Vinyl bargains: diamonds in the rough

[cactuscowboy]

Here's a few notable finds:

Crystalaugur - Terranaut (rare Singapore pressed Psych LP)
Paid: $1.00 in junk shop
Has sold for: $500 - $700

Cool Gabriels (1956 Groove label LP w/Andy Warhol cover)
Paid: $0.20 at a record store!
Has sold for: Up to $2,300

Noah Lewis - Chickasaw Special/Devil In The Woodpile (near mint 78 on Victor label)
Paid: $1.00 at an antique shop
Has sold for: $895.00, ebay a few years ago, similar condition copy.

Then there's countless dozens/hundreds of records I've bought for buck or less that would easily resell in the $20 - $200 range.

[sparrow]

Never had many bargains but did get Dream Theaters first LP for 3 quid NM too.

[midnightmayhem]

Few weeks back i got Led Zeppelin live at the forum 2 disk set with one missing in a torn to heck plain white jacket stamped Rubber dubber records. (BOOTLEG) scratched up and gritty for $2.50 It is in bad shape but it is a way cool record and I probably am blessed to have it!

[newdreams]

Many years ago, a guy walks in to a used vinyl store I'm in to sell some LPs, argues with the manager over prices he'll get, and goes outside to sell the LPs himself on the sidewalk. I picked up The Beatles Christmas Album for $4.

Another time I found a used mono UK Parlophone Sgt. Pepper for $5.

This week, I found a half-speed mastered audiophile "Breakfast in America" for 50 cents in a thrift. I also bought another 24 LPs at the same price, including a clear yellow vinyl "Tales of Mystery and Imagination".

Bargains do happen, but they come rarely, and as a result of extensive hunting. Nowadays, as you all know, too many thrifts use eBay to find the highest price an LP had ever sold for.

[dragonhead00]

No real high-dollar finds but, I found these at thrift stores - just to name a few:

Luiz Bonfá - Plays Great Songs (Dot Records - DLP 25825 (Stereo)) paid $.99 and has sold for $27 in current condition.

Art Pepper - Living Legend (Contemporary Records - S7633) paid $.99 and has sold for $17 in current condition.

Giorgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity ... And Back (Casablanca Records - 822 661-1 M-2) bought for $.99 and has sold for $40.00 in current condition.

Ted Nugent - Free-For-All (Epic - PE 34121) bought for $.99 and has sold for $31.00 in current condition.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (Columbia - CL 1397) bought for $2.00 and has sold for $25.00 in current condition.

So, that's $6 for albums that have sold for $140. Not bad, I think.

[Axlinscotland]

Hi

Last weekend I popped into a record store in a garage sale area of Santiago of Chile and there was this guy urging about the price he will get for some records. I looked at them and said "are u selling any of those?" And the store manager said to the guy " sell them to him" (talking about me). So I checked the pile and there was, incredibly, a copy of Demon Days by Gorillaz. I asked how much and I only paid £20. I was jumping inside but didnt show excitement at all.

I was very proud of myself by knowing market prices and have the xp to handle the situation. I was very lucky to be there on the right moment with the right amount of money in my pockets.

It is Near mint, for sure not even the store manager knew how much that record is worth and now it has become my second most expensive record, discogs says.

Cheers

[akb778]

One time I found a first pressing of Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced (with Reprise tricolor label) for $3.00 at the local record shop... Very nice condition too...

[brain_spo0n]

yeah sometimes record shops seem to slip up on pricing like that!

I guess if you're pricing a box of records and it was a long day...

[danieldust]

I haven't had any real serious scores in the three-figure range, but I've had a few nice ones. Probably the best deals I can think of came from guy from the former Yugoslavia who sold records and stereo gear at my local flea market until a year or so ago. He didn't quite know what was what, so he wanted $20 or more for anything by the Stones, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc., regardless of condition.

Meanwhile, he sold me a M-, still-in-the-plastic, gatefold-never-even-opened, original US pressing of Caravan's In the Land of Grey & Pink for $5.00. I sold it to a buddy for $40 about a year later.

I also got a copy of the second album by an obscure Spanish prog group called Iman Califato Independiente. Again, M- and $5. I'm not quite sure what it's worth, maybe $25-$30, but I'd never heard of it before, and musically it's a gem, and that's really what matters.

Another good one is from the early days of eBay. I got a UK pressing of Centipede's Septober Energy on RCA/Neon for $6 because it had no picture and I think it was listed under Robert Fripp, who produced it.

[rdavenport]

I found a pristine first pressing of Napalm Death's "Scum" LP at a boot sale for £1 a few weeks back.

I paid £8 at a charity shop for Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" with an Island label too.

A big mistake I made earlier this year was passing on a first press of Affinity's self-titled debut album in a charity shop. It was £25, a HUGE price for a charity shop. I went back the next day and it was gone......

[Dave W]

I have no idea how much my lp's are worth. I have lots of originals, because I am old enough too have bought them when they first came out

I have some weird albums that I have never seen before or since, but I have them because I like them

[emokid]

I usually like to buy lots , and sometimes get some great stuff to , about a year ago i bought something like 150 records from a guy that got his records in the 60s and early 70s .
I paid about 200 usd witch is quite a bit , but the reason i did that was that it was mostly great suff, about 10 60s beatles albums, mostly uk pressings , 13 60s dylan , zeppelin,doors,who.............and ..... Stones i think it was like 10 of those and five was mono , unboxed decca pressings in great condition , from what i can tell online , each worth the same as i paid for the lot