One of the most informative and helpful sites on the Internet of gauging what a specific vinyl record is selling for is to look at past auction results. The best way to do this is by visiting www.popsike.com
Popsike.com provides an archive of past auctions. Most of the records have been auctioned at ebay, certainly the largest auction house for rare vinyl records.
Online auction houses are a very popular method for buying or selling records. At popsike.com, you can check the final auction price that a certain record has brought. Although this might not be a true indication of the record's real value, it does show what collectors are paying for rare items.
There is no fixed price for a second-hand record, no matter how rare it is. The price of a rare record is purely determined by what people are prepared to pay for it.
So with this in mind, you can truly gauge the interest as well as what the specific record may be selling for and even if there is a demand for it. Here is the grading system that Popsike.com utilizes:
Standards for the condition of vinyl records
MINT The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.
EXCELLENT The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
VERY GOOD The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
GOOD The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.
FAIR The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.
POOR The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
BAD The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.
Source: RECORD COLLECTOR, London
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