Tag Archives: record collections

How much is my record collection worth Turntabling

How Much Is My Record Collection Worth?

How much are my vinyl records really worth

How much is my record collection worth? It’s a question many ask, but the answers are more complicated than a basic dollar amount. Your record collection is worth more in some ways, less in others-it all depends on what you have and who else might be interested in the same things.

Great example-Look at the picture of those spoken word albums above. You may ask yourself who on EARTH cares about T.S. Eliot on vinyl. But look closer-this record is narrated by none other than the original Obi Wan Kenobi himself, Sir Alec Guinness.

NOW you have the interest of a certain segment of hardcore Star Wars lovers who cannot get enough of that man’s voice. And who can blame them? Alec Guinness is one of the most respected names in 20th Century film and stage work for a certain type of cinema lover. The value of this record-amongst THESE PEOPLE is much higher than for your average crate digger looking for…whatever it is they are looking for.

How Much Is My Record Collection Really Worth?

Make no mistake, the value of your collection goes up if the records are in GOOD CONDITION both covers and vinyl. Even the most tired old pile of ancient classic rock records that every record store has moldering away in the cheaps bin is IN that bin because the records aren’t pretty enough and clicks-and-pops free enough to be sold at a more competitive price.

So if you have a PRISTINE copy of a Carole King Tapestry album? That will fetch more than the battered old copy in the two dollar bin. Even though Tapestry is a record store cliche that every…single…record store has stashed somewhere along with those Poco records and the ever-present water-damaged copy of Led Zepplin II.

Your record collection is worth MORE if you have lustworthy things in it in Very Good to Near Mint condition. What is considered lustworthy? That depends SO MUCH on the buyers you’re trying to reach. Some people don’t give a DAMN about Alan Ginsberg’s vinyl records. But those with a fascination for the Beats (Burroughs, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso, etc.) will be VERY interested in knowing more.

Alan Ginsberg On Vinyl Ginsbergs Thing Vinyl

Who Decides What My Records Are Worth On An Individual Basis?

The market basically decides…but as mentioned above, there are MANY MANY different kinds of markets for vinyl records. But there ARE some determining factors including:

  • Availability when originally pressed
  • Current scarcity
  • Vinyl Variants
  • Unique features
  • Sealed or unsealed

If only 500 copies of a release were originally pressed (and that is more and more common these days) you have the makings of a serious collector’s item in a few year’s time. If an album was mass-produced, but since has never been repressed, that may also increase the value.

A record that was pressed with a certain number of the run on colored vinyl or other vinyl variants, that record is likely to get increased attention. Misprints, accidental cover problems, or other things that make a certain number of the records more rare and impossible to find may also factor in.

If a record is still sealed, especially after many years, that record also will be more lustworthy depending on the buyer.

There are A LOT MORE issues associated with how to value a record collection. I’ll write about them in future posts. FULL DISCLOSURE: I buy record collections and write about them from both a collector and reseller perspective. If you are interested in selling a vinyl collection or part of one, please get in touch with me via e-mail: jwallace242@gmail.com

–Joe Wallace

 

How To Sell Your Vinyl Records To A Buyer

How To Sell Your Record Collection

How To Sell Your Record Collection-it really should be the title of a book. Until that happens though, if you have a record collection to sell there are some things you should know about the process to avoid disappointment.

Full disclosure: I buy and sell records for a living. I have purchased entire collections, tiny portions of them, and everything in between. What I am about to tell you is the truth about selling your record collection as someone who has sold a collection or two myself, and as a buyer.

How To Sell Your Vinyl Records To A Buyer

Have Realistic Expectations About Selling Your Vinyl Record Collection

There are two basic kinds of record collection buyers: one type wants to purchase for their own personal enjoyment, the other wants to re-sell the collections they purchase.

Those of us who are resellers do this for a living and have concerns about being able to make some kind of profit from the records they purchase. It’s a business and in business the goal is to keep costs as low as possible, ideally not rip anyone off, but still find a way to have enough money at the end of the day to buy groceries.

That means that the professional reseller will evaluate your record collection on the basis of two basic things-how much the collection is worth on the resale market, and how much will have to be paid to obtain the collection.

The “personal enjoyment” buyer is likely NOT interested in buying your entire collection. This is just a fact of life. If you try to sell to someone who is not a reseller, it’s best not to expect your entire stack of records to go out the door. The collector will be very selective and may only purchase a handful of what you have.

Dealing With Professional Resellers (Like Me)

There are two basic issues for a professional record buyer and seller. One is the lustworthiness of your record collection-do you have records that nobody wants? Your old Foghat records, show tunes, Jimmy Buffet, and that battered copy of Carole King’s Tapestry are NOT in demand, sad to say. Unless those records are SEALED, you probably don’t stand a chance with things along those lines.

The other factor is the CONDITION those records are in. Are they beaten to death? Are the covers damaged? Do the records sound like snap-crackle-and-pop breakfast cereal? The better condition your albums are in, the more they are worth.

That said, selling your vinyl record collection is still a bit tricky. Some pro resellers will take ANYTHING that is in decent condition-glossy vinyl with few surface marks or scratches and covers that are in good condition without gouges, big corner bends, worn-off patches on the artwork, etc.

Some resellers, like me, are VERY selective. We specialize in certain musical genres above all others. For me, it’s New Wave, Industrial, Soundtracks to genre films (horror, foreign films, sci-fi, unusual things of all kinds), goth, electronica, spoken word and general weirdness.

That means that a lot of resellers won’t touch your classic rock collection, or your old Peabo Bryson and Aretha Franklin LPs. If there is a niche to be bought, there is a buyer for it. But you’ll have to be very specific about your collection and what it contains.

How to sell your record collection

Pricing

A good record collection buyer will ask you how many records are in your collection, what genres and names you have, the overall condition of those records, and most importantly, how much you were thinking about selling the collection for. Having a dollar amount set on your collection is a very good idea. The buyer WILL want to negotiate that price based on the quality of the records themselves, the previously mentioned lustworthiness of your albums, etc.

Don’t approach a buyer without an idea of what you might like to get for the records. Do approach the collection buyer with an idea of the condition of your records and covers, what you think the quality of the whole group might be, etc. You do NOT have to be an expert-just give the buyer something to work with.

Don’t expect to get the same dollar amount you paid for the records. Do expect your collection to sell for an amount much lower than that-you purchased the records and used them, put wear and tear on them, and the value decreases over time with that notion in mind.

The key to getting more money from your collection has to do with quality and quantity. You will get more money from a larger collection. You will get more money for a smaller collection of records that are in OUTSTANDING CONDITION. You will get more money still (comparatively) for SEALED records.

One thing is sure-you should manage your expectations when selling a record collection with the idea in mind that the buyer needs to be able to make some kind of profit from the purchase she makes. That isn’t just the collection of records themselves-the records have to be transported, they have to be cleaned and graded by hand. That takes time. They have to be put into new outer sleeves. That takes more money. There is an investment in purchasing a vinyl record collection that goes beyond what is paid for the albums themselves.

There are other nuances to selling a record collection-things I will share in another blog post.

If you have records for sale, do get in touch. You can reach me via orders@turntabling.net to discuss the purchase of your collection.

–Joe Wallace

We Buy Record Collections: Goth/Industrial Vinyl Wanted

Sisters Or Mercy Vinyl Records wanted

It’s time once again to put out the call-Turntabling is actively looking for record collections to purchase. We are VERY keen on goth/industrial records and are specifically looking for any Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Cure, Wax Trax! records and anything else that falls in or near this genre of music. If you have records to sell, please get in touch with us at:

orders@turntabling.net

Why the urgency about this genre? Turntabling isn’t just interested in the sale of vinyl, we are also coming to grips with a growing fascination for the preservation of certain types of vinyl records. More than once around the Turntabling collection the thoughts of starting an actual vinyl preservation society or museum or some similar type project has been kicked around. While there are still no firm plans afoot, the idea of building a library of vinyl records to be preserved, discussed, and analyzed is a tantalizing one.

So we put the call out once more for record collections. If you have vinyl to sell, please know that we are not seeking jazz collections (except for a very limited range of jazz centered around Miles Davis Bitches’ Brew type sonic excursions, Sun Ra, Coltrane, or Morricone-style soundtracky jazz sounds.), we have no interest in Classic Rock, don’t care about Broadway or show tunes, and have no desire to purchase country music collections.

What ARE we looking for? The Goth/Industrial genre most definitely but not just the big names-we seek indie, unknown, private label, and one-shot wonders from this genre too.

We also have an interest in a range of power-pop, post-punk, electronic, experimental and avant garde artists. Spoken word albums are right up our alley, and the weirder they are or the most unclassifiable the better.

We also purchase soundtracks across a variety of cinematic genres, but are especially interested in Morricone, Riz Ortolani, Nora Orlandi, and many others. Horror soundtracks, sci-fi, and anything strange or fantastic is what we are looking for primarily here. If it sounds even the slightest bit psychedelic, trippy, etc. we are more than interested.

We also have a fascination for “adult” and “adults only” vinyl records. This is a fascinating sub-genre of the record industry that we definitely want more of for a variety of reasons including a proposed art show featuring these records in all of their problematic glory. The vintage sexism, the male-gazey objectification, and incredible no-budget qualities of these productions make them museum pieces of the highest order for those of us who love to marvel at the horrifying practices of cultural movements past.

So, to recap: WE WANT TO BUY YOUR RECORD COLLECTION.

Contact us: orders@turntabling.net

Please give us an idea of the titles, condition, and volume of the collection. We do travel to view record collections of a size that might justify such a journey, but such arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis. Please be as detailed as possible when contacting us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for reading and we hope to hear from you soon…