Selling your old vinyl

Updated

Have you been hoarding a treasure trove of vintage vinyl for years and finally admitted that you're not going to listen to it again? Or maybe your tastes have changed and some of it is not really your thing anymore?

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  9. Car boot sales

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Or maybe you're just strapped for cash and need to liquidate some assets? Whatever the reason, you'll probably to make sure that you get as much as possible anyway.

So we've taken a look at some of the most popular ways of offloading vinyl, many of which you can do without even leaving your house (apart from heading down the Post Office to send it off).

eBay
The undisputed heavyweight champion of internet auction sites had more than 65,000 listings containing the terms "vinyl LP" at the time of writing - and is a popular outlet for many professional as well as amateur record sellers.

On the positive side, it can offer a quick sale and the opportunity to offer your records to potential buyers around the globe.

Drawbacks are potentially high fees and a limited window of opportunity to reach buyers if you use the auction format rather than "buy it now" - so if you are selling rare records you have to hope the right buyer is looking for it that week.

Once logged in, you can check the price that records like yours have sold for in recent weeks - giving you an idea of how much you should ask.

If selling on eBay, include good quality photographs and make sure you pack the record well, possibly using dedicated postage sleeves and "stiffeners" (also available on eBay).

Discogs
The David to eBay's Goliath, Discogs is a user-generated database of record releases which also incorporates a marketplace where users can sell items to one another and give each other feedback.

It has a fantastic depth of information and however obscure your vinyl is, the chances are it will be on the site. You can also see what others are asking for similar condition records - and how much examples have sold for and how recently.

The fees are lower than eBay and records can sell for more, but the downside is that you only make a sale when somebody contacts you - so you have to be more patient.

And don't get too excited if you see that somebody is asking £500 for a record which you own, many sellers seem to price their vinyl "speculatively".

You don't have to include pictures of your actual record, but you do have to grade it honestly and provide an accurate description. The site works because users are honest, so make sure you are too. Research the grading system and stick to it.

Record fairs and car boot sales
They've been usurped by the internet to a degree, but record fairs are still going strong and give you the chance to sell a lot of vinyl in one hit - and to barter with potential buyers face-to-face.

If you've checked and your vinyl collection is not particularly specialist or valuable, then attending a car boot sale might be a good idea - especially if you have other things you want to sell at the same time.

Selling to a shop/business
If you can't be bothered to list all your discs individually and the thought of going to a car boot sale makes you break out in a cold sweat, you could consider selling your vinyl to a collector.

You will get a lot less money than if you sold via the web, that much is certain, but you will also experience a lot less hassle and you'll shift the records and get the cash straight away.

There are also some firms which take your records and list them on eBay or Discogs for you, taking a cut of the proceeds - which might be an attractive option if you have a lot of records and not much time.

What do you reckon? What is the best way to sell vinyl? Comment below...

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