I think this would be very helpful to some, especially new collectors. This is a standard grading for ALL “antique” and vintage items of any sort, and is directly applicable to yo-yos. I have altered the “system” somewhat be specific to “modern” yo-yos and to take into consideration whether the yo-yo will be collected and displayed/stored or will be purchased to play with…
Mint= Means absolutely no flaws, no marks, no flat spots, no dings, no breaks in the anodization or coating, as if you had taken it right from where it was made and immediately stored it. It would also mean that it had never been played with, at all, had the original string on it, or with it, and as described below, had everything it came with when you bought it at the store, or as it arrived to you in the mail. Therefore, in honestly describing something as MINT, you cannot attest to it’s playability. Something like “Mint but with a small vibe” is not possible following this criteria, and “Mint, but with a big gouge” is certainly not possible either…
With modern throws, finding something in true “mint” condition is unlikely, especially with today’s packaging. There should (technically) be no “BUTS” to further describe “MINT”. These are the only “BUTS” that I can think of: “Mint, but removed from box for inspection, display or pic”
Mint in Package= Means that the yo-yo itself is in perfect, off the shelf condition, the yo-yo has never been removed from the original packaging, and the packaging is also flawless. With the packaging of many modern throws in cardboard containers, this is rare. If your yo-yo is sealed with a sticker at the top, but can be opened from the bottom without breaking that seal, you may want to consider opening your new purchases in this manner, and storing the box. If you think you may sell or trade it at some point, keep everything that was in the box intact, (stickers, the string, extra parts etc…and use this as a selling point) If the yo-yo is perfect, but the box is not, include that in your description using the rest of the grading terms listed below. For Example “yo-yo mint, packaging fair”.
Near Mint= Is about the best grade you should consider if the yo-yo has been played with at all, even if there is no damage whatsoever. Certainly if the yo-yo has been through a string change, or the bearing has been “broken in”, it can no longer be considered “Mint”. Near Mint is also the best way to describe a yo-yo that has some extremely minor damage from the manufacturer, like a small part of a letter missing from the graphic, or a dark or light spot in the coating.
Near Mint also includes tiny scratches from play, very minor wear and tear that would have to be searched for, or pointed out in order to find.
Near Mint is also where you would describe your opinion on the playability of the yo-yo. Here is where something like “This yo-yo LOOKS perfect, but has a small vibe” would come into play.
Excellent= Means …Excellent. Something you would give to someone as a gift, and not have to apologize for it. One or two pinpricks, a tiny smudge, something not quite right that keeps it from being near mint. This, in my opinion, should be the universal description for most of the yo-yos you are likely to find that have been played with and loved a tiny bit, but with no significant or extremely noticeable damage.
Fine= Think of “Fine” in the sense of being better than okay, but not quite perfect. (rather than some other uses of the word to describe things like a “fine” wine, cigar or china, the best of the best…< NOT that kind of fine) Therefore, a yo-yo in “Fine” condition would include a small scuff, a small vibe on the string or grind, noticeable but very small scratches. My opinion on this “grade” is that it should probably just not be used for our purposes, let’s just all agree to ignore it, and let little old ladies that collect tea cups have “fine” to themselves. This might be useful if a non-yo-yo person was following this grading system to describe what they have for sale on sites like Ebay, though, so keep it in mind.
Good= A few scuffs, marks, dings, scratches, something you would give to your little brother or sister that they could still be proud to own. That is a great way to describe “good”… a “hand me down” that still has plenty of life to it…
Fair= Noticeable wear and tear, deep scratches, I think for our purposes, badly damaged, but damage that does not affect the play of the yo-yo is the best way to use “fair”
Poor= A beater, something with damage that affects playability, like damage to the sidewall that cuts the string. Something, if it were a car, that would make it useful only for spare parts, or having an example of something only to hold a place in your collection until you find a better one. A great thing about networking with others is you might have one half of a yo-yo that is salvageable, and someone else might have the other half. This is a great thing about “poor”. You can take the two less “poor” sides and screw them together to make a fair, good, or even excellent yo-yo again…