How We Grade Records (Goldmine Standard)
How we grade records.
Every record we sell at Big Black Cow Records is graded to the Goldmine standard, the scale most collectors and Discogs sellers use. Grading is how you know what you’re getting before the box shows up. Here’s what each grade means and how we use it.
Two grades on every listing.
The vinyl and the cover wear differently, so we grade them separately. Our used-record listings show a Media Condition (the disc) and a Sleeve Condition (the jacket), followed by notes on anything you should know: surface marks, seam splits, writing, stickers, or missing inserts. The notes also say how the disc was graded, for example “visually graded.”
The Goldmine grades.
- Vinyl
- Perfect in every way. Usually still sealed. Rarely used for anything opened.
- Sleeve
- Perfect, no wear at all.
- Vinyl
- Looks and plays like new. No marks visible under good light.
- Sleeve
- Looks nearly new. No splits, writing or ring wear.
- Vinyl
- Light signs of play, like faint scuffs or hairlines, that don’t affect the sound. A great copy.
- Sleeve
- Minor wear, a slight crease or light corner wear.
- Vinyl
- Visible light scratches. Some surface noise in quiet passages, but the music comes through.
- Sleeve
- Noticeable wear: ring wear, small seam splits, writing or a sticker.
- Vinyl
- Plays through without skipping, with constant surface noise. A filler copy until a better one comes along.
- Sleeve
- Heavy wear, splits, tape or water marks.
- Vinyl
- Skips, warps or cracks. Rarely worth selling on its own.
- Sleeve
- Badly damaged or missing pieces.
Why grade matters for price.
Condition drives value more than anything else. The same pressing can sell for several times more at Near Mint than at Very Good. That’s why we grade carefully and describe flaws plainly. Wondering what your own records are worth? Start with our guide: What are my old records worth?
Protect the grade.
A record keeps its grade only as long as it’s cared for. Dust and fingerprints add surface noise, and a scuffed or split jacket drops the sleeve grade. Every used record we sell is cleaned with the Spin-Clean Record Washer before it’s graded and sleeved.
The Spin-Clean method How we clean every used record. See how we clean →The same Spin-Clean gear we use, from our Vinyl Care shop:
Our track record.
“The grading was spot on.”
Across Discogs and Whatnot. If something doesn’t match its description, see our return policy.
Shop graded vinyl.
Hundreds of used records, every one graded to the Goldmine standard.
Browse the cratesSelling a collection? We buy records across the Gulf Coast.