Hey there,
In April local and regional leading music store Swee Lee opened Swee Lee Clarke Quay, a gorgeous “experience store” best known on social media for its swanky listening stations.
As interest in - and access to - vinyl grow in Singapore, we thought we might share with you, how we grade our collection of preloved records (that we’re slowly building with inventory from The Retro Factory, as shared in an earlier Sincerely, Thryft!).
If you're new to vinyl, or want to start your own vinyl collection, read on!
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🌰 TL;DR 🌰 Me talking to serious vinyl collectors: Outside:  Inside: Trying to figure out what NM, M-, VG, VG+ mean 
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Going with Goldmine ⭐️
As an online store, it's crucial that we use a commonly used set of condition grades, so you know what you’re getting as best as possible! To this end, we’ve graded our vinyl against the Goldmine Standard, also referenced by Discogs (an extensive discography database and global online marketplace of vinyl, CDs and cassettes).
📝 STEP 1 OF 2
First, we inspect the covers/sleeves of our records. We take note of creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes and/or other defects.
Near Mint (NM/M-)
No creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes and/or other defects. At most slight handling.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
May find slight signs of wear, may be slightly marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or cut corner.
Very Good (VG)
Defects on a VG+ cover may be more pronounced on a VG cover.
📝 STEP 2 OF 2
Then, we study our records for visual wear.
Near Mint (NM/M-)
A NM/M- record has more than likely never been played. Vinyl should play perfectly. Record shows no obvious signs of wear.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
A VG+ record was likely played and handled by a previous owner, who took good care of it. Any defect is cosmetic; record surface may show slight wear (in the form of slight scuffs, very light scratches or spindle marks, for example) that shouldn’t affect listening.
Very Good (VG)
Defects in a VG+ record may be more pronounced in a VG record. Groove wear is possibly noticeable, as are light scratches that will affect sound. (Surface noise is likely evident upon playing, but shouldn’t overpower music.)
In our store, we grade both Media Condition (record) and Sleeve Condition (cover/sleeve), so you can make as informed a purchase, as possible!
Of course, each record is also accompanied by its tracklist, a list of associated genres and styles and, in the near future, a Spotify preview of the record’s tracklist.
Write in!
If you’ve got in mind genres or eras of music you’d like us to source for! Otherwise, browse our preloved records in our (newly designed!) store! 📀🛒
Sincerely,
Thryft