The Things You Learn! Used LPs From the '60s ...

[Jack Flash]

I had a boat load of old LPs from the '60s and '70s sitting around taking up space and gathering dust. We are trying to clean out all the clutter so I wanted to dispose of them.

A friend has a brother who owns a record resale shop. She encouraged me to take them to him and see what they are worth.

I was a little dubious about this. Who plays old records any more? I haven't played these in probably 30+ years. Plus, they have all been played a lot, back in the day. So they are used but not abused, just really, really used.

Well, it turns out there is a market for these! He paid me about two bucks apiece for them so I wound up with over $300.

Now before someone tells me what a fool I am for not selling them one at a time on eBay, please understand that I would not do that. They would just sit another decade or so, then get thrown out in the trash.

Fun thing I learned along the way:
We all know the Beatles "Butcher Shop" album cover was recalled and the LP was re-issued differently packaged.
But I didn't know there are other albums with somewhat similar histories.

He zeroed in on my "Mamas and Papas" album cover that shows them all in a bathtub. My cover shows a large rectangle in the lower right corner with some text on it. He said the original cover shows a toilet there. (Well, they are in a bathroom.)

He said the original cover is a highly sought after collector's item. Who would have thought people would seek out the one that pictured that dirty looking toilet!

So folks, you may want to go through your old records, they might be worth something.

 

[bearfoot]

THE Wall

have a never played album called THE WALL. wonder what's worth?

 

[pawngal]

Vinyl is a booming business here, 2 large shops with literally 1000's of records. Several years ago I sorted through mine and sold some. Now I am a buyer, mostly 60's and 70's stuff that I didn't have back then. Current artists are releasing their music on vinyl a lot. Many times as a limited edition.

 

[pawngal]

have a never played album called THE WALL. wonder what's worth?

$20 to $50 depending on what release. Assuming it is by Pink Floyd.

 

[S42N8]

have a never played album called THE WALL. wonder what's worth?

Depends on which one (likely Pink Floyd) its condition and whether a rare version. Very much like S&W collectibles - the record(s) have much of the value, but the jacket and inner sleeve condition add substantial value. A mint UK first issue is somewhere in the $150-$250 range. More than you ever wanted to know at:

Just a moment...

 

[quikdraw67]

My bud and I used to go to Electric Mindshaft records in Scranton, looking for old Beatles albums. We never found a "Yesterday and Today" with the replacement label. We did find some old Sgt. Peppers with the original inserts.

Capitol Records had a plant in Scranton, we would look for the "black label" and then look for the union symbol that meant that the record was pressed in Scranton.

This was in the mid 80's. Electric Mindshaft was a small store on the 2nd floor of a buidling on Penn Ave.

By the 2000's, the business occupied 2 stories in a much bigger building on Lackawanna Ave (main drag in Scranton's downtown). Turns out he had a business on the 3rd floor too. His own hyrdoponic marijuana growing operation! Someone tipped off the cops.

That was the end of the Electric Mindshaft.

 

[DWalt]

Some albums were issued with various promotional items inside the sleeves such as pictures, posters, etc. Those were often discarded by the original buyers. Their presence can raise the value of the album significantly.

 

[soFlaNative]

Some albums were issued with various promotional items inside the sleeves such as pictures, etc. Those were often discarded by the original buyers. Their presence can raise the value of the album significantly.

I've got a "Big Bambu" I haven't seen in years with the insert around somewhere.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I've got a "Big Bambu" I haven't seen in years with the insert around somewhere.

My insert lasted about a hot minute.

 

[soFlaNative]

My insert lasted about a hot minute.

With the lack of funds during my formulative years all I could do was stare wistfully at the possibility.

 

[Retired W4]

If certain variations of Pink Floyd's The Wall goes for big bucks I'm wondering what my copy of Piper at the Gates of Dawn would bring. I found it at The Antioch Collège book store in Yellow Springs, OH when it first came out.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

That is one thing I miss-the cover art. It meant as much as the album. Classic (at least to me) cover art includes the Alman Brothers live at Filmore East, the inside cover of "Eat a Peach" again by the Alman brothers, the Greatful Dead album covers-who can forget Bertha. The White Album, Abbey Road by the Beatles and many more. Another one was "Waiting for Columbus" by Little Feat.

 

[Nomadmax]

I've got a "Big Bambu" I haven't seen in years with the insert around somewhere.

I used the rolling paper that came with it

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

Anyone remember the Columbia Record Club.? 12 records for a penny, then you had to buy 8 more in the next year at regular price. $4 to $6 an album! That was a couple weeks worth of allowance for most of us.

 

[swsig]

Anyone remember the Columbia Record Club.? 12 records for a penny, then you had to buy 8 more in the next year at regular price. $4 to $6 an album! That was a couple weeks worth of allowance for most of us.

Yup, I was a member in the mid '50s. As I remember, they would automatically send you their "record of the month" unless you mailed them a cancellation notice or purchased an alternative choice. If you had a poor attention span, you ended up buying a lot of records you hadn't ordered!

 

[paplinker]

My bud and I used to go to Electric Mindshaft records in Scranton, looking for old Beatles albums. We never found a "Yesterday and Today" with the replacement label. We did find some old Sgt. Peppers with the original inserts.

Capitol Records had a plant in Scranton, we would look for the "black label" and then look for the union symbol that meant that the record was pressed in Scranton.

This was in the mid 80's. Electric Mindshaft was a small store on the 2nd floor of a buidling on Penn Ave.

By the 2000's, the business occupied 2 stories in a much bigger building on Lackawanna Ave (main drag in Scranton's downtown). Turns out he had a business on the 3rd floor too. His own hyrdoponic marijuana growing operation! Someone tipped off the cops.

That was the end of the Electric Mindshaft.

Sgt Pepper was the first album I ever bought growing up.

 

[S42N8]

If certain variations of Pink Floyd's The Wall goes for big bucks I'm wondering what my copy of Piper at the Gates of Dawn would bring. I found it at The Antioch Collège book store in Yellow Springs, OH when it first came out.

Could have good value. The US first release in Near Mint is in the $250-400 range; in Very Good Plus condition, $150-300. If you got the UK first release, VG+ is in the $750-1000 range. Discogs has a fair number of both:

Just a moment...

 

[Narragansett]

I have a bunch of records albums from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Kinks, Dave Clark 5, Yardbirds, Gerry and the Pacemakers,4 seasons and so on.

Beatles through Sgt Pepper, maybe 10 Stones including the 12 X 5 first album.

Lots of 45's too in original slips. Martian Hop, Dovels, and my pride and joy, The Monster Mash

 

[pharmer]

My insert lasted about a hot minute.

Mine lasted an hour and a half. Joe

 

[walnutred]

Considering the new LPs in the local big box store are $20-$30 each I'm not surprised there is a market for used stuff.