It’s become cool again to love vinyl. Opening up the folded cover, carefully pulling out the black disc, enjoying the way the light hits the grooves where a handful of songs have magically been captured in hardened plastic. Good stuff!
But whether you’re a new collector or an old pro, there comes a time when that stack of LPs starts to take up a lot of room. Is it better to keep collecting or to sell? After all, selling old records that have been lovingly enjoyed to make room for new favourites is a smart thing to do, right? And taking a few to the local record store—assuming you’re lucky enough to have one near by—not only might put some cash in your pocket but might introduce some unsuspecting stranger to a new favourite band.
Or you can turn to some online specialists who can help you figure out to trash or treasure that record. Don’t be surprised to interact with folks who resemble Jack Black’s character from High Fidelity: There are rules, people, that must be followed in order to get their attention.
Continental Records Company LTD, for example, is only interested in your brand new 45 RPMs. They’d really prefer you read their website with detailed information about what’s acceptable and what they’re looking for rather than calling with a laundry list. And if you absolutely MUST get in touch, send them an email. That they’ll answer. They promise.
The good folks at Continental even provide a handy little cheat sheet for those who don’t want to read their website:
Don’t Want to Spend 10 More Minutes Reading?
OK, here’s the Scoop…
- Your records must be in “like new” condition to have any value
- Rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm & blues and jazz records manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s are the most valuable records
- Other records made in the 1950s and 1960s usually have some value
- Most records that were made before 1950 or after 1970 have little or no value
- Make a like—without a list your records are only worth pennies a piece
Still curious? Go here to learn more.
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