Need advice re: eBay and Victrola records

[ryan840]

Hi. My FIL gave me a box of old Victrola records to sell on eBay (and said I could keep the money, what a nice guy!) but I have NO idea where to start. I have a list of the names hiding somewhere around here so I can list them, but other than that I just don't know what to do. Can anyone tell me an average value, or if I should split them up into small lots, sell them individually, sell it all at once, etc... What about starting price? I'm also not sure about the condition- I will inspect each one but I really don't know what would be considered bad or undesirable (aside from the obvious large scratches/gouges). Most of them do not have a sleeve either, does that matter? Any help would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

eBay ID- milad8

 

[horseshowmom]

When I'm not sure about the value of something, I check out the auctions for the same item that have already closed. I can check out what they sold for, how much bidding there was, and what condition they were selling in.

Good luck!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I agree that you are going to have to search through closed auctions to get a feel for the market. If you have anything that is extremely collectible, you will want to break it off into a seperate auction.

Otherwise keep in mind that Collectors of anything tend to have their own customs regarding the condition of an item. Like in books, something might look to be in "very good" shape to you because it is readable. But to a collector the small creases on the cover and a couple of markings on the pages are serious flaws.

Being uniformed in the market - I would describe the items in the auction very well. Words are free.

"My Father In Law gave me these records and I'm quite unsure as to their true condition.... I have examined them closely for obvious defects, but I am not able to play and test them....blah blah blah" You will also want very good photographs.

also decide what kind of return guarantee you can live with. Some sellers go "As Is" etc. If you list it explicitly in your auction, that is perfectly within your rights.

 

[ryan840]

Thanks for the tips, that's pretty much what I planned on doing (what else can you do?). I just figured I'd post on here and see if someone might know a bit more about them.