Meet Mephistopheles
Chief Kittycat Officer · Esteemed Member of the Interdimensional Council of Kittycats
Mephistopheles doesn't work here so much as preside. As Chief Kittycat Officer, he governs all matters of taste, temperature, and which cardboard box currently reigns as finest in the realm. Between sessions of the Interdimensional Council of Kittycats, he conducts quality control from atop the record crates -- holding every album to standards that are exacting, inscrutable, and faintly menacing. If a record has earned his nap, it has earned your shelf.
Goldmine Grading
The Goldmine Grading Scale is the official industry-standard system used to evaluate the physical condition of vinyl records and their packaging. Developed by Goldmine magazine in 1974, this system is used by Discogs, eBay, worldwide independent record shops, as well as online marketplaces, like ourselves.
How It Works
Visual Inspection: The standard relies primarily on a visual look under good lighting, though serious flaws can be play-tested.
The Grades (Best to Worst)
Mint (M): perfect, unplayed condition, usually still factory sealed.
Near Mint (NM or M-): shiny, free of visible defects. A record that has been opened, handled or played a handful of times yet still in pristine condition or still has glossy look.
Very Good Plus (VG+): shows minor signs of use, maybe 2-3 light scratches, light scuffs or a slight sleeve rub that does not compromise the listening experience.
Very Good (VG): It's seen a bit of life, but is still usable. Light pops and clicks, an edge split, light visible scratches. Noticeable surface wear and mild background noise, but it will not skip.
Good Plus (G+) / Very Good Minus (VG–): Shows deeper scuffs, heavier wear, and noticeable surface noise, but remains playable.
Good (G): Significant surface noise and groove wear. Will play through without skipping, but noise is constant.
Fair (F): Cracked, heavily scraped, or warped; mostly useful as a filler copy until a better one is found.
Poor (P): nearly unplayable. Damaged severely with deep scratches or water damage; skips continuously or won't track.
For further information on Goldmine Grading click/use the following link…
https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/record-grading/record-grading-101/
Vintage Vinyl
From crate-dug rarities to the records that raised us, every title at Monroe Trading is a hand-picked original -- no repress bins, no filler. We deal in vintage vinyl across the eras: soundtracks & scores, holiday classics, compilations, and the A-to-Z of artists worth spinning. Before any record earns our name, it's analyzed, cleaned, reconditioned, and honestly graded -- so each arrives with its history intact, its sound restored, and its true condition spelled out. Ready for a turntable, not a landfill. And every grade we give follows one rule: the collector's Goldmine Grading Standard.
The MonroeTrading.Co Standard
Procured & Researched
We hunt down each album and dig into its pressing, edition, and provenance, so you know exactly what you're getting.
Cleaned & Reconditioned
Every record is washed and its jacket reconditioned, coaxing back as much original luster as the years allow.
Protected & Graded
Sleeved in fresh polyethylene inner sleeves to protect against scratches and blemishes, then honestly graded and priced by the Goldmine Grading standard.