Who Is Gonna Give Me The Best Deal?

[Bitchdj]

im finally going to sell my record collection i dont want to put endless lists on here and have it cherry picked i want it gone in one go....so who can you recommend dealer wise to get the best deal possible ? the collection is worth a pretty penny does anyone still have that buying power?

TIA

Cookie

[Quinvy]

I personally think Tim Brown is the fairest dealer, and he has the money. The problem is Cookie, they all have to make a living, so you will probably only get half of their full value from any of the big dealers.

Sorry to see another stalwart having to sell up. I hope you can get a good deal chuck. Please pass on my regards to Nick, hope all is well.

Phil.

p.s. What sort of numbers are we talking about Cookie?

Edited February 16, 2012 by Quinvy

[Mace]

Surely you'd be best typing up a full list and sending to all the main dealers.

Shifty is still after buying decent collections, and even though he's a shandy drinker southerner it would be worth getting quotes from all and sundry...

Good luck with you sale

[Modernsoulsucks]

I would have thought phoning round the bigger dealers with a ballpark figure of what you rate the collection and asking what percentage they give you would be a start

It's most likely a small field. Obviously the dealers who spring to mind are Tim and John who both have price guides you can kinda hold them to subject to record condition. Tim is a friend so I'd naturally recommend him but you want the best possible deal so shopping around makes sense. Slight drawback to that is the territorial nature of dealers. If they think you're playing one against the other....

Have you thought of giving it a go on Ebay? Plenty of collections go on there which have been highlighted on this site as fetching more than they look like they're worth. Also slight possibility there's some one out there with plenty of money who wants an instant collection.

As Mace points out there may be someone on here too. Might be worth stating your valuation and how much you want in Sales forum

ROD

[boba]

no record store or dealer would pay 50% on "full value" (which if it means book, is even higher than "sale value"), they would lose money. it's not like the dealer is all of a sudden going to move all the stock and double their profits. The highest I've ever heard is like 33% and usually it's lower.

Also, no offense intended, but I think your valuations are on the high end, based on your sales lists. I think you might end up frustrated and disappointed (or stuck with a bunch of pieces of plastic for the rest of your life) if you don't lower your expectations. And I know it's even harder because you have a personal attachment to the records.

[Modernsoulsucks]

Thank you Bob. Blunt but realistic probably

Have you considered marriage guidance as a career?

ROD

[Chalky]

I think Bob is from Yorkshire originally. Doesn't mince his words does he :-)

[Soulman]

no record store or dealer would pay 50% on "full value" (which if it means book, is even higher than "sale value"), they would lose money. it's not like the dealer is all of a sudden going to move all the stock and double their profits. The highest I've ever heard is like 33% and usually it's lower.

Also, no offense intended, but I think your valuations are on the high end, based on your sales lists. I think you might end up frustrated and disappointed (or stuck with a bunch of pieces of plastic for the rest of your life) if you don't lower your expectations. And I know it's even harder because you have a personal attachment to the records.

You're spot on Bob. Most of the big dealers would say value your collection and then take 50% off. Then another percentage to allow for the 45's that sit on the shelves as duplicates for ages because nobody wants them. So if, for example, Cookie's collection is worth £50k, a realistic buy price would be £18 - 22k for a dealer, depending on condition and, dare I say it, the dregs in the collection that nobody wants.

[Bitchdj]

phil i dont "have" to sell up im just a little jaded with it all now i dont go anywhere on the scene and rarely play my records they are just sitting there i have the majority recorded to cd now ...as to price welllll i just went throught the first box and i would say roughly 20K worth in that one alone and there are a further 2 boxes umpteen 12's and a few albums...i think anyone who offered me 33% would politely be told to get stuffed ! I think the listing them up and sending to dealers seems a good idea and if i dont like what they have to offer i will just shove them back in the corner...the records that is not the dealers lol

[Sleeps45]

how many records are in your collection?

[boba]

It's fine if you don't want to sell them all in one shot, there's just no way anyone would give you more than 33% (or probably 25%). It's your prerogative to do anything you want with them, it just helps to be realistic in regard to your long term goals. I'm on another message board that has a lot of store owners so I hear their perspective a lot. Good luck with your sales, I hope you get a good rate.

[Guest allnightandy]

Idea !

Sell all your good stuff for full whack on Ebay

then the (Less popular stuff )bundel into listed soul packsof say 10 records at a fair price

throwing in each pack a "little teaser"

People will buy a soul pack just for the odd good sound in there and view the other records as a "bonus"

Andy

[Dysonsoul]

phil i dont "have" to sell up im just a little jaded with it all now i dont go anywhere on the scene and rarely play my records they are just sitting there i have the majority recorded to cd now ...as to price welllll i just went throught the first box and i would say roughly 20K worth in that one alone and there are a further 2 boxes umpteen 12's and a few albums...i think anyone who offered me 33% would politely be told to get stuffed ! I think the listing them up and sending to dealers seems a good idea and if i dont like what they have to offer i will just shove them back in the corner...the records that is not the dealers lol

Don't do it...

[Quinvy]

phil i dont "have" to sell up im just a little jaded with it all now i dont go anywhere on the scene and rarely play my records they are just sitting there i have the majority recorded to cd now ...as to price welllll i just went throught the first box and i would say roughly 20K worth in that one alone and there are a further 2 boxes umpteen 12's and a few albums...i think anyone who offered me 33% would politely be told to get stuffed ! I think the listing them up and sending to dealers seems a good idea and if i dont like what they have to offer i will just shove them back in the corner...the records that is not the dealers lol

Quite understand what you are saying Cookie, I think there are a lot of people going through the same dilema. Totally disillusioned with it all myself. Good luck with what ever you decide on.

[boba]

Another option you might want to consider is having a dealer sell them for you on consignment. The downsides are that the dealer would take a cut and probably sell them for less than you would want them to sell them, and you would end up with the "cherry picked" issue you mentioned in your first post. But at least you would be getting some income and wouldn't have to deal with them.

[Sleeps45]

pm me a list seriously..sweet titles preferably..I may be able to help

[Dysonsoul]

Quite understand what you are saying Cookie, I think there are a lot of people going through the same dilema. Totally disillusioned with it all myself. Good luck with what ever you decide on.

I don't get the dilema ? you're either into the music or not (aside froma family disaster or listening to Mick and Chalky dj'ing for 3 hours straight) nothing could make me even contemplate it ..dj'in,depression,economy,rows with folk forget all that records keep me sane or is it insane..

[boba]

I don't get the dilema ? you're either into the music or not (aside froma family disaster or listening to Mick and Chalky dj'ing for 3 hours straight) nothing could make me even contemplate it ..dj'in,depression,economy,rows with folk forget all that records keep me sane or is it insane..

I am totally obsessed with buying and collecting and playing records too. It's weird for me to hear how people have other priorities in their lives like family and friends, I'm like "what are you talking about?" Then I go home and look at ebay for like 8 hours so I'm still posting on soul source at 9am and haven't slept.

[Quinvy]

Never been a collector Andy. I just bought records I thought were fantastic to play at my all nighter. Simple as that. Totally "lived it" for a few years, but found it impossible to sustain my passion as I struggled to maintain a lifestyle that was way beyond my income. [i.e. all my worldly goods were invested in a couple of very small record boxes] and the other people involved were letting me down. I think if most people were honest, they would have to say that their records were for Dj'ing. If I were a wealthy man then yes I would love to have a nice collection. But though you may not like to admit it, rare soul 45's are a valuable commodity, and as such can be used to get people out of sticky financial situations. I was being made redundant a couple of years ago, my records helped pay off my mortgage and my huge credit card bill. Glad I did it now as I still haven't had any work since then. I still have some money left and am now buying my own business.

I agree the music is fantastic, but there isn't enough fresh quality northern to sustain my interest, and I think there's a lot of other people feel the same way.

I admire your passion Andy, and wish you all the best.

[soulsalmon]

Never been a collector Andy. I just bought records I thought were fantastic to play at my all nighter. Simple as that. Totally "lived it" for a few years, but found it impossible to sustain my passion as I struggled to maintain a lifestyle that was way beyond my income. [i.e. all my worldly goods were invested in a couple of very small record boxes] and the other people involved were letting me down. I think if most people were honest, they would have to say that their records were for Dj'ing. If I were a wealthy man then yes I would love to have a nice collection. But though you may not like to admit it, rare soul 45's are a valuable commodity, and as such can be used to get people out of sticky financial situations. I was being made redundant a couple of years ago, my records helped pay off my mortgage and my huge credit card bill. Glad I did it now as I still haven't had any work since then. I still have some money left and am now buying my own business.

I agree the music is fantastic, but there isn't enough fresh quality northern to sustain my interest, and I think there's a lot of other people feel the same way.

I admire your passion Andy, and wish you all the best.

[soulsalmon]

gis a job Phil

[Mace]

Suppose it also depends on what you paid for them......seems to me that anyone who bought 5 -10 years back when prices were at a peak, are obviously gonna feel somewhat miffed at even a 50% dealer offer, if trying to sell nowadays...so a 33% would be a shocker.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Mace

[Guest gordon russell]

I don't get the dilema ? you're either into the music or not (aside froma family disaster or listening to Mick and Chalky dj'ing for 3 hours straight) nothing could make me even contemplate it ..dj'in,depression,economy,rows with folk forget all that records keep me sane or is it insane..

Gotta agree with this mate.......if ya love it ya love it........if ya don,t get an alottment...........who wants sane? :D

[Dysonsoul]

Never been a collector Andy. I just bought records I thought were fantastic to play at my all nighter. Simple as that. Totally "lived it" for a few years, but found it impossible to sustain my passion as I struggled to maintain a lifestyle that was way beyond my income. [i.e. all my worldly goods were invested in a couple of very small record boxes] and the other people involved were letting me down. I think if most people were honest, they would have to say that their records were for Dj'ing. If I were a wealthy man then yes I would love to have a nice collection. But though you may not like to admit it, rare soul 45's are a valuable commodity, and as such can be used to get people out of sticky financial situations. I was being made redundant a couple of years ago, my records helped pay off my mortgage and my huge credit card bill. Glad I did it now as I still haven't had any work since then. I still have some money left and am now buying my own business.

I agree the music is fantastic, but there isn't enough fresh quality northern to sustain my interest, and I think there's a lot of other people feel the same way.

I admire your passion Andy, and wish you all the best.

Thing is Phil ( i did used to tell you this at the time) it's only a expensive commodity if you are buying big ready made records to dj with ! the art to it is buying records before or at a time when they are classed as just another record ,but this isn't a over night thing -it takes years and years and the dj scenario much to many peoples dismay is something that takes just as long or certainly at the cutting edge side of things (oldies dj'ing is really a piece of piss cos the oldies are in essence available to lesser or greater extent) but either way the playing records out is a thankless task.There is however tons of 45's out there that are good enough to play out or more than welcome into everyone's collection for home listening which i reckon the latter is far more important,but you are of course right some records are a expensive commodity,best thing is to just buy the odd one when it can be afforded and if it can't avoid them which to all intents and purposes i do ...

Hope the buisness works mate !

[Illusive]

Don't do it...

16 years ago a certain Mr Dyson gave me the same advise. I ignored him and visited him and a chap in Todmorden and sold up. I got what i considered to be fair prices. WHY ? I wanted a change and to move forward.

16 years later i have a t-shirt with Malia '96 and fond memories (blurred) of an insane 2 weeks in the sun.

16 years later I deeply regret ignoring the advice. I could never afford to by back many pieces, if i could find em! But i'm now back collecting and beating myself up over my bloody stupidity.

My advise ..... leave em alone for a couple of years. You may be glad you did.

16 years........ there's a song in there somewhere.....

[Ian Dewhirst]

I am totally obsessed with buying and collecting and playing records too. It's weird for me to hear how people have other priorities in their lives like family and friends, I'm like "what are you talking about?" Then I go home and look at ebay for like 8 hours so I'm still posting on soul source at 9am and haven't slept.

That's why you're the well-rounded totally balanced person that you are Bob.

Ian D

[The Tempest]

Sold my seven's collection to Mr Brady about ten years ago and got a good deal , , so I nominate him

[Dysonsoul]

16 years ago a certain Mr Dyson gave me the same advise. I ignored him and visited him and a chap in Todmorden and sold up. I got what i considered to be fair prices. WHY ? I wanted a change and to move forward.

16 years later i have a t-shirt with Malia '96 and fond memories (blurred) of an insane 2 weeks in the sun.

16 years later I deeply regret ignoring the advice. I could never afford to by back many pieces, if i could find em! But i'm now back collecting and beating myself up over my bloody stupidity.

My advise ..... leave em alone for a couple of years. You may be glad you did.

16 years........ there's a song in there somewhere.....

Mind you those raves were good weren't they...

Sane Terrence ,Mick H and Timothy Brown have got small willy's and dream of cliterous aswell as owning Sir Joe !

[Markw]

Thing is Phil ( i did used to tell you this at the time) it's only a expensive commodity if you are buying big ready made records to dj with ! the art to it is buying records before or at a time when they are classed as just another record ,but this isn't a over night thing -it takes years and years and the dj scenario much to many peoples dismay is something that takes just as long or certainly at the cutting edge side of things (oldies dj'ing is really a piece of piss cos the oldies are in essence available to lesser or greater extent) but either way the playing records out is a thankless task.There is however tons of 45's out there that are good enough to play out or more than welcome into everyone's collection for home listening which i reckon the latter is far more important,but you are of course right some records are a expensive commodity,best thing is to just buy the odd one when it can be afforded and if it can't avoid them which to all intents and purposes i do ...

Hope the buisness works mate !

Spot on Andy! Started collecting again a year ago - sold up last time around in 2004/05 with a decent number of 'pricey' items in there - did they 'pay me back'? No way. This time, forget chasing the stuff everyone else is after and paying top whack when the tunes are big. I don't go to many events at all, but I'm getting a real kick out of picking up stuff that's not expensive and totally new to my ears.

[Keithw]

hi cookie why not give them to charity - lots of satisfaction that way

i will give you the address of a very worthy one

that will really like you for it

the charity is

keith willia...............................ill get my coat x x

[Pete S]

There are an awful lot of people selling their records at the moment, and many have stopped to consider the consequences of selling them all in one hit.

I would say around 80% of all records I sell at the moment are on commission, for other people.

Used to be totally the other way round, 80% of my own, 20% commission sales.

[Sleeps45]

hi cookie,pm me a list seriously..sweet titles preferably..I may be able to help

[Bitchdj]

there are some big ticket items in my collection not necessarily the top 500 in demanders and i do have obscure taste those little gems you find that are new to your own ears are always fabulous and sod anyone else that doesnt like them...but i am finding it hard to find anything lately that makes me go Oooooooh how nice is that...and that has taken the sheen off things a bit...the few times i have been out over the last few years i have not heard one thing thats made me sit up and take notice and thats whats missing for me...i trawl ebay still and grimace at the piss poor condition of some records...and tut and shake my head at the same old records with bids all over them...mr D you always used to pull me a nice pile of things out of your sales for me to listen too and i ended up buying quite a few...but lately i am no longer excited by it all...i need stimulation and fast !

[Quinvy]

Thing is Phil ( i did used to tell you this at the time) it's only a expensive commodity if you are buying big ready made records to dj with ! the art to it is buying records before or at a time when they are classed as just another record ,but this isn't a over night thing -it takes years and years and the dj scenario much to many peoples dismay is something that takes just as long or certainly at the cutting edge side of things (oldies dj'ing is really a piece of piss cos the oldies are in essence available to lesser or greater extent) but either way the playing records out is a thankless task.There is however tons of 45's out there that are good enough to play out or more than welcome into everyone's collection for home listening which i reckon the latter is far more important,but you are of course right some records are a expensive commodity,best thing is to just buy the odd one when it can be afforded and if it can't avoid them which to all intents and purposes i do ...

Hope the buisness works mate !

Totally agree Andy, and I know you are in it for the long haul. But for anyone wanting to do that now! well I'm afraid time's against them, and unless they are very wealthy, we'll all be dead before they get a good box together. lol

I notice even the mighty Kitch is letting some holy grails go. Time and tide wait for no man, and retirement and security have to come first. Sad but true. Hopefully I'll soon be back buying 45's.... This time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires........

[KevH]

I'm going to hang onto mine.Then when i leave this mortal coil ,my family can have the task,completely unbiased of course,of deciding when and how to get rid of them.

The skip beckons.........................

[Bitchdj]

i cant just list the sweet soul can i? that would be cherry picking lol

[Dysonsoul]

16 years ago a certain Mr Dyson gave me the same advise. I ignored him and visited him and a chap in Todmorden and sold up. I got what i considered to be fair prices. WHY ? I wanted a change and to move forward.

16 years later i have a t-shirt with Malia '96 and fond memories (blurred) of an insane 2 weeks in the sun.

16 years later I deeply regret ignoring the advice. I could never afford to by back many pieces, if i could find em! But i'm now back collecting and beating myself up over my bloody stupidity.

My advise ..... leave em alone for a couple of years. You may be glad you did.

16 years........ there's a song in there somewhere.....

Anyway i'm just realising where i'm going wrong as a record dealer ,i keep advising record collectors not to sell up in turn failing to ever be a dollar millionare like some pillar of the scene purveyers of vinyl.

Maybe we should have a in house competition at the next lifeline ,a three legged race with mick h and my mate gav (illusivesoul) who've just had ops on their legs,peggy babcock and gospel bobclitty comstock ,sam and butch, chalky and cliff steele,mace and johnny beggs all teamed up -first across the field and twice round the car park the winner(s) gets a copy of mace's new book "how to collect records in stoke"! and mick h's book "how to discover records" volume three,second get mick h's ebay id (so they can avoid all his cover ups) third get a date with rob smith ,fourth get to have a bare knuckle fight with tim brown (i'll see to fair play in the fight) mm we seem to have more prizes than punters .. unless the race attracts a few new attendes'...Mick h has just thrown in his Hopkins Brothers dub plate and a some one donated 300 copies of the latest re issue .. jesus need a few more entrants or i may just be a dollar millionaire after all on the prizes

[Dysonsoul]

there are some big ticket items in my collection not necessarily the top 500 in demanders and i do have obscure taste those little gems you find that are new to your own ears are always fabulous and sod anyone else that doesnt like them...but i am finding it hard to find anything lately that makes me go Oooooooh how nice is that...and that has taken the sheen off things a bit...the few times i have been out over the last few years i have not heard one thing thats made me sit up and take notice and thats whats missing for me...i trawl ebay still and grimace at the piss poor condition of some records...and tut and shake my head at the same old records with bids all over them...mr D you always used to pull me a nice pile of things out of your sales for me to listen too and i ended up buying quite a few...but lately i am no longer excited by it all...i need stimulation and fast !

Now then miss cookie you know the records won't come to you ,you have to come to the records.. this is where it's all going wrong ! ebay is very limited although still fruitfull of course - tons of records that are quite simply not known (soul in general) now i can't publicly offer to stimulate you but have been pulling stuff to play in the yarmouth deep room ,will send you a couple of clips that will do the job -might not stop you selling up but will perk yer perker up.. i'll buy the ones i sold you back but not those that big bald nick sold you ah..

[Dazdakin]

After my collection got cherry picked by a few select of my choice sold the rest in one go to Mr. Brady back in 88' and he gave me good prices even way back then.

Best thing nowadays i think is to pick out the rarest most valuable 45's you got, the ones you want going rate for (ish) and give them to any of the main dealers to stick on one of their auctions. You will get going rate + that little bit extra. Take off whatever the % the individual dealer wants - max 20% of final price and you will get around whatever you would get off of ebay or wherever.

The rest of the 45's anything from £20 up to a £100 make a list and sell them yourself!

[Dylan]

For me to get anything like a decent price you'd have to do the opposite of what you want to do and that is to cherry pick the rare / expensive bits and put some time and effort into selling them individually. Once the money starts coming in you'll know you've done it the right way.

the rest that you end up with just ebay BIN with low prices.

[Garethx]

Very few people have a collection worth a life changing amount of money and this site is littered with stories of folk who've sold a collection only to regret it before starting to collect again.

Unless you absolutely have to sell in order to keep a roof over your head I personally would not do it.

[Mark Bicknell]

Shocked to read this Kim but totally know and understand where you are coming from, good sound advice from the likes of Andy etc. just to add to answer your original question as to who has the buying power pretty much all the names mentioned, being good pals with JM he's always pretty fair and won't tend to cherry pick, pays a premium for titles he does not have so might be worth a go if you do deside to sell.

I've pretty much moved on all the big ticket items with no regrets really as when I stepped down from the full on DJ thing I simply could not justify sitting on thousands of pounds in records, do I like the music any less because I no longer own it no of course not, at the end of the day it's your choice and if you can remove the emotional attatchment rare soul generates then you will have no problem letting them go so make sure you are ready to sell them difference is I still like to pick up little bits and bobs and having a ball just not spending as much lol which seems to satisfy the collecting bug that pretty much remains with us at various levels.

Regards - Mark.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Mark Bicknell

[paultp]

phil i dont "have" to sell up im just a little jaded with it all now i dont go anywhere on the scene and rarely play my records they are just sitting there i have the majority recorded to cd now ...as to price welllll i just went throught the first box and i would say roughly 20K worth in that one alone and there are a further 2 boxes umpteen 12's and a few albums...i think anyone who offered me 33% would politely be told to get stuffed ! I think the listing them up and sending to dealers seems a good idea and if i dont like what they have to offer i will just shove them back in the corner...the records that is not the dealers lol

I decided to do the same just over a year ago and found that the good stuff sells easily and the other stuff takes time but still sells. IMHO if you don't need to sell and want a decent price for your records; build a web site, put the records on and post them as they sell. Offering to dealers just invites a low price IMHO and with ebay you're trying to find a buyer in 7 days. Some records sell well in a week and some stuff takes a year or more.

Mind you if I listed more stuff on the web site it might sell quicker.

After selling about 6 grands worth in a few months I found that I didn't want to part with some records and so put them in a small box. This has recently started to get fuller unfortunately.

[Mace]

Anyway i'm just realising where i'm going wrong as a record dealer ,i keep advising record collectors not to sell up in turn failing to ever be a dollar millionare like some pillar of the scene purveyers of vinyl.

Maybe we should have a in house competition at the next lifeline ,a three legged race with mick h and my mate gav (illusivesoul) who've just had ops on their legs,peggy babcock and gospel bobclitty comstock ,sam and butch, chalky and cliff steele,mace and johnny beggs all teamed up -first across the field and twice round the car park the winner(s) gets a copy of mace's new book "how to collect records in stoke"! and mick h's book "how to discover records" volume three,second get mick h's ebay id (so they can avoid all his cover ups) third get a date with rob smith ,fourth get to have a bare knuckle fight with tim brown (i'll see to fair play in the fight) mm we seem to have more prizes than punters .. unless the race attracts a few new attendes'...Mick h has just thrown in his Hopkins Brothers dub plate and a some one donated 300 copies of the latest re issue .. jesus need a few more entrants or i may just be a dollar millionaire after all on the prizes

You may mock Mr Dyson.....but you know my new book will sell like hotcakes...or was it oatcakes?

No matter....cus me and Beggsy would win anyway...... he's obviously the fittest fcuker amongst us all, and would simply drag me around the field after him.

[Ian Dewhirst]

I think it's also a good idea to keep a sense of perspective about the whole thing. Life is a roller-coaster and circumstances change over the years for many people and a lot of things really depend on the ebb and flow of people's lives.

I started collecting records in 1967 when I was 12 years old. I then collected furiously for the next 8 years and amassed a brilliant wide-ranging collection including a top notch Northern collection with numerous high-end items. By the end of 1975 I became disillusioned with the Northern scene at the time and sold up my then Northern collection to finance a move to the USA. Just 12 months later, at the end of 1976, I had virtually most of the stuff I'd sold back plus thousands more great records, all bought for a fraction of what I sold the first collection for with many of those new records I found being the fuel for the scene for the following 35 years.

So, a good move and one which I've never ever regretted. Records come and go, but incredible life changing experiences don't happen that often believe you me.

Since then, I've gone through another half dozen Northern collections and some unbelievably rare records have graced my shelves. And sometimes life simply dictates what happens. People get married and have kids, start businesses which either prosper or fail, are healthy or get ill, have domestic situations which require immediate remedies, need cash quickly for one reason or another or simply decide that the £50K which is sat on their shelves could be better deployed on bigger priorities in life.

Many people define themselves by their record collections which is absolutely 100% fine. I've done that for a lot of my life. But I've also freed up several collections over the years via many of the avenues suggested above. I sold a couple of relatively decent collections to both Pat Brady and Tim Brown at different times with no regrets whatsoever. I needed the money and they both got me out of severe holes at the time. Have I ever missed the records? Nah, not really. I've got 'em all in different forms anyway so I can listen to every record I've ever had in my entire life with no problem whatsoever. If I suddenly get rich again quickly (which has happened a few times over the last 30 years) I may well embark on buying 'em all back again.

Essentially it boils down to whether you can afford the luxury of keeping rare records on your shelves, i.e., is there anything better that you can do with the money?

I'm such a random type of person with so many many different areas of interests that it would be almost obscene for me to simply hoard great records which I'll probably only play a couple of times every few years anyway. So I like to pass 'em on to people who can really use 'em more than me and get better value from 'em then they'll get gathering dust on my shelves.

So, if you're not really using 'em and you don't really need the money quickly, then feed 'em out slowly on e-bay 'cos that's probably going to be the best way to get anywhere near the price you paid for 'em. Or if you want to get rid of all of 'em in one fell swoop, then figure out what you really want to do with the money and then flog 'em to TIm, John or Pat.

Either way, best of luck!

Ian D

[Sammy Seaman]

ian, after he has read your post,he must now have a some idea which way to go,we are all most of us from the days,nearing our late 50st 60st , needs must come ist mortgage,childrens weddings,botox for the wife,lol sammy

[Garethx]

I would sell to a dealer only if I had not bought them from dealers at book prices over the years. It would be economic madness to re-sell at wholesale value items which had been purchased at retail if there is no necessity to sell.

If all the records had all come from what I believe the Yanks call 'crate-digging' expeditions then fine. But a collection bought from UK dealers, even over a long period of time when across the board values were lower is still only ever going to worth a fraction back to those same sources.

Drip feeding the better items out to fellow collectors does no good whatsoever in my experience. The cream goes really quickly, then the money gets frittered away on living expenses or (maybe worse) on flavour-of-the-month type records with none of the staying power of established rarities. If you've got the discipline to save the money from record sales then that's great but few people actually do.

Then you're left with the lesser records everyone else has in their 'theoretical sales box'. In theory For Sale but to all intents and purposes un-shiftable for any worthwhile monetary gain and hardly worth a trip to the post office in order to mail them off.

You say that the collection goes well beyond the Top 500 and I don't doubt it does, but sadly it's only really the Top 500 (in perfect condition) type items which will fetch decent money in the wider world outside this cosy enclave. Sounds 'yet to reach their potential' never amass anything like as much as you'd expect they might.

Records might seem expensive while collecting but if you're trying to sell them as an amateur they can often seem quite the opposite.

Edited February 16, 2012 by garethx

[Wiganer1]

^{ive sold bits when ive needed to and always regeretted as im still love with this scene as i was 30 years ago}

^{If youv e lost the loveof the scene and are sure about it you may a s well...sell}

^{but u need to be sure}

[Mark Bicknell]

I think it's also a good idea to keep a sense of perspective about the whole thing. Life is a roller-coaster and circumstances change over the years for many people and a lot of things really depend on the ebb and flow of people's lives.

I started collecting records in 1967 when I was 12 years old. I then collected furiously for the next 8 years and amassed a brilliant wide-ranging collection including a top notch Northern collection with numerous high-end items. By the end of 1975 I became disillusioned with the Northern scene at the time and sold up my then Northern collection to finance a move to the USA. Just 12 months later, at the end of 1976, I had virtually most of the stuff I'd sold back plus thousands more great records, all bought for a fraction of what I sold the first collection for with many of those new records I found being the fuel for the scene for the following 35 years.

So, a good move and one which I've never ever regretted. Records come and go, but incredible life changing experiences don't happen that often believe you me.

Since then, I've gone through another half dozen Northern collections and some unbelievably rare records have graced my shelves. And sometimes life simply dictates what happens. People get married and have kids, start businesses which either prosper or fail, are healthy or get ill, have domestic situations which require immediate remedies, need cash quickly for one reason or another or simply decide that the £50K which is sat on their shelves could be better deployed on bigger priorities in life.

Many people define themselves by their record collections which is absolutely 100% fine. I've done that for a lot of my life. But I've also freed up several collections over the years via many of the avenues suggested above. I sold a couple of relatively decent collections to both Pat Brady and Tim Brown at different times with no regrets whatsoever. I needed the money and they both got me out of severe holes at the time. Have I ever missed the records? Nah, not really. I've got 'em all in different forms anyway so I can listen to every record I've ever had in my entire life with no problem whatsoever. If I suddenly get rich again quickly (which has happened a few times over the last 30 years) I may well embark on buying 'em all back again.

Essentially it boils down to whether you can afford the luxury of keeping rare records on your shelves, i.e., is there anything better that you can do with the money?

I'm such a random type of person with so many many different areas of interests that it would be almost obscene for me to simply hoard great records which I'll probably only play a couple of times every few years anyway. So I like to pass 'em on to people who can really use 'em more than me and get better value from 'em then they'll get gathering dust on my shelves.

So, if you're not really using 'em and you don't really need the money quickly, then feed 'em out slowly on e-bay 'cos that's probably going to be the best way to get anywhere near the price you paid for 'em. Or if you want to get rid of all of 'em in one fell swoop, then figure out what you really want to do with the money and then flog 'em to TIm, John or Pat.

Either way, best of luck!

Ian D

Pretty much my story Ian to a lesser degree than you but certainly I can relate to most of the above, regret letting some of them go for then pennies which have become big ticket items but thats just down to time and when they were sold rather than anything to do with knowledge lol,never worth beating yourself up over records you once had at least we can say we had them lol

Mark Bicknell.

[Quinvy]

^{ive sold bits when ive needed to and always regeretted as im still love with this scene as i was 30 years ago}

^{If youv e lost the loveof the scene and are sure about it you may a s well...sell}

^{but u need to be sure}

Speak up Mark me old mucker..............