An Introduction to Collecting Vinyl Records

They once held so much devotion from us. They were our favorite personal entertainment media for decades. I'm speaking of course, about vinyl records. You can define a generation by their record collections. With the advent of the digital age, vinyl records have become fond memories from the past.

But vinyl records never really went away. In fact, LP records of the 180-gram vinyl variety are still being released. And just for the record (forgive the pun) our flat vinyl buddies endured for almost a hundred years, much longer than their replacement the CD. Within twenty years, MPEG Internet technology and iPods have made the audio CD passé.

Newcomers have become interested in collecting records. As with most any other hobby it is a niche interest. The hobby can be affordable, sometimes expensive, and you will need some dedicated space to store them.

Before we move on, let me clear up a few things for beginners. This is for those who are reading this because they have a bunch of old records they inherited, or their own personal collection that has been hidden away in a closet for twenty years. There is a rule in anything antique. Just because it is old does not mean it is valuable. In terms of vinyl records, the record must first be desirable.

There have been literally millions of records released over the last century. Of these some artists released millions of copies, and others only released a few thousand. Add them all up and only a few records are left that you could call valuable. They are either long gone or in someone's collection. I'm talking about the records worth hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Let's say you inherited a few boxes of 45 and LP records, maybe even a bunch of old 78 rpm's. What's the first question you are going to ask? How much are they worth? Now before you start going onto message boards and making a nuisance of yourself, let me fill you in. Because it is unlikely you will get an answer from any collector or dealer. Nobody is going to give you estimates for your list of records.

Unless you are willing to research clean inspect and evaluate each one, you are better off selling the box to a dealer for twenty dollars. Because this is how we do it. It takes time and effort to go through a box of records. And I'll let you in on something. Most of the time if we're lucky we only come away with two or three we consider valuable.

So what is a dealer or collector looking for? Whatever it is, they are most interested in condition. "Hey it's shiny and looks clean" isn't good enough. Experienced people willing to lay down top dollar for a record, rare or not, is looking for condition. They want a near perfect record. If the vinyl, the label or record jacket has any defects, it becomes less desirable to them.

In addition, the record's monetary value will dramatically fall if there are defects. Just a few defects will drop a record's value in half. Okay so you have Elvis' first album, an extremely valuable record. The image of Elvis on your record jacket is worn and the seams are split. The vinyl is so scuffed up that you can't even play it. You'd be lucky to get a buck for it.

So condition is first. The second thing that determines a record's value is rarity. Which ones are rare? Many things can determine this. What's more, value and rarity can fluctuate as interests change. What was rare and valuable yesterday may not be so valuable today. This will be covered later in more detail, but as a general rule it goes something like this.

78 rpm: Popular music by artists like, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Big Band etc. has little value. There is still interest in rock and roll (even the Beatles released 78s), blues, jazz, occasionally western, and some classical music. 78 collectors are sometimes more interested in record labels that no longer exist. Although technically not 78s, Edison Diamond Discs and Wax Cylinders can sometimes be desirable if they have any historical significance. There is not much interest in Edison's musical records.

45 rpm: The most popular of record collecting. Some people only collect 45s. The main attraction is that 45s were more accessible to lesser-known artists, thus many 45s were only released regionally making them extremely rare. There were many small record labels around the country at the time. Oftentimes a group could have a local (even national) hit or two and break up without ever releasing an LP. So more interest lies in the regional 45s of lesser-known 50's and 60's artists since not many were released, and the record labels no longer exist.

45s from the 1970's to late 1980's can still be desirable by collectors. It depends on the artist and record. It can range from psychedelic, punk, garage, country even jazz and disco. There is only minor interest in 45s by major artists because most collectors already have the popular releases. There is always interest in 45s between the 60's and 80's (depending on the artist) that were released in limited quantities or are promo issues.

Here are a few other things 45 collectors look for. 45 EPs (extended play), which had up to six tracks. Sometimes 45s came in picture sleeves. These are also very collectible and have separate values. Sometimes the picture sleeve is worth more than the record, and is occasionally sold without the vinyl. 45s were often played stacked on turntables making 45s in great condition hard to find, also adding to their value. Condition, always condition.

LP (Long Play 33 1/3 rpm): Genre interests are similar to 45s but collectors are more cautious with LPs. They exchange at a slower rate than 45s. With 45s you are mostly dealing with the condition of just two songs. With LPs there are twelve songs or more, and the record jacket's condition must also be considered when determining the combined value.

Most rare and desirable LPs from the fifties to mid sixties are already in the possession of record collectors and dealers. They went out to garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores years ago to acquire them. Back when no one was interested. You will pay market value or better for these records, although occasionally you will see undiscovered and affordable rare finds. You can even still find Country or Western LPs from this era, which are becoming more popular.

There is interest in LPs released between the mid sixties and early seventies, mainly by obscure regional groups on local labels. I find that Jazz, Soul and Blues from this era are the hardest LPs to find in good condition. Early LPs on smaller labels by major artists can also be desirable. Recently the most popular interest is in early psychedelic and local garage bands. Punk has some very enthusiastic fans. Jazz and Blues still capture attention. Interest in Film and Theater Soundtracks have somewhat waned. It depends on the film or play. I've even had some luck with Comedy, Spoken Word, Children's, and Foreign artists.

Most LPs released during and after the 1970's have little value. In most instances you paid more for an LP back then than they are worth today. By then there were few independent labels left, and LPs were mass-produced by major labels in advance. How many times have you seen Frampton Alive in a thrift store? There is interest in records produced during this time, but it is a very specialized interest and other factors are considered.

Besides independent labels and obscure groups, one factor is promotional releases. Most desirable are the promo releases that have white labels (45s too). These were printed and issued exclusively to radios stations prior to being released into the general market. By the 1970's record companies just stamped the jacket and used normal labels. These promo LPs do not carry as much value or interest.

Sometimes LPs are collectible for what they contained. Things like lyric sheets, booklets, pictures or other goodies. Other times an LP may be valuable because it is missing a song, is mono or stereo, has a certain label, or some other reason.

What you pay for any record depends on what you are looking for. As a general rule, value is in the eye of the beholder. What one person pays a hundred dollars for another person wouldn't give a nickel. This is because people collect records for a variety of reasons.

I have been collecting and selling records for about ten years now. More of a record dealer than I am a collector. Because I am relatively new to this, most of my inventory is common records only worth a few dollars each. Other record dealers and collectors have been doing this for several decades. They have accumulated huge archives worth hundreds of thousands.

As a dealer I see records in terms of rarity and value, but it is because I love music and its history is why I really do this. Every obscure artist or record brings a new interesting story for me to learn. Some people collect records of their favorite artists, some for the rarity, others for the rich and resonant sound vinyl records produce. Whatever reasons you have for collecting vinyl records, I hope your interest brings pleasure to you. Next time we will examine how to evaluate a record's condition. Until then happy hunting!