Tanja Jonak, soldes Im Tal der 1000 Tränen, Polydor 883 597-7 Single, 7" 1985

HOW I GRADE RECORDS

MINT -- Pretty darn close to perfect or like new. Record should have no scuffs, blotches, stains, certainly NO SCRATCHES, no buffs, no marks of any kind; cover (and inserts) no split seams, tears, writing, dents, wrinkles, no flaws or blemishes of any kind. Neither should exhibit signs of aging. Vinyl should retain its original luster. Cover and inserts should have bright and vibrant colours.
NEAR MINT -- Vinyl has only 1 or 2 minor surface flaws that do NOT affect play. Cover shows SLIGHT wear or age.
EXCELLENT -- Vinyl has more than a couple of minor flaws but play is still NOT affected; spindle marks might be present. Cover shows only modest wear. Some groove noises (soft crackles )can beaudible .

VERY GOOD -- Record has a few hairline marks which may produce the random click. Any extraneous noise should be minimal and should NOT distract from enjoyment of the recorded work. These types of marks are usually made by sliding the record in and out of some kind of unfriendly inner sleeve and not by a needle. Cover shows modest shelf wear but looks good and is very sturdy.
GOOD -- GOOD means GOOD, not BAD! A GOOD record is a joy to own and wonderful to hear. It may be only marginally a "showcase" piece but it is a very very very very nice listening copy. Any scratches are light and produce soft and intermittent extraneous noise. There should be no startling pops or clicks, no distortion, and minimal surface noise. Your enjoyment of the recorded sound should NOT be hampered; you should be able to listen to the entire record without pulling your hair out or cursing the person you bought it from. A GOOD cover is sturdy with perhaps some fraying along the seams and moderate shelf wear. Surfaces should be pretty darn clean and colours bright. Signs of aging might be present. A GOOD record is NOT simply a filler piece that you discard when a better copy comes along. A GOOD record is a keeper.
I dont grade below GOOD because I dont deal with items below this range. I will sometimes use "+" or "MINUS" to fine-tune a grade.