Vinyl Records

[davenport3832]

I have been collecting vinyl records for many years many of them I bought on Ebay. I have noticed for quite some time that some (most) sellers vastly over-price their albums, some start bidding at laughably high levels. I think this will kill vinyl sales, and sellers need to get real, be realistic and not greedy. I have also sold some of my unwanted albums, which I hope I haven't over priced, although some don't sell. I look at listings regularly and have noticed how many LP's for sale crop up time after time at the same crazy high prices.

[thesmokingrunner]

Some people are aware of other platforms, yes, but the majority are probably not and regard eBay as the be-all and end-all of places to look when buying.

That sellers vastly over-price their listings is most probably down to the fact that they can get away with it. Just because an item is listed at a ridiculously high price doesn't mean anyone has to bid on it. An item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it and if someone is mug enough to overpay for an item because they haven't done their homework then that's their problem, not the seller's.

I prefer bricks & mortar record stores myself, where I can rummage through stacks of old albums and physically see and hold something before I buy it. The majority of online buyers want something now and they want something without doing too much legwork to get it. An instant dopamine hit of buying something, and the more they pay the bigger the dopamine hit because they convince themselves that they must have bought something rare and hard-to-find because they paid so much for it...

If sellers can sell for vastly inflated prices it's only because there are buyers at the prices being asked. Be honest - if you could sell something worth 'x' for '5x' you would, wouldn't you?

[davenport3832]

Hi,
I agree with everything you say, and I am afraid that is just the way
markets work. It was just getting to me a bit and I just had to say
something to someone out there.
I know it won't change, so I'm not going to worry about, but like
everything, we seem to have to pay more for what we want. The bargain days
have gone, but like you, we can still go to a physical record shop, if we
can find one. One of my local second hand stores has just closed after 10
years!
I will still keep collecting, despite my views.

[etheltheaardvark]

I sold a lot of my old vinyl in the early 2000s (much to my regret) and would usually start the bidding at 99p and thought it great if I got £3 - £5. Vinyl was on its way out then and people were disposing of collections right, left and centre. Nowadays new pressings of old titles are around £20 to £30 so if you're selling an (mintish) original, you'd probably be expecting at least that, as they're potentially more collectable.

Seeking to replace old favourites, I agree record shops and fairs are the preferable option, as you can check condition, and the experience is more fun. But price wise, I think you can usually find better prices on eBay, it's just that a lot of sellers over-estimate the condition.