How to Sell Your Vinyl Record Collection

With CDs on the scene, vinyl records seem to be going the way of cassettes and eight-track tapes. But there are still plenty of collectors out there interested in your Louis Armstrong albums.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Understand supply and demand of selling records. Owning a chart-topping Elvis record is like owning a first-edition Harry Potter book. Because there were so many printed, they're easy to find and the value goes down. That's why Baby It's You by the Beatles is listed in price guides at $5 while Ragtime Cowboy Joe by David Seville and the Chipmunks is $20.
2. Check for damage. To fetch top dollar, the record itself can't be scratched or warped. The album jacket should have sharp corners and few signs of wear.
3. Go to a local used-record store to find a buyer, or look in the back of price guides and collector magazines for advertisements.
4. Scrutinize the cover, which can often be even more valuable than the record inside. Collectors frame them as works of art. Especially popular are album covers with portraits of the singer like Frank Sinatra or Doris Day.

Tips & Warnings

• An out-of-town buyer may want to judge the condition of your collection. Send only a few albums or you might pay more in shipping than the whole collection is worth.
• Don't stack your records-- the weight leaves a ring on the album cover.