As I kinda need one... I have to admit getting into records is a bit harder than I would have thought, especially since my knowledge is limited. So, I'm going to ask some really dumb questions. But I figure if you guys do this for me then you can just refer anyone else to this thread when they have a question.
So, here are my personal questions:
1) Where is a good tutorial on grading for records and covers?
2) What is the best way to ballpark a records value when I'm at a shop/yardsale. Google might be my friend, but it's hard to use on a smartphone. Are there books on the subject?
3) If you get ahold of a rare record, where do you sell it? Is here plenty good enough?
And I think that's it from me. But if anyone else has n00b questions (or at least has a question they've answered a millions times and just want to post the answer here) feel free... I'm just trying to learn.
Most record collecting magazines and price guides will offer a fairly industry standard grading guage... most dealers use this... but honesty in describing a record is the best way to ensure future sales...
Many dealers on here will list the things they consider to mark down a grade, i.e. creases, light marks, scratches... even unplayable.
As for valuations whilst out in the field... this is years of knowledge built up... my early years I covered a price guide with a different cover... and would go through a box of records... walk off and look them up... and hopefully the goods ones would still be there when I got back.
Find your niche, what is your interest in records, folk, psych, soul, funk, disco, house... whatever and immerse yourself into reading peoples stock lists, price guides, magazines... try to find what years seemed to have the best vintage, what labels turned out the best quality, etc.
Selling is the harder part, you may build a stock of 1000 records or more, but finding the right market is difficult, this is a great site... build up a database suitable for uploading... but also consider all other outlets... try selling at garage sales or swapmeets, boot sales, record fairs... get to know what customers want and how they like it presented... many initially enjoy eBay as being a fair training ground... but the fees soon add up and your profit soon disappears.
Don't expect to make a living, it's a labour of love... love of music.
MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.
EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.
FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump.
The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.
POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.
CDs & As a general rule, CDs and cassettes either play perfectly — in CASSETTES: which case they are in Mint condition — or they don't, in which case their value is minimal. Cassette tape is liable to deteriorate with age, even if it remains unplayed, so care should be taken when buying old tapes. CDs are difficult to grade visually: they can look perfect but actually be faulty, while in other cases they may appear damaged but still play perfectly. Cassette and
CD inlays and booklets should be graded in the same way as record covers and sleeves. In general, the plastic containers for cassettes and CDs can easily be replaced if they are broken or scratched, but card covers and digipaks are subject to the same wear as record sleeves.
Find your niche, what is your interest in records, folk, psych, soul, funk, disco, house... whatever and immerse yourself into reading peoples stock lists, price guides, magazines... try to find what years seemed to have the best vintage, what labels turned out the best quality, etc.
find your niche lol, ive spent decades trying to do that and im afraid my collection still contains every musical niche known to man :P
If you're looking to start collecting as a dealer - Good luck! Most records aren't worth that much - once you start to recognise what records are desirable you'll find yourself trying to find the best condition records and paying very high prices for them. If you're just in it for the music things like sleeve condition and vinyl quality won't really matter that much. But when it comes to trying to sell stuff, though, you're going to have a lot of competition. You have to remember that for something like 50 or 60 years, the only format was vinyl and everything that came out was vinyl- be it a 45 single or collections of 5 lps containing entire Wagnerian Operas. Pick something to specialise in, otherwise you're going to end up buying things you can never sell- but, above all, listen to the music!
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