Over the last couple of days, I've begun the unenviable task of listing my records on a spreadsheet. It's a pretty slow process, because I'm trying to list their current value too, so a bit of research on (mainly) Discogs, but also Popsike and eBay aswell.
So far I've done around 120, so I've got a long way to go still. *scratch_one-s_head*
So far I've done around 120, so I've got a long way to go still. *scratch_one-s_head*
Ha ha, I did that a few years ago - I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I know you lot are fellow-sufferers - because I had no idea of the value of my records, and thought I'd better make sure they were properly insured. The amount I came to frightened me. Good luck!
I've also got a column on mine for when I clean them, and how many times they've been cleaned, so I can make sure all of them get a clean at some point.
I've also got a column on mine for when I clean them, and how many times they've been cleaned, so I can make sure all of them get a clean at some point.
I've been listing my records and values on a spreadsheet, and I've come to an album that I can't find any record of it's value, anywhere. The only thing I have found out is that there are some bootlegs of it out there, but I know mine is 100% genuine because it was given to me personally by the label's boss.
I'm not expecting any of you to know it's value, I'm just hopeful that some of you might know?
It's Nirvana - Nevermind (Simply Vinyl SVLP038 White Label Promo)
I'm not expecting any of you to know it's value, I'm just hopeful that some of you might know?
It's Nirvana - Nevermind (Simply Vinyl SVLP038 White Label Promo)
BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:
No idea really but I would imagine it will increase in value; hard to go wrong with records by bands with a huge fan base and eternal angst-ridden teen appeal. My guess is that it will always be of value to somebody. My guess at the value of the Simply Vinyl record is about £60-£80; if it was a Geffen promo, then loads more. It must be so worrying when you can't fill in a column in your spreadsheet, BBB, which is why I've pitched in with a figure for you. I suggest you put EG next to it which would stand for Educated Guess.
Jim-W said:BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:
No idea really but I would imagine it will increase in value; hard to go wrong with records by bands with a huge fan base and eternal angst-ridden teen appeal. My guess is that it will always be of value to somebody. My guess at the value of the Simply Vinyl record is about £60-£80; if it was a Geffen promo, then loads more. It must be so worrying when you can't fill in a column in your spreadsheet, BBB, which is why I've pitched in with a figure for you. I suggest you put EG next to it which would stand for Educated Guess.
Thanks Jim
The standard Simply Vinyl release averages at around £25, so I thought the Promo must be worth a lot more considering there's probably only about 100 in existence, so I've put £100 down. *smile*
I've had some big surprises since I started listing the records. I think my 3 Red House Painters albums will probably be my most valuable, though things like dEUS-The Ideal Crash, Verve-A Storm In Heaven, Catherine Wheel-Chrome are lots more valuable than I ever thought. I've only listed 291 records, and I can't quite believe the value of the records so far.
I do hope you've got yours insured Jim.
BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:Jim-W said:BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:
No idea really but I would imagine it will increase in value; hard to go wrong with records by bands with a huge fan base and eternal angst-ridden teen appeal. My guess is that it will always be of value to somebody. My guess at the value of the Simply Vinyl record is about £60-£80; if it was a Geffen promo, then loads more. It must be so worrying when you can't fill in a column in your spreadsheet, BBB, which is why I've pitched in with a figure for you. I suggest you put EG next to it which would stand for Educated Guess.
Thanks Jim
The standard Simply Vinyl release averages at around £25, so I thought the Promo must be worth a lot more considering there's probably only about 100 in existence, so I've put £100 down. *smile*
I've had some big surprises since I started listing the records. I think my 3 Red House Painters albums will probably be my most valuable, though things like dEUS-The Ideal Crash, Verve-A Storm In Heaven, Catherine Wheel-Chrome are lots more valuable than I ever thought. I've only listed 291 records, and I can't quite believe the value of the records so far.
I do hope you've got yours insured Jim.
Didn't know the Red House Painters records were worth anything, but I'm glad they are! I love them and I'll do a search for values today...and I'll dig them out too. I've been looking for a copy of 'A Storm In Heaven' for ages.
No insurance, I'm afraid; I did look into it years ago and even made enquiries to a firm but it sort of fizzled out. I remember it being, like spreadsheets, a damn complicated process! I think the real problem relates to condition: I buy second-hand predominantly and there's usually minor wear and tear and, occasionally, major faults. It's difficult to put a price on them really, but somebody would probably want a £1,000+ record with some clicks and crackle, just to have a copy...which is why I bought them in the first place. It seems to me that the discerning market is now moving towards Mint only copies and VG is losing value; having said that, if I see a battered copy of a rare record for, say, £50, I'll buy it and clean it up because it's a record I want: a collection-filler I think they call it. Then again, the Excellent rated rcords I've bought online or from the back of Record Collector were not that good; warps and inner-groove distortion etc. The whole game is a minefield. Ultimately though, I buy stuff because I want to hear it and not for re-sale value although I can't deny that I'm always aware of value and scarcity and I've got quite a few 60's rare records that I don't really listen to because they're rubbish! Valuable rubbish though! I guess my 60's New York mono Blue Notes, which are all very Mint, will be my most valuable.
I've gone on a bit, but I do enjoy this aspect of collecting although it does my head in too! It won't be my worry anyway; I'll never sell any of them...that's my daughter's problem!
Jim-W said:
Going by the prices on eBay over the past few years, I'd say that's definitely not the case. Prices of all grades have gone up a lot. You're probably right that there's a growing 'audiophile' brigade who demand mint-meaning-mint and will pay huge premiums (premia?) for it, but the market for vinyl has increased a lot, so there's a lot more people wanting second-hand copies but unwilling to pay the premium for mint (or not too bothered about the odd crackle), so prices for VG are definitely higher. Put it this way, you're a lot less likely to get anything worth having for the 99p starting price, because there will almost certainly be other people bidding on it.
thescarletpronster said:
I'm sure you're right...on ebay. However, I don't think ebay entirely reflects the world of collecting records; in fact, I'd argue it most definitely doesn't as prices are often inflated to a quite ridiculous level. 'A lot more people wanting second hand copies' who perhaps don't realise that if they made the effort they could find real-world record dealers who would sell them the same record for half the price. Just from personal experience, and as a collector, I've had many conversations with dealers who can't believe the prices that people pay on ebay; I guess it's that bidding mania that artificially inflates prces, especially for records not in pristine condition. To give the dealers their props, they don't automatically inflate their prices because of something that they've seen on ebay although they are aware of it and use popsike etc regularly. Perhaps, then, it's like the new theories about multi-universes: there's different markets and prices within one collecting industry. A relationship with a few dealers will invariably result in you getting records far cheaper than on discogs and ebay, especially if you buy from them regularly.
However, I do maintain that VG records are losing value in the more discerning market; the key word here is discerning, not blokes bidding on ebay. A few years ago collectors would pay significantly more for VG copies than they do now; in fact they'd pay for them, but now many demand mint copies or nothing. The real-world example of this is Japanese dealers who prize original UK copies of rare records and sell them for big money; they used to be happy with VG copies but dealers reckon they now want nothing less than mint. That is an important shift and they will pay top dollar for those records and this, I think, is the trend. Not for a bloke on ebay or even you and me, but for serious collectors.
Further to this, a few years ago, I wish I could remember the date and I'd find the article and scan it, Record Collector published an article that reflected this trend and warned that VG copies were falling in value; they even amended their price valuation guide to reflect this. In the same article they stressed that genuinely mint copies were rising in value which is probably obvious.
My conclusion is similarly obvous: buy from record dealers on markets and charity shops and sell them on ebay. That way, you'll make a profit...if that's what you buy records for, of course. I hope you're right that VG copies are attracting big money on ebay; it's probably the only way my daughter will get on the housing ladder!
One further point re record valuations: I have noticed some very collectable records losing value and I'm thinking of a first-press Who 'My Generation' from £800 to £600 as an example. Indeed, there are dealers who argue that mint originals of 60's/70's records are just begining to lose a bit of value...supply and demand I guess: maybe there' fewer people who want them, maybe it's the recession, I don't know. The same dealers argue that, conversely, people are willing to pay more for easy to find albums by popular artists like David Bowie and Queen as long as they're in mint condition. Bewildering, really.
All interesting though.
Freddy58
Well-known member
Freddy58 said:
The man from Japan, he say, 'No'. Me, I say, 'this is a unique opportunity to purchase a well-loved record at an incredibly low price. It has lost it's first-press lustre but it plays through without jumping although there are many crackles, pops are scratches, they never overpower the music because it's a very loud record with no quiet passages .Bidding begins at £200'. Or some similar rubbish.
Freddy58
Well-known member
Jim-W said:
Just checked and yes, an original. Mono, Brunswick, LAT 8616. Bought it new for £1-14-7p *biggrin*
Ah. I overlooked the word 'discerning' in the snippet I quoted from you. That changes everything!
I don't believe eBay is a reflection of the entire market, but the fact of prices going sky-high there, where prices are directly affected by supply and demand moment by moment, does demonstrate, I think, that there is a lot more demand for records. Dealers who are selling things at the same prices they were ten years ago (and good to them for doing that) may well be finding that things fly off the shelves quicker.
I agree there does seem to be a larger 'mint or nothing!' market now. I must admit, although I'm not there yet (and hope not to be), that I am getting increasingly bothered by audio flaws, especially since I upgraded my hi-fi. Hopefully when I upgrade the stylus to a Nagaoka, it will live up to its reputation of being easy on flaws (hopefully miraculously so).
I don't believe eBay is a reflection of the entire market, but the fact of prices going sky-high there, where prices are directly affected by supply and demand moment by moment, does demonstrate, I think, that there is a lot more demand for records. Dealers who are selling things at the same prices they were ten years ago (and good to them for doing that) may well be finding that things fly off the shelves quicker.
I agree there does seem to be a larger 'mint or nothing!' market now. I must admit, although I'm not there yet (and hope not to be), that I am getting increasingly bothered by audio flaws, especially since I upgraded my hi-fi. Hopefully when I upgrade the stylus to a Nagaoka, it will live up to its reputation of being easy on flaws (hopefully miraculously so).
And I am prepared to pay a premium for out of print vinyl. I buy records to listen to them with no thought of their resale value. That said, I have made some lucky purchases over the years which means, at current prices, I have some liquidity if required.
Afternoon all, thought I'd come and join in!
I have around 230 LPs plus some more that are in storage at my parents (along with my random 7" collection from when I was young).
Organised into 3 groups - A-Z for all 3. Largest group is just "music" - it tends to be mostly heavy rock (think Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Queensryche etc), modern day prog (my current love, think Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Gazpacho, Airbag etc) and everything else (from Beck to U2 via Dire Straits and Pink Floyd). The other groups are Classical and Modern Classical/Ambient (Einaudi, Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, Ulver etc)
Not sure what my rarest is - possibly Iron Maiden - Live at Donington Triple Vinyl original numbered pressing which I think is getting towards 3 figures, don't think I have anything super rare.
I tend to buy new albums as I am kinda fussy about a "clean" sound (static being a royal pain in the a***), but I certainly won't pass up the chance to get VG (lowest I'll go) if it's an album I really want - depends on the music really. For example, something like a really involved Porcupine Tree album sounds so much better without pops and clicks, but I picked up Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite s/h a couple of weeks ago, it's a bit noisy but it suits the retro feel of the music.
I have around 230 LPs plus some more that are in storage at my parents (along with my random 7" collection from when I was young).
Organised into 3 groups - A-Z for all 3. Largest group is just "music" - it tends to be mostly heavy rock (think Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Queensryche etc), modern day prog (my current love, think Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Gazpacho, Airbag etc) and everything else (from Beck to U2 via Dire Straits and Pink Floyd). The other groups are Classical and Modern Classical/Ambient (Einaudi, Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, Ulver etc)
Not sure what my rarest is - possibly Iron Maiden - Live at Donington Triple Vinyl original numbered pressing which I think is getting towards 3 figures, don't think I have anything super rare.
I tend to buy new albums as I am kinda fussy about a "clean" sound (static being a royal pain in the a***), but I certainly won't pass up the chance to get VG (lowest I'll go) if it's an album I really want - depends on the music really. For example, something like a really involved Porcupine Tree album sounds so much better without pops and clicks, but I picked up Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite s/h a couple of weeks ago, it's a bit noisy but it suits the retro feel of the music.
I'm starting to make serious progress with listing my records on a spreadsheet. I have around a hundred to do still, but I've just realised every time I buy a record, I now need to list it on the spreadsheet, as well as clean and file it, which is a bit of a PITA, and means there will probably always be some records on the floor.
I'm surprised at how many records I have, but much more surprised by their value. I mainly used Discogs to value the records, which is a bit of a slow process with some artist, as there are so many versions of the same record, and it takes some time to pinpoint the exact copy you have. I then took the average selling price as my value, rather than trying to determine the exact condition of each record, so I only have a rough idea of their true value, but I'd be doing it for the next 10 years if I tried to play each and every record, and checked each and every sleeve.
I'm surprised at how many records I have, but much more surprised by their value. I mainly used Discogs to value the records, which is a bit of a slow process with some artist, as there are so many versions of the same record, and it takes some time to pinpoint the exact copy you have. I then took the average selling price as my value, rather than trying to determine the exact condition of each record, so I only have a rough idea of their true value, but I'd be doing it for the next 10 years if I tried to play each and every record, and checked each and every sleeve.
I'm beginning to wonder whether I ought to start now - while i've 'only' got 230 odd records to list - then at least it's only adding one or two at a time.
Not sure I can face starting now - but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to face starting in a years time!
Not sure I can face starting now - but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to face starting in a years time!
ultrarunner said:
I say do it now. By the time I finish I'll have listed 1500 records, so 230 will be a walk in the park, and for a ultrarunner, that's easy. *smile*
I'd say do it now, but allow yourself to complete it over a number of weeks so it's not a big hassle. Or you could list all your records first, and then go back to your list and work out prices for each of them as a separate step. Once you've got your list, you know you'll be covered for insurance if the worst happens, and it only takes a couple of minutes to list something new when you buy it. It's worth it, honestly (c. 1550 on my list...)
Jim-W said:
Don't worry, Jim, I'm sure your daughter is doing it, inbetween furiously rubbing her hands together and laughing like a hyena. *biggrin*
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