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

Well I went back to the same record show today and that dealer wasn't there. There were a bunch of dealers with crazy high prices for common classic rock albums, but I found a couple of sellers that were reasonable. That said I seldom find albums from bands like Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead for anything but crazy high prices. I just hope to find a collection I can buy from an individual that might contain these artists. Otherwise I mainly buy "all the other guys" from the classic rock era. I did come across a Led Zepplin I album for $10. All the other LZ albums I saw were $15 to $50. The vinyl was very clean but the cover had rather large stain on the front.

 

There's a sucker born every day.

 

I think they are still high, but flat. The shops around me sell the big classic rock acts for $20 for excellent condition and $8 - $15 for listenable/rescuable to very good. You just gotta poke around. Sometimes, a record will look beat up, yet play well and may sound perfect after a good cleaning. Other times a record will look mint but sound crappy, like you can kind of hear some music through the "snap, crackle, pop."

 

Maybe 10 Impressions, 10 Isley Brothers, Chuck Jackson, Edwin Starr, The Supremes, a bunch of the other girl groups, Friends of Distinction, Johnny Guitar Watson, Junior Walker, Teddy Taylor, King Curtis, a bunch of the second tier groups from the 70s.

 

Well aware of that but I don't have the time and it is top dollar, the store owners know what they have!

 

Yes, I collect US pressings too but all those other countries pressings you mention entice me more but at least there are some cheap choices stateside for those that want them, here not so much.

 

See we can't get bulk of good titles for nix here no matter our strategy.
Yes I may bargain at a fair late in the day but iam always there early because Iam a very serious collector and chase the rare high end stuff and 95% of that will sell inside the first 2 hours of our local fairs.

 

If they are set sale and US why care if someone bites or not, just shows they have more dollars than sense.

 

I dunno about this. There's definitely a circuit of lifer record dealers that hit multiple regional shows in a row, and I've spoken to many dealers who do record shows full-time. It's not a once-a-year thing for a lot of these dealers. This is why, you may notice, a lot of these guys all know each other. I've seen many of the same dealers at various shows throughout the southeast, and they almost always have the same stock. They're less likely to deal because what doesn't sell in Knoxville might sell two days later in Memphis.

Now, I'm a guy who rents a table at maybe 1 or two record shows a year, and I fall into the category you mention. If it's 3pm and you wanna make me an offer on something, I'm definitely ready to wheel and deal. Whatever doesn't sell has to be listed (or re-listed) on eBay or Discogs, or go back into the guest room till the next record fair. Given that the next record fair may be a year away, I'd definitely rather lighten my load. I'm also far more likely to accept a deal if you're buying more than one thing. That said, don't insult me by offering me $20 for a $50 record. This is a good rule of thumb in general, I think.

And I don't ever try to 'negotiate' at a record store. You don't go to the farmer's market and try to make deals on tomatoes, or to the movies and try to make deals on tickets, so why would you go to another place of business and try to talk somebody down?

 

I began collecting vinyl about five years ago.Personally,there were much better vinyl prices when I began than now.These days in the shops,many of the more common titles are more expensive even if they are not in great shape.I`m glad I picked up all the records back when I did.
Plenty of the more interesting rarer records aren`t there for the taking anymore either.

 

On the other hand I've bought hundreds of albums for a $1 or less that I see selling for significantly more. Eventually at that shop they are going to have to drop the price when it doesn't sell, especially when they have several copies. Of course a Dark Side of The Moon is going to sell within a short period of time. But that really good Outlaws album or Joni Mitchell album might sit there for six months. What are they going to do with 5 copies of The Outlaws or Court and Spark? Patience and eclectic taste is the buyers friend.

 

All I know is when I go - my kids are going to Hawaii

 

Coincidentally at a recent fair I saw a much later budget reissue Velvets LP on Summit for a ridiculous $90.
A young couple almost bought it!

 

Exactly, Iam glad I began collecting vinyl 40 odd years ago and especially glad that from 2004-2017 I went ballistic on eBay for high end collectables as prices continue to rise and grading is a nightmare.

 

I'm thinking it's bands like the Velvets especially, or the Stooges, where you might find young people willing to part with a lot of money to get their hands on an an album, any album....

 

Which begs the question, "Are they buying records because they like the music or for status?" Lets get real here. A group like the VU is ........unusual. Are they really enjoying this album or are they putting it in their collection so that they appear hip? I can see a person that collects rarities wanting their banana record as a collectible but if it is about listening to music the demand for something like that should be limited. So sure, first pressings or pressings that standout for some other collectible reason I get, but ............ I ramble, I'll hush now.

 

How...unusual...is the VU when they're a direct influence on literally decades of bands that followed, from the Stooges to Bowie to the Dream Syndicate to the Flying Nun bands to Yo La Tengo to Real Estate to Ultimate Painting and beyond? The Velvets are as...unusual...as the Beatles to modern indie ears. Weird comment.

 

Feel like I'm getting 'priced out' a bit this year at my fave store and buying a few records that are not must-buys. Have been buying here at the forum and elsewhere online.

 

Many places overcharge for minty popular titles to pay for the dreck that won't sell. Many more charge silly prices for popular or cult titles in any condition just to see who will bite, and also to pay for the dreck that won't sell. A lot of good titles get underpriced because they are perceived as less movable. Using a recent trip to a Half Price Books as an example, They had an early 80s pressing of The Stooges debut in VG+ shape, asking $50 (gone the next time I went in). They had no less than 5 stereo copies of Freak Out!, all in the same ratty condition and all priced at almost $40 (they've been there for months) Then further down they had a beat up mono pressing of the Grateful Dead debut for almost $20 (I decided not to bite but I'm sure someone soon would). Then they had the cleanest copy of Introducing The Beau Brummels' I've ever seen... for $9 (snagged it).

I'm glad I picked up all the popular titles years ago at the garage and estate sales. The real hunt is finding all that underground and marginal stuff that's cheap because it doesn't say 'The Beatles' on it!

 

These people were clueless though.

 

Think of all the people without modern indie ears.
Actually my 21 year old Neice likes indie but doesn't know the Velvets, not everyone traces back to yesteryears influences.

 

That second seller both frustrates and baffles me, only because they seem to sell their outrageously overpriced merchandise every single day. I've gone as far as contacting the seller to ask them point-blank how they get away with it (no response). I even dedicated a previous thread to this one seller: Can Someone Explain This eBay Seller To Me? . Ultimately, I have to assume it's some sort of numbers game since the seller does have over 7000 items in their store. But why anyone would pay anywhere from 4 to 10 times the going rate is still beyond me.

 

Th

The seller aims to list much and it high prices and sell sporadically, I know a guy like this in Brisbane.

 

That's what I figure, but how stupid does a buyer have to be to pay $32 for an original pressing of Special Beat Service by The English Beat? It's literally a $5 record. Maybe the seller offers lower overseas shipping rates or something. Or maybe it is indeed just a numbers game.

 

High & still climbing it seems. I just recalled today a Motorhead record I'd purchased for $8 at a used shop, it's about 3-4years later & the latest copy (same 80s pressing) was now $30