So whats it worth then. There are many tools available to figure out what the record you are thinking of buying is worth, but the operative rule of thumb should always be its worth what someone will pay you for it. To help determine that, we provide the resources below.
Popsike is a website that lists countless records, and the price they sold for on various eBay auctions. The records are often pictured, and the site provides the eBay listing and the price the record sold for, complete with description of condition, label and pressing. An invaluable tool.
You can also use Discogs the great database program, but remember, they will only provide values of actual sales on their marketplace.
Before the Internet, Goldmine magazine was one of the main places record collectors used to buy records. Sellers would advertise their records (either via auction or set sale) and the collector could pick and choose what he liked. The magazine also featured great articles on bands. Goldmine published a series of record price guides, authored/editted? by Neal Umphred and Tim Neely, which give extensive pricing information for records of various genres. These price guides are not online. These guides include the Goldmine Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (Neal Umphred), covering records from the 50s to 80s, Goldmine Record Price Guide (Tim Neely) Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Jazz Albums (Umphred), and the Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records, 1950 – 1975 (which has both albums and 45s) among others. Just remember, the price in the book is not necessarily the price its worth (and condition is important).
Hans Pokora with help from his friends has put together a series of books Record Collectors Dreams 1001 to 6001. Here’s a link to Record Collector Dreams online They are excellent, and provide pictures of rare and obscure 60s and early 70s psych, garage, progressive, beat, folk and rock albums you’ll never see, and an estimate of their value. In addition, these books cover records from bands that hailed all over the world. The books themselves are well worth searching for for the pictures of the album covers (all first pressings) alone, as well as the insight they will give you to great records from all over the world.
G45 contains a list of 300 rare 1960s garage singles. If you own one of these, keep it safe. Its worth alot. The site tells you about the record and its relative rarity, and gives information on both the number of releases still around and a brief review of the record itself.
