Thanks @stranger_in_a_strange_land
All of my experience is in selling through eBay. Do not – I repeat – do NOT give your collection to a record store. They will give you – at most – a third of what they’re going to ask for it, especially if you look like you don’t know what you have.
When my husband was out of work, we lived for almost two years off of his record collection, by selling it piece by piece on eBay. It is crucial that you know what you have, and how to describe and grade the records
my hubby collected them for 30 years, religiously. He could tell by looking at something who the artist was, the album, the year of release, which edition of release that particular album was, which country it was released in, what other countries it was released in, the names of all the other bands the members of that band had ever played for… All of that information ensures the buyer is getting exactly what he’s looking for, and attracts buyers that might not necessarily be looking for that album, but impulsively bid on it anyway (“Zomg! I didn’t know Phil Anselmo from Pantera was the lead singer of Down! I must have it!!1!).
“Grading” records is the method of describing the condition of the album. There are two parts: condition of the vinyl itself, and the condition of the cover. A vinyl is only “New” if it is still shrink-wrapped. It is “like new” if the wrapping is open, but everything is in perfect condition, record unplayed, no scratches, no wear, no nothing. When grading and describing the album, all flaws must be described, or the buyer can call “foul” and get his money back.
New eBay rules state you can only charge a maximum of $3 for domestic shipping on vinyl records. I have no idea why, especially when the boxes we buy to ship them in cost $1.17 a piece when you buy them by the hundred. On the upside, you can ship them via USPS Media Mail, which (though it takes longer) is cheaper, and safer as it goes by truck the entire way. In my experience, Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation is the best way to ship vinyl. Always get Delivery Confirmation. That way, if the buyer claims the item didn’t arrive, you have trackable evidence that you did ship the item, and they will automagically lose the paypal dispute.
I leave insurance up to the buyer, unless the item sells for more than $50, or is sold to certain countries outside the US.
I don’t even deal with most of Asia – their postal system sucks. Japan is good, most of India is good. No China, no Thailand. Awful. Just awful. I have horror stories.
Canadians, Australians and the UK are great eBay customers. Always happy as long as the item arrives, and they always give positive feedback.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me, or reply to this post. My hubby and I will be more than happy to help! ^_^
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