Last Updated on 27 January 2026 by Massimo M.
How do you evaluate the quality of a vinyl to buy for your collection?
It is not easy to evaluate the quality of a vinyl especially when purchasing on the internet.
When the honesty of those who sell the vinyl is granted, there are many aspects to evaluate the physical state of the record, the condition of the cover, the year of printing, etc.
There are also characteristics that take on more or less value depending on the character of the collection being made and these are, for the most part, subjective and cannot be parameterized.
However, as regards the physical state of the record we are about to purchase, there is a conventional system that has long been adopted throughout the world. This system adopts specific acronyms that indicate the status of the disk.
It is important to know their meaning because, I repeat, they are the most used way to communicate the state of conservation of the disk.
Evaluation of record
M = Mint. Record never listened to.
NM = Near Mint. Record played a very low number of times. Perfect in its external condition and without listening defects.
EX = Excellent. Record listened to a few times.
VG = Very good. Record listened to several times, good sound quality
G = Good Record much listened, decent sound quality
F = Fair. Record listened to a lot
P = Poor. Record treated without care. Insufficient sound quality, “jumps” when listening.
B = Bad. Record in very poor condition.
BB = Broken. Broken or even just chipped disc
Cover evaluation
The evaluation criteria applied to vinyl also extend to the external cover of the record.
M = Mint Cover never open, sealed with original cellophane
EX = Excellent Cover almost new.
VG = Very goodCover and any good inserts. Be careful of the cuts that the vinyl itself sometimes causes on the envelopes even after being put away two or three times.
G = GoodCover and any inserts not perfect. I recommend that you always read up before making a purchase because the inserts often reproduce photos, song lyrics or translations of the same.
F = FairCover and any inserts with notable signs of wear, such as creases and tears.
P = PoorCover, label and any inserts seriously damaged or incomplete
NO = None Without cover or not original cover
As you can see, the evaluation is essentially visual. This could be a problem for the most demanding because a brand new record (or in any case in perfect condition) is listened to even a few times on a turntable with a worn or poor-quality head or one mounted incorrectly on the arm. , is irremediably damaged.
It is therefore possible that a record declared Near Mint is such only because no marks or streaks can be seen on the vinyl but without any certainty as to how the record was played and which arm and head traveled the very delicate grooves.
Finally, I would also like to point out a problem that has often been encountered in recent years. It happens that you buy badly printed records that are unacceptable from a sound point of view right from the first playback. If these, instead of being returned to the seller, are put on the market you could find yourself in your hands with a physically perfect but actually malfunctioning disc.
So be careful with your purchases.
If you are interested into topics related to record collecting, take a look at the guides page.
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