Thoughts on scratched records (and grading)

I started collecting last year and I mostly buy used records. I have bought records both in person and online, and until recently, I've tried to buy only records graded VG or above.

I have always been curious about how bad a scratched record would sound, though. Recently, I came across a record that looked pretty good, except for a 1cm scratch that was quite deep - I could definitely feel it with my finger. It was quite cheap compared to its NM value, so I decided to give it a go.

To my surprise, the record doesn't skip, and the scratch produces a popping sound that is audible for a few seconds - maybe 5 or 6 rotations, where the scratch is deeper - but does not overpower the music. The rest of the record plays perfectly fine.

Now, I've bought VG-graded records that arguably play much worse than this. Sure, they might look better having just a few hairlines, but for some reason they have continuous crackling sounds that may get quite annoying when the music is quiet - even after cleaning them (I have a vacuum cleaner). I even bought a VG+ record that doesn't look awful to my inexperienced eyes (and to the eyes of the seller, clearly), but it skips the first 30-40 seconds of each side. How is any of this worse than a scratch that looks horrible, but really doesn't disrupt the listening experience, if not for a few seconds?

This is not a rant, but as a beginner collector I'm genuinely interested in your thoughts and experiences. Are sellers relying too much on visual grading only? Do you usually take a bargain and buy a scratched record? And if the record is not scratched and looks good, do you have any other tips on how to spot groove wear and other issues that might affect the listening experience?