. | Looks perfect and shows no signs of wear. | COVER is really in fantastic shape. Probably is still in shrink wrap, with the side of the shrink opened to access record. No creases, marks or problems. |
| VG+ | PLAYBACK is very clean with just a few occasional light pops or light static, mostly in quiet places. | VISUAL INSPECTION shows a very clean record with only superficial cosmetic marks that do not affect playback. | COVER is very clean, with only slight signs of wear. [Describe]
|
| VG | PLAYBACK is mostly clean, with occasional light static and surface noise, more noticeable in soft passages/intros/fades, but does not overpower the music. | VISUAL INSPECTION is mostly clean, but with a few light scratches and marks that affect the sound (as listed previously). | COVER is mostly clean, the standout issues being: [Describe]
|
| G+ | PLAYBACK is loud and without skipping, albeit with moderate surface noise. | VISUAL INSPECTION shows a moderate to fair amount of light/non-deep scratches & visible groove wear that affect the sound (as listed previously). | COVER shows a moderate amount of issues: [Describe]
|
| G | PLAYBACK is without skipping, albeit with very significant surface noise & "ticks" that accompany the playback. | VISUAL INSPECTION shows a lot scratches and visible groove wear that affect the sound (as listed previously). | COVER shows a lot of issues: [Describe]
|
| F Poor | PLAYBACK: The record does not play through without skipping or repeating. | VISUAL INSPECTION shows the record is trashed, with lots of marks, scratches and scuffs. | 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 split, crinkled, and written upon. |
What is this?
If you use Discogs, at some point you’re going to come across the question of how to grade your vinyl records. Discogs uses something called The Goldmine Standard, and their support page describing how to grade your items is here.
When buying a record from the Discogs Marketplace, from time to time you might receive an item in a condition that doesn’t match these grading instructions. Sometimes what you receive is not even close.
While accurate grading is ultimately the responsibility of the individual seller – I thought maybe the Discogs support article explaining how to grade could be improved upon.
The table above puts the Discogs grading instructions in a format that is easier to read and reference. As much as possible, I’ve used the actual verbiage from their support article.
No matter if you’re using Discogs to catalog the condition of your own collection, sell records, or both – this table should make things a bit easier for you.
If you’re selling something, you should be able to copy and paste the correct condition for your item from each of the 3 fields. I do.
What’s this ‘Visual grade’ column about?
Discogs has two main grading fields for record condition: Media condition and Sleeve condition.
Sleeve condition is straightforward.
Media condition is really a cross between two things: playback and a visual inspection.
Not all Discogs sellers go through the effort to listen to and playgrade an item, and so it’s helpful for buyers to know if the item for sale has been playgraded, graded visually, or both. The ideal is that both have been done.
Can you show me an example listing (Public Comments) using your table data?
This is a listing for a record in VG+/VG+ shape:
PLAYBACK is very clean with just a few occasional light pops or light static, mostly in quiet places. VISUAL INSPECTION shows a very clean record with only superficial cosmetic marks that do not affect playback. COVER is very clean, with only slight signs of wear (lightly dinged corner).
T.H.I.N.K. Post Eval:
True
Helpful
Inspiring
Necessary
Kind
