So forces beyond your control like the sun has deformed your records. They are not moldy and there is no mildew just bent by the sun or super scratched from other people handling them the wrong way. No worries. You can still sell them as craft projects for creators on Etsy and Ebay.

Sometimes it is hard to part with records that have been taking up space. There is often sentiment attached because of the original owners. But if the condition has been affected by external forces they may have to be tossed with tears in your eyes.

Just because you are not a collector or audiophile expert it is still important to sensitive yourself about the condition of your records. You may actually decide to purchase more records, or play the records you have. So being aware of condition is critical.

If only I had listened to my boyfriend, now husband, when I was in school then the record gems I had would still be with me. But I did not treat them well. Don't let that happen to you.

It is important to know the types, sizes and speeds of your records. Plus More...

The Goldmine Standard is an attempt to give guidelines to sellers and buyers about the condition of their records. Since grading is not an exact science and each buyer and seller may have their own subjective views when it comes to grading these standards provide a framework for assessing the condition of your records. This is a universal system and the established guidelines are the foundation of whatever grading system you decide to base your record grading on.

It is important that you review, study and attempt to apply the grading framework to your records. There is a resource sheet attached for your study. In addition, as mentioned in the video, Discogs.com, a popular site for selling records, uses a grading system based on the Goldmine Standards. I have included that resource also for your review.

Please remember that if you are not comfortable applying a grade then please, please, give the complete condition using the Goldmine Standard language. However, also note that the potential sale of your record is increased when you provide a grade. Also, it is better to be conservative with your grading. I tend to grade a grade below what I the Guidelines may indicate. That way the buyer is often surprised and pleased. For example, if a record is a very strong Near Mint I might say VG+ especially if I do a "visual" vs "play grade".

The VJM system is a universal system for grading 78 records. Please note that all selling platforms do not use it. However, you should be aware of it and able to recognize it when doing your research of sold listings. Discogs does not use it and prefers that sellers use the Goldmine Standards.

So, study  the sheet and if try to adapt to the Goldmine Standards. However, even if you do not apply a grade provide the language used for the grade if it applies to the visual grade of your 78 record.

The first site for research for so many sellers is often Ebay. However, just looking at what is currently being sold on the site is vastly different from what actually SOLD on the site.

Imagine you are at a yard sale and while searching for a good book to read on vacation you come across a box of records. Now, that you have more awareness about records you wonder if that Elton John record staring at you has any resale value.

So you pull out your phone and notice that someone is trying to sell it for a huge amount. But if only you had gone past the listed records to see what the sale history was for that record. That is where using the sold listings on your Ebay app can help you quickly research your record. PS you will probably still get a good resale price for that Elton John.

Not only is Discogs an essential selling site but the extensive music focus and database makes it excellent for researching your records.

Popsike.com is a huge database of sold record auctions. You can value your records, especially the rare ones, with over 20 million auction results. When you don't find it on the other sites Popsike.com probably has it!

Value Your Music has a database of over 23.8 million sold record auctions. It is another site worthy of adding to your research tool kit.

This site, Music Price Guide, has an article that is a must read on how to value your  records.

After you have researched your records it is time to put this new information into practice. This inventory worksheet will hopefully, prepare you for the next step of selling your records. Even if you decide not to sell them online yourself this is a wonderful way to help you negotiate your prices with an offline buyer.

Whereas, this is not a step by step "How to sell on Ebay" lecture it will provide some, hopefully valuable insights.

Preview the possibility of selling vintage records on Etsy. I say vintage to mean those records 20 years or older. Most people only see this site for sale of handmade items but there are a lot of people and buyers for vintage records as well as record covers! As a matter of fact Ebay and Etsy would be great places to explore selling the covers only of those records that are not in good condition for selling because of scratches. Think about it.

As you know Amazon is a popular go to site for getting almost anything and records are no exception.

Yes music collectors simply love Discogs.com. It makes so much sense to make your records a possible addition to their collection.

Mercari.com seems like an exciting site to explore for selling your records. It is worth taking the time to preview.

Although Music Stack is a small site, it may be a good start for selling some of your records.

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