Vinyl Records, Need an Opinion

[blackvans-11]

Vinyls are collectibles first and foremost! I want your opinion on this, my father big classic rock guy my grandfather was huge on Classical music...that being said keep them or sell? 

Ok, If I sell.. should I sell as a lot or indi?? Lottttttta cataloguing to do if individual which means alllot of .99 - 2.99 records and is it worth shipping?? 

Only asking because a friend of a friend is interested in buying the whole lot but haven't gotten a chance to meet yet, we're talking about 200 more or less mostly Rock from the 60's early 70's.

thx

[dadsfloridatreasure · Accepted solution]

I would go through them individually and find out which ones could be rare and worth money.  I found a box of records a few years back at our local recycling drop off area that ended up having the infamous Beatles "butcher" album cover relabel version.  I ended up getting a few hundred dollars just for that one alone. 

Once you find out what you have, I wouldn't waste time to list anything less than $10 or those with a lot of competition on here (my opinion).  Sell them off as a collection at that point.

[blackvans-11]

Ok yea definitely forgot to mention that of course all Beatles, M Jackson and certain great finds will be priority..but thanks great answer...really nothing less than $10?

Yes Sir! lol thank you

[luckythewinner]

My thoughts:

"Classic rock" is a pretty vague category. So is "Classical". There is a big difference in value between The Stooges or The MC5 vs. Bread or Dan Fogelberg. 

Condition is everything. If the cover has seam splits or writing or price sticker damage or ring wear, or if the disc has visible or audible scratches, this can dramatically affect value. 

I have passed up collections of 200 classic rock albums that were $10, and I have also paid $1,000 for collections of 200 classic rock albums. How much they are worth depens upon ... well, how much they are worth 🙂

[gkyn29]

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@blackvans-11 wrote:

Ok yea definitely forgot to mention that of course all Beatles, M Jackson and certain great finds will be priority..but thanks great answer...really nothing less than $10?

Yes Sir! lol thank you

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$10 would be fine as long as you charge for shipping.

[pvcliff]

I listed about 100 of my brother's records when he died. Sold about 85 of them. Didn't even listen to them, held them up to the light to get a glancing incidence and notated where I saw scratches. Two did get returned, a colored vinyl Talking Heads album and a jazz album, for skipping on the buyers' turntable. But all in all it was better than just putting them in the charity box.

[dadsfloridatreasure]

It's up to you, but after all the ebay and Paypal fees, the packaging supplies you'll have to buy for record size boxes/mailers, the time to package, the cost of shipping, and the time to photograph and list, you're not going to make a lot of money in the end on a $10 item, you know?

When you start researching them, look and see what records are selling and for what price.  Some records are quite common and there's a lot of competition selling the same thing.  Condition is everything, too, because you don't want a buyer to return them because one is scratched and skips on them.  Then you're stuck.  You could get creative in marketing them, like group together all the Led Zeppelin, all the Jimmy Hendrix, etc., and sell them in one listing.

It would be easier if they were smaller items, like CDs.  Quick and easy to list, quick and easy to ship.  

[luckythewinner]

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@blackvans-11 wrote:

Ok yea definitely forgot to mention that of course all Beatles, M Jackson and certain great finds will be priority..but thanks great answer...really nothing less than $10?

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LP mailers can be bought on eBay for 55 cents each delivered. Clever packing can keep them under a pound which ships by Media Mail for $2.66. Charging $3.50 for shipping more than covers postage and all your supplies and some of your fees, too.

The majority of the LPs I list are under $10. I can photograph, grade, describe and list an album in five minutes. That is 10 per hour, and if half of them sell at $9 each that is still about $25 per hour.

[m60driver]

I tried selling LPs once, but just not worth the time and effort for a $9.99 gross.  Most don't sell. You need to buy cardboard LP mailers. Requires at least 4 pics for each album for LP, LP label, cover, and sleeve.  Mighty be OK if you have a store with lots of free listings.  I used three 12" bubble wraps between mailer, album, and sleeve, and got positive feedback from some picky collectors who are very retentive when it comes to shipping albums.  I would still sell an LP if I came across a mint LP still in the original plastic wrap, or the rarer Lps from the older regional labels pre mid 1960s that no longer exist. But it is a specialized area of collecting.

[paulie_58]

You sell a record for $10 plus $3.97 shipping. You lose $1.00 right off the bat to ebay. Then you lose another .40 cents shipping. Then you lose .35 cents to list it. Then you lose .30 to paypal. Leaves you with about 11.92....then you have to pay $2.66 at a minimum to ship it--- cardboard mailers make it over one pound so thats really $3.12 you lose that  so you profit $8.80 which is great...until customer demands a return. Then you shell out another $3.12 at a minimum for a return label---plus the $13.97 refund so you profit (zero) negative -$3.12 you actually lose money if each time you get a return.  

Then you realize the record you thought was valuable someone else is selling it for $3.97 plus shipping. How do you beat that price?  You sell the record for .99 cents and flat rate ship for $5 and then you dont make money after you lose the fees plus the chance of a return.

Thats what selling records on EBAY is really like. 

You get an expensive record and sell it overseas the buyer only has to file SNAD or INAD and wait for you to not send a $25 overseas shipping label then they keep the record and the money. 

Thats what selling records on ebay is like. Go ahead more power to you. Youre better off selling electronics or jewelry where you make more than $10 a sale. 

[luckythewinner]

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@paulie_58 wrote:

You sell a record for $10 plus $3.97 shipping. You lose $1.00 right off the bat to ebay. Then you lose another .40 cents shipping. Then you lose .35 cents to list it. Then you lose .30 to paypal. Leaves you with about 11.92....then you have to pay $2.66 at a minimum to ship it--- cardboard mailers make it over one pound so thats really $3.12 you lose that  so you profit $8.80

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Here's how a $10 record breaks down for me:

$10 plus $3.50 = $13.50

Record mailer = $0.55

Postage = $2.66

eBay FV fee = $1.35

Paypal fee = $0.69

Insertion fee = $0.00

Returns = 0%

Cost of record = ~$1.00

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$7.35

I keep over 70% of the selling price after acquisition, selling costs and returns.

[mikeystoyz]

Years ago my wife bought 100 60s 45s for 5 bucks.  I was curious as to what they were worth and a couple dozen of them were pre punk punk.  You want to know expensive.  Original pressings of MC5 and a bunch of other stuff.  You need to check it.  Closely.

[time4david5d28]

In my opinion, unless the records are RARE and excellent shape . . .  vinyl records are only worth what someone is willing and able to pay.    With my record collection of about 1,000 records, I was only able to get $1 per even though there were some I knew were $25 or $10 records . . . . why did I sell for $1 a piece?   1)  I'm not a store.   I don't have overhead.   I can't get 'retail' pricing when I'm not a store;  2) Records might suffer SNAD type returns.  Why?  Because unless you can verify that isn't a single scratch on the record, one should list the record as previously owned and played and therefore might have scratches.  Who wants to pay top dollar for that?   3)   Nitch category.   My records were all disco 12" Singles.  Collectible?  Yes.  But to whom?   It's a small select group of the population.  Therefore I'm not going to waste my time listing each record invidually when I just want them gone!   4)  I had to divorce myself from the "emotional" commitment I made to having these in my life versus the reality that they need to find a new home.  This means finding a price in which someone is willing and able to pay AND I'm willing to accept.

[blackvans-11]

Yeeessss, Exactly how I feel especially being the fact that I'm trying to make room for whatever something but I'm not about making money off of records being that it's so time-consuming I just want them to sell and have a home. So I'm actually good with $1-$5 records with occasional $10-$20 ones, i have ogher things to sell too.

Thanks for that!

[blackvans-11]

Yea man, i never knew there was an obscure trippy realm of Classic Rock I definitely know the well known songs and of course even the lesser well known one's.

Its weird thinkin that my dad was A stoner or whatever else lol he may of told me a few times but come onnnn what is this!!???