Vinyl - how much are they worth?

[HEY_SIDNEY]

Hello
I was wondering if anyone knows a website/shop/collector that would be able to tell me what the vinyl collection I have may be worth.

I know discogs.com do it but I find their site difficult to navigate, plus not all the vinyl sleeves have barcodes, or i cannot find the catalog/press number.
ebay also useless as it ranges from £5 - £800.

A whole load of original Beatles, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, John Lennon vinyl's in the loft.

Any help appreciated.

[razamanaz]

Talk to Euan at Europa Music at Friars Street in Stirling - he buys and sells loads - will give you some idea what to do.

Don't expect a lot for selling all at once, it will take loads of time and effort on ebay if you want the max

Edited January 4, 2022 by razamanaz

[greendot]

If you're looking for the catalogue numbers on Vinyl you can usually find them either below the blurb on the sleeve about the song writers copyright etc, also on some its down one of the edges of the sleeves although this usually gets worn through use.  It's also printed somewhere on the label as well as etched around the record between the last song and the label in the centre.

As with Ebay but to a lesser extent the values people have on their records can differ greatly on the marketplace https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?format=Vinyl (better viewed on pc than phone) you can use the search marketplace for the ones you have and see which ones match up.  Also might be worth taking a look at htfr.com although they specialise in dance music in recent years they've expanded into a more eclectic mix which would inclue artists you've listed.  They'll show the 'retail' price but typically a private seller like yourself, if they were to buy, would offer less so they can make their profit.

Edited January 4, 2022 by greendot

[Frosty]

I’m not really aware of a better way of getting an idea of pricing than Discogs. I think you’ll find it’s the way most record shops will find out the likely price so makes sense for you to use it too.

It should be pretty easy to find the catalogue number for each record. As has been mentioned I’d start with the spine or back of the sleeve but if you are still drawing a blank then it will be on the label on the actual record itself. If you still can’t find it or the number isn’t bringing up the correct disc then the search function on Discogs allows you to enter the name of the band and the actual record which should allow you to locate it.

The value of the record depends on a lot of factors - desirability to collectors, rarity, which version it is, condition etc. A rare, early Beatles record in mint condition could be worth a lot of money but you’ll find it’s not that easy to establish which version you have without getting into quite detailed examination of things like the catalogue numbers and matrix inscriptions on the actual disc. Some things are pretty obvious - a copy of the first Led Zeppelin album with the band’s name on the front sleeve in Turquoise writing is worth about a grand depending on condition but you’ll find there are hundreds of versions of some popular records and you’ll only know it’s real potential value by doing your research.

Condition is nearly always key and unless you are talking about a super rare item collectors are pretty much only interested in items in mint/near mint/excellent/VG+ condition and that is as much about the sleeve, inner sleeve and inserts as the record itself - there are websites that go into the grading categories of records. If you can’t read the spine of the sleeve to find the catalogue number then it sounds like your sleeves at least of the stuff you have are in poor condition which doesn’t mean they won’t be worth something but they will be at the lower end of the scale.

Good luck with grading/pricing your collection - from the names of the bands you’ve mentioned I think it would be worthwhile trying to get a rough idea of price through Discogs before speaking to a record shop. Discogs also shows you record shops near you although it’s not definitive - I’d do a quick Google of record shops near me as well to see if there are other options.

[HEY_SIDNEY]

I believe I found a catalog number on one of the Beatles albums. I think its the white album. NO. 162568.
Dunno if that help lol

[greendot]

1 hour ago, HEY_SIDNEY said:

I believe I found a catalog number on one of the Beatles albums. I think its the white album. NO. 162568.
Dunno if that help lol

I'm not seeing that number listed on Discogs.  Can you take a photo of the record at a relatively good quality and upload it here so we can take a look at it as well?

[keyser_soze]

1 hour ago, HEY_SIDNEY said:

I believe I found a catalog number on one of the Beatles albums. I think its the white album. NO. 162568.
Dunno if that help lol

That's not the catalogue number. The Beatles white album were numbered individually when they were printed, the lower the number the better, that's still a pretty decent one tho, the number on the record label should read PCS 7067/8 (or similar), that's the catalogue number your looking for, also worth pointing out that there are over 500 different versions of this record, release year, country etc, the more detailed info is the etchings in the wax run off, this is the area on the record after the last song, with the cat No and wax etchings you should be able to pinpoint exactly what you have. 

Good one to start with, even a poor condition early pressing of this can be worth in excess of £100.

Edited January 4, 2022 by keyser_soze

[HEY_SIDNEY]

Thanks guys.
Going back to my mams on Friday so ill take a picture of a few and upload them for you.
Again, thanks.

[Internet Citizen]

I took time over the last year to try and catalogue my collection using Discogs - I couldn’t find anything better to use, to be honest.

As others have mentioned, it can take a bit of investigation and a mixture of catalogue numbers, runout etchings and, for example, particular wordings or writing on the label.

Took me time, but I wanted to at least have a stab at cataloguing.

[Sergeant Wilson]

3 hours ago, Internet Citizen said:

I took time over the last year to try and catalogue my collection using Discogs - I couldn’t find anything better to use, to be honest.

As others have mentioned, it can take a bit of investigation and a mixture of catalogue numbers, runout etchings and, for example, particular wordings or writing on the label.

Took me time, but I wanted to at least have a stab at cataloguing.

Never mind that, how much is it worth?

[Frosty]

Discogs gives a valuation scale based on what the items in your collection have sold for previously. I suspect all collections will have some potential for the wrong version having been selected and the condition is obviously a huge part of what it will be worth - I suspect most people will be too optimistic in their view of what the actual condition of the record is.

To get the high estimate for each record you’d need to be selling them to someone who really wanted that item whereas a dealer/shop are going to be offering the low end of the estimate for most records so that they can make a margin and also for taking a collection off your hands that will need to be broken up and sold individually with in all likelihood items that won’t shift at all or will be hard to move.

That said the interest in vinyl is increasing significantly year on year when you look at the sales figures for new releases and that has to also be true for classic vinyl which by its nature is a limited commodity.

As an FYI my collection is supposedly worth £14,500 - £28,500 - £61,500 using Discogs which is currently for 5,559 records/CDs.

[Wardy]

I just type in the wee code straight into the search bar and the album usually comes up and then just match it up from the list of versions it gives.

My collection is made up of mostly 80s stuff to be fair but got a lot of Genesis and a dark side of the moon LP that’s worth about £150+. 

[HEY_SIDNEY]

Troops found the catalogue numbers etc. 
nothing worth much of note. 
Think Beatles yellow submarine was around £40 ish on discovery, white album £18 and a few others at around £10

Majority of others (30 or so quickly checked at £1/£2) 

there is about 1000 up there so maybe a few gems. 
 

cheers for ur help

[Suspect Device]

Was going through my vinyl just this week and found out that I've got one worth £50. 

popsike.com - The CRAMPS Tales of Terror early '80s LP Vengeance 999 - auction details

 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Discogs tells me I've got about £4-5k in vinyl at my maw's. Hundreds of CDs too, some of which are old and quite rare.

My particular alley is extreme metal, and the market there for first presses is insane. Hence why there is a large and thriving bootleg market out there, mostly Russian and always annoying, for collectors. I have bought a couple to fill in gaps in my collection for completion's sake though I must admit.