What's a fair price for used vinyl records?

Question

I am looking to sell some of my used vinyl records. I have about 40 and have found a store that will pay me .50-$1 for each. I have heard that they are worth more (there are some really great records ie: Aerosmith, The Who, The Doors ect.). The covers condition aren't perfect but the records themselves look good. Is that a fair price or should I try to get more for them?

Answer 1

I have a few thousand I'll be happy to get a quarter a piece for and I have Jazz, old 10 inch 33s of country in near mint. Old hard to find classical and a mountain of real good rock going back to the 50s.

Answer 2

Price Of Vinyl Records

Answer 3

They are worth NOTHING! Value is in the art work. If the covers are in the original wrappers or you have a rare edition. I too have about 600 albums. Most of the vinyl were in excellent condition. The covers were also in great shape until my girl's cat decided to use them as a scratching post. By the time I discovered what he did they were destroyed. Needless to say the cat is no longer with us. Let me add, it's not the asking price but what they have sold for that counts.

Answer 4

Look through ebay to get an idea of what the going rate is for your records. You may be surprised that, despite being an obsolete format, there are many people who collect records and will pay good amounts of money for specific ones. I don't know how much the ones you stated are worth, or what else you have in your collection, but if you do see any being auctioned off for big bucks, put those up on ebay and give the rest to the store.

Answer 5

Sell them on ebay instead, you'll have a wider consumer reach.

Old Vinyl records are only worth top $$$ if it's in mint conditon- ie, no scratches, still in plastic etc...

The old but ok shape are worth a few dollars, over $3, under $10 depending on condition.

Answer 6

List who the albums are by and check on Ebay. Some records may be worth much more than that. an original Hank Williams Sr. lp can go for up to $50 for example.

Answer 7

Ebay is a good place to check-they have guides on their website. However, if your record isn't there or you want to get a more "official value", If you go to the library or bookstore (I looked at Borders) there are comprehensive guides on records rating on quality, condition, wear, etc. Depending on how good your records are will determine the price and how common the record is.

Here is the rating guide from Goldmine. It is on ebay for you to reference.

Mint (M)

Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed.(More on still sealed under "Other Considerations"). Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all.
Near Mint (NM or M-) A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly)that no record is ever truly perfect.
The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.
Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides. Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

Generally worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value.
A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.
Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK".
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.
Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG)

Generally worth 25 percent of Near Mint value. Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.
Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price. This, not the Near Mint price, should be your guide when determining how much a record is worth, as that is the price a dealer will normally pay you for a Near Mint record.


Good (G), Good Plus (G+)

Generally worth 10-15 percent of the Near Mint value. Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white).
A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.
It is a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But, if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it...but keep looking to upgrade.

Poor (P), Fair (F)

Generally worth 0-5 percent of the Near Mint price. The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing. The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled, and written upon.
Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.

Most dealers give a separate grade to the record and it's sleeve or cover. In an ad, a record's grade is listed first, followed by that of the sleeve or the cover.

Look for Goldmine Price Guides or The Official Price Guide by Jerry Osborne, Warman's, American Premium Record Guide etc.

Answer 8

Here you can find out the values of rare vinyl records:

Answer 9

I have seen some other places on the Intenet that will sell on consignment for $8.00 to $25.00 depending on the album. From what I saw, my gently used AC/DC collection of albums would fetch over $100.00 on consignment. Good luck!

Answer 10

No check out the prices on ebay