sets by who cares; interminable tosh by Max Bygraves, Nana Moussaka, Harry Secombe, Richard Clayderperson, James Last etc. There will also be a sprinkling of records with titles like “Tribute to George Jones” by “The Country Bumpkins – Middlesborough’s finest c&w combo – children’s parties and bar mitzvahs a speciality”. About 1 visit in 5, I will spot a record that I know is worth 10 times or even 100 times the asking price. I recently bought 15 LPs (all classical) from Oxfam in Slough, for 99p each, and I’ve just sold one of them on Ebay for £45. Quality is key, and so I always carefully examine the playing surfaces before buying. Sometimes my initial excitement is followed by crashing disappointment as I carefully remove a potentially desirable disc from its sleeve, only to discover that someone has tested out his brand new angle-grinder on it.
Build it and they will come.
I’ve heard charity shop managers say things like “You’re the 19th person this week to ask about LPs - but we don’t sell them, because there’s no demand.” These people really need to keep up with market trends. If a store develops a rep for having 300 fairly priced, quality LPs, clearly and imaginatively displayed etc, then it will become a destination shop for collectors from miles around and a first choice for potential donations. It could even develop a postal business. The alternative is land-fill. At TASS, we have a wide range of vinyl for sale every Tuesday morning at the Anchorage Centre. I examine all the records, clean them if necessary, and grade them conservatively: most will be ‘Excellent’ with a few being ‘VG’ (Record Collector grading system). I replace the inner sleeve if needed and each LP is in a protective polythene wallet. LPs are sorted by genre, but we have no space for displaying classical, so contact me with your list of
‘wants’ and I’ll keep an eye out for you. As for pricing, some charity shops seem to go for high prices and poor quality (never a great combo in any area of retail) and then wonder why their stock stinks up the shop for months. I try to price our donated records well below that of any online dealer or recent Ebay auction price.
If, in searching your attic or garage, you come across an LP like the one in the photo (ASD 429), then donating it to TASS would be very welcome - a copy sold on Ebay last year for over $2000! *Tavistock Area Support Services is a registered
charity that provides a range of services for the over-55s (Phone 01822 616958). If you have any unwanted LPs or CDs etc, then please bring them along to The Anchorage Centre, next to Tavistock Bus Station, 8.30 - 4.30, Monday-Friday.
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