Mint (M) : Mint CDs are perfect in every way.

Disc - The CD has never been played and is probably still sealed.
Insert - The booklet and inserts are all present and are all crisp, clean, with no flaws at all.

Near Mint (NM) : CDs in this condition look like they were just opened and played once.

Disc - Not even light marks are visible when the disc is held up to the light.
Insert - The booklet and inserts are all present and look almost untouched.

Excellent (EX) : CDs in this condition look used, but like they were well taken care of.

Disc - Only a few very light scuffs can be seen when the disc is held at an angle to the light.
Insert - The booklet and inserts are present and have only a few flaws such as a slight bend or light fingerprints.

Very Good (VG) : CDs in this condition are more for listening to than for serious collecting.

Disc - The disc has been played a lot and has visible scratches, and there may be quite a few of them. CD plays without skipping.
Insert - The booklet and inserts are present and will have some but not all of the following: fingerprints, scuffs, smudges, creases, jewel case dimple marks, writing, or tape.

Good (G) : CDs in this condition are for filling out your collection. This is the lowest grade CD I sell.

Disc - The disc is heavily scratched but can be played through without skipping.
Insert - The booklet and inserts are present but heavily worn, and may include heavy fingerprints, bent corners, smudges, creases, case dimple marks, and writing.

SS Still Sealed : Never opened. Flawless, with no damage whatsoever.

M- Mint Minus : Has been opened, but is still flawless with no damage whatsoever.

VG+ Very Good Plus :

Vinyl: May have scuff marks and signs of some wear but will still play almost perfectly throughout, with only "barely detectable" crackles or pops. A slight noise at the begining is allowable, but the remainder must be nearly flawless.

VG Very Good : The majority of records (worth selling) fall under this grade.

Vinyl: May crackle, pop or make other annoying noises, but only occasionally,never continuously, and not more loudly than the music being listened to.
Cover: Normal used cover wear such as ring wear and split seams.
If there is abnormal damage such as tears or markings, but the seller still feels that it qualifies as a "VG", the damage must be described in comments attached to the item.

G+ Good Plus :

Vinyl: May have continuous crackles, pops, etc... but not so loud as to make the music completely unlistenable or unenjoyable to the casual listener.
Cover: More than normal wear and tear.

Terms Used In My Auctions:

Promo / Sample - Promotional CDs given by record companies to radio DJs or the Press. The CD usually has a sticker that says amplein English or Japanese. CDs are also often ingraved amplein the center ring. The CDs are often numbered and are considered highly collectable since it is considered a serious offence to sell promo CDs in used shops.

Obi / Obi Wrap / Obi Strip - Obi means eltin Japanese and are rectangular strips of paper that wrap around the spine of the CD case just under the shrink wrap, but outside the jewel case. The contain a lot of marketing information about the CD and are written in Japanese. CDs that still have the Obi are considered more collectable that those that don. If I don mention the Obi in the listing the CD doesn come with one.

Bonus Tracks - Japanese CDs have list prices of over $30 so to promote sales record companies often include extra songs for the Japanese release that don appear elsewhere. Different artwork is also common.

Lyric Insert - Japanese consumers also demand full song lyrics in both the original language and the Japanese translation. The lyrics are often in the form of a booklet that slips inside the cover insert.

Karaoke / Instrumental Tracks - Japan is the home of Karaoke so many CD (singles especially) have mixes with the vocals removed.