How to Make Room in Your Collection for Records You Really Want
As a record collector, sometimes you take a chance on a fancy cover that turns out to be dud. Other times your tastes evolve. As a result, you can find yourself with pieces that don’t necessarily touch you in the same way they previously did.
There’s always someone who wants something in your collection, from first pressings to test presses to represses. These records gathering dust in your collection can be moved to a loving home with a few clicks. By curating your Collection on Discogs and using the Marketplace to sell records you don’t listen to anymore, you can pass these neglected items on to other collectors to enjoy. Then, you can then use those earnings to pay for albums you really want on your shelves!
Here’s how to keep your collection fresh, evolving, and finely tuned.
1. Organize Your Collection
This is the perfect first step in your record-collecting adventure. Cataloging your collection on Discogs is helpful not only to keep track of your “new ins” but also for insurance purposes. Get among your records, spin those that have gathered dust, and even organize alphabetically or via genre while you’re at it!
You have two ways of doing this: onsite or via the Discogs app. The app allows you to scan barcodes, which is a real benefit for new records.
The main thing to look out for in this process is selecting the correct version of your record and the best way of doing this is searching via the CAT Number. Once your collection is in check, let’s get you set up as a seller.
2. Set Your Account Up as a Seller
This straight-forward process won’t take more than 15 minutes:
- Enter your seller settings and verified PayPal address into your Discogs account.
- Set up your Shipping Policies so they’re automatically added to your orders. This is an essential step in becoming effective in the Discogs marketplace. Suggested pricing can be found here.
- Get yourself some record mailers, tape, and Sharpies.
3. Get a Grip on Grading
Read our grading tips. We promise this will become second nature before long. It’s also a great tool to have in your arsenal as a buyer!
4. List Records for Sale
Just like adding records to your collection, listing records to sell is super similar. A step-by-step guide can be found here.
5. Watch the Orders Fly In
If you list around 100 items for sale, you’ll start to see things move pretty quickly.
Building your rating is a really key part of this step, so don’t forget to rate buyers, who will in turn return the feedback. To further bolster your sales, there are some best practices to get familiar with here in order. Once you’re confident and things are rolling nicely, we recommend our marketplace management system, Near Mint, more to get a firm hold on your inventory!
6. Recycle Your Sales into Records You Want
Obviously, you are free to spend this newfound income as you wish! However, recycling a collection and fine-tuning it to show how your ears have matured since you started buying is super satisfying and something we all do on the regular here at Discogs headquarters. Kick-start your categorizing and fine-tuning here!
