How do various vendors condition rating systems work?
Most vendors either use a adjective based system (e.g. Ex) or a numeric based system (e.g. 9). Both systems often have one or more subdivisions of any given grade, denoted by one or more “-” or “+” symbols. It is important to realize that most vendor’s grading systems don’t overlap very well. For example, although something rated 8 is roughly equivalent in theory to something graded Ex, the condition of each can vary enormously depending on who the vendor is, who graded it for the vendor, and what kind of a mood that grader was in on that day. If this worries you, try to buy the stuff in person, so that you can see for yourself what condition it is in. If this is not possible, make sure the vendor has at least a 30-day warranty, and expect that you will be occasionally disappointed and have to send something back. Be aware that “personal preference” returns often involve a restocking charge of 10-20% from some vendors. Finally, if a vendor has much lower prices than the average for equ
