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April 2019
Are Your Old Vinyl Records Worth Thousands?
Here's how to sell them.ArticleBy Brian Morris Of Flipsy
Do you have stacks of old vinyl records packed away orcollecting dust on your shelf? Ever wonder if your vinyl records are worthanything? Flipsy.com enlisted the help of experts to find out which are the mostvaluable records in the world, how to find record values and whereto sell vinyl records.
The average eBay selling price for vinyl records is around$15, though values can range from 50 cents to $50 or more. Some vinyl recordscommand spectacular fees. An original copy of Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You" can be worth up to $40,000, for example, while ElvisPresley's "GoodLuck Charm" can net up to $20,000. If you have an original copy of The Beatles "Yesterday andToday," also known as The Butcher Album, it could fetch up to$125,000.
Other notable high-value albums include:
· Hell Houndon My Trail (Robert Johnson): up to $10,000
· VelvetUnderground (debut demo acetate): up to $25,000
· Hear TheBeatles Tell All: up to $30,000
· StreetFighting Man (The Rolling Stones): up to $18,000
· Moody Blue(Elvis Presley, experimental colors): up to $2,000
In addition, some shellac 78 records can be quite valuable.For example, Delta Blues recorded on shellac circa 1929 to 1932 can be worth upto $500 or more.
The Most Valuable Vinyl Record In The World
John Marshall's love for old records began when he startedcollecting albums from the jukebox distributor down the street from hischildhood home. His collection grew during a 30-year career in radio, when hewould save promo records that flooded the station.
"I bought many of them purely for the love of music, notrealizing then they could be worth a lot of money down the road," he says. "It was probably in themid-70's that I became aware there was a collector's market for records."
Today, Marshall (a.k.a. Mighty John Marshall) operates MoneyMusic, a website dedicated to record values.
He said most collectors consider the world's current mostvaluable record to be Do I Love You by Frank Wilson on Soul Records (a divisionof Motown), for two reasons:
The record falls into the category of collectible recordsknown as "Northern Soul," a term that came about several years ago whenobscure soul music from the U.S. became in high demand in northern England.
The record is legendary in rock 'n roll circles. As thestory goes, Frank Wilson, a record producer at Motown who had no interest inbeing a singer, was goaded into recording the song by Motown owner Barry Gordy.Eventually, Gordy prevailed and Wilson recorded the song, but when Gordy wantedWilson to do shows to promote it Wilson refused. After an intense argument,Gordy demanded all copies be destroyed, so the only copies known to exist arepromos sent to radio stations that bear the words "Promotional. Not For Sale."
An original copy of this record is worth up to $40,000.
Of course, it's not the only valuable record. As Marshallexplains, the most collectible records are those recorded by the Beatles andElvis Presley. Original stereo copies of the Beatles album Yesterday and Todaycan be worth as much as $25,000.
Charlie Essmeier, who owns RareRecords and has been collecting and selling records since the 1970's, saysthe price tag for "thebutcher album" could be even higher.
"Original copies of this album were made with a photo of theBeatles in butcher smocks, surrounded by pieces of toy dolls and raw meat. Thealbum was withdrawn before release, but a handful of copies have survived,"Essmeier explains. "In addition, several hundred thousand copies were shippedto stores with a new cover photo pasted over the original. It's possible though not advised to remove the second cover to reveal the first one.Prices can range from as little as $50 to as much as $75,000 depending on anumber of factors. It's the valuable record that members of the public aremost likely to have the original pressing of."
In fact, in 2016, a sealed mint copy of the record soldat auction for $125,000.
What About Shellac 78 Records?
Prior to vinyl, which came in use during the 1940's, recordswere pressed on shellac a brittle material that cracks easily. Shellacrecords were primarily produced between 1896 and 1950. Most shellac records werepressed in the 78 RPM format.
Joe Lauro owns Old78s.com,and is perhaps the world's foremost expert on shellac 78 records. He saysplayback quality varies significantly between the shellac records produced byrecord companies.
"The usage of shellac became the norm circa 1900's, andthe better the shellac, the better the sound of the record in terms of lesssurface noise," he says. "The smaller record companies that offeredexpensive records often mixed the shellac with other particles like sand orwood, and the result was a very noisy playing surface. Better companies likeColumbia and Victor used superior quality shellac and the records sounded muchbetter. The circa 1920's to early 30's Columbia and Okeh labels were thebest, as their records were laminated with a cardboard core and much purershellac playing surface."
Lauro says most shellac 78's are not rare as they were massproduced and billions of copies still exist. However, some notable albums arerare and can be valuable. They include "race" records and country/folkrecords that were produced for specific ethnic and racial groups, and weremanufactured in far fewer numbers than their pop counterparts; and 78'sproduced by small labels during the Great Depression specifically, between1931 and 1933. For some, fewer than 500 copies were ever made.
Some blues, pre-1935 jazz, 1920's to early 30's string andcountry bands, and post-war blues (circa 1946 to 1960) recordings can also bevaluable.
"The most valuable are rare Delta Blues recorded circa 1929to 1932, which can run upwards of $500," Lauro says. "The most ever paid fora one-of-a-kind Delta Blues record was $50,000, but there are few people thatwould pay anywhere near that price."
Many valuable shellac 78 records were produced by labels likeParamount, Gennett, QRS, Herwin, Vocalion, and Black Patti.
Lauro says he will pay thousands of dollars for certainrecords on Paramount and other labels, but cautions: "Not all records on theselabels are of value. It's just that the rarest ones often turn up on theselabels. Value is driven by rarity and desirability. Just because it's 100years old does not make it valuable. It's a matter of what the record is."
Combinations
A combination of factors can make a given record valuable,including:
· Poor-selling albums recorded by famous artists before they became famous
· Albumsproduced by obscure labels
· Promotionalcopies made for radio stations
· Limitededitions and foreign editions
· Uniquepicture sleeves
· Rare labelvariations
·Never-released copies (like acetates and test pressings)
· Recalledand withdrawn releases
· Coloredvinyl and picture discs
·Still-sealed copies in excellent condition
· Autographedcopies
· Format(mono, stereo, or quadraphonic)
· Condition
Label variations can play a major role in record values. Forexample, an average copy of The Beatles "Yesterday and Today" is only wortharound $10; but those that carry the red Capitol label can be worth up to$10,000.
Unique picture sleeves, especially for 45's, can be worthmore than the records they contain. It's the picture sleeve that makes theRolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" worth up to $18,000.
There are four ways to find out how much your records areworth:
1. Check record prices online (search recently sold listingson eBay. You can also check Popsike, Collectors Frenzy, Music Stack and ValueYour Music for historical pricing data)
2. Get a record price guide (Goldmine publishes a Record AlbumPrice Guide, as does Osborne. For a CD format, you can buy Mighty John'sRecord Appraisal Guide)
3. Get your records appraised (experts like John Marshall andJoe Lauro offer appraisals for a fee. You might also consult an auction house,particularly if you suspect your records are valuable)
4. Ask record stores (both online and offline record storesoffer appraisals)
Once you know how much your vinyl records are worth, you cansell them via:
· Onlinemarketplaces like eBay, Discogs and Music Stack
· Onlinerecord stores
· Onlinecollectors (check forums for buy/sell/trade threads)
· Localrecord stores and pawn shops
· Localmarketplaces like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace
Follow these tips to ensure you're getting the best dealwhen you sell your vinyl records:
1. Know what you have: Spend time researching your records soyou can properly articulate exactly what you have, avoid scams and get a fairpayment
2. Properly care for your records: Store them vertically atroom temperature and buy protective covers
3. Consider insurance: If your records are valuable, considertaking out an insurance policy to protect yourself in the event of damage ortheft
4. Compare multiple options: Get offers from multiple buyersto ensure you're getting the best deal
5. Beware of scams: Be wary of counterfeit records, and nevership or sell without money in-hand (or at least escrow)
For more in-depth information on valuing and selling vinylrecords, check out the original article onFlipsy.
