Minnesota Garage Sale Gold: Insider Tips For Scoring Valuable Vinyl

FIND VALUABLE VINYL AT YOUR LOCAL MN GARAGE SALES

'Mighty John The Record Guy' joins me each month on my talk show "It Matters with Kelly Cordes," from 10 to Noon on weekdays on WJON. Today I spoke with Mighty John about how to spot those garage sale deals on Vinyl, and he gave me lots of tips to share with those of you who are featuring vinyl at your yard sales, and those who just love to shop for vinyl. Here are the most important tips he had for us.

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1. DON'T JUST DRIVE BY

Mighty John said that some of his best finds have been done by stopping at garage/yard sales and asking the sellers if they have any vinyl. Just driving by you might miss the biggest find of your life.

2. SELLERS - DON'T PUT VINYL IN THE SUN

One of the biggest mistakes Sellers of vinyl make is putting it on a table in the sun. This can be devastating for collectors of vinyl.  Too hot or too cold temperatures are not good for vinyl.

3. STORE YOUR ALBUMS VERTICALLY NOT HORIZONTALLY

Stacking your records one on top of the other isn't the best way to store them. By doing so, the albums can make imprints on the covers that can ruin their value. It's best to store your vinyl vertically, up and down, just like books on a bookshelf, to retain their value.

4. MAKE SURE THE RIGHT ALBUM IS IN THE RIGHT COVER

So many times when I was a kid, I was told to clean up my room; and sometimes when I was in a hurry, I didn't pay any attention to which cover I put my albums away in. Sometimes I'd put 2 or 3 albums in a cover along with a few 45's and go to a friends house. If that is the last time you ever play those albums, they might not be in the right boxes when you go to sell them in the future. This can leave you heartbroken if your vinyl is worth lots of money but it's in the wrong cover.

4. DON'T WRITE ON OR USE TAPE ON THE RECORDS

The best way to show the albums for sale is to put them vertically in a holder, and make sure that the item holding the albums features the price you are asking. Putting tape on the actual covers or vinyl deflates the value, and writing on a cover will also kill it's value.

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5. WHAT ARE THE MOST COLLECTIBLE TYPES OF VINYL?

The most collectible types of vinyl are in this order:

• ROCK
• BLUES
• SOUL
• JAZZ

Sometimes you can find soundtracks from TV shows or country music, but the most collectible will be Rock n Roll.

6. ALWAYS COLLECTIBLE

These artists are always going to be collectible:

• Elvis Presley
• The Beatles
• The Supremes

7. PAY WHAT THE SELLER IS ASKING

Many people will search for vinyl albums or 45's that are possibly worth money, or sometimes just because they have a huge collection because it's their favorite media. Sometimes people recognize that an album or 45 might be worth a lot more than what the seller is asking. If you know the album is valuable, do you tell the Seller? John said that honesty is usually the best policy. He will inform people that the album could possibly be worth more than 25 cents, and sometimes offer them a bit more for the record. Most people appreciate the honesty and aren't interested in searching for a Buyer.

8. BE A SMART SHOPPER

If you would like to know what's valuable in vinyl, just go to moneymusic.com. You will be able to find a price guide for albums and 45's from 1902 to present day, and this can really help you identify those pieces of musical art you want to add to your collection.