Instructions
Understand supply and demand of selling records. Owning a chart-topping Elvis record is like owning a first-edition Harry Potter book. Because there were so many printed, they're easy to find and the value goes down. That's why Baby It's You by the Beatles is listed in price guides at $5 while Ragtime Cowboy Joe by David Seville and the Chipmunks is $20.
Check for damage. To fetch top dollar, the record itself can't be scratched or warped. The album jacket should have sharp corners and few signs of wear.
Go to a local used-record store to find a buyer, or look in the back of price guides and collector magazines for advertisements.
Scrutinize the cover, which can often be even more valuable than the record inside. Collectors frame them as works of art. Especially popular are album covers with portraits of the singer like Frank Sinatra or Doris Day.