Two Paths for Your Relative's Record Collection

When a loved one passes away and leaves behind a record collection, you're faced with both an emotional and practical decision. What do you do with hundreds (or thousands) of vinyl records? If you're not a collector yourself, this can feel overwhelming.

The good news is there's no wrong answer - just two different approaches that work for different situations. Let me walk you through both so you can make the choice that's right for you.

Option 1: Sell Piecemeal (Maximize Value Per Record)

This approach means going through the collection record by record, identifying the valuable ones, and selling them individually on platforms like eBay, Discogs, or at local record stores.

The upside:

• You can potentially get top dollar for rare or valuable records
• Each record is priced at its individual market value
• You have complete control over the process

The reality:

• It's a LOT of work
• You'll need to research each record's value
• Creating listings takes time
• You'll be packaging and shipping items regularly
• It could take months (or years) to sell everything
• You'll still be left with the "common" records at the end

This approach is best if you have the time, enjoy the process, and want to maximize the value of individual gems in the collection. Important note: this is a lot of work.

Option 2: Sell Wholesale (Maximize Convenience)

This means selling the entire collection to a buyer like me who purchases complete collections.

The upside:

• It's done in one transaction
• No research, listing, or shipping required
• Fast payment
• The entire collection finds a new home
• You can move on quickly

The reality:

• The price per record will be lower than selling individually
• You're selling volume, not individual treasures

Here's the interesting part: you'll often end up with roughly the same amount of money either way. When you factor in the time, fees, shipping costs, and the fact that common records barely sell on individual marketplaces, the total payout is surprisingly similar.

The One Thing You Should NEVER Do

Here's where people get into trouble: trying to combine both approaches.

It's tempting to think, "I'll sell the valuable records myself and then sell the rest wholesale." But this strategy backfires.

Why? Because every record collection has gems and dogs.

When a wholesale buyer evaluates a collection, they're looking at the whole picture - the good with the not-so-good. That balance is what determines the offer.

If you cherry-pick all the valuable records first, you're left with a collection that's been stripped of its best pieces. A buyer looking at that remainder will offer significantly less, because they're now looking at mostly common or less desirable records.

You end up doing a lot of work, and the combined total from your individual sales plus the diminished wholesale offer often adds up to less than if you'd just chosen one approach from the start.

How to Decide

Ask yourself these questions:

Choose piecemeal selling if:

• You have months to dedicate to this project
• You enjoy researching and learning about records
• You like the process of cataloging and selling
• You want to maximize the value of individual rare pieces

Choose wholesale if:

• You want this handled quickly
• You don't have time to research and list items
• You want the collection to find a good home in one transaction
• You value convenience over squeezing out every last dollar

A Note About Value

Both approaches are valid ways to honor your relative's collection. The records will find new homes where they'll be appreciated, and you'll receive fair compensation for them.

The key is being honest with yourself about your time, energy, and goals. There's no shame in choosing convenience - in fact, for many families dealing with estate matters, it's the most sensible choice.

Questions?

If you have a record collection (100+ albums) in Colorado and you're leaning toward the wholesale approach, I'd be happy to provide a free, no-obligation quote. Just reach out and let me know the approximate number of records and their general condition.

Ready to Get a Quote?

I buy complete record collections in Colorado. Get in touch for a free estimate.

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