With new vinyl record sales soaring to above four million last year – the highest volume since 1991 – and the value of many vinyl collections tripling in value over the last 10 years is it too late to get on the vinyl bandwagon? Mark Soper explores.

Earlier this year, music sales through streaming outsold other formats for the first time in the UK. But while you think that might spell the beginning of the end for that most venerable of formats, vinyl, the reverse is actually true. Because many people are turning back to vinyl – four million were sold last year alone – and that has major implications for those of us who collect old albums and hope to see them grow in value.

And it’s not just sentimentality. Ask anyone who loves music and they will explain that the compression that takes place with digital formats leads to a significant loss of texture once you play it through a good pair of headphones or speakers.

Then there’s the sheer physical nature of albums. The tone, smell and texture of vinyl is simply enough for most enthusiasts to fork out a fiver or tenner to listen to a long-forgotten work of art!

That said, many collectors of vinyl records actually listen to them and whether or not the value of the black stuff increases is immaterial.

But which will hold or increase in value?

For those who hold collections, most records in most genres will have at least held their value if still in ‘’mint’’ condition i.e. no audible or visible scratches and the original sleeve – preferably a picture sleeve also in at least “very good” condition.

However, some genres outperform others by a long way and most notable are Reggae, Mod and Prog Rock – and today you will need to fork out a lot to bring many of these records into your collection. And, remember, it is generally the very first pressings that are the most valuable and the majority of these have already been divvied up by collectors.

So, where to go to start collecting?

Vintage vinyl car boot sales and charity shops are no longer the treasure chests they once were: car boot sales tend to offer low grade copies and few collectible items. On the other hand, I still purchase half a dozen records a year from charity shops but they have caught on – I find Cancer Research shops to be the best outlets, but many have now hired collectors to price up the records ahead of being put on sale, so expect to pay a fair price: it is a charitable cause after all.

But if you know what you’re looking for, bargains are still there to be bagged. I recently purchased a German pressing of Donald Fagen’s “Nightfly” and a first pressing of Jack Bruce’s “Songs for A Tailor” – both in absolutely mint condition and both under the minimum sale price in the online vinyl shop, Discogs.

Building your collection

Labels can be a good source to begin a collection. For prog rock, the Vertigo and Dandelion labels are collectible as are Immediate and Island (Pink) for rock and Studio One and Crab for Reggae tunes.

On eBay, look out for genuine job lots sold by private sellers rather than dealers: it can be difficult to spot them but just dig into the seller’s feedback and selling history and you can readily see those e-Bayers that are buying and selling regularly rather than simply offloading their old collection. Another good tip here is to see if the records up for sale have been graded after being played through or visually only/cleaned.  I have not bought a cleaned copy of any vinyl yet as may record cleaners just do not work and can ingrain dust and dirt into the grooves.

For new artists and issues, look out for limited editions and sign up for notification of new releases: Drift Records in Totnes is a fabulous record shop specialising in new artists and you can sign up for their weekly mailshot. Bleep Records is another good source for new material

If you are prepared to queue then the annual Record Store Day event is another good source to buy-in to the vinyl world… but seek out the strictly limited editions.

And in the words of John Peel…

I’ll leave you with a quote from the DJ who opened up our ears to so many new acts, to remind you to keep listening to music – either new, or which you may not have paid attention to in the past: “There’s always the possibility that you’re going to come across a record that transforms your life. And it happens weekly. It’s like a leaf on the stream. There are little currents and eddies and sticks lying in the water that nudge you in a slightly different direction. And then you break loose and carry on down the current. There’s nothing that actually stops you and lifts you out of the water and puts you on the bank but there are diversions and distractions and alarums and excursions which is what makes life interesting really. It’s fantastic.”

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