Fancy a Mint?

[The Grand Wazoo]

So what does (or should) Mint condition mean, then?

When I was a kid, I inherited a stamp collection from my grandfather. I wasn't really interested in stamps, but they made a fairly impressive bundle of artifacts to a 12 year old - Penny Blacks and suchlike all lovingly enshrined in Stanley Gibbons finest album.

During the first few weeks of my ownership, when the a new concept appeared over the horizon and it seemed vaguely interesting, I did a little reading and discovered that 'Mint' meant that a stamp had never been used and it was in the same condition as it had been when it was printed. The term comes from coin collecting - being in the same condition as it left the mint. Of course, a used stamp is rather easier to spot than a used coin (postmarks being what they are).

This knowledge was the cause of the severely downward trend of my interest in philately, because me old grand-pappy's stamp album was not the priceless item that could fund my carefully plotted extravagant future lifestyle, despite what the grown-up's had told me!

So, nowadays, I constantly see things being described as being in Mint condition and they quite patently do not meet the 'never been used' standard that I know this word to mean. This goes for hi-fi and records/CD's equally.

What do you guys think?
What do you call mint condition?

[Spectral Morn]

As new, no marks, blemishes, complete with original packaging and all accessories.....that is what Mint means to me. Or to put it simply anything Andre sells :)


Regards D S D L

[Alex_UK]

I agree - it is particularly relevant to vinyl, and it should mean it has no signs whatsoever of being played (not saying it hasn't been played, because I doubt one or two plays would make much difference) but there are too many variables in vinyl condition descriptions. This is what I've been using in the cataloguing of the vinyl collection I recently acquired and am currently going through:

MINT: 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: 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: 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: 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, discoloration, 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.

(I nicked it from an ebay ad, but didn't note which one, so no idea if this is a recognised grading method, but seemed sensible to me...)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hey, nice one Alex!
This would be a good time to check out the Art of Sound Library!
Basics & General: Record Grading System
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3875

[Alex_UK]

Nice "nudge" Chris! (I too have my Grandfather's stamp collection waiting for a rainy day when I will suddenly realise that I have been a multi-millionaire all along! I'm sure some of those triangular shaped ones must be worth a mint... ;))

[The Grand Wazoo]

Nice "nudge" Chris!
Ha, I promise, that wasn't the intention - I can't think that far ahead!

(I too have my Grandfather's stamp collection waiting for a rainy day when I will suddenly realise that I have been a multi-millionaire all along! I'm sure some of those triangular shaped ones must be worth a mint... ;))

Yeah, I've got plenty of those triangular ones - I blame Mrs Doyle! (Will ye have a sandwich Father? Go on, go on, go on, ye will, ye will, ye will - they're triangular)

[Alex_UK]

Now I'm going to bed with "Lovely Horse" reverberating round my brain ("we have to lose that sax solo"!) but let's not get off topic so soon into a thread! (for a change!)

[Beechwoods]

'Near Mint' is one of the most overused terms ever. Luckily, as far as media is concerned anything vg+ and above is normally good enough for me, and pictures of the cover normally manage my expectations sufficiently in that respect. I'm not buying gear any more because I've run out of space, so I now longer fret about the condition of that.

Regardless of the advertised condition, unless you pick up in person it's likely to end up in worse shape than advertised once transported anyway!

[The Grand Wazoo]

A trick I have for buying valuable records is to ask the vendor if they'll take a photo of the bottom edge of the sleeve. Unless it's been in a pvc outer & it's been on & off a shelf more than 2 or 3 times, you'll see it. If it has been in a sleeve, then the owner probably looked after it.
Not foolproof, but a pretty good move most times.