GRADING AND THE PRICE RANGE
| The values you have been quoted on the records you have submitted are based on copies found in near mint condition. |
| MINT - Mint records must be perfect. To allow for tiny blemishes, the highest grade we give is near mint. An absolute pristine mint record may carry a slight premium above the near mint range. |
| VERY GOOD - Records in very good condition should have a minimum of visual or audible imperfections. This grade is halfway between good and near-mint. |
| GOOD - Good condition records will show definite signs of wear and tear. They should play all the way through without a skip. |
| POOR - Poor condition records are virtually worthless unless they are so rare that a copy in any condition would be prized. |
Perhaps The Best Way To Grade Your Records Is On A Scale Of 1 To 10:
| 10(ten) | Mint (M) |
| 9(nine) | Near Mint (NM) |
| 8(eight) | Better Than Very Good (VG), But Below Near Mint (NM) |
| 7(seven) | Very Good (VG) |
| 6(six) | Better Than Good (G), But Below Very Good(VG) |
| 5(five) | Good (G) |
| 4(four) | Better Than Poor (P), But Below Good (G) |
| 3(three) | Poor (P) |
| 2(two) | Really Trashed |
| 1(one) | Throw It Away, It Hurts To Think About It |
| This fundamental fact remains: True value is nothing more than what one person is willing to accept and what another is prepared to pay. Actual value is based on scarcity and demand. Most older records are going to be in something less than near-mint(NM) or "excellent" condition. Be honest about actual condition. Apply the same standards to the records you trade or sell as you would if you were buying those same records. Visual grading may be unreliable. Accurate grading may require playing the record. |
TO SELL YOUR RECORDS
There are
several ways to sell the records you have. USED RECORD STORES... If you are in a hurry to sell your records, the used record store is probably your best choice, but remember,a used record store dealer will probably give you no more than 30% of value. That's a fair price because the dealer has to make something too. THE COLLECTORS... To get the most money, you want to find the collectors. Where are they? We do list them in our yellow pages directory, but to find those closest to you, try asking the clerks at your local record stores or departments. They tend to know of the local collectors. Most areas have local record collectors' clubs and once you find one collector, you'll find the rest. You also can put a small add in your local classifieds saying you have records for sale. The collectors will find you. AUCTION MAGAZINES... If you have the time, the best places to go are the auction magazines. The two I recommend most are "goldmine" and "discoveries." You might ask your local magazine or book store to order them for you. They are the best resources to find collectors all over the world and you will often find that the most money you can receive is from collectors overseas. RECORD CONVENTIONS... Every area has record conventions that are generally held at local hotels. Collectors and dealers come from all around to buy and sell. You might check with your local paper or oldies radio station to find out about those in your area. ONLINE AUCTIONS... These days with access to the internet, you have an opportunity to list your records online in one of the auction rooms. I have found the online auctions to be a great place to get some good buys. It's obvious from some of the sales that a lot of people don't know the true value of their records. Always know what your records are truly worth before you list them anywhere. MIGHTY JOHN'S NUMBER ONE RULE TO MAKE THE MOST MONEY... To make the most money with your records, you must remember two things:
1.) What's the true value of the record or records you are selling? If you find a record at a yard sale for a quarter that is valued at $ 100.00 and you have a chance to sell it for $ 50.00 ... TAKE THE $ 50.00 ... and invest in more records. Keep your inventory turning over and be fair!!! |