The most valuable records are in impeccable condition. The worth of LPs that have scratches, scuff marks, writing on the album cover and other wear and tear is drastically reduced. The cover, lyric sheet, booklet and poster also should be in pristine condition.
Vinyl records are in the midst of a renaissance. Though sales remain low compared with music streaming, vinyl album revenues exceeded CD sales last year for the first time since the 1980s. If you have a functioning turntable or got one as a gift during the holidays, you may experience sticker shock shopping for new records.
Keep your smartphone with you whenever you go shopping for second-hand vinyl. With the best will in the world, the shop owner is unlikely to be able to keep up with the varying value of what is in their shop.
After a twenty year period of relative scarcity and public indifference, sales of vinyl records are back and have been increasing annually for more than a decade. Nearly all new releases by popular artists are now available in vinyl format, as well as in downloadable form or as compact discs.
While sales of new vinyl records are increasing as more people become familiar with the format, buyers are also turning towards vintage vinyl records as a way of adding to their record collections. In fact, there are currently more than five million records for sale on eBay, and most of those are vintage vinyl records.
Any reason for preferring vintage vinyl records over new ones is valid, of course; buyers are free to buy whatever they personally like. For many buyers, however, the main reason for buying vintage vinyl records rather than new ones is the sound quality.
The appeal of vintage vinyl records in this regard is that original pressings of albums were made from tapes that were new at the time the records were pressed. Newly-pressed copies of those same records may be mastered using tapes that are copies of copies of copies.
While current record manufacturing techniques are quite refined and the quality of the vinyl used in modern pressings is quite good and is capable of producing exceptional sound, the final product is only going to sound good if the record was mastered from a good source.
Many classic albums are again available in the vinyl format, making it easy for buyers to grab albums by the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, or the Beatles. With the rise of Internet marketing, you can even have new copies of albums these and other artists delivered to your door.
While vintage vinyl records often included these sorts of interesting extras, most recent reissues do not, usually because of cost concerns. That was also true years ago; many vintage vinyl records that included such things as posters often included them only for a short time after the record was originally released, making them somewhat scarce today.
Album art is another reason why a buyer might prefer vintage vinyl records to new ones. Of course, an album, by sheer advantage of larger size, will provide better artwork than a compact disc, and certainly better than a download, which comes with no artwork at all.
Another example is the 1970 LP Let It Be by the Beatles. That album was originally issued with a gatefold cover, but the album went out of print in the mid-1970s. When it was reissued in the 1980s, the album was released without the gatefold cover. Collectors of vintage vinyl records will likely prefer the original version.
A few years later, after the duo became famous, the album was reissued, but without the gatefold cover. There are many similar examples, and while some current reissues of such albums do include the original cover art, collectors tend to prefer the gatefold covers that often came with vintage vinyl records.
Record companies discontinued releasing albums in both mono and stereo in 1968. Over the previous three or four years, more people had been purchasing stereo turntables and began to show a preference for stereo records over mono records. When sales of mono LPs reached the point where making them as a separate product from stereo records was no longer economically feasible, record companies discontinued them.
Since the elimination of mono records in 1968, most albums that were originally available in both stereo and mono have only been available in stereo versions. There have been a few mono reissues in recent years of titles by prominent artists, but for the most part, collectors who are interested in having albums by their favorite artists from that era in both mono and stereo are going to have to find the mono version by buying vintage vinyl records.
As with any other limited commodity, people collect records, just as people collect stamps, coins, or Picasso paintings. While there are certainly new releases that are collectible, particularly as many new releases are limited editions, most record collectors have collections that consist largely of vintage vinyl records.
Collectors who are interested in those artists and others of the same era will almost always be interested in obtaining original pressings of at least some of those records. Sure, you can buy the entire Beatles catalog, right now, in the form of new, still sealed records.
There can certainly be price advantages to buying vintage vinyl records rather than buying new ones. For the most part, second hand records will cost less than new ones. A new copy of just about any album is likely to be priced at $20 or more, where used records can often be purchased, even in stores, for less than $10, and sometimes for $5 or less, depending on title.
It goes without saying that collectible vintage vinyl records are not going to be less expensive than new ones. A mint original pressing of that Sgt. Pepper LP by the Beatles is certainly going to cost a lot more than a new copy of a current reissue.
But as we have previously mentioned, most vintage vinyl records are priced affordably, and any well-stocked store that sells second hand records will likely have hundreds or even thousands of affordably priced vintage vinyl records.
There are reasons for why people buy anything and that applies to cars, houses and vintage vinyl records. While there are lots of good reasons to buy new ones, there are also a lot of compelling reasons to buy vintage vinyl records.
Presto Classical has a solid selection of classical records up for grabs. You can browse its general selection, or narrow down your search by era (like Renaissance or Baroque), by music type (Opera or Chamber), or by awards won. In the store, you can purchase vinyl directly, and even add others to your Wishlist to purchase later on.
Do you have a stack of vinyl records you are currently not using? Vinyl records have made a renaissance, and many people are taking a keen interest in these old-school, plastic music discs. If yours are collecting dust on the shelf, why not put them to good use and sell them for a profit?
eBay is another popular online marketplace for selling your vinyls online. There are two ways to go about it: You can set a price for your items or use the auction method for collectors to bid at the best price.
Keeping things local has its own advantages. You can go over to your local vinyl records store and negotiate a good price, and you do not have to incur extra costs mailing your vinyls to them. If you need instant cash, selling your vinyls to local record stores is the way to go.
If you are lucky enough, a big collector might buy your entire stack of records and leave you big money on the table. The best part is you can bring other items to sell and, in the process, attract more people to your vinyl collection.
Do you have lots of items to sell, including some treasured vinyl records? Consider putting up a yard sale. You might even come together with your neighbors to set up a big sale with more items to sell and buy.
By selling your vintage music records on your own website, you can bypass third parties and can maximize your profits. And, who knows, your e-commerce site might grow into something bigger than you expected, allowing you to sell more than vinyl.
Hi, Michelle, are you still looking to get rid of vinyl records? I have no idea how long this was posted..and I have no idea where you are. If you still have Records that you want to unload, let me know
I am in the US
I have about 75 albums C&W Dean Martin Jerry Vale an others plus about 100 45 dating back to the late 50s plus 2 of Elvis sun records . The Beatles album Dr pepper . Leave note in email if interested.
Some people love the memories it brings back when you slide that vinyl record out of its case, place it on the turntable and gently set the play needle in place. Others love the look of the art that graces vinyl record covers.
New vinyl record lovers and long-time collectors trying to build their collection will both buy used from record stores. Expect to get paid a deep discount from what the record stores will sell your used vinyl for.
People will typically pay more for a vinyl record with little to no scratches as well as one that the cover is in excellent condition. So if your record is in better condition than one that is listed, list yours for more.
Sites like American Fleas can help you find where there might be an upcoming flea market in your area. You can also do an internet search for flea markets near you to find markets where you can sell your vinyl.
Selling vinyl records for cash at Half Price Books is a relatively straightforward process. First, gather the records you want to sell and make sure they are in good condition, including having the artwork and liner notes. Next, find the nearest Half Price Books store and contact them to see if they are currently accepting vinyl records for resale.
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