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Words of advice for new sellers

jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
edited May 2015 in Strut Central
We ll I've been collecting records since 1995 with the plan that one day I would start selling them. That day is finally near. My girl friend is having a garage sale soon and I'm going to bring 200 or so and see what happens and have fun. It just feels like it's time to get rid of some doubles/tripples or things I would never listen to. My expectations aren't high at all because I really don't know what to expect. About half of them are in a $1 box and the rest are priced with plastic sleeves. None more than $40 I believe. I plan to bring a portable in case someone wants to hear something. Her neighborhood has a lot of youngish "vinyl is back!" type folks so I'll be surprised if I don't sell anything. I made sure to put a copy of Rumors in there. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for someone that is completely new to selling? Or just fun stories?

It's a bit of everything except rap/hiphop. I'm not ready to sell any of that yet, and the market seems low right now anyway.


  Comments

  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    People shopping at garage sales expect all of the records to be $1 or less no matter what you're selling.
  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts
    Honest Q: is a garage sale the best place to try and sell any records that are actually worth over $25?

    Seems like most people look at garage sales as places where they will undoubtely try and negotiate down several dollars ( with the assumption that you are selling just extras or junk). I typically assume records at a garage sale will be under $5 --- with the hopes of course of finding the crazy holy grail sitting behind the seven copies of Simon & Garfunkle.

    Just wondering if you honestly believe the records to be > $25 if you are just going to be saying "no" to a lot of people all day long as they try and get em for $10 each.

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    Garage sales are great way to sell your chud... the things that record shops and the internets are too knowledgeable to take off your hands. So definitely have lots of dolla bins out and have a volume deal in play ($2 per record; or 5 for $7).

    I don't see a problem with having a box of nicer records out... newbies might bite if they're well-heeled and interested in something, and diggeurs obviously come through garage sales, so they may well pay you a fair price for something they want.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Congrats. I know you buy quality stuff.
    General advice:
    Discogs, strict grading, just because it sold for X does not mean you will get X.

    For your garage sale:
    Lotsa dollas.
    Super stars sell.
    Your garage sales are not good for private press or niche markets.

    Here in Portland Goodwills start their records at $3.
    Lot's of people sell records for more at the right garage sale with the right craigslist listing.
  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    thanks for all the advice so far. I figured $1 records and major acts ( Beatles, Metallica, etc) would be what moves easiest. I def plan to haggle and discount if people are buying a few. There is a record store around the corner from her house as well as a coffee shop that has sidewalk sales so there are people in that area looking for records. I'm sure it will be a learning experience. I'm not looking to make money (yet), just getting my feet wet.
  • FeldmanFeldman 50 Posts
    Had a few dollar sales over the last few years, always suprised by the things left at the end of the day that I was sure someone would grab, also bought the bag of higher priced stuff one time that I had the intentions of putting on discogs at some point. Got a lot of lookers and not really any buyers. Ended up selling this girl a gold elektra copy of forever changes for 30, talked down from 50, should have been at least 70-80, shit was minty. Oof, now I wish I had just kept it for self, especially cause it was given to me in a box from my dad's friend for free, still got de capo at least.....
  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    Hey JJ,

    Send my list of what you have, as you might have some stuff I need. Holla!!!

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak
  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    I don't know about your area but I would not try to seriously sell anything at a garage sale. I've done it in the past and mostly dumped mainstream/common garbage that any person would recognize for a buck a piece or under. I had one guy who thought he was getting over on me saying he liked to listen to different kinds of music when clearly he was going to try to sell them on ebay or something. Bunch of Brandy albums and Missy Elliott singles. Good luck with that.
  • CBearCBear 902 Posts
    I put out my sale bins when I have garage sales, mostly stuff priced at $3-15. I have some regular local buyers that see my sale and come by every time. I cut them deals at about 70% of the listed price. I sell about $100-200 worth each time. What are dollar records? All my dollar records are either gone or now worth $3-5 thanks to people that now overpay for fleetwood mac et al.
  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    It went way better than I thought! Sold about 70 records and made over $200.
    I will def be doing it again.
    You guys were spot on about well know stuff selling the best.
    Sold a Master of Puppets for $25
    Abbey Road $25
    And Rumors for $20 lol

    Saddly I could not get rid of my Hammond Sounder III organ. Not even for $50
  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    Sounds like you did it right. It's funny what Rumor's will fetch these days.
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    and i heard the rumours gold rush was finally petering out....
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    FYI...it's one day less you get to spend in heaven for every Rumours you sell for over $10.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts


    :hijack:
  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    HarveyCanal said:
    FYI...it's one day less you get to spend in heaven for every Rumours you sell for over $10.


    I think I'm ok with this. LOL
  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    and i heard the rumours gold rush was finally petering out....

    Apparently not in Oakland. I sold the s/t ('75) for $18 as well

    I priced them like that as a joke to see if the "rumors" were true
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    Can we expand this to internet selling as well.

    What do you guys use for cataloging / listing records? And tips for eBay, Discogs etc.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    LaserWolf said:

    General advice:
    Discogs, strict grading, just because it sold for X does not mean you will get X.
  • ppadilhappadilha 2,244 Posts
    Okem said:
    Can we expand this to internet selling as well.

    What do you guys use for cataloging / listing records? And tips for eBay, Discogs etc.

    I put things up to sell occasionally on discogs - I always try to be conservative when grading (one dude gave me a "neutral" rating because one side of a double LP had light noise at the start and I had graded it VG+). Pricing is tricky, but I look at cfrenzy/popsicke and also discogs own sales history. You can always high-ball it and bring the price down until it sells, but I tend to low ball it since I'm selling brazilian stuff and there's already some dudes charging ridiculous prices on there, so if I ask for $5 below the average I'm still doing fine while I'm undercutting the price gougers. But I think it's pretty different if you're selling/shipping from the US and UK, I imagine you'd have an easy time selling cheap stuff that you're just looking to get rid of on there.
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