The Lore Scale
Condition is graded against one published standard, not a seller's mood. You self-grade with the criteria below; buyers can dispute within the confirmation window, and trained graders arbitrate. Discogs ran vinyl this way for decades at near-zero cost — the standard is the trust. Certified physical grading arrives later, only where the fee justifies it.
No shelf wear, spray crisp and unfaded, no spine lean, all inserts present, unread.
Unread, and handled with care. Minute corner softening allowed; spray edges intact; no creases, marks or fading.
Read gently or displayed. Light shelf wear, small edge fraying or minor spray rubbing visible on close inspection. No structural faults. Displays beautifully.
Honest wear: mild spine lean or spine crease, light edge fading, small jacket nicks or a minor crease. Complete and solid; no writing, water damage or repairs.
Complete but flawed — inscriptions, damage, missing inserts. Listed with mandatory flaw photos; excluded from investment-grade sales.
Per-point photo criteria — exactly what a C9 spray edge or a C7 spine lean looks like — are published against each grade as reference photography lands in the marketplace. Certified physical grading follows only where the fee justifies it.
A working standard, v0.2 — grade definitions and thresholds are validated against real sold-price data and collector feedback, not fixed in stone.
Seen a Lore number on a listing or in a photo? Check the copy it belongs to.