Second hand vinyl - are prices for classic rock going up, down or flatlining?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by back2vinyl, May 27, 2018.

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  1. Fender Relic

    Fender Relic Forum Resident

    Location:
    PennsylBama
    I'm ridin' your wagon. I enjoy the hunt and bagging the game but, when it comes to selling...it's a hassle, full of pitfalls and time and work.
     
  2. Neil Anderson

    Neil Anderson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Prices fluctuate quite a bit from store to store here in Portland, Oregon. My theory: some record store owners know what they're doing, some don't.
     
    uzn007, Rekkerds, ODShowtime and 3 others like this.
  3. libertycaps

    libertycaps Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    With all the dodgy digitally sourced reissues flooding the market, i can definitely say the more obscure/Holy Grail/cult type original pressings/early reissue LP prices are declining. And that's a big win for me cuz i've been priced out of the OG hot stamper market for years until now. :righton:

    The Big name type band LPs everyone knows about are steadily increasing.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
  4. jeffd7030

    jeffd7030 I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.

    Location:
    Hampden, ME
    I built a great "used/thrift shop" LP collection between 2010 and 2016. Prices were $0.99 - $4.99. Selection has significantly diminished in past few years. Not particularly overpriced, just not the nice titles that were once available.
    But I still "look" and every now and then I find a gem (Doors Strange Days, first press LP, $9; Led Zeppelin II RL, $5).
     
    Juggsnelson and Echoes Myron like this.
  5. Sax-son

    Sax-son Forum Resident

    Location:
    Three Rivers, CA
    I still see good titles come through, but the only problem is that they are usually very expensive and the condition is questionable.
     
  6. hominy

    hominy Digital Drifter

    Location:
    Seattle-ish
    Store owners who don't know what they're doing can be a blessing, those who think they know what they're doing are usually dangerous. Those who actually know... are alright.
     
    jeffd7030, eddiel, ODShowtime and 4 others like this.
  7. e.s.

    e.s. Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Since moving to Portland two years ago, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some of the things I’ve found around town. There are some good shops here that I visit regularly, and even the stores I’m not crazy about are worth a visit every now and then. It’s also not a bad drive to Seattle, and I never come back empty handed from a trip up there!
     
    Rekkerds and davers like this.
  8. libertycaps

    libertycaps Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Snagged all the post first trifecta middle era OG Westbound and one WB Funkadelic LPs for way less (~$60 each) than what they were costing 5 years ago.
    All VG++ to NM-. Cosmic Slop was still sealed with the old-school price tag still on. The first 3 clean OG LPs still go for 3 digits. For those early titles, the very nice UK remastered CDs good enough for me.
     
  9. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I just broke my toe on a crate of ‘em. I’ll say they’re flattening.
     
  10. hockman

    hockman Forum Resident

    According to a dealer I know well, classic rock titles and truly obscure collectible rock stuff can be easy to sell and can be priced high. It's all the stuff that's in between that is more challenging to move.

    I've been buying records for a long time and it pains me to see common records that sold by the millions priced at $20-50, when they've been sitting in the cheap bins for $1-2 in the past. Fortunately I have very little interest in classic or any type of rock any more. My tastes are far more esoteric. While these things can be quite expensive because they are truly rare, occasionally I chance upon real bargains e.g. $5-6 (because of low interest locally) when the going rate on discogs is easily 3 or 4 times that.
     
    seed_drill likes this.
  11. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    First pressings are always more desirable than later pressings, regardless of whether they are "better." And audiophile records always seem to retain a premium, even if they suck, like a lot of those CBS Half Speed Master botch jobs or MoFi's Stones' Sticky Fingers. People who a/b stuff are a small minority, even among record collectors.
     
  12. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    I agree with this assessment. My tastes aren't that esoteric (except for psych obscurities that I'll buy unheard, because I'm a genre collector), but most of my classic rock collection was completed decades ago. I don't need any more Fleetwood Mac albums.
     
  13. dkurtis

    dkurtis sonoftheFather

    In fact, I'm thinking it might be time to thin than genre given today's demand.
     
  14. dkurtis

    dkurtis sonoftheFather

    I am starting to inventory 12 long boxes of 45's. Can anyone tell me what the demand for classic rock 12"singles is today. 45's have never been my collecting emphasis so I have accumulated them as unique opportunities provided; and as a result, I have never inventoried them. Classic rock 45's have not been in demand in the past so I have ignored them.
     
  15. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    The ones with picture sleeves are always going to be of interest to someone. Imports fetch more, pre 1977 is better yet. Condition of course is important. Colored vinyl and picture discs are still desirable. And white label promos too.

    Standard 45s without picture sleeves can be sold but must be stone mint.
     
    e.s. and dkurtis like this.
  16. BryanA-HTX

    BryanA-HTX Crazy Doctor

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Still pretty high in my area. Consistently $25+ Who, Beatles, Stones, Zep and Floyd everywhere that sells vinyl? Check.
     
    ohnothimagen likes this.
  17. The Slipperman

    The Slipperman Forum Resident

    Really depends on where you go and how much competition is in the area. My local shop in Boise has no competition and is way overpriced now. Went to Olympia, WA yesterday and their prices were much more reasonable, probably because there are a lot of record stores in the Puget Sound area.
     
  18. radickeyfan

    radickeyfan Forum Resident

    every store tells me with the exception of the usual suspects Moody Blues , Yes , Bob Seger , REO , that never sell ....you can not price NM or better lps high enough , even stuff like Elton , Queen and Rod , which were everywhere for a buck or 2 , now sell , and sell well at $20+ --------- ....even the really pop stuff like the Carpenters , Captain And Tennille , etc are selling for $15+ in high grade (though not Manilow or Babs ) --even Neil Diamond lps sell well in 2018-----R&B , Soul , Rap , Punk , and even Elvis lps all do well
     
    e.s. likes this.
  19. Gavaxeman

    Gavaxeman Take me back to dear old Blighty...

    Location:
    West Midlands U.K.
    The used classic rock (beatles/ Floyd/ Zeppelin) definitely gone up in the U.K. over the last 5 years as they are getting scarcer - used to be easy to get good vinyl at £3 to £5 range 10 years ago not so much now
    Big wins were in the 80’s used section -lots of £1 finds but again , getting harder to get U2 , smiths etc at even mid prices - and I got loads of Bowie and Prince at reasonable prices before they passed away . Hard see anything by them below £20 now
    eBay can still be a good tool but the descriptions and postage costs can weigh against at times
    Good to see a LOT more independent record stores opening in U.K. over last 5 years but when talking they are all saying getting hold of used collections is getting harder as people’s expectations of prices paid are way out of kilter to reality . I am surprised at times of newer shops pricing on used vinyl is way out of line for me
    Charity shops have also cottoned on and have pushed prices up
    Still lots of fun to be had out there but quality comes at a price in the main
     
  20. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Up.
    Up.
    Up.
    Only up.
     
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  21. Giorgio

    Giorgio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Varese Italy
    Here in northern Italy, the market for used records has gone crazy.
    Since the vinyl has been re-evaluated every seller who has vinyl to sell thinks he owns a treasure.
    And I speak of sellers you find in small local fairs, often people who do not know the meaning of "first original pressing", those who find the box of old used LPs in landfills and basements, maybe in bad conditions, but pretend to get good earnings riding "the fashion of the moment" that has re-launched this kind of product.
    I avoid talking about sellers who know what they sell, in specialized fairs or shops, where certain titles on the wall have today absurd prices ...
    Very often LPs of classic rock I bought four/five years ago, kiping in mind the different value of the currency of those years, I see them now at unbelievable prices, in comparison four/five/six times higher than those years (exactly the same kind of pressings in terms of originality and general conditions).
    It seems a nonsense, but in my case, now I buy only online on Ebay, Discogs, or in this Forum, and with patience I can still spend what I think is right (for my wallet), shipping included.
     
  22. vinylbeat

    vinylbeat Forum Resident

    I'm glad the stores in my area don't fit that description. Some of those records you mentioned are in the bargain bins at the stores I frequent......where they actually belong.
     
    zphage and Fender Relic like this.
  23. Dr. Funk

    Dr. Funk Vintage Dust

    Location:
    Fort Worth TX
    I was talking to a friend who deals in vinyl last night.....I asked him what he thinks about the vinyl boom we are experiencing, and how his business is doing. He says that even though vinyl prices have doubled or tripled in the last few years......that's not necessarily good for him. Vinyl collections are becoming harder to find, and sellers are expecting top prices. He also mentioned that finding certain titles in acceptable condition is becoming more difficult. Turning a profit in the vinyl biz is not an easy thing to do.
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  24. hockman

    hockman Forum Resident

    I've always found the record market in Italy to be a bit odd. For a country with a rich musical history (albeit quite old history), records are remarkably overpriced and hard to find when compared with the rest of the continent. Why is that?

    In France, for example, records are much easier to find although prices can be all over the place, even in flea markets or neighborhood garage sales. Stores tend to have higher prices as may be expected with monthly rental and staff as overheads. Even in the huge Clignancourt weekend flea market in Paris, prices are not really very different from other city stores. But at least, you can find decent vinyl records if you look.

     
    Giorgio likes this.
  25. vinylbeat

    vinylbeat Forum Resident

    My friend's store gets several calls a day asking "do you buy records", which usually yeilds only 1 or 2 worthwhile collections a month. The condition can really vary.......no wonder he sells rougher shape 60's Beatles Capitol LP's for $5.00!!
     
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