Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Begin Collecting Records
Read through pricing guides and introductory materials on record collecting. Books like 'The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting,' written by Dave Thompson and available at Amazon.com, provide step-by-step tips and suggestions to starting a record collection (see Resources below). This preliminary reading may help determine the type of collection a music fan wants to start.
Find inexpensive records to begin your collection at online stores. Websites like the Global Electronic Music Marketplace (GEMM) facilitate sales and trades among collectors (see Resources below). Collectors should bookmark these pages for future use.
Locate the record stores and dealers in your community. Music fans and collectors can purchase their favorite albums at these stores while developing a relationship with dealers and fans.
Contact record companies directly to determine their inventory of vinyl records. Few companies create vinyl records of modern albums but many have limited amounts of older albums available for a premium price.
Utilize second hand stores in your town to find inexpensive records. The quality and value of these records varies greatly depending on the willingness of donors to part with their collections. Casual collectors can find good starter records at these stores.
Negotiate for classic records at a garage sale. Home owners who are looking to make some money or clean out their house are willing to part with older items like records. Collectors should try to talk these owners down from their initial price to get the best deal.
Bid on rare albums or records you cannot find in your town through online auctions. There are a number of large auction websites that connect collectors and dealers in a secure environment.