Is It Time To Sell My Vinyl Rig?

Digital streaming can't replace original vinyl records.

Digital can't replace physical object.

Music from the past originally pressed on vinyl (tapes, cassettes etc) before digital was invented. This is Crème de la crème of analog.

There for a time in the 90's when records cost nothing, dealers who purchased a warehouse of record at that time become millionaires in 15 years. Now record collecting is a lifestyle and an expensive hobby. 

When someone keep telling about digital streaming like an alternative to vinyl records I think for such person music is .... 

1) Something originally recorded digitally (which is definitely not all the great music recorded prior to the 80s). 

2) Just something playing on the background.

3)  Cheap or almost free way to get music online.  


A person who ignore analog (records, tapes etc) is a "normal person", while vinyl lovers are a bit crazy about their hobby. I like crazy people. 

Digital sucks! 



  

I don’t even know how much to ask for the equipment or whether someone would even take an interest in it. Any ideas out there?

The main question is WHY someone should buy it from YOU and not from many other dealers or private collectors with reputation (good return policy or even paypal buyers protection), all these stuff available online. It’s not easy to sell vintage analog gear.

Probably if you can offer your gear for lower price or if your gear is in immaculate condition (with og boxes, docs etc). Otherwise who need a used cartridges and turntables from unknown seller with no feedback online ? Or you expect cash and local pickup ?

Same about your record collection, remember if you will sell the whole collection they will pay you very low price per record.

Anyway, even if you will sell all your gear, I hope you can buy it again, probably you can’t buy your record collection even if you want to.

What is the problem? If you want to sell then just try to sell it (it can take a long time), maybe it will be impossible and you will find different solution.

@glupson

Ever heard about RARE records?

There are American SOUL 45s from the late 60s - early 80s that goes typically for £300 each nowadays, when sellers spread their sales lists by fax (in the 90’s) some of those records were priced at £5 - £30 max. There are records that goes for £1000+ each!

In the US look for RecordsByMail.com - the largest online retailer of used, vintage and collectible vinyl. The man behind this warehouse filled with millions of records is Mr. Craig Moerer (respected dealer and collector).

In UK it’s John Manship and his raresoulman.co.uk

I’m talking about records that you can’t afford, but record collectors are happy to bid on it (auctions). Pressed on private independent labels in 500 - 3000 copies they have a cult statis today on the Soul Scene. Americans never rated their own music as high as collectors from UK, Europe and Japan. Tons of records were exported from America before your local dealers realized what was that. Extremely rare Soul records in best possible condition are no longer in the USA, they are in Japan and UK for decades.

Years ago when digital (CDs) flooded the market most peope thought Vinyl is garbage, dead format of music etc. They are still terribly wrong and high demand on vinyl is a proof.

Digital is free, you don’t have to pay anything if all you need is a good playlist, all records are on youtube for free. In higher resolution (if needed) people can pay a bit for subscription to streaming. BUT why so many people love vinyl and willing to pay for each record more than you pay for access to entire digital library on some popular streaming services for years!?

I don’t know what are you trying to say here @glupson ?
Only ebay score of Craig Moerer is 229 261 ...
Even if each record sold for $10 it’s already over $ 2 000 000 ....

Apart from what they sell direct on their own website, also on discogs with another 19636 deals since 2008. Craig and his Records By Mail offers one of the most comprehensive selections of vinyl LPs and 45s available anywhere. Housed in an 8,000 square foot warehouse that currently holds 2 million records, Craig and his talented, dedicated staff at Records By Mail serve music lovers in more than 60 countries.

You’d better watch his interview if you want to know more about business model or to see a warehouse full of vintage records. He’s been doing it for entire life. They travel all over USA to buy collections (vinyl lovers dies too).

I know very well what i’m talking about, my examples of the price tags for rare soul records is not even maximum, there are northern soul records that cost over $5k each, believe it or not buy they sell those too on auctions. There is a huge and very strong scene for this type of music worldwide. And I have to mention that rare American records are much cheaper in the USA than in UK, Europe or Japan. 

Vinyl is priceless, digital is free.

Even if a reissue of the rare soul record available for £5 it will not affect the price for an original press and it can be 100 times as much.

It’s a whole other world that most audiophiles do not understand at all when they discuss digital versus analog! It’s a cultural difference, not sound quality.

When people discuss only sound quality they demonstrate their narrow mind.

Vinyl still alive not only because of the quality, it’s a culture, people love to go to the stores, flea markets... searching for records because it’s cool, it’s a life style. They can discover music, unknown stuff on vintage vinyl.

It’s not nostalgia, because young people are crazy about this process too, they are looking for record NOT because of the sound quality, they already have digital, they are born in digital era, and they want analog.

Maybe for retired people vinyl is nostalgia, but people under 30 are into vinyl too (all over the world).

This is why streaming can’t replace the analog, never!

You can always check auction finals at popsike.com 
It will help you to realize current value if you have anything rare. 

Check on popsike.com for the titles on your vintage LPs, one rare record can cost more than your phono stage, turntable or amp. You will see all auction finals to get an idea about records you can sell. 

I can check but classical titles are rarely all that valuable unless it’s a Johanna Martzy or something like that. The other problem would be selling that rare LP that’s worth $2,000.00. A record to me is only worth a lot if I’m able to sell it.

You’d better check first and comment after. If you have no rare records then selling them will not help you to rise funds much.

If you have some rare original pressing then you can always sell it as there is a high demand on them (this is the reason why it’s rare and expensive).

You can sell on ebay on on discogs.

Personally, if I were looking for a rare and valuable vinyl pressing in pristine condition, I’d look for a reissue from the Electric Recording Company. I know that many people really prefer an original but ERC is where I’d turn and they’ve reissued those $2,000.00 Johanna Martzy records. I’m obviously not in this hobby for the money so my thought is that if I were able to sell my phono amp, it would be at a noticeable loss.

Nobody cares about reissues, it will NOT affect the value of the original press! If you like reissues then buy reissues and sell the originals. You can sell rare record (if you have some) for much higher than you paid for them back in the day.

If you sell equipment then most likely you only lose money on it.

This is the difference between high-end gear and rare records for record collectors (not for audiophiles).

If you don't want to sell anything it's fine. 
Instead you need to rob a bank or something.