posted on May 15, 2001 04:10:55 AM
Well my friend, welcome to the aggravation. I myself have hundreds of these things that I'm just starting to put together so let me tell you what I've Found. ( Just my opinion ).
1. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH ! Search the "completed items" section in ebay using the artist titles. If you see lots of bids on a particular record than list it. If its at all "iffy" put it in the yard sale box. Don't waste your time.
2. List these records INDIVIDUALLY. For sure the Beatles and anything collectable.
3. Set up a good grading system and include this in your listings. Any serious collector wants to know EXACTLY what they're getting.
4. Treat the sleeves (mainly the 45 sleeves) very gently. A 45 with an original sleeve will skyrocket in value.
5. The best way to take picture ( and you should ) is with a digital camera in macro (up close) mode with the record at an angle to reduce flash glare.
posted on May 15, 2001 04:27:38 AM
I'm curious about selling records also. How do you handle the possibility of a record having a tiny scratch that you can't see? My mom has some older records that may be worthwhile to Ebay but I have always hesitated to list them because of this possibility. I don't want to listend to every song on every record waiting for a chance of a skip. Any insight, please? Thanks.
[ edited by squinkle99 on May 15, 2001 04:28 AM ]
posted on May 15, 2001 04:42:37 AM
What I do is listen while I'm building auctions. Most people are not going to pitch a fit over a very light scratch. The key point is how it plays. If in doubt, downgrade the record and chances are you will get a fantastic feedback because it will play much better than they anticipated.
posted on May 15, 2001 05:02:07 AM
clean1 said it, got to listen to both sides, so you got to play 'em. That way you know if there are scratches are scratches are scratches (you get the point), or if there is other annoying surface noise, or whether the sound is clean.
And make sure you describe the sleeves correctly, such as any split seam edges, names written on them, tape along the edge, all of these things are important to your buyers.
As usual, you will get the best response to your best condition & collectible stuff, so accurate descriptions on these are a must.
posted on May 15, 2001 05:06:20 AM
I've also got tons of albums I would like to list, but I can't play them because I don't have anything to play them on! Also have lots of 45s from the 50s and lots of them still have their picture sleeves. Also are picture sleeves without the record worth anything? Also have some albums from the 1980s that are still sealed in their plastic jacket so I wouldn't want to open and play those.
posted on May 15, 2001 05:16:52 AM
I've had both good and rotten luck with records.
I just give them a "visual" grade. Collectors buy records all the time at flea markets, antique shops and garage sales, and they almost never get to play the record before purchasing at these venues, so they grade them visually. If it looks good it'll probably play well.
I agree with clean1. If it's questionable value-wise, or if the record has a lot of wear to the cover or vinyl, not much point in wasting your time on it, unless it were ultra-rare and desirable (that is, possibly worth hundreds).
One example: had a worn copy of Big Brother & the Holding Company's first album, with Janis, before she was famous. Couldn't even get $4.95 for it, while a mint copy brought around $70.
[ edited by loosecannon on May 15, 2001 05:27 AM ]
posted on May 15, 2001 05:30:23 AM
It's true about collectors not listening to items gotten at flea markets but this is the key:
If you got a record that you think is above all the rest whether it is because of the artist, or condition, or rarity you GOT TO PLAY IT ! The thing we are missing here is that you CAN go to that flea market and buy that $2.00 record but on ebay you got that $2.00 record you are trying to sell for $4.oo plus anywhere from $2.50 to $5.00 shipping. I'd be pissed to pay $10.00 for something that didn't sound good.
posted on May 15, 2001 05:38:00 AM
Sorry clean1. Now I disagree. Visual grading is acceptable to most collectors, since that's how they do it themselves. Also, unless you own a high quality turntable with a well balanced arm, it isn't the best idea to play the record anyway. You want to buy a record that's been played on an ancient piece of junk with a nail for a stylus?
I'm not going to listen to 30-40 minutes of a record that's going to sell for $4.00. They get a visually graded record with a return policy or it isn't worth my time to mess with it.
Edited to add: I've never had a complaint on a visually graded record.
[ edited by loosecannon on May 15, 2001 05:39 AM ]
[ edited by loosecannon on May 15, 2001 05:43 AM ]
posted on May 15, 2001 05:42:01 AM
To each his own. I personally don't feel right shipping a record unless I can verify it's condition. Postcards are visual. Records are for listening to.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with what you're saying. I just choose to listen to records instead of watching Jerry Springer or The View. I get 15 or twenty ahead so I can build those auctions while I listen to more.
posted on May 15, 2001 06:05:10 AMIf you got a record that you think is above all the rest whether it is because of the artist, or condition, or rarity you GOT TO PLAY IT !
There's a good argument for playing a record before you offer it, if it's really rare or valuable.
But again, if the seller doesn't have good equipment to play it on, i.e., a high quality turntable with a stylus in excellent shape, as opposed to a 30-year-old Garrard turntable (with the 8-track player built in) that hasn't had the stylus changed in 28 years, it's not a good idea to play it.
[ edited by loosecannon on May 15, 2001 06:09 AM ]
posted on May 15, 2001 06:16:11 AM
HI..I sell records on ebay also.I Don"t have time to play everything either..out of 700 sales i had to replace only one..research on completed auctions is the key..I run from 1 to 15 at a time depending how well they stand by themselves..use the normal grading system on your records. study record ads that are on ebay..if i have a rarer record that is a little scuffy i will play grade it to see how many pops it has or background noise..sad to say but 99 of 100 records are common..i haul my common ones to an auction..hopes this helps.
posted on May 15, 2001 06:28:22 AM
This is the "10 Point Grading System" that I found in Jerry Osborne's "The Official Price Guide To Records".
10. MINT 9. NEAR-MINT 8. Better than VG but below NM 7. VERY GOOD 6. Better than G but below VG 5. GOOD 4. Better than POOR but below G 3. POOR 2. Really trashed 1. It hurts to think about it
By the way, this is based on the visual grading.
[ edited by loosecannon on May 15, 2001 06:34 AM ]
[ edited by loosecannon on May 15, 2001 06:35 AM ]
posted on May 15, 2001 10:18:30 AM
I liquidated my mother in law's estate of over 500 LPs on eBay. Many of them (especially the ones from the 1950s) were in sad shape but the covers were pretty good. They brought decent money. I cannot grade a record worth a hoot and I listen to them but sometimes rate them visually. I usually put a disclaimer like this in my auctions:
I am not a record collector, I'm just trying to sell some things from my mother in law's estate. I get easily confused when trying to match up a VG+ to a G- so I have invented my own grading method. It goes like this: the LP up for auction has a couple of tiny scratches on one side and the album cover has no split seams. The graphics are vivid and look great. If exact condition is important to you, please take a moment to e-mail me and ask questions. We both will be glad you did.
I have never had an LP returned because it was in worse shape than they thought. Like the other poster suggested earlier, I probably describe more than what is necessary for the buyer, but I can sleep at night.
Invest in some LP mailers and plastic sleeves. We get ours from Bags Unlimited. The plastic sleeves make a great presentation and the mailers make shipping a snap. I think one mailer will hold up to 6 or 8 LPs.
A friend of mine who has collected and traded LPs all his life told us the most important part: invest in an invisible ink pen and black light! Some buyers might try to pull a switch by purchasing your mint LP and return their old scratched LP for a refund. We mark both the LP and the cover. A couple of times we have had buyers state that the LP was not what they thought. When we told them they were marked, they suddenly decided they would just keep them.
posted on May 15, 2001 12:47:42 PM
Well, I'm home from the real job and really appreciate the advice I'm getting here. You have all given me a lot to do and a lot to think about. I have just an old record player and would be afraid of scratching one that isn't scratched now. Most of these have been very well taken care of and some have been bought as collectors' items, from the plastic bags with tags they are in.
that hasn't had the stylus changed in 28 years, it's not a good idea to play it.