Recent used vinyl price increases: what are the most surprising titles?

I've got plenty, and that would be very nice of those two if they would put something on Social Media shouting out those that paved the way.

 

I've been buying some of my "grails" (don't like that term, is there a better one?) in recent months. I've been watching out for them but prices have been outrageous.

Billy Joe Shaver - Old Five And Dimers Like Me on Monument. People have been asking $150-$200 of VG+, but I waited, got a VG+ vinyl, VG jacket for $75 total. I know some people wouldn't have a less than VG+ jacket but it's not a deal breaker for me and if I can save money I just consider the wear and tear to be part of it's character.

Southern Culture On The Skids - First Album on Lloyd Street. Very hard to find in the US, running $80 and up from overseas. I got it VG+/VG+ for $60 total.

Tony Rice - Church Street Blues on Sugar Hill. Hardly any available out there and people have been asking $100 to $150. I got it for $70 total.

Tony Rice Unit - Manzanita on Rounder. These are running around $80 to $120 and there are few being offered in the US. I got it VG+/VG+ for $85 tax and shipped included.

I don't normally pay this type of money for albums but this is the first month I'm not paying my daughter's rent as she just graduated from Nursing school and I thought I'd splurge a little to celebrate. This filled in some gaps as I'm more or less a completist for these particular artists. I think it paid off to take my time, though I still think the used market prices are inflated for select artists. I also think those purchases have had some influence on other sellers as I've seen the price on the Billy Joe Shaver and TR-Church Street Blues come down slightly. I guess they see someone coming in and moving there copies at a lower price that what they had been asking and theirs just sitting there and figured it wasn't that no one wanted it but that they were asking too much and it might move if they lowered the price. Just spit balling on that, anyone that sells on Discogs want to weigh in as to if pricing works that way?

 

The archetypal hipster, when use of the term was at its peak in the mid-2000s, was an older Millenial or younger Gen-Xer. Nowadays most people who'd be described as hipsters would probably be Zoomers or younger Millenials (but it's not a word I hear too much these days).

There's also an older use of the term that goes back at least to the '50s, meaning a sort of phony beatnik. Those people would most likely be Silent Generation (between Greatest and Boomers). So Boomers are actually probably the least "hipster" generation, in a sense.

 

This is another one that's hard for me to believe. Have you actually seen people pay those prices?

 

Yep...$30 for the s/t about a week ago.

 

I saw a lady pay $40 for a clean copy of Hi Infidelity once, I was shocked.

 

People need to look at sold price, not what is stickered up. Any joker can put a $30 price tag on an album, doesn't mean anyone will pay that.

 

As someone who lists LPs on Discogs for a local music store as part of my semi retirement (only do it a couple of hours a week) my MO is to list an LP in the same or better condition for less than the lowest priced one in the same condition. The store would rather sell it for less and move it rather then be on a shelf for who knows how long. It seems to work. I've been surprised at how much some would pay for numbered or colored vinyl in VG+ to M- condition but that's me.

 

This is astute but the Joni part doesn’t ring true to me. The current revival of her rep isn’t limited to older vinyl peeps and just Blue.

 

And yours would be the one I'd buy! I tend to see that often. One or two copies for sale in VG+ condition say for $10 followed by a dozen or so also VG+ asking $15-$20. I figure those first two are motivated sellers.

 

I saw a dude last week pay $30 for the Cars s/t.

Vinyl pricing is shocking enough, but to see some one pull out their credit card and actually pay that amount causes me to wonder what the hell is going on.

 

You are probably right. But Blue seems to sell for a lot more that the others and I believe Court and Spark remains a dollar bin record to $5 record. But that's probably got more to do with how darn many of those she sold back in the day. They are so easy to find. Maybe the others like Hiss and Mingus have ticked up in price?

 

A common expression around here, (and maybe everywhere) seems appropriate.
"The boys got more money than sense!"

 

A record store just bought my 2014 Hendrix Are You Experienced reissue for $15.99 on Discogs. A record store. Amazon has sealed copies for $15! They apparently plan to profit from this transaction.

 

These are crazy times Showtime.

 

I've picked up a bunch of records at thrift stores for $1 or less that had $15, $30, $50 stickers on them.

 

I'm currently spinning my near mint Bad Company s/t Swan Song label cut by George Piros. I think I paid $3 for this bad boy back in the day.

I wonder what I could get for it now?

 

You and most sellers on discogs.

 

I pick them up all the time in collections and at a flipper's warehouse. Bad Co. albums are in abundance. I'll pay $1 or $2 for one, clean it, put it in a new inner and outer and sell it for $5. Bad Co. sells well. I suppose at a dedicated brick and mortar they probably get twice that, but I can't imagine much more.

 

Grand Funk's Closer to Home is hard to find as a clean copy. I wish there would be a nice AAA reissue of this title. Enough of the old warhorses already.

 

I was being facetious...I love my Bad Company collection.

 

Good time to be sittin' on a gold mine.

 

NM Bad Co. albums are not in abundance. Sure, if one wants a noisy copy they can be had cheap.
This is another group that needs a good reissue AAA campaign.

 

I bought the Tony Rice - Manzanita album this morning on Discogs. I emailed the seller yesterday about it. I wasn't about to pay $75 without getting more information. He said he play graded it and normally graded conservatively. He said when he got back to the shop Monday he would recheck to make sure it was a true VG+. He did just that and emailed me again by mid-morning. He reported it had not pops or clicks playing on the shop TT. It was at that point I bought the record. It was the first time I'd done that, but then most of the time I'm buying $2-$7 records not $75 ones. It should be here within a week and I'll know if he was accurately grading. But I think by reaching out before buying if it hadn't been a true VG+ he would have corrected and possible offered a price cut or waive of shipping fees.

 

True NM used records in general aren't in abundance. But there are an abundance of Bad Co. records that after a good cleaning are quiet records. I see/hear them all the time. It really doesn't have to be one or the other. There's a lot of in-between out there.