So in my garage I have about 4 plastic milk crates full of old vinyl records, prob 80% 70s and 80s rock 33rpm the rest are 78rpm records that my dad dropped off 20 years or so ago. Are these worth reselling or are they basically junk? Should I just throw them in the trash can?
Do old vinyl records have any value?
- Thread starter BobsArmory
- Start date
It all depends on the buyer.
Mass market records are like mass market books-- once they're a few years old, everyone who wants a copy, has a copy.
I used to have a college radio show in the 90s, and would buy crates of records at yard sales from someone who lived through the 70s and 80s, then moved out of Mom's house, and left the records behind. I paid ~$4 a crate, or 20 cents a record.
I got so many redundant copies of "Thriller" and "Frampton Comes Alive."
I'd spread them out so you can see the cover art, take pictures, and dump them on Facebook Marketplace for local pickup. Price them at two bucks or more each-- you won't sell any more by going cheaper. And most won't sell.
Mass market records are like mass market books-- once they're a few years old, everyone who wants a copy, has a copy.
I used to have a college radio show in the 90s, and would buy crates of records at yard sales from someone who lived through the 70s and 80s, then moved out of Mom's house, and left the records behind. I paid ~$4 a crate, or 20 cents a record.
I got so many redundant copies of "Thriller" and "Frampton Comes Alive."
I'd spread them out so you can see the cover art, take pictures, and dump them on Facebook Marketplace for local pickup. Price them at two bucks or more each-- you won't sell any more by going cheaper. And most won't sell.
^^Maineman speaks from wisdom.^^
I just went through this.
Value is title/artist related. The "in demand" albums will be bought by a record store. Landfill for the rest.
Group them by artist and genre' as you arrange your pics.
A friend went to Final Vinyl (E. 5th St., NYC, now gone) and came home with all her records and no cash.
I just went through this.
Value is title/artist related. The "in demand" albums will be bought by a record store. Landfill for the rest.
Group them by artist and genre' as you arrange your pics.
A friend went to Final Vinyl (E. 5th St., NYC, now gone) and came home with all her records and no cash.
Don't they wear out, like after 50 to 100 plays? And that's when new. After 50 years they must be as brittle as the plastic dash on a 70's car.
Doesn't a Toyota Sequoia wear out after 120k miles?
Records are hot now. I have read that Early Led Zep II first pressing Bob Ludwig mastering can be big money in good condition. And direct-to-disc records can be valuable - like Sheffield Labs.
I have a record store in the nearby city who will give you some good money for certain stuff.
80's is the CD age; Not so sure here. maybe some R.E.M- Murmur, Bowie- Let's Dance, Human League, 'Stones- Tatoo You, U2-Unforgettable Fire, Springstein -The River, Roxy Music - Avalon, the Police, Peter Gabriel, M.J. - Thriller, Phil Collins- Face Value, Metallica- Master of Puppets, Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair, Culture Club- Colour by Numbers, Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever, etc ..
I have a record store in the nearby city who will give you some good money for certain stuff.
80's is the CD age; Not so sure here. maybe some R.E.M- Murmur, Bowie- Let's Dance, Human League, 'Stones- Tatoo You, U2-Unforgettable Fire, Springstein -The River, Roxy Music - Avalon, the Police, Peter Gabriel, M.J. - Thriller, Phil Collins- Face Value, Metallica- Master of Puppets, Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair, Culture Club- Colour by Numbers, Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever, etc ..
Nope, they be vinyl; Vinly is Finyl.
Probably hold up better than the Master Tape.
Actually certain mold can be an issue - it eats them - literally. I had some in the basement and they are trash. Unfortunatly some early Beatles Capitol records releases I bought as a kid with "allowance" money in the early and mid sixties
I would if it was made of vinyl.
The sound or the QUALITY of sound is subjective.
When I actually started my home stereo music collection (decades ago), I had vinyl. Then the CD craze came along and just about all the audiophile "experts" (there is no such thing), said to purchase CDs for the best sound. I purchased CDs and I don't regret it. Now all the "experts" are again saying to purchase vinyl. One reason is because there always has to be change. Another reason is that the record companies can charge $30 for an album where you could get it for $ 1-$5 at a garage sale. Follow the money.
When it comes to music, my daughter is now big into it. Except I own CDs and she is now buying vinyl. So be it, it's her money. BUT, she buys vinyl to impress her millennial friends, not to enjoy good quality music.
OP: Back on topic, it all depends on what albums you have, how good they were stored and if you can find the right buyer. I'll only buy vinyl if it was never put into CD form and I'll immediately transfer it to CD.
When I actually started my home stereo music collection (decades ago), I had vinyl. Then the CD craze came along and just about all the audiophile "experts" (there is no such thing), said to purchase CDs for the best sound. I purchased CDs and I don't regret it. Now all the "experts" are again saying to purchase vinyl. One reason is because there always has to be change. Another reason is that the record companies can charge $30 for an album where you could get it for $ 1-$5 at a garage sale. Follow the money.
When it comes to music, my daughter is now big into it. Except I own CDs and she is now buying vinyl. So be it, it's her money. BUT, she buys vinyl to impress her millennial friends, not to enjoy good quality music.
OP: Back on topic, it all depends on what albums you have, how good they were stored and if you can find the right buyer. I'll only buy vinyl if it was never put into CD form and I'll immediately transfer it to CD.
Not really. But that depends on the turntable and care.
There are several (many) sites like this now.
https://www.popsike.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1rj95ZmMgQMVYoRaBR22zgduEAAYASAAEgJ-oPD_BwE
https://www.popsike.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1rj95ZmMgQMVYoRaBR22zgduEAAYASAAEgJ-oPD_BwE
The records would have to be from someone well known during that era (Elvis, Beatles etc.). I had boxes of very old albums and 78's ( late 40's- early 70's) in their liners and original albums. I took them to several collector shops, nobody wanted them. I would have taken anything for them just to get rid of them.I ended up donating them to Goodwill...Good luck with them. I would atleast donate them for a tax write off before tossing them in the trash.
CD ? What's a CD?
S/P DIF Ancient and flawed +digital hardware infancy. Typical terrible stamping and dupes.
But a 300 dollar Yamaha CD player likely sounds better to many than a BSR changer with a dirty Shure m75c. Convenience and music for the masses.
I almost got CD sounding quite tolerable with a belt drive CEC CD transport connected to a Wadia DAC with AES-EBU. But now were at around 5000 bucks. A 1000 dollar turntable/carts combo would best that with a good phono stage.
Now its music anytime anywhere anyway. But Now I am near deaf. Oh well.
S/P DIF Ancient and flawed +digital hardware infancy. Typical terrible stamping and dupes.
But a 300 dollar Yamaha CD player likely sounds better to many than a BSR changer with a dirty Shure m75c. Convenience and music for the masses.
I almost got CD sounding quite tolerable with a belt drive CEC CD transport connected to a Wadia DAC with AES-EBU. But now were at around 5000 bucks. A 1000 dollar turntable/carts combo would best that with a good phono stage.
Now its music anytime anywhere anyway. But Now I am near deaf. Oh well.
Many bluenote and bluebird jazz 78's are worth heavy coin.
Along with Sun records rockabilly stuff.
The reason people are recommending vinyl is because the same music on cd is often butchered these days: recorded so loud there's constant clipping going on. It's what the loudness wars led to. Apparently this is getting toned down again (but not for streaming services). Vinyl doesn't lend itself to the same abuse.
But yes, a smart person buys the vinyl and transfers it to digital with some sane recording levels.
I will believe it when I see that coin.
I burned enough gas taking my records to collector shops who said they were interested only to be disapointed. Like I said, the artist has to be well known and dead....
I went thru this a few years ago. Record store picked 20-30 popular ones out to buy. The REALLY popular stuff, they said you can buy those new now and on better vinyl for 20-30$. I brought around 100 albums back home and eventually tossed them. They were well taken care of-Dual turntable and Ortofon cartridge, but my CDs honestly sounded pretty good w/o the pops and occasional skip. Funny, when I play a cd of a song that the album had a skip, I hear the skip in my head. Throws me off........
