How to Get the Best Price for Old 33 1/3 Records

Gather Information

Try to be an informed seller of 33 1/3 records. Invest in a record price guide, so that you have general ideas about the value of a record. Try an online vinyl record price guide, then move onto a published book if you have a large collection you want to sell. Start your research on sites like vinylbeat.com.

Write down important information about the records. The following are things you should know, because they affect the value of the record: The artist and song. This may be the most relevant information for music stores that are buying and reselling records. The record company and record label. Many companies and artists are on several different labels. The record number is also important. Also note the year and country of issue. The older the record, the more valuable it will probably be. The information on the record. Decide if the same artist and producer are on both sides of the record. Then, differentiate between the A side and B side songs.

Condition and Catalog

Learn the correlation between record condition and price. The closer your record is to sealed or mint condition, the higher the price it is going to fetch. Mint condition 33 1/3 albums made before 1950 are extremely rare. If you have a sealed or mint condition album from this time period, set it aside to sell separately from records that are in different conditions.

Assess the condition of your record. Take them out of the record cover and hold them at several angles to see what condition they are in. Bring them out in the sunlight to look for scratches, if possible. SS, or Still Sealed, records should bring in 125 to 200 percent over a standard price guide. In this case, it will be sealed with plastic and you will not remove it before selling. Mint Condition and Mint Minus are those albums which have been played but are in extremely good condition. M or M- should have no scratches and no white spots near the spindle hole. These can command 50 percent over the listed price. Near Mint, or NM, can go for over the listed price. Very Good Plus, VG+, or Excellent, EXC, can command just above the list price or the list price. VG will command 25 percent of the listed price. Good and Poor condition records were played a lot. They usually have scratches and white dots near the spindle hole. They will go or 10 to 25 percent of the listed price on a guide.

Listen to the record to ensure it doesn't have any scratches. Be very careful, and avoid doing this for records you know are SS or M.

Check the record cover. Many records are collected for cover art as well as the record, and a good quality record cover will raise the value of the record.

Catalog your research and record information in an attractive format that you can give to potential buyers. List each record you have, so that you can keep track of values and find the right avenue for selling them.

Find Buyers

Separate your record lists and collection according to their value. Set aside your rarest records on a list that you will bring to collectors, dealers and websites.

Consider selling your Good or Poor records to a local record store. Call to ask what their policy for buying is. In this case, you can expect to get only 25 cents to $1 for each record.

Give your record collection list to local sellers. Speak with them about the albums and bring in any that they are interested in seeing.

Know the expected value of the record before you go. Keep in mind that rarity, scarcity and the number of records created (less or more than 1 million) will determine whether they should go above the listed price, especially those that are SS or M.

Consider advertising in collector's magazines, if you have a large rare 33 1/3 record collection. You can ask potential buyers to contact you and list some information about your most valuable holdings.

List records on auction sites or your own website. If you plan to keep dealing records, then cultivating a web presence and a reputation for honesty will improve your chances of getting good prices.

Understand that although there are price indexes and expected values, the value depends upon what someone is willing to spend. If you are getting well below the expected prices, you need to research new record dealers in your area or on the Internet.