How Much Are Old Records Worth? Here’s What We Found Out
Are you harboring a group of basic rock albums largely afraid to half with the reminiscences of your youth? Or did you inherit a stack of data of a number of the greatest acts of the Sixties and don’t know what to do with them?
They’ll convey you some additional money. The trick is to be life like about worth, and separate your love of Sinatra, Streisand or Sting with market demand and situation.
“At one time the shelf that held all of the Sinatra albums was 70 ft vast,” stated Doug Allen, proprietor of Bananas Information, thought of the biggest file retailer within the nation, and primarily based in St. Petersburg, Florida. “We now have means an excessive amount of of that.”
New vinyl data are promoting on the highest fee since 1991 based on Billboard journal. In actual fact, gross sales figures hit $1 billion in 2021, a 61% bounce from the yr earlier than, based on the Recording Trade Affiliation of America. The secondary market is having fun with a number of the resurgence.
Music Genres Promoting Nicely
What Bananas Information buys and sells essentially the most are basic rock ‘n’ roll, punk and jazz albums. And that’s for round $5 — if the album and the quilt are in nice situation. Allen buys 500 to 1,000 albums a day and estimates he pays greater than $1 or $2 an album for under about 10 p.c.
“Information don’t examine to cash and stamps and books,” Allen stated. “There’s not likely something that’s price $100,000 or extra.”
Alternatively, data that solely bought 20,000 copies — jazz from the Fifties, early punk rock — could also be price extra. Allen has seen jazz albums from that period, resembling early Miles Davis, go for $500 to $700 a chunk, whereas basic punk may promote for $50 to $100.
Many data that bought within the hundreds of thousands are nonetheless in style with collectors and album consumers, however so many copies are nonetheless in circulation that they don’t promote for a lot.
“Punk and heavy metallic is what’s promoting extraordinarily nicely due to the age group of people who find themselves shopping for data proper now. They’re largely beneath 30 years of age,” Allen stated. “The ‘70s to ‘90s progressive rock is promoting. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Eno.”
He added David Bowie and John Coltrane to the record of what he’s shopping for.
“If it’s in mint situation it’d promote for $20 to $30 if it’s and a very good early urgent,” Allen stated.
Sure, similar to first or early printings of books, first pressings or early pressings of albums are price extra — even to a 25-year-old shopper.
“Having that data, they’re happy with having one thing like a primary urgent. Sometimes it actually means one thing so far as the sound high quality,” Allen stated. “That is the technology of children who all the time listened to music on their iPhone. Once they play an album with a turntable and a set of fine audio system they uncover what music is meant to sound like.”
Who Is In, Who Is Out
Even in mint situation, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Liberace or Elvis Presley data aren’t price a lot, if something.
“These children who’re shopping for data immediately, a lot of them have by no means heard of Elvis,” Allen stated. “That period is gone.”
He famous that Michael Jackson albums in fine condition are promoting nicely.
“Two weeks after his demise you possibly can promote something you possibly can get your palms on for $30 to $40,” Allen stated. “Now they’re price about $7 to $10.”
Although Britney Spears memorabilia is promoting nicely with the drama over her conservatorship ending and the announcement of her being pregnant, Allen hasn’t seen a rise in demand for her data. The latest demise of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins additionally hasn’t spiked curiosity within the band’s albums. Most likely as a result of they have been extra of a CD period band.
An Album’s Worth Is About Extra Than the Music
Different components have an effect on the worth of an album, together with a file label or tackle of the recording studio, which may point out if it’s a primary or second urgent; the nation wherein the album was launched; and whether or not the album was autographed.
The situation of the album cowl is as necessary because the music itself. Water injury, tears and marks can all lower an album’s worth. When you saved your albums within the storage, there’s little likelihood the vinyl survived the weather and the quilt might be a sufferer of silverfish or another pest. And if someone wrote their title on the album cowl, once more, that lessens the worth vastly.
Nevertheless, Allen and different collectors steadily purchase the album alone if it’s in fine condition and the quilt isn’t, and vice versa.
Allen advises anybody who’s making an attempt to promote their assortment to take it to their native classic file retailer and have them have a look and allow you to know what’s price cash. On common, he stated if somebody brings in a cardboard field stuffed with data, they may fetch $60 to $100 for the lot, some for just some cents and a few for a number of {dollars}.
Promoting Information On-line
Make sure to verify the “bought” value and never the “asking” value earlier than you get your hopes up. You will note many data obtain no bids or are taken down earlier than they promote. However there are some albums promoting for $35 or extra. Listed below are some examples of latest on-line gross sales:
- Britney Spears, Blackout: $52
- Kiss Alive, Casablanca: $46.80
- Nirvana Bleach, restricted version pink marbled LP: $60
- Rush, A Present of Fingers, unopened: $38
You Can Promote Your File Gear, Too
“Some manufacturers of turntables are promoting fairly nicely. I simply paid virtually $400 for a Sixties Benjamin Miracord turntable. Some Pioneer (model) are promoting nicely,” Allen stated. The sooner variations with strong picket bases are what’s in demand.
Stable picket consoles with in-built audio system which might be an precise piece of furnishings are in demand, additionally. They usually don’t must essentially work.
“I’ve heard of people who find themselves rehabbing them and they’re paying $1,000 to $1,500 for a nicer, previous console,” Allen stated.
Right here’s What Your DVDs and CDs Are Truly Value
What about DVDs, CDs and even 8-tracks? Allen and Genny Stout, supervisor of Bananas Information, have dangerous information for anybody making an attempt to unload their previous films and music.
CDs
CDs are much less in style every year, as there are fewer vehicles with CD gamers. In 2021, Bananas was paying 25 cents for them, however now Stout doesn’t purchase them except they’re actually good basic rock.
DVDs
“Fewer and fewer folks have DVD gamers,” she stated. “We used to promote three for $5. Now they’re $1 every.” The shop is definitely making their DVD part a lot smaller and infrequently including anymore to their already big stock. A Disney field set is likely to be price a number of {dollars}, tops.
VHS
“We haven’t bought these in 5 to six years,” she stated, including that it’s exhausting to seek out non-profit retail shops that settle for them.
8-Monitor
“I’d say there’s no marketplace for them aside from a cult following,” Allen stated. “Perhaps a KISS 8-track, one thing you wouldn’t anticipate.”
Contributor Katherine Snow Smith is a contract author in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and writer of Guidelines for the Southern Rulebreaker: Missteps and Classes Discovered.
