Allow me to interject on this note. Do you know why VC gets the reputation you speak of? It's because it acts as a haven for collectors who want to obtain or sell records, without getting scalped by eBay prices and fees. Your records have two arbitrary values -- one here at Vinyl Collective, and one on eBay. I know you're new here, so you'll likely hear the following bit of advice quite often, if you haven't already. It is a golden rule that thwarts the inane "Don't like the price? Don't buy it" mentality that so many naïve sellers seem to embrace. It is my privilege to be the first person to inform you...
If you want eBay prices, list it on eBay.
It's really that simple. Here at VC, personal transactions don't cost you 10% of your item's value, as they do on eBay auctions. There is no reserve. There is no shill bidding. There is no bullshit. That's what makes the trade aspect of this community so "tight and friendly". Granted, there are obviously bad apples in every barrel of everything, ever, I can say that 100% of my VC purchases and sales have involved genuine dudes with fair prices.
A few months back I decided to sell off some variants and duplicates of records I had. I Popsike'd them beforehand. I checked current listings on eBay. Simply put, I did my homework. And after determining their value, I still made a hell of a deal on most everything. I sold a few $12 records for $25, even though I could have easily fetched $50 or $60. Why? Because it felt good to make a slight profit on my end, naturally, but it was also nice seeing pieces of my collection go to fellow enthusiasts of the medium. People who, I'm fairly confident, are more likely to enjoy the records than flip them.
Of course, I've also offered up a few gems that received significantly low offers here at VC. Not lowball offers, necessarily: just very realistic prices on records that fetch unrealistic amounts of money. There's a fine line between being a good guy who helps out the community, and being oblivious to how much a record is worth.
A little over a month ago I sold a copy of Deja Entendu on eBay. eBay was my first choice, since the majority of VC members suspect and hope that the record will be repressed next year. I knew the album's going rates - $200 to $400 on the 'Bay - but I'll be damned if I was going to create a thread asking for that much. That's just not how it works, you know? Being that I loved that album, and really needed the funds, I refused to sell myself short. I needed maximum profit at the time. And if someone is willing to pay you $400 for an LP, it's not a crime to accept said offer. But to outright ask for it defeats the purpose of our closely knit community. If the record didn't mean as much as it did to me, and if the cash wasn't so necessary at the time being, I would have gladly put it in a sale thread here at VC, looking to fetch $120 or so. That is realistic. That is a price someone is willing to pay, as it's far below eBay premium. And that is what VC is about.
I know this post is reading pretty preachy at this point. And I'm okay with that. But what you need to become aware of - should you choose to stay around the community for a while - is the value of your records, and how they apply to your audience or buyers. (That's us.) You're not a selfish prick for wanting $100+ for a first press Vheissu. Clearly there are people (still) willing to throw that much money down for one. But you're not going to find them here. Exorbitant prices, percentage cuts, and overpriced shipping belongs on eBay. That's where you'll get the most bang for your buck, and I'd recommend saving your time and breath by listing extravagant BINs there. But you've waddled your way into VC territory. And these here parts are filled with friendly faces, mutually-pleasing prices, honest shipping rates, and peace of mind. I think you'll come to like it if you give it a chance.
Glad that they're represssing this, but that price tag is pretty crazy.
Now if someone would only repress Matchbox 20 - Yourself or Someone Like You....
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