Given the the sheer volume of records out there, it’s impossible to provide a simple list of what we’re looking for, but we generally hunt for vinyl LPs, 12″ and 7″ singles, picture discs, demos, promos, and boxed sets in great condition. We’re open to all sorts of artists, genres, and origins, but we’re particularly interested in the following.
We’re looking for:
Rock
The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, U2, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Kinks, Nirvana etc.
Pop
Michael Jackson, Madonna, Elton John, Prince, Kate Bush, ABBA, George Michael, Bee Gees, Wham!, Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, Culture Club etc.
Alternative & Indie
Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, The Smiths, Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses, R.E.M., Belle and Sebastian, The Strokes, Suede, Muse, The Libertines, Arcade Fire etc.
Punk & New Wave
The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Jam, The Cure, Blondie, The Police, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Specials, Patti Smith, Ramones etc.
Metal
Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Slayer, Megadeth, Deep Purple etc.
Dance & Electronic
Kraftwerk, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Massive Attack, Orbital, Aphex Twin, Moby, Underworld, Leftfield, Björk, Portishead etc.
Hip-Hop & R&B
Eminem, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Madvillain etc.
Soul & Funk
James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Parliament-Funkadelic (George Clinton) etc.
Jazz
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Dave Brubeck etc.
Reggae
Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Sly & Robbie, The Heptones, Desmond Dekker, Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy, Barrington Levy.
Folk
Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Donovan etc.
Country
Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline.
Other
Blues & Gospel, Word music, Latin, Soundtracks etc
Sorry, we’re generally not interested in buying Country Western, Big Band, Easy Listening or Classical records.
Vinyl condition guide
The condition of a vinyl record is crucial to its value and appeal. We use the Goldmine Grading Standard, which is widely accepted in the industry, to assess a record’s condition. Here’s a brief overview of the grading scale:
- Mint (M): A perfect, unplayed record, with no flaws whatsoever.
- Near Mint (NM): An almost perfect record, showing no obvious signs of wear. The cover and packaging may have minor imperfections.
- Very Good Plus (VG+): A well-cared-for record with minimal surface noise and minor visual imperfections. The cover may have slight wear or creasing.
- Very Good (VG): A record that has been played often but still has some life left. Surface noise and scratches are more noticeable. The cover may show significant wear and tear.
We prefer records in Mint, Near Mint, or Very Good condition. However, we may consider records in Good condition if they are more desirable records.
Records we don’t buy
We generally avoid purchasing records with the following characteristics:
- Poor or fair condition: Records with significant surface noise, deep scratches, or warps that affect playback are not of interest to us.
- Water or mould damage: Records with water damage or mould are not only less valuable, but they can also pose a risk to the rest of our collection.
- DJ collections: While we appreciate the work of DJs, we tend to avoid purchasing records that have been heavily used in DJ sets, as they often have excessive wear or cue burn from repeated use.
- 78 RPM records: We currently do not buy any 78s.
- Some genres: We generally don’t buy Country Western, Big Band, Easy Listening or Classical records.