At any given time, 100's of lots can be found on eBay, or at a garage sale. Trying to buy for profit or future investment is tuff to do. Some simple rules to follow are grades, rarity, and supply & demand.

 Right now the swing seems to be 45rpm's, reason's are simple: "space" and "size" While guide books always list the albums worth three times the price of the singles, most collector's are sticking with 45rpm records. It's an easier field to deal with. Baseball, Stamp, and Coin collectors have little issue's with space due to the size of what they collect. With LP records an entire garage is needed to properly contain a large collection. Excessive handling & crate damage occurs all the time. But, collecting 45's are easy to maintain and you can pick your favorite's without the other music you may not care for. Exceptions exist, such as the Beatles White album, or The Moody Blues, Past, Present & Future, and, other single themed LPs that require the whole album to deliver it's "message". 

First, consider condition. Hits that were made during the sixties were produced in the millions. So it's safe to say that one nr-mt Elvis record is worth 100 vg record's of the same title. Smart idea: shop for superior grades, as worn-out records are not very collectible. Also keep in mind the way seller's deal the records: A nr-mt record will sell for close to book value, a vg+ record is worth about half the nr-mt value. A vg record is worth half the vg+ value. review the list below for an explanation. Let's take a common favorite and put it to the grade value.

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FREDDY CANNON, SWAN #4043, 1959

PALISADES PARK!

NR-MT  $20.00     ALMOST NO DEFECTS!

VG++     $13.00      LOOKS & PLAYS VERY WELL, CLEAN

VG+       $10.00      USED, STILL WORKS, NO DAMAGE

VG          $5.00       USED, INK STICKER'S, SCUFFS

VG-         $ 2.50      SCRATCHES, BUT STILL PLAYS

FAIR       $1.00       WORN, SCUFFED, STATIC OR SKIPS,

POOR     $O.OO!   DAMAGE, MAY NOT PLAY

Now lets look at the value if found in the very "rare"  MINT value $40-$75 or more!

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Now you can tell the difference and take it from there. You must also consider the non-collector, "music lover". These are people who buy the record just to hear the music. About 1/3 of the buyers on eBay fit into this category. They do not mind paying an inflated price for a inferior record just because they want to hear it. Generally they are Beatles and Elvis fans, (no harm or disrespect) but a special word to them would be if they really like the music ,why not buy the CD? Another note to the music lover who buys inferior grades is: 'you may one day find your collection is not as valuable as you thought, due to conditions.

In all, a word to buyer's, including collector's just starting out, seek out the higher grade records, no matter what you collect. Remember, the bigger the hit -then the  more were manufactured for sale. Supply & demand, keeps many of these up high but as time goes by do you think the next generation will want Pat Boone or will they want Guns & Roses. Nobody knows for sure, Just like beauty is in the eye of the holder, so the same goes for music. I consider 45's a little glimpse into the past. A time clip. A memory of a better time or a time I'd like to remember. Collect with your heart. If your just a music lover who wants to hear your old favorites then do buy them, just ask the seller if it plays well before buying. If your an investment collector then consider this. "Grade of record is everything." For future investment stick with vg+ & above. Try to get your records with the original sleeve. Stay away from used juke box records as these generally have un-removable stickers on them. Unless of coarse your just filling up your '65 Wurlitzer Jukebox.

Biggest rule of all. Don't let the word, "very good" throw you off. In the guides VG is less than half the value of NR-mint.

Also, remember that some seller's use the baseball card universal system of grading: (Mint+, EX+, EX,  all the way down to Poor-) This system is somewhat misleading to record collector's who do not understand the system. In this regard you'll have to contact the seller and ask your questions & concerns.

Buying huge Lot's is the preferable method for professional collectors. Generally they'll find a few good ones for their collection and sell off the rest. This is the way I buy my records. Recently I purchased a lot of 200 "juke box records" for $9.99. unfortunately I had to throw them away, they were that bad.....

Summary; Buy what you really like to hear, That way you can't lose, and if  your planning to be a collector, always consider the grading.

 There's lots of record deals to be had on eBay. If it sound's to good to be true then it probably is.Watch out!

Victoria