Vinyl Record Price Guide
Do you have a record you want to appraise? Perhaps you’re curious about how much your vinyl collection is worth. Maybe you unearthed a gem at a local record shop (or in your storage). No matter your reasons, we’ll teach you how to price a vinyl record. Discogs is a crowdsourced database featuring more than 13 million music releases and 7 million records. It’s also a marketplace where users can buy, sell, and evaluate vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and more. We are committed to being an open-source site and a resource for collectors, which includes making our data public. Follow this guide to determine the current value of vinyl records based on recent sales in the largest vinyl marketplace in the world.
Step 1: Identify the Vinyl Release
Most albums have been issued more than once, resulting in different release versions. For example, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon has been pressed over 400 times on vinyl. To determine the value of your record, you must first identify it.
Start by looking for a Catalog Number on your record, which is often found on the album sleeve or pressed on the inner ring of the vinyl itself. Next, search for a barcode number. Lacking either of these options, make note of other details: label, track titles, etc. For a more comprehensive guide, here’s where to find identifying information on vinyl records.
Step 2: Navigate To The Discogs Release Page
Once you have your identifying info about the release version, you will need to find it on Discogs. You can do this by typing in the Catalog Number, barcode number, or other details into the search bar. If the record has a barcode, you can also scan it with the free Discogs app.
All releases are lumped under a Master Release in the Database. When in doubt, simply search for the album title, navigate to the Master Release page, and use the “Find Your Version” function to locate your specific release. Once you do, double-check your info to make sure it’s a match.
Step 3: Find Prices In The Statistics Section
Look for the Statistics heading. On a desktop, it will be on the right-hand side; on mobile, you will need to scroll down.
Immediately available will be the lowest, median, and highest prices that the release has been sold for on Discogs. By clicking on the Last Sold date, you can view the full sales data, including the average vinyl price and a chart to track trends over time.
If you’re using the Discogs app, this information will be labeled as Sales History. Click on Sales History for the same order history and price information.
How to Determine the Condition of Your Record
Condition is a major factor in the true value of your record. Discogs uses the Goldmine Standard, a universally-accepted guideline for representing the condition of physical music. The levels range from Mint (perfect) down to Poor/Fair (badly damaged). Here’s a complete guide to determining the condition of your vinyl record and grading it accurately.
Shortcut for More Than One Record
If you have more than one record to evaluate, use the Collection tool, which is available with a (free!) Discogs account. Once you navigate to the release page, click the Add to Collection button and your record will be dropped into your virtual Collection on Discogs.
From your Collection, you can:
Get an estimated value of your whole collection
Track the condition of individual records.
Mark items for sale.
Export a CSV for insurance purposes.
And more!
Join the Community
Discogs is a global community of music fans that have built the largest physical-media Database in the world. We love to discover and purchase new music. If all this sounds great to you, then join us! Creating a Discogs account is free and gives you access to the Collection tool and much more.
Download the App
All the tools of Discogs can be at your fingertips. The free Discogs app allows you to keep track of your Collection, add music to your Wantlist, and easily scan an item to find the vinyl value and other information in the Database. The app is currently available on Android and iOS.