An Introduction to Assessing Condition
by Rolande Allen
Assessing the condition of your models, their boxes and your catalogues
Condition and grading standards are subjective, at best, and this page is intended to act as a guide.
But the only way to be accurate about the quality of the model is to be brutally honest with yourself and apply these standards uniformally to everything that you collect, buy or sell.
When I was a very young stamp collector (philatelist) I was once given an extremely good piece of advice,
"Remember, it doesn't matter how rare something is, if it is damaged IT IS DAMAGED !" And, as far as stamp collecting goes, that meant virtually worthless; a 'space filler'.
Now the same applies to all forms of collecting, buying and selling to a greater or lesser degree. There are nuances as to assessing condition.
With model railways, whether the models are manufactured in plastic, metal, tinplate, wood or some other material, whether you collect the paperwork or collect die-cast models, etc. the same principles as to considering the condition quality of the models should be applied.
But the only way to be accurate about the quality of the model is to be brutally honest with yourself and apply these standards uniformally to everything that you collect, buy or sell.
When I was a very young stamp collector (philatelist) I was once given an extremely good piece of advice,
"Remember, it doesn't matter how rare something is, if it is damaged IT IS DAMAGED !" And, as far as stamp collecting goes, that meant virtually worthless; a 'space filler'.
Now the same applies to all forms of collecting, buying and selling to a greater or lesser degree. There are nuances as to assessing condition.
With model railways, whether the models are manufactured in plastic, metal, tinplate, wood or some other material, whether you collect the paperwork or collect die-cast models, etc. the same principles as to considering the condition quality of the models should be applied.
How to accurately assess condition
Before we go any further, can I just say that there is no such thing as 'Excellent for its age' or other similar excuses for the fact that the item is not excellent; it is just old and a bit tatty ! Excellent means Excellent - AGE IS IRRELEVANT.
Depending on in which part of the world you live, you may find different systems of grading condition in operation; particularly if you use auctions or auction websites. There appear to be two main systems: the United Kingdom & the majority of the Rest of the World (UK) or the United States of America (US) and to a lesser degree Canada. Sometimes you may find both are in operation; which can be confusing !
The UK uses a system of grading from Mint down to Poor whereas the US grades models from C10 down to C1. But these two systems can be matched together and I will attempt to do so later in the 'Illustrated Quick Practical Guide' which is on the following page - (You can do this now or there is a link 'button' at the bottom of this page).
Depending on in which part of the world you live, you may find different systems of grading condition in operation; particularly if you use auctions or auction websites. There appear to be two main systems: the United Kingdom & the majority of the Rest of the World (UK) or the United States of America (US) and to a lesser degree Canada. Sometimes you may find both are in operation; which can be confusing !
The UK uses a system of grading from Mint down to Poor whereas the US grades models from C10 down to C1. But these two systems can be matched together and I will attempt to do so later in the 'Illustrated Quick Practical Guide' which is on the following page - (You can do this now or there is a link 'button' at the bottom of this page).
Go to the Illustrated Quick Practical Guide to Assessing Condition > |
The UK Grading System
This is the more generally accepted system of grading condition. The only problem I can see is that nobody has actually set it down in 'Tablets of Stone', for example, what exactly 'Excellent' means and what is the difference between that and the next grade down which is 'Very Good' (sometimes referred to as 'Good Plus') ...
The best example I have found and used on a daily basis is that of an auction house by the name of Vectis Auctions Ltd. (in the UK) where I personally worked as a valuer and writer of auction catalogues in the early 2000s. At that time Vectis was the largest toy auction house in the world; and most likely still is to this day.
This is pretty good as a starting point but it needs a little more explanation with regard to the intermediate 'Plus' gradings. So here we go ... |
UK Grading Standards for models, boxes and catalogues
Mint
Near Mint Excellent Plus Excellent Good Plus (or Very Good) Good Fair Poor |
The model or box or catalogue / paperwork is in perfect condition - as supplied new by the manufacturer - unused
Almost perfect - any imperfections, if at all, will be extremely minor - eg: the item looks ‘as new’ but has had very, very minor use The item has had very little use, with only a very few minor imperfections - still very collectable and desirable The item has had very careful use, with only small imperfections - still collectable and looks very presentable The item has had a reasonable amount of use, showing imperfections - presentable, and may display well, but not usually suitable for the serious collector; unless, perhaps, it is an example of a rare item The item has had more use, showing obvious imperfections - what is called ‘a runner’; it looks acceptable when running on a layout but not for the collector - boxes will appear worn and may not be complete (for example: a missing inner flap) - catalogues will still be complete but may well have some prices or ticks written in them The item has had a great deal of use, showing obvious imperfections, including missing small parts or evidence of some repainting - models like this should be avoided wherever possible - boxes will appear to be very worn or incomplete - catalogues complete but only suitable for reference purposes The item is in a very distressed condition, with many faults - avoid items like these unless they are useful for spare parts or a restoration project or the paperwork is for reference purposes |
The USA Grading System
These standards have been established by the TRAIN COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION (in America). The grading system is extremely rigorous but the main 'issue' I have with it is that it was designed by and for collectors of Lionel Trains; no bad thing in itself, as I have quite a few Lionel Trains of differing gauges and materials, but it is designed for metal 'O' Gauge trains and, in itself, is over-prescriptive and somewhat limited in its application to models that are made by different manufacturing processes. It will become clearer as you read on ...
USA Grading Standards for models
C-10
C-9 C-8 C-7 C-6 C-5 C-4 C-3 C-2 C-1 |
Mint - brand new: all original; unused and unblemished
Factory New - brand new: all original; unused; may evidence factory rubs and the slightest evidence of handling, shipping and having been test run at the factory Like New - complete all original: no rust, no missing parts; may show effects of being on display and / or age; may have been run Excellent - all original: minute scratches and paint nicks; no rust and no missing parts; no distortion of component parts Very Good - minor scratches and paint nicks, minor spots of surface rust, free of dents. May have minor parts replaced Good - sign of play wear: scratches and minor paint loss. Small dents, minor surface rust. Evidence of heavy use Fair - scratched, moderate paint loss, dented missing parts, surface rust. Evidence of heavy use Poor - requires major body repair: Heavily scratched, major rust and missing parts. Restoration candidate Restoration required Junk - parts value only |
USA Grading Standards for boxes and catalogues / paperwork
P-10
P-9 P-8 P-7 P-6 P-5 P-4 P-3 Note:
there is no P-2 or P-1 |
Mint - brand new: complete and all original as manufactured and unused
Store New - complete and all original and unused; may have merchant additions such as store stamps, price tags et al. Boxes must have inner liner/s, if appropriate Like New - complete and all original; evidence of light use and aging, additional notations since leaving publisher or manufacturer. Contents of box may be missing Excellent - complete and all original; handling indentations, minute edge wear, small creases Very Good - complete and all original; minor abrasions, creases and/or folds; small tears, slight color changes, minor soiling. Box may have inner liner/s missing NOTE: Any paper or box that has been repaired can be graded no higher than P-5 Good - item shows substantial wear; moderate abrasions, creases and/or folds; moderate tears and losses; moderate color changes; staples may be rusty or replaced. May have been repaired with archival tissue and adhesive * Fair - heavy damage but generally legible; may or may not have been repaired. Paper may be brittle. Boxes may have inner flaps missing. Poor - incomplete; may be very brittle; significant deterioration. Extensive amateur repairs (Scotch Tape ® or equivalent). * Archival tissues are Japanese tissue papers used for paper conservation. * Archival adhesives include starch pastes, methyl cellulose pastes and archival heat-set tissues such as Crompton coated tissues. Pressure sensitive ‘archival’ tapes have been shown to be problematic in conservation testing, therefore take this into account should you consider using it. |
Go to the Illustrated Quick Practical Guide to Assessing Condition > |