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The Mono Stereo Records Guarantee of Satisfaction

We guarantee that the item you purchase will be the item as described – if, for any reason whatsoever, you are unhappy with your item please contact us and we will resolve the problem to your utmost satisfaction. You are welcome to return any item within 14 days of receipt for an exchange, or full refund.

None of the above affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

Grading of vinyl and Sleeve

We have been grading vinyl for over 30 years and pride ourselves on our accuracy – we generally grade visually as we simply do not have time to play grade everything. All our items are FULLY GUARANTEED (see above) for your full peace of mind.

We use the UK Record Collector Magazine grading guide – this is the accepted standard for UK used vinyl. Here it is explained in detail:

MINT (M): The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT (EX): The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD (VG): The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD (G): The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection filler.”

As well as the above grades, Near Mint (NM) is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them, or if it is ex shop stock and may have minor storage wear on the sleeve.

For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and – are also often added to the grading.

In addition to the basic grading, any individual faults will be noted separately such as if an otherwise excellent cover has a name written on it, or if there is a seam split etc.

Cleaning Vinyl

Vinyl is not cleaned prior to listing – as we know that many collectors have their own method of cleaning. We are happy to hand clean the vinyl before sending if you require – please send us a message with payment.