Fair means a fault the seller has named, and it prices vinyl and CDs at about 45% of the top grade: $2 to $182 across this category (about £1 to £135). A named fault: a skip, a stick on one track, a deep scratch, a split seam or a sleeve that has come apart.
Where the line falls
Records wear in the groove and the sleeve wears at its edges: surface noise builds with every play on a poor stylus, and seams split from being pulled in and out of a shelf.
For comparison, one grade up is Good Vinyl and CDs and one step down is For Parts Vinyl and CDs.
What vinyl and CDs are worth here
| Grade | Share of top price | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Good | about 65% | $3 to $263 |
| Fair | about 45% | $2 to $182 |
| For Parts | about 25% | $1 to $101 |
Guide ranges, not quotes, at £1 ≈ $1.35 (August 2026). All five grades.
What pulls the price down at this grade
- Cassette Player — Perished belts causing slow or erratic playback
- Cassette Tapes — Mould on the tape pads and reels
- CD Collection — Missing booklets and inserts
- Rare Vinyl — Later repressings mistaken for originals
- Record Player — Worn or missing stylus, which the buyer must replace before use
- Turntable — Worn styli, which damage records
- Vinyl Box Set — Missing discs, booklets or posters
- Vinyl Records — Deep scratches that cause skipping or repeated clicks
- Cassette Player — Hardened pinch rollers that chew tape
- Cassette Tapes — Missing or water-damaged inlay cards
Listing at the Fair grade
Name the track and the timing where it jumps. That level of specificity is normal in this category and its absence looks evasive.
Shots that carry the most weight in vinyl and CDs:
- Record Player — The cartridge and stylus close up
- Turntable — The tonearm and cartridge close up
- Vinyl Box Set — The box exterior, including corners and spine
- Vinyl Records — The back sleeve, showing the catalogue number and track listing
On a typical $92 listing, a marketplace charging 20% takes $18, one charging 13.6% takes $12 and one charging 10% takes $9. WishThrift charges neither side, so you keep the whole $92. Listing is free.
Browse vinyl and CDs
See every listing at the Fair grade, or the whole Vinyl & CDs category at every grade. The grade is the seller’s own; WishThrift does not inspect or verify items.
Other grades in vinyl and CDs: New with Tags, Like New, Good, For Parts.
Common questions
Which track does it skip on?
Still playable in part, but with a defect a listener hears and that a buyer must know about before parting with money.
What is the difference between Fair and For Parts vinyl and CDs?
Anything falling short of Fair is graded For Parts Vinyl and CDs.