Magazine Condition Grading Standards

When grading the condition of our magazines, we use the grading standards listed below. Also, if you see a "+" symbol beside any grade, it indicates that the magazine is a high-quality example of that grade.

MINT - The magazine should be like new, and in nearly perfect condition.
NEAR MINT - Still a superb condition magazine. There should be no creases or fading on the cover. The magazine should lie flat and not roll or have curves. The staples should be like new and not rusted, and minor bindery tears are acceptable no more than 1/16th of an inch.
VERY FINE (VF) - A magazine assigned this grade should be a beautiful magazine with very few flaws. The cover should be mostly flat but may have some minor wear. The spine may have slight wear. The spine should be flat, but some lines may be visible. Inside, the pages have minor printing and binding defects.
FINE (FN) - This is an above-average magazine. There will probably be minor wear on the cover, and minor creasing is acceptable. The colors of the cover may be slightly faded and the corners may be slightly creased. The staples in the spine may have some discoloration and the spine may have a roll to it. There may be very minor chipping on the spine. On the inside, there may be very minor tears on the page edges, minor discoloration is OK and the pages may be tan in color.
VERY GOOD-FN (VG-FN) - This grade is slightly better than "VERY GOOD" and slightly lower than "FINE."
VERY GOOD (VG) - This is your average used magazine. The cover may have a large amount of wear including creases, fading, and discoloration. The corners of the cover may be blunted. A nicer copy that has a piece of the cover missing will also fit into this category. The spine may be rolled and the staples may have rust. On the inside, there may be tears on the page edges and discoloration is OK and the pages may be tan in color. The magazine may also have minor printing defects. There may be chipping along the spine.
GOOD-VERY GOOD (G-VG) - This grade is slightly better than "GOOD" and slightly lower than "VERY GOOD."
GOOD (G) - This is a slightly below average used magazine. It may have major defects, but should still be readable. A detached cover is acceptable, along with creases, fading and major discoloration. Minor tears and folds are possible and coupons may be cut from the cover. Staples in the spine may discolored, rusted, or even absent. Inside, the pages may have some obvious types of repair such as tape. The cover may have a price sticker or date sticker.
FAIR (FR) - The cover may be detached from the magazine and there may large amounts of wear including fading, discoloration, and stains. Coupons may be cut from the cover, in fact, less than 1/12 of the cover missing is accepted. Major wear on the spine is accepted, staples may be missing and the spine may be split up to 2/3rds of the cover. Inside, the pages are often faded, discolored, torn, or stained, but must still be readable. Most of the page should not be brittle.
POOR (PR) - This is the lowest grade a magazine can get, and there may be all sorts of various flaws on a magazine of this condition. The cover will show major signs of wear. There can be large stains, large amounts of fading, rips, tears, and pieces missing. There may not even be a cover. The spine will mostly likely be bent and torn and staples may be missing. Inside, there may be lLarge stains and even mold damage on the pages, there may be pages missing, as well as marks, tears, and other things that may affect readability.