Submit
Our process starts with you!
At VMGvinyl.com, you can enter your record information under our submission tab. We have some simple questions for you regarding the album you are sending. The more you know, the more efficient the process can be.
Once you complete the submission form please safely package your records with your packing slip and ship to:
VINTAGE MEDIA GRADING CORP
P.O. Box 2416
Westerly, RI 02891
Our process starts with you!
However, don’t worry if you don’t know the answer to every specific question about your album. We get it. It’s confusing. That’s why we started VMG in the first place! Do your best, and feel free to consult discogs.com, which is an excellent resource with regards to identifying record pressings.
Here, you will also be asked to decide if you want a digital backup of your album encoded on the blockchain as an NFT. See below for more on this. If so, you will need to make sure you have a crypto wallet in order for us to transfer the NFT to you.
Once the submission form is completed, just securely mail your records to us. Pay attention to our recommendations on secure packing to ensure that your items arrive in the condition they were sent!
Receiving
Once your items have been received, they will be logged into our system, and you will be notified. From there, you will be able to track each step in our process.Authenticating
Our first step is to determine the specifics about the album in question. Our researchers will determine the authenticity of your album, and will work to identify exactly which pressing you have. If there are any unique specifics or anything about your album that you want to bring to our attention, please let us know in the submission process! Like we said, the more information you can provide, the more efficient the process!Grading
Once your album specs are identified, its time to evaluate your album’s condition. Using VMG’s official grading rubric, we will evaluate the condition of your album, the record label, the binding and the cover, and provide a single, weighted overall grade for your submission, ranging from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Gem Mint).NFT Backup
So now your valuable record is going to be encased, but you can’t listen to it anymore, right? Don’t fear. Simply choose to create a digital backup of your album, encoded to the blockchain as an NFT. Your unique album and its grade will be linked to your digital copy on the blockchain, ensuring you can not only listen to your record anytime you want, but your ownership is displayed in your crypto wallet. Want to have an NFT of your own graded, authenticated pressing of your favorite album? Well, now you can!Encasing
Authenticating and grading your album alone is not very helpful should you ever want to sell it. How does a prospective buyer know you didn’t tamper with the record? How do they know the condition still is what the grade claims it to be? This is why encasing your record in a tamper proof slab is essential.
About Our Cases...
Vintage Media Grading’s tamper proof cases combine beauty with durable performance. Your record will be first placed in a polypropylene sleeve, the most durable and reliable material for safely encasing vinyl records. The record will then be ultrasonically sealed in a durable case made of PETG (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic, creating a tamper proof seal which allows the collector to be confident that the encased record corresponds to the description on the case label, without fear of malicious tampering.
Our PETG plastic case is treated to create a scratch-resistant surface and durability, providing a glass-like transparency and allowing crystal clear visibility of every part of your record. The case will also be sealed with a unique VMG label, describing all the special characteristics that define your record.
VMG offers different options for the encasing of your record. In the case of sealed records (or unsealed records, should you choose), the record is sealed inside its protective sleeve in a single, safe, transparent case.
However, our patent-pending hinged case, should you choose it, provides a unique and innovative approach to the slabbing of vinyl records.
As any record collector knows, the beauty of the vinyl experience is not just the cover, but the vinyl itself. The vinyl record itself contains valuable information regarding its providence, and itself is a piece of art worthy of display. Our hinged, foldable case allows for the encasing and display of the vinyl record, separate from its cover, allowing you to experience the beauty of your vinyl record, its record label, and all its uniqueness. We even provide a multi-folding case for double albums, allowing multiple separate vinyl records to be encased in a hinged and foldable case alongside the unique cover.
Of course, for collectors, the vinyl record itself tells a story. Oftentimes, the difference between unique pressings of an album can only be found on the vinyl itself, as many pressings are often encased in identical sleeves. By encasing your vinyl record separately from its cover, those differences are better appreciated by you, fellow collectors and audiophiles.
At VMG, we use an ultrasonically sealed, transparent, tamperproof case to preserve your album. VMG’s cases will have a case label sealed inside corresponding to the specifics of your album and its condition. In addition, because the vinyl is as much a piece of art as the record cover, we provide the option for a patent-pending hinged case, allowing you to see both sides of the cover and the vinyl. Heck, you can even get a double hinged case for a double album! The case folds perfectly for easy storage, but you just might want to display it open with the cover next to the vinyl – because your album is BEAUTIFUL!