Signed Vinyl Record- Seeking Advice

[erhan5713]

I have a signed vinyl record from a very popular band that I would like to sell. As evidence, I have a picture of me with the signer on the day he signed it, and a picture of the record after he signed it. I would prefer the avoid the hassle and fees of getting it authenticated, but I am willing to sell it for less than it is worth (that is, if I choose not to have it authenticated). I just wanted to check with other sellers and see what they recommend. Is it worth it to send it off and pay ~$100 total in fees and shipping costs in order to have it authenticated? Or do I have a good chance of making the sale without authentication? I don't want to invest in the authentication of it if I'm not able to sell it afterwards. 

[lux.ra_14]

No need for paid authentication. And no need to willingly sell it for less than it's worth.

Authentication services make mistakes all the time. COAs are just pieces of paper,  no matter how much stock people put in them. You obtained the signature in person and have a photo to prove it. What more could an authenticator do, except take your money for something you already know?

[a_c_green]

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@lux.ra_14 wrote:

No need for paid authentication. And no need to willingly sell it for less than it's worth.

Authentication services make mistakes all the time. COAs are just pieces of paper,  no matter how much stock people put in them. You obtained the signature in person and have a photo to prove it. What more could an authenticator do, except take your money for something you already know?

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Authenticators could be considered stand-ins for when you don't have that kind of proof, but you do. When you have a photo of you and the artist signing the piece that you have, there really isn't much else for an authenticator to do.

I would list the record for auction with the opening price being the minimum that you would accept for it if it only ever got one bid. Post your photo proof clearly in the listing. Use a proper rigid cardboard mailer to protect the album for shipping. The album can ship by Media Mail, although if this turns out to be a big sale, you might want upgrade to Ground Advantage with its free $100 maximum insurance coverage. Good luck.

[onefootflippers]

With items like this I post that the item is guaranteed to pass PSA authentication or your money back.

[brightlightbookseller]

We sell many autographed items with less proof than that (usually none except our own opinion of it's authenticity, and maybe the word of the customer we got it from) with no problems.  There are some types of items that need PSA or similar verification, but I wouldn't think a hand-signed vinyl where you were present for the signing is one of them.  You should be able to sell it without paying anything extra to get it verified!

[luckythewinner]

There is no need to get it authenticated and there is no need to sell it for less than it is worth.

Just search sold items for proof of this. 

But be aware that "what it is worth" is a very subjective thing and that if the buyer files a "not as described" you could end up refunding and losing your item. 

[itsjustasprain]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

But be aware that "what it is worth" is a very subjective thing and that if the buyer files a "not as described" you could end up refunding and losing your item. 

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You do not have to refund until the item is returned to you if you choose the return-for-refund option. The buyer might still swap out the record for a different one or some other trinket but that takes things to the next level of mail fraud. If the buyer files a 'not as described' you do not automatically lose your item although you do need to know how to handle such a case.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, @erhan5713 i see you’ve been here a while and sold a couple of things.

As i’m sure you’re aware, and as other posters have discussed, it is important to know the rules for using the platform, like eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. Likely you already know the risks of selling here.  Below is the link to the MBG policy for anyone who needs it. Best of luck to you with your sale!!

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[geo2061]

  Personally, if the Artist is Really Popular and the item has substantial value, Plus i was a New Seller on eBay ...

i would contact an appropriate Auction House ... JMHO

[umccars]

I would find a different venue to sell that. Just my opinion.

[slippinjimmy]

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@umccars wrote:

I would find a different venue to sell that. Just my opinion.

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Why? eBay is probably the best place to sell an autographed LP.

This is also just my opinion but I've been selling Vinyl LP's on eBay for 25 years (plus 25 years before eBay).

[brightlightbookseller]

Only reason I would agree that they should be cautious is because as a new seller, they will be more prone to getting scammers trying to get them to fall for one of many tricks.  I agree that it's definitely a good place to sell it usually, but a new seller should usually get some history of sales with smaller items first before trying something expensive.

[selsa84]

What band is it? Any way you would post a pic? 

[fbusoni]

You may want to go to discogs and mention this in their forum and see what they say.

[erhan5713]

@itsjustasprain @luckythewinner 

I've been a seller on Mercari for several years, so I do know some scammers tricks. I am new to ebay though, so I'm really trying to avoid any issues at all.

For a previous sale, the buyer requested some strange things for the packaging. I did what they asked, however I made sure to take screenshots of all our communication (always through ebay), and I took pictures of the item at several stages as I was packaging it. Despite the strange request, the item arrived perfectly and I was paid without issue. So is photo evidence the key to proving that you provided the item you sold? In case a buyer does open a dispute, would having that evidence protect me as the seller? If eBay truly does not have any protections or process for determining the legitimacy of a dispute, I'm not sure I want to continue tbh.