To quote the Goldmine standard for "Mint":
"Absolutley perfect in every way - CERTAINLY NEVER PLAYED, possibly even still sealed*. Should be used sparingly as a grade, IF AT ALL."
From the GM standard for "Near Mint":
"A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this, implying (perhaps correctly) that NO RECORD IS EVER TRULY PERFECT...Basically, an LP in Near Mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap." [Added emphases mine.]
From GM on visual vs. play grading:
"In an ideal world, every record would be played before it is graded. But the time involved makes it impractical...unless otherwise noted, records are visually graded."
*GM about 'Still Sealed' records:
"...let the buyer beware...it's too easy to reseal one...if you're looking for a specific pressing, the only way you can know for sure is to open the record." [I would add that the same thing is true of record condition, because warping/heat damage, as well as defective pressings, cannot be detected through a sealed cover (in fact, the plastic wrap may actually cause warping over time).]
And they state:
"Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides."
So Elizabeth, "Mint" is not really a standardized, GM-approved description when it gets casually tossed around in ads, whether the 'grading' was done visually or by playing. Most sellers who repeatedly use the Mint designation are not, I think, trying to be dishonest, but rather are probably not 'professional' record dealers or graders. When in doubt, it's better you talk to or email the seller with specific questions, and/or to get them to provide you with a detailed layman's description of everything they can see about the condition of the record in question.
"Absolutley perfect in every way - CERTAINLY NEVER PLAYED, possibly even still sealed*. Should be used sparingly as a grade, IF AT ALL."
From the GM standard for "Near Mint":
"A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this, implying (perhaps correctly) that NO RECORD IS EVER TRULY PERFECT...Basically, an LP in Near Mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap." [Added emphases mine.]
From GM on visual vs. play grading:
"In an ideal world, every record would be played before it is graded. But the time involved makes it impractical...unless otherwise noted, records are visually graded."
*GM about 'Still Sealed' records:
"...let the buyer beware...it's too easy to reseal one...if you're looking for a specific pressing, the only way you can know for sure is to open the record." [I would add that the same thing is true of record condition, because warping/heat damage, as well as defective pressings, cannot be detected through a sealed cover (in fact, the plastic wrap may actually cause warping over time).]
And they state:
"Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides."
So Elizabeth, "Mint" is not really a standardized, GM-approved description when it gets casually tossed around in ads, whether the 'grading' was done visually or by playing. Most sellers who repeatedly use the Mint designation are not, I think, trying to be dishonest, but rather are probably not 'professional' record dealers or graders. When in doubt, it's better you talk to or email the seller with specific questions, and/or to get them to provide you with a detailed layman's description of everything they can see about the condition of the record in question.