Should I sell? This is how you value your old vinyl records.
Do you ever wonder if it's worth selling your old LPs? Do you have a small fortune on your hands, or would it be better to take them out of their sealed sleeves and enjoy the music once in a while? Find out how to determine the value of your vinyl records with the tips below.
What to look for first
Is a particular vinyl record in demand? And to what extent? That's what you need to find out if you want to know whether it's really worth selling that box of records. Unfortunately, we have to disappoint you right away: The Beatles White album or ‘Dark Side of the moon by Pink Floyd are not the goldmine you had in mind. Yes, these are still popular and beautiful albums, but that does not mean it has value. Over the years, more than 40 million copies of ‘Dark ‘Side of the moon have been sold, so it's not hard to find a copy. As a music lover, you definitely want to collect good albums by good artists, but these are not necessarily the ones you should buy if you see it purely as an investment.
First editions and more
Although the artist and the specific album largely determine whether an LP is valuable, the pressing is also important. Purists often look for first editions from the country of origin, often the US or UK, and build their collection with first editions of vinyl records. First editions are usually limited, making them rarer. Other albums to look for are limited and special editions. Members of The Beatles and their studio managers, for example, received a special edition of 'The White Album', with serial numbers A00000, A000001 and so on. These copies are sold today for thousands of dollars. Having said that, ‘The White Album”, like ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, is a common record that has been pressed over 24 million times the world over and to have an early copy is pretty rare. Disposable albums are also often sought after, such as the Beatles' album 'Yesterday and Today' with the original 'butcher's cover'.
Catalogue numbers
It's also a good idea to check the catalogue numbers on the vinyl record label and the sleeve: they should match. The matrix in the ring at the edge of the label gives information about the exact version of the album. Some albums have been released in more than a hundred versions: mono, stereo, first pressing, second pressing, and so on. Some versions are much more valuable than other, similar versions.
Condition
The condition of the vinyl is very important in determining the value of an album. To determine the condition of the record and sleeve, a quality rating was created. From the worst condition to the best, it can be as follows: Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Very Good+, Excellent, Excellent+, Near Mint or Mint. So if you find a vintage album that you want to sell, check its condition first. Are there any major stains or scratches on the cover, or is the cover damaged in any other way? What about the record itself? When you play the record, can you really enjoy the music, or do you hear unwanted noise, as if you were sitting next to a fireplace?
Summing it up
In short, you can say that the value of an album is determined by these three factors: rarity, pressing and condition. For example, if you have the original album by The Velvet Underground & Nico, with the famous unpeeled banana on the sleeve, in mint condition and maybe even sealed, you can expect a big price.