The area around the spindle hole should be pretty much free of spindle trace marks, or at least only have the minimum of these marks. In other words, it is close to being Mint but not quite close enough to describe as such.
There may be the very slightest crease marks on the sleeve, or the laminate may have lifted in small areas without detracting too much from it's overall appearance. EXCELLENT (EX)/(EX+)/(EX-).
There will be indications on the vinyl surface that the record has been played, possibly several times but at the same time, it has been well cared for. There should be very little deterioration in the listening experience.
The sleeve/jacket could have minor creasing and/or signs of storage wear/discoloration, particularly on the back. EX- would indicate that the record would qualify for an EX grading apart from perhaps a small initial written on the label or sleeve or a scuff on the label or other very minor defect which does not affect the overall appearance or sound quality of the item. VERY GOOD (VG)/(VG+)/(VG-). The record will show significant signs of having been'well played', it will show surface scratches and/or scuffs but will still play nicely without too much background noise. The cover and extras (lyric sheets etc) will also have creases or normal wear characteristics which are usually acceptable for this grade.
VG+ and VG- are simply up and down variations on this grading, depending on the degree of wear and tear. The record has obviously been played or mis-treated so much that the sound quality is not what it used to be, but may be acceptable depending on the criteria of the individual collector. It will have several surface scratches and/or other defects but may still be useful as a'gap filler' within a collection. The sleeve will probably be creased badly, torn or repaired with sellotape.
Album sleeves may have crushed or damaged spines caused by bad storage etc. This grade may be only just about playable, with'skips and jumps' and not really worth having UNLESS it is exceptionally rare, in which case it could serve as a'gap filler'. I will not list any item in this condition unless it was mega-rare and this would be shown clearly in the description, so that there is no doubt about it. This item is in the category "Music\Vinyl Records". The seller is "rayrobraymond" and is located in this country: GB. This item can be shipped worldwide.