Old Vinyl Records -- How much are they worth?

For example, original 2nd album by the Beatles --

Joe,
There is a pretty big variation in valuation on old vinyl; condition, artist,number of copies etc. You need to locate some used record stores for appraisal. Generally the people working in these stores are very helpful and knowledgeable. Be sure to visit more than one store and hopefully you will happen onto that employee or owner who's life revolves around the music biz and will be eager to help you with valuations.
Good Luck, Brian

Joe,
Prices vary tremendously. I collect old records myself (about 3500 at last count, not just vinyl but also shellac!), and have bought from sources varying from specialist dealers to op-shops.

I don't have the money to spare to pay some of the silly prices asked by some specialist dealers for rare records, but I'll pay a reasonable amount to obtain a rare record that I particularly want. I've sometimes picked up quite rare records very cheaply at what we call "call boot sales," where people sell unwanted items out of the trunk of their car in a big field. Once bought a rare Elvis 78 for just £1 ($1.50) and later found out that the current "dealer" price would be about £50.

A lot of records are so common that they're, quite honestly, not worth much in terms of money.

This is the case with a lot of classical-music 78s, although you never know with certain pop music 78s, LPs and 45s. The reason being that people took good care of the classical records, ensuring that lots of them survived while the opposite was often true of the popular stuff.

That does not mean the records are not valuable from a cultural or even entertainment point of view and some disks are worth serious money, like PaulUK said.

A good place to get some answers would be at the Usenet group rec.antiques.radio+phono which is also a good haunt for those of us who like old gramophones and radios (and now even TV sets) and test equipment.

Joe, if you can list some artists there, someone might be able to steer you in the right direction.

An eclectic bunch of folks...just like here.

Whatever you do, Joe, don't put the disks out in the garbage. Then the stuff will be lost forever!

(I've found piles of records people have thrown out...including stuff I've been looking for years! )

Sven! Was that you picking those Barry Manilow albums out of my trash???