How to sell old albums – Get your Vinyl on the market

There are hundreds of reasons why Vinyl is better than digital audio.

However, we should all face the truth and check the treasure in the basement, as most of us can no longer keep it. Moreover, your Vinyl may be worth thousands, so the word “treasure” describes them on several levels.

Whatever the reason you want to pack your stack of vinyl records and put them to good use, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll share some tricks on how to sell old albums and singles on Vinyl.

How to Sell Old Albums

Before you put your Vinyl stack for sale, you should know its worth. Of course, some people are short on time to do proper research. So, they sell entire packages to the first collector they find.

There’s nothing wrong with this approach, except that your records may be worth more than you’ll get. That’s why we highly recommend you read the following section.

Organize your collection

The first step you should take is to make a list of your record collection. If your stack includes records from artists you’re not familiar with, you should research online.

This simple guide may help you organize the collection:

1. Write a list of every Vinyl record you have.
2. Carefully take each Vinyl to check for visible damages.
3. Sort the records by artist or band (if you have multiple pieces of vinyl from one artist or a band, sort them by year).
4. Sort the records by genre.
5. If there’s a band or artists you’re not familiar with, research online.

All these steps are essential for determining the records’ value. Now that you have organized your collection, it’s time for the next step on how to sell old albums.

Factors to consider when determining Vinyl records value

Your records are now organized by artist, year of release, and genre. Now, we’ll share several crucial factors you must consider because they directly impact the value of your collection.

Generally, the price is determined by:

• Record condition
• Record rarity
• Record’s age
• Current price of similar copies

Speaking of rarity, the records may be worth more money if they are:

• Limited editions
• Foreign editions
• Never-released copies
• Withdrawn releases
• Autographed copies
• Rare label variations
• Albums by famous bands or artists released before they became famous

You should also know that still-sealed records in excellent condition will be worth more than opened ones, regardless of their condition.

Research

Researching each Vinyl may be the trickiest part you’ll have to do because you may have to dig a little deeper than a plain online search to get information.

Of course, Google will help a lot, but you have to be careful because every person with internet access is an expert now.

It goes without saying that if you want to know how to sell old albums, you must first learn the value of your records. You should understand that the research takes most of the time of the entire selling process, that is, if you want to get more money.

Follow these steps to organize your research:

• Online search

You should type all details you know about the record, including the artist, album name, cover, label, etc. Most people use eBay to check the value of their records. However, you should also try Discogs, Etsy, Vinyl Loop, Boomkat, and many more.

Of course, these include online marketplaces where you can also sell your Vinyls.

• Record price guide

You can find free and paid price guides that can help you determine the price of your records. Keep in mind to download or buy the latest guide. Popular guides are the Free Vinyl Record Price Guide, Popsike, Rare Record Price Guide, etc.

• Local record stores and the flea market

At this point, it’s time to visit all record stores in your area. Talk to the managers for informative purposes only. You can stroll down the store to see which Vinyls it has.

We also suggest you read customer reviews about the store to see whether it’s reliable.

Here’s a tip: When talking to the manager, don’t look too excited, and don’t reveal your entire collection. If the manager finds out you have valuable records but are unaware of their worth, they may try to give you false information to get the records from you at a low price.

Sellers at the flea market may not be familiar with the records’ value. The flea market is suitable if you want to get rid of the collection and don’t mind selling them at lower prices.

However, it’s best to go to the flea market if you want to buy Vinyls, as that place can have hidden treasures.

Get your Vinyls on the market

After you determine the price, the next step is to get your Vinyls on the market. At this point, the only significant factor is how much time you want to spend waiting for the right buyer.

If you want to get rid of your records and don’t care about the price, you can open a garage sale, sell them on the flea market, or accept the first offer from the local record store.

However, you’re here to make money. So, these are our suggestions on how to sell old albums and get the best offer:

• Make sure that you keep your records in the best conditions
• Post pictures and prices on multiple online platforms
• Get in contact with at least several Vinyl collectors
• Negotiate with multiple managers of local record stores
• Regularly check the latest record price guides
• Go to record auctions to see which copies are demanded and paid the most

Wrapping Up

As you saw, the most challenging part of how to sell old albums and get your Vinyls on the market is to research and determine their value.

After that, selling them is only just a matter of time, as there are numerous online and in-person places to offer them.

Ultimately, we advise you to get insurance if you have highly valuable Vinyls. You should also store them very carefully, at room temperature, and protect them against dust, water, and direct sunlight.

If you sell them online, we advise you not to ship them without getting the money first.