Where to Sell Vinyl Records

There are lots of reasons why. One of the main benefits to selling online vs in person is that online, you can often find a more targeted customer base who could be looking to purchase your specific record.

I mean, if you compare a site like eBay, which gets millions of customers, to your local record store which likely only gets 100s of customers, that’s a much wider demographic of people. And, it’s likely that at least one of them will be in the market for the types of vinyl that you have to sell.

Selling online can also be a more convenient option, as you don’t have to drive to a store to take your records in. Also, you may be able to get higher prices for your records online.

If all of that sounds good to you, then check out these places where you can sell your gramophone records online.

1. Discogs

Discogs is a website where you can sell your collection. You can register a free account there. You’ll need to have a verified PayPal account.

It’s free to list items for sale on there, but when a buyer creates an order with you, the site charges you an 8% fee with a minimum of $0.10 and a maximum of $150.

You can see the item price, and you can also get an automated suggested price. This suggested price is based on the media condition that you’ve chosen for your item, as well as the recent sales history of this item in similar conditions. Once you’ve listed your records for sale, they’ll usually be added to the site’s browse/search pages within 5 to 10 minutes.

Once a month Discogs will issue you an invoice with your previous month’s sales fees.

2. eBay

Selling on eBay is such a good idea because you can get your records listed in front of millions of potential buyers. Also, you may be able to find a buyer who’s looking for the types of records you have, which means that you may be able to get a higher amount of cash.

Now, you can list up to 50 items for free on eBay. After that, you will need to pay 30 cents per listing. So this is something to keep in mind if you have a large collection.

When your items sell, you are also charged a 10% commission fee. So do keep these fees in mind when you are listing your records for sale on there.

What’s good about listing on eBay is that you can set your own prices for your records. So, this can give you a little more control over how much money you earn from selling your vinyl collection.

3. Etsy

Next on the list we have Etsy. Etsy is a great place for selling vinyl records. If you want to sell old records, then Etsy could be the platform for you. Since the site is known for vintage items (along with handcrafted stuff of course!), it can be a great place to find buyers. It’s a super popular site too that gets millions of customers each month.

Now, you do have to pay to list items for sale on Etsy. It costs $0.20 per listing. When your stuff sells, you will also need to pay a 5% transaction fee and 3% plus a $0.25 payment processing fee.

4. Reddit: r/VinylCollectors

Reddit is such a great place to look if you want to sell anything. This is because you can often find threads that are dedicated specifically to what it is you’re looking to sell. There’s a Reddit thread called r/VinylCollectors where you can find collectors who are buying, selling, and trading vinyl.

People on there can post the albums they are looking for, which means there may already be a buyer out there who’s looking to purchase your records. Or you can post the vinyl that you want to sell. Overall, it’s an awesome place to look if you’re wondering where to sell vinyl records.

5. CD and LP

Another place where you can sell your records is on CD and LP. You can list your records for sale on there for free. You can set your own prices, and you can also use the “compare” button and the site’s price suggestion feature to help you to set a price for your LPs.

And, the site also offers a price guide page that you can check out to evaluate the price of your re-issues or rare releases at any time. The company has been around since 2002 making it well-established in the market. You can also sell CDs on there.

6. Vinylom

Next on the list we have Vinylom. This company allows you to list your LPs for sale online. According to the site, listing your items for sale there is quick and easy. And, you can even trade records with items that other users of the Vinylom Marketplace have placed available for trade if you want.

7. eBid

eBid is one of the most popular fixed price and auction sites like eBay where you can list your vinyl for sale. While not as well-known as eBay, eBid actually has a higher rating on Trustpilot than eBay does.

There’s a huge range of categories available on the site, and you can list your records for sale there.

8. MusicStack

Another option to try is MusicStack. This site is appearing low down on our list because, on the site, it says:

• “MusicStack is not Discogs, Amazon, or Ebay! You will be very disappointed if you expect similar sales volume. Sellers on average get 1 sale per 1000 items of inventory listed (per month).”

So that’s not a lot of sales really! If you have a large collection this may be worth your while, otherwise there are better options out there.

It’s free to list records for sale on MusicStack. But, you pay an 8% commission fee when your stuff does sell.

Where Can I Sell My Vinyl Records Near Me

Okay, so what if you would prefer to sell your records in person, rather than online?

Sure, selling online is great, because you can find tons of potential buyers and you can ship your stuff and make money from home. However, selling in person is definitely beneficial.

You don’t have to worry about shipping costs, although gramophone is a light flat disk so it doesn’t really cost much to ship it unless you have a big collection.

The main benefit of selling to someone who buys vinyl records near you is that you often get cash on the spot. So if you want to get cash for your records fast, then you might want to consider selling them locally.

Here are some good places to sell vinyl records near you.

9. Local record stores

If you want to know who buys records near you, then your first port of call should definitely be local record stores.

These stores will often have collections of used vinyl records for sale. Customers who are looking to build their collection will often buy vinyl records from record stores. So, this can be a great option to consider.

You can find local record stores by going to a search engine and typing in “used record store near me,” “record stores near me,” or “vinyl record store near me.” You could also replace the phrase “record store” with the phrase “music store.”

Doing that should bring up stores near you. It’s a good idea to call ahead to check whether or not the store does indeed purchase used records.

Now, the only issue with selling to a record store is that they often don’t give you the maximum value. This is because they want to purchase your collection at a lower price so that they can resell it for a profit.

So, if you’re looking to get the most money, skip the record store. If you just want to sell stuff fast, give it a try.

10. Thrift store

Next on the list we have thrift stores. Now, thrift stores are good because you can find them in most towns and cities. So, it’s likely that you have one near you. If your town does have thrift shops, give them a call to ask if they purchase used records.

Some thrift stores do. To find thrift stores near you, just visit Google or whatever search engine you use, and enter the term “thrift store near me,” into the search engine. This will show you if you have any stores near you.

Since many thrift stores are looking for cool and unique stuff to sell, they may be interested in your collection. Because thrift stores are known for their low prices, it means that you won’t get a ton of cash for selling your LPs to them. After all, these stores want to make a profit by reselling your records. However, selling to the thrift store is a good way to get cash fast for your used records.

11. DJ Records USA

If you have records to sell, then DJ Records USA will come to you, look at your collection, and make you a cash offer. It specializes in genres like Soul, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Gospel, Disco, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Latin, and Classical music.

It’s been in the business of buying used vinyl records for more than 15 years now. It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau making it a legit place to sell used records. According to the site, no collection is too large.

12. We Buy Records USA

We Buy Records USA is a company that operates in Chicago and the Midwest area.  It purchases LPs, 45s records, and 12” singles. The company covers:

• Chicago
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Parts of Michigan and Iowa

According to the company, “No one pays more!”

You can bring your records to the company at its Chicago area location, or it can come to your home to purchase your records. Because of COVID, it prefers to see the records in a garage or on a porch if possible. Or if you bring your records to the store, it will view them in the parking lot.

13. Flea market

Another option to try is the flea market. This can be a great way to sell larger collections of old records. You can often get cash on the spot and you tap into a market of customers that you may not find online.

The only issue with flea markets is that you, generally, have to pay to rent a table or a booth which can cut into your profits somewhat.

If you have a lot of LPs to sell though and want to get cash on the spot, then selling your collection at a flea market is definitely an option to consider.

14. Yard sale

Yard sales are an option that you should consider. While they may seem somewhat old-fashioned when compared with selling online, they can actually be a great choice. This is because you can often tap into a market of people who don’t really do much online shopping and prefer to shop in-person instead. Also, with a yard sale, you can get paid on the spot which is great if you are looking to make money fast.

If you want quick cash and have a large record collection to sell, I would recommend having a yard sale. Setting your prices a little higher is a good idea with yard sales because it gives shoppers room to haggle. Decide beforehand how low a price you are willing to sell your records for and then set the prices slightly higher.

With yard sales, people are mostly looking to get bargains, so you might not always get the full value of your records. But you can set your own prices and get paid fast too.

15. Craigslist

Okay, so next on the list we have Craigslist. Now, I think that this is a good option for selling used media like vinyl records, CDs, and games because it’s free to use.

Yes, you can list stuff for sale on Craigslist for free. And this could result in a local sale for you.

Not only is listing on Craigslist free, but you also don’t have to pay any commission fees when your records sell either.

What I also like about CL is that you can set your own prices, so you are not dependent on a place like a pawn shop or thrift store to give you a price for your collection.

Lots of people use CL too, so your listing could get 100s or even 1,000s of views depending on where you live.

16. Pawn shops

Another option to consider is local pawn shops. Some pawnshops purchase records. It’s a good idea to call ahead and ask if they purchase used records.

While there are many online pawn shops, I think using a local store might yield better results. To find pawn shops near you, simply go to Google, or whatever search engine it is that you use, and enter the term, “pawn shop near me.” And you should get results if there are any pawn shops in your town.

Now, the good thing about selling to these places is that they often pay you on the spot. The downside is that since pawn shops want to make a profit, they generally offer you a lower price than what your records are worth.

So, you won’t get the best price for your collection. If you want quick payments though, then consider this option.

17. StarryNightRecords.com

StarryNightRecords.com purchases vinyl records. The company will come to you, so you don’t have to take your collection to a store. And, it pays cash too, which is always great! The company purchases both small and large collections.

18. Dusty Groove

Dusty Groove is another one to consider if you want to sell locally. The company is based in the Chicago area. Because of COVID, customers have to make an appointment to drop off items to sell in advance. You can do this by calling the store (number can be found on the website linked above) and asking for the used department.

The store will talk to you first and assess your collection. The store usually asks for 24 to 48 hours to review your collection and make you an offer. Dusty Groove also makes house visits for large collections, but again, because of COVID, it has more safety protocols in place than before.

Now, if you are outside of the Chicago area, then you can also mail in your records as the company also purchases records through the mail.

Dusty Groove regularly purchases used vinyl records, LPs, 7″ and 12″ singles. It likes vintage, rare, obscure, one-of-a-kind, items. And, it also likes genres such as jazz records, soul records, hip hop records, funk records, R&B records, blues records, Latin, French, gospel, classical, and more.

19. OfferUp

Another one to consider is OfferUp. This is a website and app where people can buy and sell things locally. So you could sell DVDs, CDs and of course, Vinyl records. It’s free to put a listing on there. And, you get to set your own prices for your LPs.

20. 5miles

5miles is an app where you can sell and purchase stuff locally. You could list your records for sale on there. What’s good about the website and app is that it’s free to list your stuff for sale there. And, you can set your own prices giving you more control over how much you earn.

21. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is another great option for selling your used records. It’s a good platform because you can sell your collection locally. You don’t need to pay to list an item for sale on Facebook Marketplace, which is great.

Plus, you can set your own prices – so you aren’t at the whim of a store to give you an offer for your records.

22. ClassifiedAds.com

Another one to consider is ClassifiedAds.com. It’s an online classified ads site – as you can see from the name! You could put an ad for your records on there.

23. Put an ad in your local paper

My final tip is sort of old school but you definitely shouldn’t discount it – and that’s to put an ad in your local paper.

It’s such a good way to find local buyers who might be looking to purchase vinyl records. The good thing about putting a listing in the paper is that you can set your own price. So you get more control over the amount of money you earn from the sale, compared with other local selling options, like selling to local record stores or thrift stores.

FAQs

Okay, so in this section, I just wanted to cover a few questions and answers.

Where can I sell my old vinyl records?

Lots of places purchase old records and there are plenty of places to sell old vinyl records too such as:

• We Buy Records USA
• DustyGroove
• Local Records Stores
• eBay

What is the best place to sell vinyl records?

It really depends what it is you’re looking to get out of the sale.

If you want money fast, these are some of the best places to sell records:

• Local record stores
• Pawn shops
• Flea markets
• Craigslist

If you want to get the best value from the sale, these are some of the best places to sell records:

• eBay
• Etsy
• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist

Basically, anywhere that you can sell directly to customers, you more likely to earn more from your records.

Are vinyl records worth money?

Yes! Of course, it depends on the records that you have in your collection. There have been records sold for $100,000s or even millions!

Here are some records that have sold for A LOT of money:

• Wu-Tang Clan: Once Upon a Time in Shaolin – $2 million
• The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) – $790,000
• Elvis Presley: ‘My Happiness’ – $300,000
• The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (signed by all four Beatles) – $290,000
• John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Double Fantasy – $150,000

Now, not all records are going to be worth that of course, which brings me to my next point.

How much is my vinyl record worth?

If you’re wondering how much your records are work, then I’d highly recommend that you check out the Vinyl Record Price Guide from Discogs. It can help you to determine the current value of your records based on recent sales in the marketplace.

Closing Thoughts

It’s worth selling your collection if you’re not listening to the records or if they don’t have any sentimental value to you. With so many other options for listening to music and so many places where you can download free music online, selling records that you no longer use could be a good way to bring in a little extra money.

In terms of where to sell, it really is up to you. Selling to customers on a site like eBay or on Facebook Marketplace is a great option because you can set your own price. This isn’t the case when you sell to a store or company like a local record store because they will want to resell your stuff for a profit.

That being said, places like local record stores can often give you cash on the spot.

So, just choose the option that works best for you. Do you have any tips on where to sell vinyl records? If so, share them with us in the comments section below.