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What do VG+, EX and VG mean for vinyl records?

How we grade by the Goldmine standard

Every used record we sell gets two grades: one for the media and one for the cover. The scale runs from NEW through EX, VG and G to F and W. A plus or minus shows whether the condition is slightly better or slightly worse than the grade. Every record is cleaned and checked.

Browse records in: EXVG+VG
Grades at a glance
M Mint The record and the cover are as new or genuinely new. Also listed as ‘NEU’ (German for new) or ‘still sealed’.
EX Excellent Few signs of use, a slight loss of sound quality. The cover shows slight wear.
VG Very Good Small scratches or light surface noise may occur. The cover may have small tears but is still usable.
G Good The record has lost quality and has heavy scratches. The cover shows damage.
F Fair The record has been played more than average. Scratches and background noise are clearly audible. The cover is badly damaged, often torn or heavily soiled.
W Worn The record is just about playable, but with a severe loss of quality. Practically only of archive value. The cover is very badly damaged.

A + or − after the grade means slightly better or slightly worse than that grade. So VG+ is better than VG, but not yet EX.

What our condition grades mean

We grade the media and the cover separately, because a record can sound almost like new and still come in a worn cover, and vice versa. The grade is often followed by a note in brackets, for example ‘vg+ (Hairlines)’. It says exactly what we saw and often matters more than the grade itself.

NEWNew · M · Mint · still sealed

Media

New or as good as new, with no signs of play, often still in the original shrink-wrap (‘still sealed’).

If a listing says ‘still sealed’ or ‘neu und verschweißt’ (German for new and sealed), the shrink-wrap is still intact, so we have not unwrapped the record inside. For us, M, Mint and NEU (German for new) mean the same as NEW.

Cover

New or as good as new, often still in the original shrink-wrap.

EXExcellent

Media

Hardly any signs of use; the sound is at most slightly affected.

An EX record has been played, but it hardly shows. On close inspection there may be the odd fine mark on the surface. When listening, you would notice them at most in very quiet passages. EX is the best grade we give a played record. Only NEW ranks higher.

Of our available records, 6% are graded EX or EX− for the media.

Cover

The cover shows only slight wear.

EX covers are rare in our stock.

EX−between EX and VG+

Media

Between EX and VG+, but closer to EX: very well preserved, with slightly more signs of use than an EX record.

Cover

Between EX and VG+, but closer to EX: only lightly worn.

VG+Very Good Plus

Media

Slightly better than VG, but not yet EX: light signs of use, the odd fine scratch or hairlines.

VG+ is our most common grade: 54% of our available records carry it for the media.

The record has visibly been played but is well preserved. There may be light signs of use, the odd fine scratch or hairlines, meaning fine, hair-like marks in the surface. In quiet passages you may hear light surface noise.

Cover

Slightly better than VG, but not yet EX: light signs of use, such as light ringwear or slightly bumped edges.

VG+ is also the most common grade for covers in our stock (31%).

Typical signs are a light impression of the record on the cover (ringwear), slightly worn corners or a stamp. Such features are noted in the brackets.

VGVery Good

Media

Visibly played: small scratches and light surface noise may occur.

A VG record has signs of play that you can see and, in places, hear: small scratches, light surface noise or crackle. How pronounced this is on an individual record is often noted in the brackets. If it says ‘spielt aber gut’ (German for ‘but plays well’), we have listened to the record.

Cover

Clear signs of use, small tears are possible too, but the cover is still perfectly usable.

Typical of a VG cover are ringwear, worn edges, a small tear at the opening or writing (WOC).

Available now in VG

Snapshot 16 Oct 2026
See all LPsSee all maxi singles Most records there are VG+ or VG.
VG−between VG and G+

Media

Slightly worse than VG, but not yet G+: more noticeable scratches, surface noise or crackle can be heard.

Cover

Slightly worse than VG: heavier wear, such as tears at the opening, seam splits or taped areas.

G+between G and VG−

Media

Slightly better than G: clearly played, but with fewer scratches and less noise than a G record.

Cover

Slightly better than G.

GGood

Media

The record has lost quality: heavy scratches, surface noise and crackle are clearly audible.

Cover

The cover shows damage: larger tears, seam splits, stains or taped repairs.

FFair

Media

Heavily played: scratches and background noise are clearly audible throughout.

Cover

Badly damaged, often torn or heavily soiled.

WWorn · lowest grade

Media

Our lowest grade: just about playable, with a severe loss of quality, and mainly of interest for a collection.

Cover

Our lowest grade: very badly damaged.

FLC · KLC · LCDie-cut covers

Many singles and maxi singles do not come in a picture cover but in a cover with a round hole in the middle, through which you can see the label. This is a die-cut cover, in German ‘Lochcover’, which is where our abbreviations come from. A die-cut cover is not a condition grade but a type of packaging.

FLC – Company cover: Die-cut cover from the record company, usually printed with its logo.

KLC – Artist cover: Die-cut cover designed for the artist.

LC – Plain die-cut cover: Plain die-cut cover without the record company’s print.

If the abbreviation is followed by a grade, such as ‘FLC vg+’, the grade describes the condition of the die-cut cover.

Available now in a company cover

Snapshot 16 Oct 2026

What signs of wear look like

The features in brackets can be described, but they are easier to understand when you see them. Here we show them on records currently available from us, each with the original photo and our description. Our notes are written in German, so the German term is given in brackets.

How to read our condition notes

On the product page you will see, for example:

Cover condition: vg/vg- WOC – siehe Foto
Media condition: vg+ (Hairlines)
  • Cover and media are graded separately. Media means the record itself.
  • vg/vg- is an in-between grade: the condition lies between VG and VG−. About one in four of our records have a grade like this, most often vg/vg+.
  • WOC means that the cover has writing or a stamp on it.
  • siehe Foto: German for ‘see photo’: the feature can be seen in the photos of this very copy.
  • vg+ (Hairlines): The record is VG+, and the fine marks are the reason it is not graded higher.
  • akkustisch: German for ‘by ear’: we listened to the record and graded it by its sound, for example ‘optisch g, akkustisch vg’ (visually G, by ear VG).
  • Grades are shown in lower case on the product page, so vg+ is the same as VG+.

A real entry from our stock (optisch = visually, akkustisch = by ear) that shows why the note in brackets matters: optisch vg-/g+, akkustisch vg

Abbreviations

Cover = the record sleeve · Label = the paper label in the centre of the record
+ / − Slightly better (+) or slightly worse (−) than the grade. Better than VG but not yet EX is VG+. Closer to EX than to VG is EX−.
CO Cut Out: the cover or label has a short cut, a clipped corner or a punched hole. This is how the record industry or shops marked remaindered stock.
FLC · KLC · LC Company, artist and plain die-cut covers (see above).
FOC Fold Out Cover: gatefold cover.
RI Reissue: re-release or repressing.
WOC Written on Cover: the cover has writing or a stamp on it.
WOL Written on Label: the label has writing or a stamp on it.
Repro cover A reprinted cover, not the original.
Label The paper label in the centre of the record.
Media The record itself, as opposed to its cover.

Our stock in numbers

As of 16 Oct 2026, 38,017 records available. The figures update automatically with our stock.

54%have VG+ for the media
1 in 4has an in-between grade such as vg/vg+
15%of covers show ringwear, the most common feature
14%come in a die-cut cover

Media

VG+54.2%
VG/VG+17.8%
VG12.1%
EX4.9%
VG/VG−2.9%
VG+/EX−2.4%
other5.7%

Cover

VG+31.1%
VG20.9%
VG/VG+14.8%
FLC8.7%
VG/VG−8.0%
VG−6.6%
LC4.9%
other5.0%

How we check

Every record is cleaned and checked.

We grade the media and the cover separately, each with a grade and, where there is something to say, a note in brackets.

Jürgen Haase · About us · last updated

Questions

Which is better, VG+ or EX?

EX. From top to bottom, the order is NEW, EX, VG, G, F, W. VG+ sits just below EX, and EX− just above VG+.

Why do the media and the cover have different grades?

Because they age differently. A well-treated record can come in a worn cover. With two grades, you can see what you are paying for.

What does vg/vg+ mean?

The condition lies between VG and VG+.

Is a VG record good to listen to?

A VG record has marks that you can hear in places, such as light surface noise or crackle. Whether that bothers you depends on the music and on what you expect. Anything we noticed on the individual record is noted in the brackets.

Is a die-cut cover a defect?

No. A die-cut cover is a type of packaging, not a condition grade. Many singles were sold like this.

What does ‘siehe Foto’ mean?

It is German for ‘see photo’: the feature described can be seen in the photos of this very copy.

Ask us about a record

A question about a specific record?

Write to us and include the link to the record.

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