What Does “Very Good” Actually Mean?

What Does “Very Good” Actually Mean?

Buying something described as “Very Good” sounds reassuring. But how good is very good?

That depends on what you’re buying. Records, comics and books have different grading conventions, and familiar words can carry surprisingly different expectations. A grade is useful shorthand, but only when you know the system behind it.

Vinyl: more than a shiny surface

Record collectors often use the Goldmine grading scale, which Discogs also uses. It runs from Mint (M) and Near Mint (NM) through Very Good Plus (VG+), Very Good (VG), Good (G), Fair (F) and Poor (P).

Mint means perfect and unplayed, a description best used sparingly. VG+ allows light signs of handling that shouldn’t significantly affect listening. By VG, wear and surface noise are more noticeable. A record graded Good can be considerably worn and noisy. Despite the friendly-sounding word, “Good” is a long way from “excellent.”

The record and its sleeve should be assessed separately. You might see “vinyl VG+ / sleeve VG,” and that difference matters. A beautiful cover cannot promise beautiful playback. It’s also worth asking whether the record was play-tested or graded by sight alone: appearance cannot tell you exactly how it sounds.

Comics: words with numbers attached

Comics commonly use a numerical condition scale from 0.5 to 10.0. In CGC’s terminology, 9.4 is Near Mint, 8.0 is Very Fine, 6.0 is Fine, 4.0 is Very Good and 2.0 is Good.

That Very Good 4.0 can surprise a new collector. It can allow multiple moderate defects; it does not mean “nearly new.” Even a Near Mint comic can show minor wear. The number is a position on a comic-specific scale, not a percentage of perfection.

Check who assigned the grade, too. A CGC-certified comic has been assessed by that company and placed in a labelled holder. A seller may use the same condition words for an ungraded comic, but that’s the seller’s assessment, not professional certification. In either case, look closely at the spine, corners, pages, staples and any notes about repairs or restoration.

Books: “Fine” is better than it sounds

Booksellers use another vocabulary again. In AbeBooks’ condition guide, Fine describes a copy without defects, even if it has been read. Very Good allows small signs of wear. Good allows average wear while the book remains intact and readable.

If there’s a dust jacket, check its condition separately. A lovely jacket can hide a tired book, or vice versa. Terms can vary between sellers, so details about inscriptions, foxing, loose pages or tears are more useful than a grade on its own.

The grade should never be the whole description

For us, this comes back to a simple principle behind The Virtuosi Antiquarium: honest presentation. We want photographs of the actual item and clear written details to explain its condition, not leave you decoding an optimistic adjective. A crease, scratch or worn corner deserves to be described, not hidden behind a grade.

Read the grade, read the details and look closely at the photographs. Your next treasure doesn’t have to be perfect. It does need to be honestly described.

If you ever have a question, email us at thevirtuosiantiquariumstore@gmail.com

Warmly,

The Virtuosi Antiquarium.