And in happier news, though I need to stop buying vinyl before the rate gets out of hand, this turned up today, superb.
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Looks “far from mint” to me. I agree.
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Cheers, it has to be a gross grading error. Thanks 
Also don’t want to have a diversion about it here, should have made a thread about it really. Sorry for any distraction from “new” vinyl!
Definitely not Nr Mint! If I were selling that album I would grade it VG, perhaps VG+ as long as the scratches were not deep enough to be audible.
Really frustrating when this happens - I feel for you as I’ve had a few like this from vendors.
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@Richard.Dane any thoughts on a thread about grading? Is it within forum AUP if we keep vendors names out of it?
If you want to start a thread that’s fine but best keep sellers names out of it. Thanks.
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Of course it’s not near mint, that’s taking the p*ss!
This is Discogs grading standard. Record Collector grading is similar.
Mint (M)
Vinyl
Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed. Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.
CD
Perfect. No scuffs/scratches, unplayed - possibly still sealed.
Insert/Inlay/Booklet/Sleeve/Digipak: Perfect. No wear, marks, or any other imperfections - possibly still sealed.
Near Mint (NM or M-)
Vinyl
A nearly perfect record. A NM or M- record has more than likely never been played, and the vinyl will play perfectly, with no imperfections during playback. Many dealers won’t give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as any sign of slight handling. An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes, or other noticeable similar defects. The same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves, etc.
CD
Near perfect. No obvious signs of use, it may have been played - but it has been handled very carefully.
Insert/Inlay/Booklet/Sleeve/Digipak: Near Perfect. No obvious wear, it may have only the slightest of marks from handling.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
Vinyl
Generally worth 50% of the Near Mint value. A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Defects should be more of a cosmetic nature, not affecting the actual playback as a whole. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don’t affect one’s listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are “OK”. The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. Spindle marks may be present. Picture sleeves and inner sleeves will have some slight wear, slightly turned-up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear, and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation, or cut corner. In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint.
CD
A few minor scuffs/scratches. This has been played, but handled with good care - and certainly not abused.
Insert/Inlay/Booklet/Sleeve/Digipak: Slight wear, marks, indentations, it may possibly have a cut-out hole (or similar).
Very Good (VG)
Vinyl
Generally worth 25% of Near Mint value. Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time. Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price.
CD
Quite a few light scuffs/scratches, or several more-pronounced scratches. This has obviously been played, but not handled as carefully as a VG+.
Insert/Inlay/Booklet/Sleeve/Digipak: More wear, marks, indentations than a VG+. May have slight fading, a small tear/rip, or some writing.
Good (G), Good Plus (G+)
Vinyl
Generally worth 10-15% of the Near Mint value. A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be played through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise, scratches, and visible groove wear. A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear, or other defects will be present. While the record will be playable without skipping, noticeable surface noise and “ticks” will almost certainly accompany the playback.
CD
There are a lot of scuffs/scratches. However it will still play through without problems. This has not been handled with much care at all.
Insert/Inlay/Booklet/Sleeve/Digipak: Well worn, marked, more obvious indentations, fading, writing, than a VG - possibly a more significant tear/rip.
Poor (P), Fair (F)
Vinyl
Generally worth 0-5% of the Near Mint price. The record is cracked, badly warped, and won’t play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing. The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully split, crinkled, and written upon.
CD
The CD may or may not play some or all of the tracks. See the seller’s comments for details.
Insert/Inlay/Booklet/Sleeve/Digipak: Very worn. It may have obvious writing on it, it may be ripped/torn, or significantly faded, or water damaged.
Generic
Within the context of grading items in the Discogs Marketplace, the term “generic” refers to a type of sleeve that is not specific to the release. A generic sleeve is either a plain sleeve or a company sleeve with standard company artwork. A sleeve that is graded as “generic” needs no further grading, as a generic sleeve generally adds little value to the item and can be easily replaced. Sellers can further specify a generic sleeve’s condition in the “Item condition comment” field if needed. A seller can also note if the sleeve is a company sleeve in the “Item condition comment” field.
https://recordcollectormag.com/advertise/listings-help
Not sure what a separate thread to discuss grading will add. If a record doesn’t meet the above standards, its “Not as described” ask for your money back, leave negative feedback, if seller doesn’t play ball open a dispute, claim back through your credit card etc
If your buying used records on platforms like Discogs, ebay etc your still protected by consumer rights (in the UK) when mis sold shoddy goods that aren’t as described. If buying from a private seller on somewhere like ebay ask for a detailed description of condition if it’s not set out in the item description, if seller is using terms like NM or Ex etc ask which grading system is being referenced (Discogs, Record Collector) if you get a blank dont buy, if you do and recieve the record nothing like the sellers description you can recover your money.
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Also just to add that on Discogs next to the condition is an (i) click on that displays a summary of the applicable standard
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Hope the above helps
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Definitely, thanks. After a few days of no response the seller (via Discogs) offered a refund, or partial if I keep it, and said they were going to remind their staff about grading. Which seems pretty reasonable. They are a well rated seller, so I wasn’t expecting them to quibble much, and I was hopefully gentle with my query about condition!
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The Mingus Dynasty I bought was an original Six Eye Mono released in 1960 I’ve looked at the runout and it is a first pressing and it looks at leat VG+ and even has the original printed inner but after a quick listen to track one it either needs a good clean or has been damaged beyond repair by a dodgy record player fingers crossed it’s just a clean.
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Glad you got it resolved. Obviously reputable sellers can still make mistakes when dealing with used records. I find a few pertinent questions prior to making a purchase can also make the seller aware their not dealing with a mug.
Atb
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Top album
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Has anyone heard the vinyl of this new 2021 Remaster of El Camino?
Sounds great on Qobuz, I listened to the vinyl sounds samples at Juno records though and allowing for the lo-fi quality of the samples it still sounded poor to me. According to Discogs its remastered and cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound so ought to be decent but…
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