1- An LP’s actual value can be determined on a day to day level by watching what sells on eBay with variables based on the sellers expertise and reputation plus the marketplace buyers interest levels. Buyers who bid have tastes that are ever changing due to the economy, supply and demand along with their sophistication or education. A serious music lover who is very advanced with understanding sound as with audiophiles who have passion and the resources to afford what they really want represent the ideal for the top sellers.

2- Buying guides like Goldmine are superb references for all but they never have the definitive final word. Goldmine is a very advanced provider of smart retail prices and invaluable information about rarity along with grading tips that I always take seriously. Goldmine is targeted at the majority of sophisticated buyers but not the absolute elite who will pay a premium to sellers who have very elaborate equipment with their own tastes and “golden ears” I would refer to some top LP sellers who can set a very well grounded value that could be much more then Goldmine would suggest with what they think is a premium retail price; Better Records aka dccblowout; a one person shop who sold me some of my best LP’s and inspired many of my selling standards and AudiophileUSA aka AudiophileInternational and other first class larger respected American eBay + mail order shops. It helps to know the sellers taste in music and equipment at this level for instance they might be into tube, very biased against anything digital, use efficient wide range paper cone speakers or in the case of some Japanese sellers use low power SET tube amps. Knowing equipment tastes is critical because if you have different kinds of components like inefficient UK BBC style monitors everything changes, if you like fast solid state in your set up (there are many) some might be bright, others that might be class A power amp or class D digital like some very expensive Meridian components that sounded so neutral is was a totally different listening experience from anything I ever heard, even the speakers were all digital. Speakers make the sound so different it’s more radical then tubes VS transistors, Horns, Plastic, Electrostatic, all these things are good to know about the seller’s tastes in sound so you can compensate for inevitable differences, with music it’s even more subjective. A final word on sound; there is a respected class of skeptical listeners who will not believe in anything except double blind testing who are unlikely to spend $22,000 on a set of interconnects. Some sellers have turned me on to new music I might have never heard that have enriched my music collection based on some shared tastes which is of great value with so much old and new music especially before the time you could sample music on iTunes. Better Records has music they love as a category that could be a great service to new listeners with some shared tastes, they might also charge 20 times more then is listed in Goldmine for a hot press that in my experience has been worth every extra cent. I would reference a totally different kind of seller who is the best of breed in many rare LP’s especially early UK records that are among the most are expensive analog media based items: xxxrecords on eBay.uk, maybe as great a power seller as there is in that part of the hemisphere? I owe much of my education in 60’s rock LP’s from England and Europe to xxxrecords who is a true expert on music, sound, and the value of a first press with true understanding of what the dead wax codes means to buyers with grading and colorful writing communications skills that are at a high art level. If I were a wealthy person I would have bought almost all my UK collection from xxxrecords. At any given time all of these sellers can provide a careful diligent buyer on eBay with the best deal of the year depending on market conditions and shear luck! At any given time you might be a lucky winner of an impossibly rare record offered by xxsxrecords that might sell for hundreds more when a similar record is offered at another time? The UK has many great sellers who love music and take a lot of time with their listing, grading, and writing about the history of the music itself. Outside of the USA grading is very different and most of us Americans do not have access to pricing books on imports. I’ve had great experiences buying from German sellers who just know more about some music and pressings then anyone else. As I’ve mentioned before it was a very honorable music enthusiast from Japan who sold me some of the best records I ever heard and taught me much of what I know about why many Japanese LP’s have amazing value along with why and how. It so happened a very established respected eBay book vendor sold off some personal collectors items that was mostly Japanese LP’s that were perfect, mostly never played, some CD’s I bought on recommendation that I would like the music and I did, there was even a UK LP that’s one of the top five best sounding 60’s records I ever heard, I still can’t figure out its actual origin, the label is unique a maroon color double laminated Decca stereo unboxed logo Beggars Banquet. The seller I am referring to rewarded my loyalty so kindly that it set my benchmark for rewarding buyers who have been so very supportive. A last word goes to who I think must have an amazing passion for music who is a great buyer that sells many items too; Floydman is someone I would not want to bid against when I was buying, you won’t find too many sellers who have such high standards as well. One last word on eBay sellers who help set the value of LP’s worldwide is anyone who has bought from me who sells I would trust beyond any doubt so please look at my feedback for names of people I would strongly recommend if you ever see them offer an LP, they are all very nice, intelligent, honorable and reliable with a special mention for wao62 who is 100% trustworthy and has much more extensive expertise then I will ever have in analog sound with in my experience the added value of having great taste in music.

3-  You set your own standard for a fair price and be persistent, if you wait and are diligent you have a great shot at getting your price. I’ve seen a sealed MFSL Abbey Road that almost always sells over $200 go a couple of months ago at $129!!!! Learn the different grading standards and look at other eBay sites all over the world and keep an eye on Canadian sellers who have at times sold conservatively graded records at incredible prices. Timing can be everything, I bought and unfortunately had to sell off a BAT VK300SE I bought when it was on the cover of the Absolute Sound at 50% off list price because it was Christmas Eve, people were busy and the following BAT VK300SE’s this very decent seller later sold were all at hundreds of dollars more as one would expect.

4- There are two totally kinds of sellers with LP’s both are credible and decent but the sellers who cater to mainly collectors who are not audiophiles can sell you a record that’s graded and priced smart according to the golden book but you play it and it sounds terrible. The seller in the case I just described did nothing wrong and if you play test the LP when you buy it many sellers will without any hassle provide a full refund as recommended by eBay in its great wisdom. Decide what and why you are motivated to buy LP’s, are you really turned on by a rare LP that was never recorded well in the first place? Is the condition of the cover very important? It is to many buyers!  To some a crappy cover is a great musical buying opportunity but be careful because if resale value is important a Japanese LP without an OBI might be worth less then half the price!!!! An OBI is a paper scarf band that wraps around the cover and has information in Japanese and the pricing in Yen. Are you buying that expensive first edition because you think it sounds better? Is the seller an expert who really knows that this first edition sounds better? First editions don’t always sound better then a later release or domestic or a really expensive audiophile addition like an MFSL and visa versa.

5- Finally you should really know when possible all you can about a seller as I mentioned, when you find a good one you will have benefits by being a supportive buyer. A really good seller should act like an advocate for the customer on every purchase knowing putting the buyers best interests first. I try to be a good seller, most good sellers do try and know a lot more then I do. Being customer oriented serves the common good, promotes the eBay citizenship credo that’s helping people all over the world to buy and sell honorably which makes it the greatest marketplace on earth, helps good people save money, promotes high ethical standards for doing business, helps good people support themselves with income, beings people from different cultures together and I believe will play a role in bringing about worldwide peace prosperity. Treat everyone like you would want to be treated, very rarely you may come across a bad apple or have a misunderstanding, that occurs so rarely for me I know that it should never make me less trusting or skeptical about the basic eBay premise that people almost always are good, that is what eBay can teach the world about human nature. People who buy and sell records are extra special, it’s been a great gift to make extra money I’ve unexpected needed. The exposure to eBay people and their good nature has helped to offset the terrible impressions I’ve been subjected to by people involved in a destructive corrupted divorce system. Without the positive impressions of human nature reinforced by eBay citizens I might have concluded by too much toxic exposure to the weasel like people and they are basically are grotesque, dishonest, cruel and unusual. I hope you find that funny even though it’s true. Things are just beginning to get better. The only I wish I had with my eBay record selling is that there were local women who wanted to get some of my LP’s and wanted them delivered in person, if they were single and pretty I would provide that service for free. I have been told by my sister who writes for situation comedy that I’m not funny so I might delete this portion soon. My sincere thanks to the eBay world community who have been supportive through economic and emotional difficulties.