posted on January 4, 2001 07:33:35 PM
I haven't had much luck. Oh, I've sold a couple of records for cheap cheap but I have found them to be a tough sale.
When I was in an antique mall I did much better with them, an average of 4.00 to 5.00 a piece. Not bad considering you can find them for .50 cents/1.00 all over the place (one reason they are hard to sell for a good price).
I think collectors want to visually grade the condition of the vinyl--hard to do on a computer. Cover and sleeve condition are important as well.
One thing is that they made millions and millions of records (not every title was pressed in quantity of course). There are still a lot to choose from and if it's less than near mint they are way less desirable and harder to sell. Unless of course it's something like a Beatles Butcher Cover LP.
I've got one of those record price guides and I wonder how they justify the prices listed.
However, I recommend getting a good guide if you are interested in records because a certain "run" of a record can be worth a bunch more than normal. For instance, one version of a cover makes it more desirable than the other.
posted on January 4, 2001 08:08:23 PM
I go to lots of estate sales, and there are almost always LPs at these things - sometimes hundreds of them.
So what this tells me is that the supply is very plentiful. With the exception of a few rarities, the supply appears to exceed the demand by a large measure.
posted on January 4, 2001 08:11:22 PM
I have been collecting buying selling and tradeing records over 27 years and I have found that your not going to get your money back on just any record, records that are loose coverless or there jackets and sleeves are damage bent cut up records with rough heavy use scratching and pitting just wont sell for that matter you cant give them away.
You have to be selective in your record buying only the best of the best Jacket sleeves and records must be in excellent and if you pay .35 for one LP there is a good chance you will lose any profit in most cases.
I find free is best when it comes to records to sell because the margins are really low more times then not the shipping on a record will be from 1 to 4x the bid price 78s will cost the most not only to ship but to package 5 of these with out packageing weight in at just short of 10 LBS and they can not touch each other or rattle togeather at all if you think these are no problem I ship china forget it china is tougher.
Not trying to discourage you at all I just know from my time doing this because of low profit margins you need to sell in volume.
posted on January 4, 2001 08:14:53 PM
I found a British Winnie the Pooh record for $1 at the thrift store and thought it looked interestring. I put it on ebay, and came away singing to the tune of $18. But other than that, I've not had much luck with records.
I just bought a bunch at an auction for $2. Anyone have any craft ideas using them? I'm VBS craft director and thought it would be fun to make something with old records that aren't ebay-able!
posted on January 4, 2001 08:37:38 PM
Jenndiggy1:
Here's an idea -- spray paint them with gold non-toxic paint, dry thoroughly, then go get blank round labels (perhaps the ones you can use for CD's? these are found at any computer store selling CD/RW's) and let the kids make and decorate their own gold record!
If VBS means vacation bible school, give them a theme of something biblical, perhaps have them make gold record awards for biblical good deeds??
posted on January 4, 2001 08:48:18 PMGrump, get thee to a bookstore and get the Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. This is published yearly to keep up with the market and is analogous to the Edmund's pricing books for cars. It lists albums by artist, tells when they were published, and gives a tentative value based upon demand and condition. It is very informative reading for either LP sellers or collectors. Well worth the $20.
For the most part, an LP's value is primarily determined by the popularity of the artist, and then by how many LPs were pressed of a given recording.
posted on January 4, 2001 08:56:38 PM
Sorry, one more time (the head cold, lack of sleep, and the cold meds are keeping me from getting my thoughts all together in one tidy place).
If you find an album that seems particularly collectible, you should consider double listing: first in the the appropriate record category; and second, under the home audio "turntable" section. Vinyl, despite the decades of naysaying, has a pretty healthy following.
posted on January 4, 2001 09:12:32 PM
I have sold alot of records on e-bay.No just any record will sell,it must be an odd record by a collectable artist,such as Johnny Cash,Jimmy Buffet the Monkees ect.All my records have been new and unopened which seems to make a difference.
