Please, don't phone us to discuss the value of your record collection, unique items you own or how or where to sell your records. All these questions are answered in detail below. If you must contact us, send us E-Mail. We will answer your E-Mail.

Continental Records only purchases brand new 45 RPM records. If you have a large quantity (2000 or more) of brand new 45s to sell, please contact us for the best price.

Continental Records does not buy used 45s or any LPs/12".  If you have such vinyl to sell read the information we provide below on selling your records.

Before you read any further . . .

Do you wish to determine the value (or sell) common, best-selling phonograph records from any year (1901-1999)? Sorry to tell you this, but almost every best selling record from the past was pressed in the millions and has no value at all !

Do you have any "rare" records? Do you have any titles sought after by record collectors? 1000s and 1000s of records made in the past 60 years sell for more than $100 each - the vast majority from the 1950s and early 1960s. A few very rare records (including some by best-selling artists) regularly sell for more than $10,000 each !

If your product is complete, the value will be high

When 45s were originally purchased they usually had manufacturer's paper sleeves. 45s with these original manufacturer's sleeves have a slightly higher value. If you don't have any sleeves on your 45s shame on you. This is critical for resale and it is one of the first questions a dealer will ask.

Many 45s were issued with "picture sleeves." The 45 RPM picture sleeve is almost always worth more than the record!  If you have 45s with original picture sleeves the records (with the sleeves) are usually worth three or more times the normal value of the 45 (in excellent condition) by itself. Almost all rock and roll and rhythm and blues 45s with picture sleeves from the 1950s (even the most popular records and artists) have values that exceed $10.00 per record. Some have values over $100!

EPs (7 inch 45 RPM records with 4, 5 or 6 songs) were popular items in the 1950s and early 1960s. They were almost always sold with hard cardboard sleeves similar to LPs. If you have EPs and they are missing the original jacket, then the price will be greatly diminished. If you have rock and roll and rhythm and blues EPs (with original cardboard picture sleeves) from the 1950s and early 1960s in excellent condition you really do have a goldmine. Some of these items have values that exceed $1000 per record!

LPs have always been sold with hard cardboard covers. If your LPs don't have covers, don't expect any value.

Lastly CDs are sold with inserts. Don't lose them!

Condition is paramount

Most records were played and enjoyed. Records were taken to parties, passed
around and handled a lot. Sleeves were often lost for 45s and conditions deteriorated. If you have popular artist (Beatles, Beach Boys, Ames Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) records (45s or LPs) from the 1950s through 1980s and they are in noticeably used condition (noisy when played, scratches, marks, heavy writing on label, gray colour plastic, etc.) they have very little value

Want a really good example of the above? Almost all the Beatle 45s were issued with picture sleeves. Virtually millions were produced in 1964 and 1965. If you have (even the most common) Capitol 45s with Beatle picture sleeves (in brand new condition - both record and picture sleeve) the value will be more than $50 per record! Less common 45s (Swan / VJ / etc.) even without picture sleeves (but in pristine condition) often command $200 or more! However, if you have the same 45s in poor condition without sleeves, they
only have a value of about $1!

LPs can be in noticeably used condition on both the record and the cover. The more writing on the cover of an LP - the less the value. Obviously if the cover is damaged or noticeably used, the value will be poor

Dealers that carry them often sell (at record shows) used 45s described above for $1.00 or less each. LPs are often sold for $2.00 to $4.00. See below for what dealers pay for such used records

The best value on obviously used records described above is not what money they will fetch but the enjoyment you can still get from them - continuing to play them, enjoying the music and remembering the moments

Scarcity determines value

During the height of the record era from the early 1960s through the 1970s record companies in the USA produced and released more than 10,000 different records every year! Of these, only about 200 single records and another 200 LPs were charted in the top 30 and were played regularly on popular radio

Generally speaking the records that people bought most (the 400 mentioned previously) have the least value. And the other 9,600 records have more value.

In the 1950s and in the early 1960s (before the Beatles) teens purchased records they heard on the radio in 45 RPM format - they wanted the song - not necessarily the artist. However every record company issued LPs by their most popular teen artists (e.g. Crystals, Frankie Ford, Bill Haley, Isley Brothers, etc.) in the 1950s and 1960s even if they didn't sell well at the time. Because these LPs are relatively rare (Often less than 10,000 copies sold), they now command big prices. Even the most popular teen / rock and roll LPs from 1954 to 1963 often sell for $50 or more now when in excellent condition (record and cover) and if they are in stereo you can quadruple the price.

Even rarer are Rhythm & Blues LPs from the 1950s. The (often small) record
companies that issued these LPs had relatively poor distribution, and the main buyers of R & B records didn't have much money in the 1950s. Many were issued with only 1000 copies pressed. Many such LPs now sell at prices exceeding $1000 per copy when in excellent condition.

Fans keep prices very high

Even records by the most well known artists can have a very high value if the artist has millions of fans that want to own everything by the artist or group.

Examples of the above are records by the Beatles, Kiss, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys - even Britney Spears! For instance, some less common commercially issued Rolling Stones 45 RPM picture sleeves have values that exceed $1000. 

Many commercially released (but now rare) Beatles (45s, EPs & LPs) records now have values of more than $1000. For more details see Rare & valuable below.

For those of you that own old records by artists that used to have millions of fans such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Cantor or any other previous to 1950 artist the "window" for high prices has gone with the fans. 

True Stereo (vs Mono) Records

Record companies have been recording in stereo since the early 1950s

All 45s manufactured by all labels after 1970 were pressed in stereo. However many labels selectively pressed 45s in stereo between 1957 and 1970. These early stereo 45s (especially 1950s) have values up to 10 times the mono releases.

Almost all LPs manufactured by all labels after 1970 were pressed in stereo. However many labels selectively pressed LPs in stereo after 1954. Early stereo LPs (especially 1950s) have values up to 4 times the mono releases. Conversely after stereo LPs were best sellers the original commercial mono LP release is worth significantly more.

History is important

History does not mean age of the record. Does the record itself have a history? Items with high values are often records that fill spots in a historical era - some examples:

• The roots of country music (early 1930s and 1940s country artists - often called "hillbilly."
• The history of rock and roll - 1950s Rhythm & Blues or rockabilly,
• Girl groups of the 1960s,
• Motown (early Berry Gordy productions on UA label, or other not so popular Motown releases),
• Answer records - even if not popular (I'm the Girl from Wolverton Mountain, the Duchess of Earl, etc.),
• The history of electric guitar (early Les Paul), or,
• Just to complete a collection on a certain artist (early Jan and Dean on Arwin label or their 1970s records on the Ode label), Frank Sinatra (on Columbia) etc.

Record age or era

On 78s for instance, the most recent 78s - manufactured in the late 1950s (rock and roll items in particular) often fetch the highest prices. Other 78s of significant value include Rhythm and Blues records of the 1950s and earlier - especially on small obscure labels and Hillbilly (very early country) records of the 1930s and 1940s. For more details on old 78s see Rare & valuable below.

1st Pressing Original Releases vs.
promo records or 2nd, 3rd, 4th pressings or reissues or bootlegs

Records with the most value are always 1st pressing original commercial releases. These are the records that people purchased when the record was first on the “charts” and played on “Top 40 Radio.” Many of the original 45s had “picture sleeves.” Original LPs/12"/CDs often had inserts and other features not on later (2nd or other) releases. These are the records collectors want and will pay the most for.

Promo records were free records send to radio stations (and others) to announce a new release (45 or LP) that would be coming soon from the record company. They were identified by the label (often plain white in colour) and were marked “Promotional” or “Audition.” Most promo labels also state “Not for Sale.” Promo copies of best selling records generally have a slightly lower value than the 1st pressing originals. Occasionally promo copies were pressed for records that were never released. Obviously these records are extremely rare and obtain a very high value for the most sought after artists or music.

2nd (and 3rd and 4th) (commercial) pressings were made after the records were off the charts and top 40 radio. These records most often have the same label and number but can be identified by dealers and collectors because of differences from the 1st pressings in the cover or colour of the label. These pressings of popular records usually have no more value than the original purchase price.

“Reissues” of popular records usually have a different label and number than the original release and also have no more value than the original purchase price.

“Bootlegs” are not legitimate commercial releases that collectors want and are illegal. It's a fact that all illegal items (not just records) are hard to advertise, buy or sell. Most bootlegs have little value.

Bootlegs come in several categories. LPs/12"/CDs often feature not commercially released (stolen) tracks or recorded live concerts. 45s include re-releases of rare or valuable 45s. Some bootleg 45s are exact copies of rare records with the original label graphics and numbers - these are known in the industry as “counterfeits.”

"Values" vs "Selling Prices"

Book value or appraised price of any item whether its a car, a house, a diamond ring, an old Barbie doll, antique tin soldiers or records does not necessarily always mean the selling price you are going to get. Its a guide for an approximate value only.

In most cases book value is the highest price a dealer can possibly sell the item for. In order for you to get the same selling price you must find a buyer willing to pay the same price - usually a collector.

Dealer "Buying Price"

If you are planning to sell your items to a dealer here is an important item to remember. Generally, the higher the book value, the higher percent a dealer will usually pay for your items. On very high priced items (>$1000) you can often get 50% or more. The percent continually decreases as the "book" price gets lower. This is the same with every type of collectible, not just records.

On the most (non rare) popular records issued in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s the dealer buying price is often as low as 10% of the "book" value. This is because the dealer probably already has all of your records and rarely obtains the "book value" when he resells the product.

An example. We only sell brand new 45s here from the 50s through 90s. Many of the 60s through 80s 45s are original pressings and many have book values exceeding $5 per copy. Some have book values above $10 each. And yet we still sell these original pressing 45s for US$3.95 each!

Big Money Records

There are more collectors around the world who pursue "The History of Rock & Roll" than any other category. Because the numbers of buyers (or collectors) determines value it makes rock and roll records expensive - and records before and after the rock and roll era cheap! 

Rhythm and Blues and "Rockabilly" records from 1948 through 1963 traditionally have the the highest value of all collected records.See Rare & valuable below for a sample listing of the R & B group the Flamingos.

For fun I have included below several YouTube listings. These are video examples of a few of the most collected (and valuable) artists. Many records by these artists (and 1000s of other artists not listed here) have values over $100 and many over $1000. The Five Sharps record sold twice for more than $10,000. 

Once you view the videos you'll have a pretty good idea of what type of music and records are worth big bucks - they are almost all from the 1950s and not by the most popular artists.

Click below on artist to view video
Cab Calloway Johnny Carroll Collins Kids Five Satins Five Sharps Flamingos
Wanda Jackson Louis Jordan Bob Luman Mello-KingsJohnny Otis
Red Prysock Big Joe Turner

Rare & valuable records - more details

Values of some commercially released (but now rare) Beatles (45s, EPs & LPs) records http://www.rarebeatles.com/20years/20yrs2.htm

Values of many old 78s on the Nauck web site at http://www.78rpm.com

Values of the 1950s R & B group the Flamingos from the Jerry Osborne official price guide (below) http://www.gocontinental.com/pgs.doc

Values of 28 most sought after records on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_collecting

Values of 800,000 different records sold on E-Bay in the past 10 years - type in your artist - see the value!  http://www.popsike.com/index.html

Places to Sell Your Records

Remember, if you have used copies of common, best-selling phonograph records (of any year - 1901-1999) their value will always be very low - often less than $1.00 each. Your records may not be worth the all the work or time to list them, sell them, package them or ship them. 

Sort your records and decide what records you own have some potential value. 

The most popular methods to sell them are E-Bay, Discoveries or Goldmine Magazine. 

E-Bay
If you use E-Bay, some records you list will be bid upon by E-Bay users - many of the others  (the most common titles) will not be bid on at all! 
Discoveries Magazine
Discoveries magazine was purchased by Krause Publications (Goldmine Magazine) and has subsequently closed. Most of the content was moved to Goldmine.
Goldmine Magazine
Another method is selling them (all at once) to one of the used record dealers listed in Goldmine Magazine. Their web site is http://www.goldminemag.com It is suggested you obtain several issues of their magazine as the magazine lists hundreds of used record dealers that are not listed on the Goldmine web site. Many of the biggest and oldest used record dealers are not internet "savvy" and have no web site or E-Mail at all!

Record & CD price guides by Jerry Osborne

An avid collector of records for over 38 years, Jerry Osborne has also worked full-time as an author of record price guides and reference books since 1975. In the 24 years since work began on his first Record Collector's Price Guide, the number of Jerry's published works on music now stands at 69 books and more than 150 periodicals. As busy as ever, he continues to produce several books per year.

Among other music related ventures, Jerry has, since 1986, written the popular, weekly newspaper feature, “Mr. Music.” This entertaining and informative column, distributed nationally for 12 years by World Features Syndicate, answers readers' questions about music and records.

The rest of Osborne's past is also saturated with music. Upon graduation from high school, he began a 14-year career in radio and television (1962 -1976) as an announcer, or DJ. Jerry founded and published three collectors news and marketplace magazines: “Record Digest,” “Music World” and the still popular “DISCoveries.” In the mid-'80s, he published “The Osborne Report,” a monthly newsletter covering new releases. 

Among the books he publishes are pricing guides to Elvis, the Beatles, Country Records & CDs, Collectible CDs, guides to Movie Soundtracks & Original Cast albums, $Money$ Records and the largest one - The Official Price Guide to Records (published yearly).

The cornerstone guide of any record appraiser's library, Jerry Osborne's Official Guide annual is the world's most popular record price guide. The recordings of
approximately 50,000 different artists are included! This edition has everything you need to know to price practically every disc you own: singles (33, 45, & 78 RPMs), albums (10 inch & 12 inch), picture sleeves, and more. Loaded with plenty of great photos. Covers pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, and a little of everything else — from 1902 to present; from the very popular to the very, very obscure. Nearly 800 pages! Prices OVER ONE MILLION RECORDS! Plus, has a Buyers-Sellers Directory to make dealing easy — regardless of whether you want to buy more records or sell the ones you have. New in this edition — slightly larger type, making it easier to read!

If you're looking for individual pricing on records or CDs this book will provide all
the answers ! Sorry, we cannot tell you if a unique item you own is listed in one of the books. If your item has any value - IT WILL BE LISTED!

See Rare & Valuable above for a sample listing of the group the Flamingos..

Click Here For a Listing of all of Jerry Osborne's Price Guide Books
(Jerry Osborne's Site)