Your Vinyl Record Collection Is Worth A Fraction Of What You Think!
- Thread starter A-Line
- Start date
Don't buy records as an investment.
You're not going to make money selling your records because they are not worth what you think they are.
Why? Because a dealer actually needs to put in some effort to turn them over for a profit. Because they are not in top condition. Because there are other copies available. Because the market has dropped out. I stopped around the 13:20 mark.
What a profound drone. Couldn't get to his topic for 5-6 minutes because he wanted to talk about stamps. I didn't bother looking him up but I assume he is a record dealer and it is in his interest to talk down price. I could put out a video saying "Vinyl records are not a good investment." It would be maybe 10 seconds long. Yeah there are a few dealers with very expensive offerings of very rare and good sounding records, but that is not the average collector. Here the General is the only one I know in that class.
The people making money in the record business are the postal and mailing services. In the US we have something called 'Media Mail' where you can send a record to anywhere in the US for around $4.00. I bought a 4-LP box set of Beethoven's last violin quartets from Quartteto Italiano and the shipping was $5.50. Buying records from the UK is super expensive because of the postal cost. Europe is not much better, Holland probably the worst ime. Eastern europe is less money than western.
I buy records for the performance/music and sometimes for the sound quality. Don't buy records as an investment. You'll probably get more for your collection as a tax write-off charitable gift.
The same could be said about most "collectibles". I still recall a photo of the divorce proceedings of a couple who brought their entire beanie baby collection to the courtroom and had them spread out on the floor so they could divvy them up, like a couple of six-year-olds. The perceived value of this collection of stuffed mini bean bags made them act in a most peculiar (and likely out of character) manner. I blame antique road show-type scenarios where something that's been languishing in someone's attic for four decades turns out to be a lost Renoir. And just because it's scarce doesn't mean it's valuable, someone still has to desire it.
I always buy music with the intent to keep it and enjoy it.
Certain hifi components are a good investment if they rarely need service for example.
For financial advice/investments always consult with your financial advisor...
Certain hifi components are a good investment if they rarely need service for example.
For financial advice/investments always consult with your financial advisor...
"A fool is someone who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing." -- Oscar Wilde.
how i look at it is when i get to the point where disposal of my vinyl collection is something for 'someone' to think about, logistics and not dollar value will be the issue. how it gets moved or sold. the value is my use, dollars are what they are or will be.
I would say "Don't buy records as an investment, times are changing".
The valuable records are now expensive to get and the value of such goods is strongly connected to demand. We can anticipate that with age the number of buyers for such recordings will reduce and records will be hard to sell with profit.
Last year I decided to reduce my LP collection. The audiophile friends who would fight between them to get them ten years ago were no more interested. Fortunately there was a last Mohican that took them at much less than real market value.
Sites such as eBay and discogs keep records of effective sales. Real prices of carried transactions are very different from what is asked in the listings, except for unobtainium. Yes, if you find a mint copy of Sg, Peppers signed by the famous four buy it at any price!
and the value of a collection relates to the awareness of our past relentless pursuit of records one by one. and the weekly and monthly investment and all the care, cleaning and organization. like tending a garden, or woodworking, or any other hobby. the big payoff is that it's not just an pretty thing to be possessed, or take pride in; it also contains music to enjoy. it's a living, breathing thing that gives back. and can be shared too.
my guess is that the interaction and knowledge of what is there and where it is, and the idea of listening, keeps us well in some ways. gives us a living focus even sometimes. drives us to enjoy the moment. makes our life more worth living. there are worse obsessions for sure.
real value.
my guess is that the interaction and knowledge of what is there and where it is, and the idea of listening, keeps us well in some ways. gives us a living focus even sometimes. drives us to enjoy the moment. makes our life more worth living. there are worse obsessions for sure.
real value.
Fortunately for me my son loves music as much as I do. Someday my system and albums will become his and I'm sure the value to him will be more than anyone would pay...
My daughter grew up helping me clean records on my VPI record cleaning machine, and listening to them with me. When she finished school I bought her a little Rega turntable and gave her about 100 of my records to get started. She's now so busy with work and family that she doesn't really have much time to listen, but I'm hoping I can give the rest of my 1200 album collection to her eventually.
I've given some of them to young people I know who have gotten into vinyl. Frankly, I'd rather give them to young people with whom I have a connection such as this, than sell them to strangers for little financial gain
I've given some of them to young people I know who have gotten into vinyl. Frankly, I'd rather give them to young people with whom I have a connection such as this, than sell them to strangers for little financial gain
Similar threads
