There have been literally millions of records released over the last century. Of these some artists released millions of copies, while others released very few. If we were to add them altogether there are still only very few records which are considered to be of great value and are either long gone or in someone's collection. It’s here we are talking about the records worth big money.
With, or because of, the growth of new gadgets, many newcomers to the listening fraternity have now become interested in collecting “old fashioned” records. Some people collect records of their favourite artists, some for the rarity, others for the rich and resonant sound vinyl records produce.
Collecting records as a hobby is a niche interest which, apart from needing dedicated space to store them safely, can be affordable or expensive in equal measure.
Let's say you inherited a few boxes of 45 and LP records, maybe even a bunch of old 78 rpm's. What's the first question you are going to ask? How much are they worth? Nobody is going to give you estimates for your list of records and it is highly unlikely you will get an answer from any collector or dealer.
OK you are selling-on a “bargain” pile of old records found at the boot-sale or your own personal collection that has been in the loft for the past twenty years, there is a rule in anything antique. Just because it is old does not mean it is valuable. In terms of vinyl records, the record must first be desirable.
So what is a dealer or collector looking for? Whatever it is, they are most interested in condition. Experienced people willing to lay down top dollar for a record, rare or not, are looking for condition. They want a near perfect record. If the vinyl, the label or record jacket has any defects, it becomes less desirable to them.
So condition is first. The second thing that determines a record's value is rarity. Which ones are rare? Many things can determine this. What's more, value and rarity can fluctuate as interests change. What was rare and valuable yesterday may not be so valuable today.
It takes time and effort to go through a box of records, and we will be lucky to come away with two or three which could be considered valuable. Unless you are willing to research and evaluate each one, you are better off selling the box to a dealer for as much as you can get.
Remember, people collect records for a variety of reasons and as a general rule value is in the eye of the beholder. What one person might pay big money for, another person wouldn't give a 10p. What you can sell any record for, or what the collector will pay, depends solely on what the item is.
In addition, the record's monetary value will dramatically fall if there are defects. Any defect can drop a record's value in half. You may have a rare Beatles first album - an extremely valuable record - but if the image on your record jacket is worn and the vinyl is so scuffed up that you can't even play it, take what your are offered for it!
Sometimes LPs are collectible for what they contained. Things like lyric sheets, booklets, pictures or other goodies. Other times an LP may be valuable because it is missing a song, is mono or stereo, has a certain label, or some other reason.
Here’s a general rule of thumb to help you identify the many different types.
78 rpm: Popular music by artists like, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Big Band etc. has little value. There is still interest in rock and roll (even the Beatles released 78s), blues, jazz, occasionally western, and some classical music. 78 collectors are sometimes more interested in record labels that no longer exist. Although technically not 78s, Edison Diamond Discs and Wax Cylinders can sometimes be desirable if they have any historical significance. There is not much interest in Edison's musical records.
45 rpm: The most popular of record collecting. Some people only collect 45s. The main attraction is that 45s were more accessible to lesser-known artists, thus many 45s were only released regionally making them extremely rare. There were many small record labels around the country at the time. Very often a local group might have a hit or two and break up without ever releasing an LP. So more interest lies in the regional 45s of lesser-known 50's and 60's artists since not many were released, and the record labels no longer exist.
45s from the 1970's to late 1980's can still be desirable by collectors. It depends on the artist and record. It can range from psychedelic, punk, garage, country even jazz and disco. There is only minor interest in 45s by major artists because most collectors already have the popular releases. There is always interest in 45s between the 60's and 80's (depending on the artist) that were released in limited quantities or are promo issues.
Here are a few other things 45 collectors look for. 45 EPs (extended play), which had up to six tracks. Sometimes 45s came in picture sleeves. These are also very collectible and have separate values. Sometimes the picture sleeve is worth more than the record, and is occasionally sold without the vinyl. 45s were often played stacked on turntables making 45s in great condition hard to find, also adding to their value. Condition, always condition.
LP (Long Play 33 1/3 rpm): Genre interests are similar to 45s but collectors are more cautious with LPs. They exchange at a slower rate than 45s. With 45s you are mostly dealing with the condition of just two songs. With LPs there are twelve songs or more, and the record jacket's condition must also be considered when determining the combined value.
Most rare and desirable LPs from the fifties to mid sixties are already in the possession of record collectors and dealers. They went out to garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores years ago to acquire them. Back when no one was interested. You will pay market value or better for these records, although occasionally you will see undiscovered and affordable rare finds. You can even still find Country or Western LPs from this era, which are becoming more popular.
There is interest in LPs released between the mid sixties and early seventies, mainly by obscure regional groups on local labels. I find that Jazz, Soul and Blues from this era are the hardest LPs to find in good
condition.
Most LPs released during and after the 1970's have little value. In most instances you paid more for an LP back then than they are worth today. By then there were few independent labels left, and LPs were mass-produced by major labels in advance. How many times have you seen Frampton Alive in a charity shop? There is interest in records produced during this time, but it is a very specialized interest and other factors are considered.
Besides independent labels and obscure groups, one factor is promotional releases. Most desirable are the promo releases that have white labels (45s too). These were printed and issued exclusively to radios stations prior to being released into the general market. By the 1970's record companies just stamped the jacket and used normal labels. These promo LPs do not carry as much value or interest.
