How to Sell Your Collectible Vinyl Records

So, you have a box of old vinyl records for one reason or another. They may be your own personal collection, and after all these years you finally got tired of dragging them around everywhere you went. Or you might have inherited the records from your parents, family or friends. You may have even bought the record collection, thinking you could make a buck off the investment. Whatever your reason, you are now ready to sell your vintage entertainment media.

In previous articles I stress the importance of vinyl condition. I'll repeat. Condition is very important when determining value. What does this mean in regards to your box of records? It means that you must know exactly what you have. Every record must be evaluated and graded. Yes, each and every one of them. That is the only way to estimate how much money you can make. Cataloging, evaluating and grading each record are the essential steps of how people make any money selling records.

You could try to sell the box as a whole but you'll only be able to sell them locally. Shipping a hundred records by mail is too expensive. A hundred records weigh over a hundred pounds. So selling them to someone in another state is out. Unless you have a box of old 1930's blues 78s you found in the basement of an old radio station. If you have a box similar to that, then contact a reputable dealer who specializes in these records. They may even be interested enough to fly in from another state to make an offer.

In most cases your box of vinyl will probably have many common records already found in collections, or just undesirable ones. The reality of selling your box as a whole is that the buyer will want to look at them first. They will squat down and quickly go through each record while you stand there in anticipation. Occasionally they will pull one out for a closer look. When they do they won't shout out "ooo's" or "ahh's" either. You'll see them calmly inspect it and return it either in the back or front of the box. They'll do the same for other records they pull out.

The outcome will be one of several things. At the very least they never pulled any records out and are not interested at all. Or they may offer you fifteen to twenty bucks for the box. If you won't accept that they may offer to pay you for any records they pulled out, and it won't be much. Maybe the fifteen to twenty bucks if you're lucky, and you're still left with a box of records to lug around. The buyer (collector/dealer) already knows what to look for. It comes from experience and knowledge of records. If you want to sell that box of records, you have to do what the dealer/collector does. Take the time and effort to evaluate each record.

It is the only way to weed out the common or damaged records. How do you know if a record is common or rare? Buy a guidebook my friend. For the most part there are two sources, Jerry Osborne or Goldmine. They publish guidebooks that give you an idea of market value, but don't take them too seriously. The top values are based on what one or two people paid for a record at any given time. Think about this way. That could have been the only person in the world at that time willing to pay that price. You use guidebooks to get an idea of which records are valuable. What someone paid for a near mint record yesterday, another may not be willing to pay today. Inspecting each record and buying a guidebook is a big step if you just want to get rid of your box of records. At this point you may want to try the flea market and sell them for a buck a piece.

You could try inquiring about values at the message boards, but I don't advise it. You're not the first one who has tried. You're only considered a nuisance unless a message board has a specific selling section, and you probably won't get an answer anyway. Not that they are being rude. They are there to talk about records, not evaluate them. If you still haven't given up hope, go through your box of records and find the ones you think may be valuable. Concentrate on selling those if they are in acceptable condition. After weeding out the unwanted records you'll be left with something easier to work with. Throw the rest away or sell them at the flea market. Most donation centers do not accept records anymore, but you may find a thrift store to give them to.

Clean the records you chose. Evaluate and grade each one. My advice is to write down the grade, artist, label, record number and a general description. You don't have to write down a description, that's just what I do to help sell my records. Most dealers will only give a grade, but they have been doing it for decades and stand on their reputation and buyer knowledge.

Whether or not you buy a guidebook, the next thing you can do is some research. Visit a few online record dealers and see what they are asking. Keep in mind that they will often ask more than market value because of their overhead. Even so, record dealers are a good reference point to help you estimate market values. Every dealer grades differently. So read and compare the policies of two or three to get a better feeling of how the market generally grades records. After some basic research you will have a general idea of what you can ask for your records.

There are a few specialized places on the Internet where you can try to sell records. Some record collector message boards have sections devoted exclusively to selling records. It's an easy search. When you find one or two, just join the group and announce what you have to sell in the proper section. Buyers usually pay for shipping. This is an additional consideration when determining your asking price. Shipping a single record can cost you up to four dollars plus in the US, more internationally. Since the buyer has to pay for this, it may influence their decision depending on what you're asking for the record.

Speaking of shipping, sending your record to a buyer is a very important consideration you should not overlook. You can't just wrap it in paper and send it off. I use specialized record mailers made of cardboard. You can buy them at places like BagsUnlimited, another easy search. I pass the cost of the mailers onto my customers and include it in postage fees. Shipping an LP record via Media Mail in the US is a little over two bucks. I charge four dollars to offset the mailer cost. Record mailers with perforated folds fit records perfectly and look more professional. Most customers don't mind paying the extra cost to receive their record undamaged.

Record mailers are easy to make yourself. I only do this when I have a dollar blowout auction. All you need is a flat piece of rectangle cardboard. Cut out a square semi-cross shape on the cardboard big enough to overlap a record. Add four folds (double folds for multiple records) where the cross corners meet lightly with a utility or butter knife, just enough to make an indent. Use a ruler to get an even line. Fold over and you have a mailer. Whether you buy a mailer or make one yourself remember to add a pad inside with the record.

A pad is just another piece of flat cardboard cut to record size. You can buy them, but I make my own pads. Cardboard is easy to find and is always free. The reason to use pads is simple, extra protection from damage or breakage. Now let's pack it. First remove the vinyl from its jacket if it has one. Leave it in the paper or plastic sleeve. The jacket should be laid on the mailer first, then the vinyl on top. Place the pad on top and fold the mailer over. For 45s and 78s you should use two thick pads with the record in between. Use packing tape to seal all sides and mail it off.

Now back to selling your record. There are specialized web sites on the Internet that offer ad space to record sellers. It's usually a free service and they charge sellers a percentage for each record that sells. The oldest of these sites is GEMM. GEMM has been around a long time. Back when there was no mass Internet and it was snail-mail orders or month-long mail auctions. Serious collectors often visit these sites. You might be able to get top dollar, but you better have something pretty rare if you want to interest these collectors.

Another good place to sell records is an auction web site. You know the one. Auction sites are probably your best bet if you want to sell records these days. Even some of the big boys in record dealing are using auction sites now. Here are some things to look for when you're researching how much to ask for your records. Is the record being bid on? How many people are interested or have even looked at the ad? Did it not sell because the price was too high? Is it actually an auction, or a 'buy it now' sale? I have seen records with a book value of twenty-five dollars being offered for seventy-five. I know they'll be sitting on that record for a long time before anyone pays that price. Why are they asking so much?

There is a saying in antique collecting, "add ten percent of market value each year". I assume some record dealers subscribe to this thought. That may apply for a fine piece of furniture, but rarely for vinyl records. Granted, there are a lot of record collectors out there, but it is still a niche market. How many record collectors do you know? That leaves very few willing to pay top dollar, even fewer willing to pay more than market value. Dealers who ask more than market value do it for a living. They have huge collections and are willing to sit on a record until it sells for what they want.

You won't have that luxury with your records. So your research will give you an idea of what you'll be asking for them in an online auction. If you want to sit on them, ask for top dollar. That means some may not sell and you'll have to pay again to hold another auction. Most dealers' minimum bids are top market guidebook value, or what the record is actually worth depending on condition. If you want to sell them quickly, ask below market value. People want a good deal, and they will more likely bid on a lower minimum asking price. If your record is truly desirable and two or three people are interested, the bids may go up. I have sold records for far more than indicated in a guidebook. It only takes a few people to get things going. You just never know. For more basic information about collecting vinyl records, read my other articles at the link below. Good luck and happy hunting!