how to sell the record collection

[GrayHare]

With interest in vinyl records up, this seems like a good time to sell those I bought decades ago in the pre-digital era. Most I've managed to keep in near mint condition, and there are a few MFSL issues. For the best price I am tempted to sell them indivdually (ebay or similar) but the packaging and shipping process described at various sites seems tedious. I"d love to hear the experiences and recommendations of others who sold off their records.

 

[SumDay]

35+ years ago a relative died, and we were given some records. This was pre-internet, so I listed them in a vinyl records magazine. I didn't know diddly about packing & shipping, so ended up refunding all the money we got for those broken records with pictures printed on the vinyl. So heed the warnings about shipping.

Whenever I go to estate sales, I see the same folks flipping through the vinyl boxes. Maybe list them on Craigslist (not my favorite) or Facebook Marketplace, along with a link to a list of what you have and then collectors can contact you? Or search the ones you think are valuable on eBay and the choose the CLOSED auctions to see what they sold for.

I'm sure there's a vinyl online forum. Might be a good place to get info on what's worth selling and what's Salvation Army material.

Just a few ideas off the top of my failing brain.

Good luck - some of them go for big bucks.

 

[braumeister]

Most cities seem to have at least one or two local shops that buy and sell vinyl records. That would be by far the simplest solution.

 

[SumDay]

Most cities seem to have at least one or two local shops that buy and sell vinyl records. That would be by far the simplest solution.

Duh, I forget brick & mortar even exist.

 

[NoiseBoy]

Are you trying to maximize your ROI or simply to de-clutter? If it's the latter, then offering the collection to a local vinyl store is the easiest way to be rid them. If you want to get the most for each album, or at least the ones you think are in demand, then eBay or possibly another forum specializing in LPs, is the way to go. But, shipping something fragile like an LP will be expensive and time consuming and may result in more than a few returns.


If it were me, I'd post something on Craigslist and FB Marketplace and see what kind of offers I received. The listings are free and you may get an idea of the value of your collection. That is where I start all of my selling now. Leakage from eBay and PayPal fees runs ~13%, so I can drop my asking price by 10%-15% and still come out about even if I can sell locally. And no shipping!

Edit to add -- I am selling stuff that is declining in value and that I no longer need, so I'm coming at this from the "every $$ I make is positive and it's out of the house" perspective.

 

[GrayHare]

Decluttering is part of the reason, but it seems reasonable to individually sell the more valuable records. Recommendations online suggest obtaining special cardboard mailers, and then cutting slabs of foam to cushion each side. If that has been successful for others I'll be encouraged to try it.

 

[HFWR]

My vinyl collection is old, and though I personally took decent care, and mostly in fair/good condition, after 40-60 years of BSR Mini-changers with a penny taped to the tone arm, drunken roommates, etc. Need to “rip” a few more of the older, rarer ones, but will likely offload if/when I move/downsize.

 

[savory]

I went online, eBay craigslist and flipped through the records at a shop or two. I learned most of mine were not worth much but a few were worth about $5 to the merchant. My goal was to make sure I wasn’t selling something really valuable. My due diligence at least made me feel there was nothing of great value, unfortunately.

 

[Big_Hitter]

With interest in vinyl records up, this seems like a good time to sell those I bought decades ago in the pre-digital era. Most I've managed to keep in near mint condition, and there are a few MFSL issues. For the best price I am tempted to sell them indivdually (ebay or similar) but the packaging and shipping process described at various sites seems tedious. I"d love to hear the experiences and recommendations of others who sold off their records.

I may be interested in buying some from you. Do you have a catalog?

 

[Big_Hitter]

Most cities seem to have at least one or two local shops that buy and sell vinyl records. That would be by far the simplest solution.

that will at least provide a baseline - kind of like taking your car to carmax