While I do sell records, I am not a dealer and I don't make any money! Most of the records are sold at my purchase price. This is a hobby with me and mostly I am interested in record labels/numbering series and am a regular contributor to Jerry Osborne's Rockin Records. I have only 45 RPM records and have no LP's or 78's. I've always been a collector of something, especially things that have a unique numbering system. Over the years, I've collected stamps, postcards and coins, but no longer do those. Records provide the ultimate challenge as they not only have a unique numbering system but were produced in sufficient quantity to provide a lifetime of collecting. When I purchase records, I'm not interested in any particular artist, genre or label - only those items which I do not already have, with 2 exceptions- I do not collect Classical or Children's records.

My records are filed on shelves by label by number not by type of music, The computerized inventory can be searched by artist, label, title or record number but not by type of music (but I’m working on that). I can not produce printed lists. I use Microsoft Access for my database and would be happy to provide the database structure for anyone interested in setting up their own.

I believe that if the record was worth making then it is worth cataloging, so all records I get are cataloged regardless of condition, genre or vintage.

Records sold in lots are visually graded. Records sold individually are play graded. When I grade a record, I play the first five grooves or so (these are usually the worst grooves on the record). I decide on the grade and then look at the record. If it looks like it plays, the grade is OK, if it looks worse than I usually downgrade the record.  I grade only the vinyl, not the labels or sleeves. Most dealers grade everything visually and this does not work! I have purchased many records that look mint but play vg or worse! It also the works the other way around, sometimes a record that looks like it came through a war plays surprisingly well.

If you have records you think are valuable, tell me about them and I can probably give you an idea of the value. I have many catalogs and books on records at my disposal. Please e-mail me for free appraisal.

My listings include both sides of the record (many dealers list only one side). When purchasing a large lot of records, I first sort them by label, apply the correct sleeve to match the label (if I have them), the record number is written on the sleeve for identification and at the same time put into correct numerical order for filing. The record is then added to my database and finally filed on shelves in correct label/number order so I can find them again. I retain two copies, extras are sold in lots (usually at a loss).

The “scarcer” section of my listings does not include everything “scarce”, there will be scarcer material in my other listings as well that just hasn’t been graded and priced yet.

I price my records in two ways. For the “scarce” section of my listings, prices are based on what I had to pay to get the record and there is no room for discounts. More common items are priced at 50% of the going retail rate. I use several large record dealer listings in the U.S and the UK to determine the going rate. When you purchase multiple items I list the retail price and take up to 50% off the total (the amount depending on the mix).

Email Me:Bob's

Records

I used to sell on EBAY (Name = Recordplace) but no longer do due to the implementation of Paypal only rules.

Send me a list of your favorite artists, I'll tell you what I have.

How does one collect records? Many people have asked me this. The obvious answer is to collect those records by artists you enjoy. However there are other ways. Collectors also collect in the following ways:

As many different recordings of the same song as they can find by different artists. I had one collector who had 125 different recordings of Sweet Lorraine. (Lorraine was his daughter’s name).

Songs with the name of a particular city in the title.

Songs with a particular name in the title (Sara,Jane, etc.)

Songs dealing with a particular subject (death, happiness, misery, railroads, trolley cars, etc.

Songs from a particular recording company (such as Decca, RCA, etc.)

Collect by record number series and sequences regardless of who the artist is. When I look at a record number I always wonder who recorded the next one in the series, the same artist or a different one?

Songs by the same composer, this is difficult as most folks don’t track composer names-only the performers.

Records numbered 001, 1 or 0001 (Often the first record or only record produced by a company).

Covering walls in a den or restaurant, making tables (records under glass), teaching children colors, numbers, sequencing, matching etc

When I’m not sorting records, I’m probably watching my favorite film:

Somewhere in Time – This film is unquestionably my favorite film of all time. If you’ve never seen it-get the DVD you won’t regret it! There is even an organization devoted to the film of which I am a member. For more info check out their website: www.somewhereintime.tv