A Discogs listing is compressed jargon: "NM/VG+, RE, gatefold, OIS, small seam split". Five terms, the whole deal. If you can read the code you know exactly what's on offer — if you can't, you sometimes pay for the wrong thing. This is the reference guide: every common abbreviation, sorted by category. Save it, and read listings like a dealer.
Condition grading
The standard scale comes from Goldmine and is applied to disc and jacket separately — NM/VG+ means a Near Mint disc in a VG+ jacket, always disc first. The full scale with its price logic is in the grading guide; here's the short version:
| Code | Means | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| M | Mint | Perfect, often unplayed. Rarely used seriously. |
| NM / M− | Near Mint | Looks new, plays quiet. The highest grade most sellers give. |
| VG+ | Very Good Plus | Lightly used, well cared for. Minor marks that don't sound. The collector's best buy. |
| VG | Very Good | Visibly and audibly used — surface noise, but the music dominates. |
| G / G+ | Good (Plus) | Misleading name: worn. Plays through without skipping, with real noise. |
| F | Fair | Damaged, skips or heavy noise. |
| P | Poor | A wreck. Only for extremely rare titles. |
The notation "or better" (e.g. "VG+ or better") means the seller guarantees at least that grade — common with volume sellers who haven't play-tested every copy.
Formats
| Code | Means | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| LP | Long Play | Full-length album, usually 12" at 33⅓ RPM. |
| EP | Extended Play | Longer than a single, shorter than an album. |
| 7" / 10" / 12" | Disc diameter in inches | 7" is the classic single format, 12" albums and maxi singles. |
| 33⅓ / 45 / 78 RPM | Revolutions per minute | Wrong speed on the platter is the beginner's classic. 78s are shellac, not vinyl. |
| 180 g | Disc weight | Heavier pressing, standard on modern audiophile editions. Weight ≠ sound quality in itself. |
| Mono / Stereo | Sound image | Early releases (before ~1968) often exist in both — collectors care, and prices differ. |
Edition terms
This is where most purchases go wrong: two listings for "the same album" can refer to editions with entirely different value. The codes usually sit in the version list's format field:
| Code | Means | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| RE | Reissue | New edition — same album, later release event. |
| RP | Repress | New pressing run of the same edition, same catalogue number. |
| RM | Remastered | New mastering. Says nothing about better/worse — only different. |
| Ltd | Limited Edition | Limited run. The size of the run decides whether it means anything. |
| Num | Numbered | Numbered copies, usually combined with Ltd. |
| Promo | Promotional | Not for sale originally — radio copies, press copies. |
| TP | Test Pressing | Trial pressing in small numbers before production. A collectable with its own market. |
| White Label | Blank white label | Often promo or test pressing — sometimes just an anonymous club release. |
| Unofficial | Unauthorised release | The Discogs flag for bootlegs and pirate pressings. Read before you buy. |
| Club Edition | Record club edition | Pressed for record clubs, often simpler print — usually valued lower. |
The difference between original, repress and reissue is a subject of its own — the guides on first pressings and reissue vs original sort out what's worth paying for.
Jackets and extras
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Gatefold | Fold-out double jacket. |
| OIS | Original Inner Sleeve — often printed (lyrics, photos). Mentioned because it belongs to the edition and affects value. |
| Insert | Loose enclosed sheet — lyric booklet, poster, order form. Missing inserts should be stated. |
| Hype sticker | Promotional sticker on the shrink or jacket ("Includes the hit..."). Collectors pay for surviving examples. |
| Die-cut | Jacket with a punched-out hole or shape. |
| Obi | The paper strip around Japanese releases. An obi in fine condition can be half the value of a Japanese pressing. |
| Generic / Company sleeve | Neutral or record-company sleeve — the original jacket is missing. |
Deadwax and matrix
The deadwax (or runout) is the smooth area between the last groove and the label. That's where the matrix number lives — the code identifying exactly which pressing you're holding, often with stamper information and etched signatures. It's the record world's chassis number and frequently the only way to tell a first pressing from a later one. How to decode it step by step is in the runout guide.
Seller jargon
| Term | Means | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed / SS | Still Sealed — unopened in original shrink | Not automatically Mint: the shrink can hide warps or pressing faults. |
| NOS | New Old Stock | Old unsold shop stock — unplayed but stored for decades. |
| Play graded | Graded by listening | The seller has listened, not just looked. A stronger promise than visual grading. |
| Visually graded | Graded by eye | The standard method. Good light, no listening test. |
| Seam split | Split along a jacket edge | State length and location. |
| Ring wear | Ring impression | The circle the disc has worn into the jacket board. |
| WOC / WOL | Writing On Cover / On Label | Writing on the jacket or the label. |
| NAP | Not Affecting Play | "Visible but not audible" — the seller's judgement, not a guarantee. |
Reading a full listing
"NM/VG+, 1st press, gatefold w/ OIS, small seam split bottom, hype sticker intact" decodes as: a near-new disc, a jacket with light wear and a minor seam split at the bottom edge, a first pressing in a gatefold jacket with the original inner sleeve and the promotional sticker preserved. Five seconds to read — and you know exactly what you're paying for, what to ask about (how long is the split?) and what to check when the parcel arrives.
The jargon isn't gatekeeping, it's precision. Knowing the code lets you compare listings from Tokyo, Berlin and Boston on equal terms — and spot immediately when a description is too vague to trust. Vague description, vague grading: ask, or move on to the next copy.