"Near Mint" vs "Very Good Plus" !

"Near Mint" or "Very Good Plus"?

That's the question.

It's often a matter of luck:

You can buy a record graded "Very Good Plus" and receive a copy that's actually very close to "Near Mint" - that has happened to me many times.

And I've also bought records graded "Near Mint" and received copies that were closer to "Very Good-" conditions… that has happened too.

Here's the story.

When I started buying records on DiscoGS in 2014, I only chose copies graded "Near Mint" - and strictly UK pressings.

At that time, it was possible to buy excellent UK records for less than 10 euros plus shipping. Not today.

Brexit has made importing records into Italy more complicated and expensive: more taxes (VAT), customs controls, and longer waiting times…

So now I mostly buy records from Germany and Italy, where UK pressings are harder to find. Here in Italy, these are almost always overpriced. 

But when you're on DiscoGS looking to buy a record, the question is always the same, regardless of the country: 

"Near Mint" or "Very Good Plus" ?

NM or VG+ ?

Lately, I've noticed that a "Near Mint" grading is often used as a reason to overprice records - especially when we're talking about first pressing by famous bands. The difference can be 20 or 30 euros compared to a VG+ copy.

For example:

 

In January, I was looking for "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying" by Megadeth, an original 1986 release.

There were seeral "Near Mint" copies priced between 65, 80, and even 115 euros... crazy!

I found and bought mine in Germany: graded VG+ at 33 euros, complete with the original inner sleeve (OIS).

The record arrived very dirty, covered in heavy dust, but fortunately with no scratches. 

An ultrasonic wash and a careful cleaning of the sleeve brought my copy of "Peace Sells" back to life.

So if I can't find a "Near Mint" copy of a record I'm interested in, I will buy a "Very Good Plus" one -but not lower!- without fear. A good cleaning can solve many problems. 

The point is this: vinyl is an old format, full of lovely imperfections. 

If you want perfection, buy CDs or download FLAC files.

Thanks for reading and see you on Sunday!

~ Chris ~