While spring cleaning you’ve come across your collection of vinyl records from the yesteryears and are now wondering whether it is worth selling. Is it possible to make a small fortune or would it be much better to dust off the records and play them every once in a while? Use the tips mentioned in this post to determine your collection’s value.
Get Your Expectations Right
Is there a demand for a particular vinyl record? If yes, how strong is this demand?
You must figure out these two questions, especially if you nurse the hope of making a small fortune on your box of vinyl records.
Let’s get some facts right: A record’s high popularity doesn’t automatically make it valuable. So if you were hoping to get a nice amount for Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, you probably are in for a disappointment. Yes, even after a few decades, the ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ album remains very popular. However, with an estimated 45 million copies sold, this album is not exactly what you call rare. Anyone looking for it can get it easily.
Though there will always be a market for good albums from popular artists, they are not a collector’s item, unless they meet the criteria listed below in this post.
First Editions
Purists like to look and are ready to pay good money for the first pressings from the country of origin, usually the UK or USA. Typically first pressing has limited copies, making the edition rare. Similarly special and limited editions are also limited and can fetch a decent amount. For instance, a special edition of The Beatle’s ‘The White Album’ was released for the members of the band and executives working in their studio. These albums are stamped A00000, A000001, A000002 and so forth. These copies today are worth a few thousand of dollars. In addition to the first pressings and special or limited editions, recalls are also usually rare and much sought after.
Catalogue Numbers
Catalogue numbers are listed on the cover and label of a vinyl record. Ensure that they match. Record label might also include information regarding the album’s version, since some albums were offered in more than a few dozen versions, like first pressing, Mono, second pressing, Stereo, etc. Some versions are more valuable compared to others.
Your LP’s Condition
Another important factor that determines the value of your LP is its condition. Before you try to sell a vintage LP, first determine its condition. Are there scratches on the cover? What about the sound quality? Is it good or do you hear unwanted noise when you play it? These are some questions you should look into. If your record is not in good condition, you might not find many takers for it, even if it is a rare edition.
To sum it up, the value of an LP is determined by three things: albums’ rarity, condition, and pressing. For instance, if you have a rare album in mint condition, you could get a very good price for it.
However, this doesn’t mean other LPs are not saleable. As said earlier, there’s huge demand for used LPs in good condition, so you can easily sell them, and even make a good amount if your collection is sufficiently big.
What’s more, you can even sell unplayable LPs. VinylShop buys unwanted LPs and turns them into highly wanted gifts! So if you have a collection that’s no longer usable, get in touch with us.
For a free consultation and quote, call us at 678-787-1497.