CONDITION GUIDE:
We offer hard to find, out of print, rare and/or obscure records, so we scour attics, basements, storage units, and dead stock to find the highest quality vinyl records, tapes, CDs, DVDs, etc. by Northwest artists that we can find. Most of what we offer is in like-new condition and a lot of it has never seen a retail environment. We try (but don’t always have the chance) to wash less than MINT and NEAR MINT appearing items which is not standard practice. Everything comes in fresh vinyl or mylar protective slipcovers.

We grade visually which is typical, and our grading system is more or less the collector standards used by Goldmine Magazine, and Discogs. We’re also collectors, so we bring years of experience into our assessments.  However, grading is as much art as it is science so occasional mistakes and/or friendly disagreements in grading are also part of record collecting.  We do the best, most honest work we can, but if you feel what you’ve bought doesn’t match our system, let us know.  We want you to be happy.

Corners may have minor damage from being taken out of and into shelves.

RECORDS, TAPES, CDs AND DVDs

MINT (M)
(M) media is unplayed and in perfect condition.  Packaging is in perfect condition. (M) items are those that appear to come directly from the factory.
NEAR MINT (NM)
(NM) media looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time. No visible defects, or writing on label. Very often there is no difference between (M) media and (NM) though (NM) may have been played without any signs of it. Covers are in perfect or near-perfect shape. No ring wear or seam splits.VERY GOOD (VG)
(VG) media may have surface noise, and some scratches may be audible in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.  VG records will still provide an enjoyable listen.
Covers may have many signs of human handling. Ring wear signs of wear along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. There may be stamps, minor writing  or price tags on them.
VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
(VG+) media may have been played, but there is very little visible damage. Minor signs of handling, scuffs or light surface scratches might show, but will not affect the play. Most collectors, especially those who want to play their records, will be more than happy with VG+ media. Covers may have very light ring wear or very light discoloration that doesn’t detract from the design.
GOOD (G)
(G) media may have significant surface noise but still plays through without skipping, although the label may be worn or damaged.
Covers may have significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage from removal of tape or stickers. May have major writing on them. We only sell GOOD items if they are difficult to find or have historic significance.
POOR (P)
(P) media may be cracked, significantly warped, or skip repeatedly.  We only sell POOR media if they are rare, hard to find, or have historic significance.
Covers are heavily damaged. Occasionally we sell covers in POOR condition if they accompany a higher grade of media.  A NM record with a highly damaged cover would be an example.

BOOKS & JOURNALS

NEW (N)
An (N) book appears unused, unread, clean and in new condition. Covers and dust jackets appear new, and undamaged.
FINE (F)
An (F) book appears in (N) condition, except may have signs of having been carefully opened or carefully  (carefully) read. Covers or dust jackets may have light signs of wear.
VERY GOOD (VG) – A VG book may show signs of use, but is still a very nice copy. Covers or dust jackets may have signs of being used, but no significant damage.
GOOD (G)
A (G) book will  have all pages present and fully intact and readable, but may have signs of wear to boards or text.  Covers and dust jackets may show significant wear, including wear to the dust jacket, boards or textblock.
FAIR (F)
An (F) book may show noticeable wear, with the potential for non-essential pages to be missing or damaged. Illustrations must be intact, but may have damage. The cover or dust jacket is original but may have significant damage. We only offer (F) books if the item is rare, hard-to-find or is of historical significance.
POOR (P)
A (P) book may have significant wear, damage or flaws, but the text is still readable. The cover is original but may have significant damage. We only offer (P)  condition if the item is rare, hard to find or has historical significance or if it accompanies a higher grade book that is rare, hard-to-find or of historical significance

UNGRADED & DAMAGED ITEMS

UNGRADED (UG)
(UG) media are used items with only minimal inspection. The media may range from (G) to (M) condition. We only check them to see if they appear to be playable, readable or minimally fit for display.
SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED (SD)
(SD) items are generally unplayable, unreadable, or so damaged they are practically unusable. They may be cracked, ripped, torn, warped, unwound, have significant surface damage.or any other significant damage. We rarely offer (SD) items, and only if they are rare, hard to find, or historically significant.