Finding a Buyer for Your Vinyl Has Never Been Easier
Who would’ve guessed that Vinyl Records would be so popular this year? We would’ve, actually! We have been running vinyl-only record shops since the year 2000. People love to stream music for the convenience but the actual act of looking for, buying, and playing records gives many listeners a profound sense of joy that has yet to be matched by other formats. Subsequently, demand for classic album collections and records has never been higher!
How to sell a collection with ease
If you have a large collection, We Buy Records’ Brian and Andy can come to your home and give you cash on the spot! Smaller collection? Bring them into the shop and get paid within minutes.
Benefits of selling a record collection locally versus online
Selling online means selling each record individually, but before you even get to that annoyance you need to start an account, develop feedback, learn how to grade conditions, buy expensive specialty shipping materials - I’m getting tired just typing all of it! Selling locally to We Buy Records is one short trip and you’re done! If you have some records you would like to sell, don’t hesitate! Give us a call today!
Contact us at We Buy Records for an estimate!
How To Grade A Vinyl Record
When trying to find a vinyl record buyer near you, learning some basics of record condition grading can be a helpful tool. Record condition grading involves both an assessment of the record itself, and the jacket. It is generally understood that the jacket condition is fifty percent of the value and the vinyl condition is the other fifty percent. Some would argue that the vinyl condition is possibly a bit more important, though. First off, here are the actual grades with short descriptions. Below this we will go into how grade affects your collection’s value.
Mint (M) – Absolutely perfect. Never been played and usually sealed.
Near Mint (NM) – Not sealed, but as close to new as possible. No scuffs or scratches whatsoever, an NM record is glossy and plays with no noise. An NM jacket is crisp with no flaws.
Excellent (E) – Very light marks where the vinyl has been in and out of the inner sleeve a few times, or tiny signs of use.
Very Good Plus (VG+) – A few further faults are acceptable, but nothing that really compromises the record visually or audibly. A little rub, light inaudible marks, a little background crackle. A VG+ jacket can have light general wear but is still very attractive.
Very Good (VG) – It’s seen a bit of life, but is still usable. Light pops and clicks, an edge split, light visible scratches. You can still listen to it and enjoy looking at it, but it is obviously used.
Good (G) – Good and the sometimes used “Good + / G+” is a very misleading grade as it actually refers to a record that is very, very used. Lots of scuffs, noise and generally fairly ugly.
Poor (P), Fair (F) Attempting to listen will be a disturbing experience. Expect major noise issues, skipping or repeating. The record itself is cracked, badly warped and has deep scratches. Poor or Fair covers will be extremely flawed.
Unlocking Maximum Value: How Record Condition Influences Worth
A record can only attain its full value if the condition is close to flawless (Mint, Excellent or Near Mint). Any drop in either vinyl or cover condition below this will typically take a percentage away from its worth. In general a good rule of thumb would be a 20-25% reduction in value for each grade you drop. More severe flaws like warping, deep scratching or water damage can easily make even a valuable title worthless, sadly.
If you’d like us to evaluate the condition of your vinyl collection we will need to see them in person. You can sell your vinyl records for cash locally by bringing them into our shop or if it’s a larger collection we can easily come to you. Our local vinyl buyers can get you a fair cash offer within minutes!
What Kinds of Records Brian and Andy Personally Collect
You don’t just stumble into the vinyl record business. Brian and Andy, like most folks who do this professionally, came into the record game as collectors first. And they continue to be motivated to find collections partially by a desire to find rare titles that they personally have never yet found or are interested in for their own collections. These types of titles will command the strongest offers from We Buy Records.
While there isn’t any one single record in particular that either of them are looking for at any given moment, we can say this - Both Andy (who’s from Milwaukee) and Brian (from Wheaton, IL) are very interested in records that were released in the areas that they are from. Rare 1960s-1980s 45RPM singles from small towns in Illinois and Wisconsin are some of the most coveted finds for WBR. Rare gospel LPs from the Midwest are also very exciting to see. Obscure 1960s psychedelic records and European import underground rock from the 1970s are also highly sought after by the WBR owners.
Andy is a soul DJ, specializing in rare and danceable 1960s-1980s 45s. Many of these treasures were pressed in editions of just 500 copies (the record pressing plant minimum run) and are subsequently very hard to find clean copies of 40-50 years later!
If you think you have a collection of some of these hard-to-find genres of records, contact us today for a strong cash offer on your vinyl collection!