Thanks for all the replies. I was as much simply curious what other people would do in the same situation, as for looking for advice.
I had not even considered the legal aspect of the whole thing. So I’m glad some raised that issue.
I’m not looking for my money back - gave up on that long ago, life is too short. Learn the life lesson, move on.
Of all the posts this one tracks my sentiments and thinking most closely:
You have no legal obligation at this point. However, I can tell by your post that you care about doing the right thing here. Your integrity is important to you. The past actions of your friend have nothing to do with how you conduct yourself now. He is responsible for his actions and you for your’s alone.
Go ahead and try to contact him. Ask him if he wants them and if so to please arrange to have them picked up by a certain date. If he does not want them, then just confirm you are good to sell them and keep the proceeds. Make no mention of the money he owes you, but be gracious. In the end this approach will win your past friend over more than any other action you could possibly take. You also maintain your impeccable character and integrity. No downside to reaching out and concluding this matter.
I’m not actually one to hold grudges. I think our estrangement comes more from his own embarrassment about contacting me than anything else.
As for selling the records, my situation is the following: I got back heavily in to vinyl several years ago and have been purchasing vinyl furiously. But also very cautiously and carefully. I don’t want to be one of those places overwhelmed with records everywhere and I’ve already reached my current storage limit. So I’ve already got a pretty big, well curated record collection. That’s why I haven’t spent much time even going through my friend’s records. I don’t want to have them "just to have them" and likely won’t want to keep many of them, if any.
Though he was heavy in to vinyl way before me, and I think he was pretty careful about what he bought too, in terms of quality.
The idea of putting much time at all in to the selling process is just a pain to me. There’s no way I want to turn selling the records in to some second job, e.g. using discogs etc. So I’m likely to get what I can for the ones local record stores will take, then maybe give away the rest.
That is, all depending on how things go if I get in touch with my ex-friend. (Apparently some of my other friends have been in occasional contact, to I might be able to contact him).