Have Vinyl Records to Sell? Where to Sell them in the UK

February 8, 2023
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Have Vinyl Records to Sell?

Many people often ask where can I sell vinyl records in the UK? Is there a market for old vinyl records in the UK?

The answer to these questions is a simple yes. In 2019, over 4.3 million vinyl LPs were sold in the UK. This was a 4.1% increase compared to 2018.

Come 2020, the number of vinyl records sold was 4.8 million. This was a 10% increase compared to the previous year. So if you happen to have old vinyl records in the attic or garage, you can make a little cash by selling them online.

Several collectors still find the old vinyl’s valuable. In fact, they have turned it into a hobby.

Want to know how to make money selling vinyl records? Here is our comprehensive guide to making money selling vinyl records.

1. Grading Old Vinyl’s

If selling old vinyl records, you must first understand the grading system. In the UK, record collectors use the Goldmine Standard. Here is how the grading system classifies old vinyl records.

Poor or Fair:

A poor or fair rating reflects a vinyl’s condition. Generally, vinyl’s have a P or F rating. Vinyl’s with a poor or fair rating have major noise issues. They usually produce scratching noises, repeat, or skip. Such vinyl’s also have badly warped material. They are also cracked, and their covers are entirely destroyed.

Good:

A G-grade vinyl may still be of poor quality. If your old vinyl’s receive a G rating, it means the record has several scratches, and the music has light distortions. You can still sell a G-rated vinyl but at a bargain price.

Very Good:

A VG-rated vinyl is usable but still has a few distortions. Ranked above a G-rated vinyl, a VG-rated vinyl has light visible scratches, split edges, but you can still enjoy listening to it. Such records are usually used as an artistic display.

Very Good Plus:

Next is the VG+ rating. Better than VG rating, VG+ rated vinyl’s have several inaudible marks. The audio has a light background crackle. If you’ve a VG+ record, you’ve got a solid investment.

Excellent:

Much better than VG+ and VG-rated records, an E-rated vinyl has light marks, but it isn’t easy to spot them. However, the record has audio distortion. The majority of E-rated records have been out of their sleeves a few times.

Near Mint:

An NM-rated record is a great investment and still has that original glossy look. There are little or no markings on the record, and the sleeve is nearly untouched. IN addition, there are no distortions on a Near Mint rated record.

Mint:

A Mint record has no audio distortions or blemishes. Such a record is rare and of incredible value to collectors.

To know the grade of your old vinyl records, check for visible marks, scratches, and other blemishes. Check the sleeve from several angles to determine its condition.

2. Cleaning Your Vinyl Records

Before having your records graded by a professional, you need to give them a good clean. This will remove any imperfections, dust, and detritus. Over time, detritus build-up, and this causes your record to click and skip. To clean your old vinyl records, you need the following:

Microfiber cleaning cloth
Anti-static record cleaning brush
Cleaning mat
Nostatic record cleaning arm
Antistat record cleaning and others.

Using a record cleaning machine is highly recommended, but it’s often expensive. In addition, there are certain things you should avoid when cleaning vinyl.

Pure isopropyl alcohol – its strips away the protective coating of the record

Commercial cleaning products – they attack the vinyl and block the grooves

Tap Water – Tap water has plenty of impurities that may damage the fragile record.

3. Identifying Vinyl Records

If you take a closer look at the spine of the record sleeve, you’ll be able to know if you’ve an original pressing. Original pressings have a four-letter and number combination as follows: ABCD-1234. The second and third pressing records have two-letter and five number combinations such as AB-12345.

You can also use the serial number on the sleeve. Check this against a catalogue or online. This will allow you to find more details about the records. Other details you should note include

Album title
Track titles
Barcode

Different records have been issued more than once. For example, they pressed Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon over 400 times on vinyl. So it’s important to know which edition you’ve.

4. Pricing

Now that you’ve identification details of your records, head to Discogs. Discogs is a crowdsourced database with more than 7 million records and over 13 million music releases.

It’s also a marketplace where you can find the current value of your vinyl records based on recent sales.

To identify your records, visit the Discogs site and click “Search For Your Record.” Immediately, the site will display the lowest, median, and highest prices your record sold for on Discogs.

Click on the Last Sold date. This will reveal the full sales data, including the average vinyl price. Discogs will also display a chart to track trends. You can also download the Discogs free app.

If using the app to identify your vinyl records, check under Sales History for pricing data. Besides Discogs, you can also search for historic selling data of records on Popsike, Amazon, and eBay.

While you may not have rare records, you never know what you might uncover.

Top 5 Most Expensive Vinyl Records

The following are the most expensive records according to Discogs.

Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen

Released in March 1977, the 7 inch, 45 RPM, Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen sold for £12,091.87 ($16,125.18).

Published by Copyright Control and produced by A&M Records, the original unreleased single was in an A&M record company paper sleeve. It had the serrated anti-slip necklace and 7284 written twice on the B-sire runout.

Ferris Wheel (3) – Supernatural Girl

The second most expensive record is the Ferris Wheel (3) – Supernatural Girl.

Sold in December 2015 and released in 1974, it had 14 tracks. The record was one of the rare private pressings with an original top loader cover and plain back with Blakeyburch copyright stamp. It sold for £11,249.45 ($15,001.77).

The Beatles – Love Me Do

The Beatles – Love Me Do sold for £11,133.95 ($14,845.17) in October 2017.

Released in September 1962 and published by Ardmore and Beechwood. Written by Lennon McArtney, the vinyl was a 7 inch, 45 RPM single.

Billy Nicholls – Would You Believe

The Billy Nicholls – Would You Believe sold for £7,388.34($9,851.06) in April 2017.

Released in September 1962 and published by Ardmore & Beechwood.

Röyksopp – Melody A.M.

Lastly, we have the Röyksopp – Melody A.M. Sold in January 2017 and released in 2001.

The cover was a sprayed-on stencil design in green by Banksy’s, the street art artist. It sold for £6,018.82($8,025.04).