We Buy Records: A Family-Run Vinyl Buyer Since 2001
If you want to sell vinyl records, call Paul Robinson and describe the collection: roughly how many records, the formats, the main genres, and their condition. We have been buying vinyl since 2001. For qualifying collections, Paul comes to your home, grades the records there, and makes his offer before he leaves.
Buying records since 2001 | Family-run business | 5.0-star rating on Google | Paid at the visit
Who Buys Old Records, and What We Buy
Record shops, online marketplaces, and collection buyers all buy old records, but each wants something different. A shop picks titles for its bins, and a marketplace leaves the listing work to you. We buy whole collections in the genres we know best.
- Genres: jazz, blues, soul and R&B, rock, punk, and metal, including Blue Note titles and original pressings
- Formats: LPs, 45s, 78s, and 12-inch singles
- Collections: estate collections, DJ collections, radio station libraries, and inherited records, with no minimum count to start the conversation
If your collection leans toward other genres, describe it on the call, and Paul will tell you whether it fits.
How to Tell LPs From 45s and 78s
Sorting by format before you call helps Paul size up the collection. Size and playing speed are the quickest way to tell formats apart, and many labels print the speed.
- LPs: 12 inches across with a small center hole, played at 33⅓ rpm. The LP has been the standard album format since Columbia introduced it in 1948.
- 45s: 7 inches across, played at 45 rpm, usually with one song per side. Many American 45s have the large center hole RCA Victor introduced in 1949.
- 78s: usually 10 inches across, sometimes 12, and noticeably heavier. Most are made of shellac rather than vinyl, and they were the standard format until the 1950s.
- 12-inch singles: the size of an LP but usually played at 45 rpm, with one or two tracks per side. They became popular with DJs in the 1970s.
Handle 78s with extra care. Shellac is brittle and can crack if dropped, so carry them upright in their sleeves and never stack them flat in a pile.
How Condition Affects the Price of Your Records
Condition is one of six factors that set an offer, alongside the artist, genre, pressing, rarity, and current demand, and together they decide how much your old records are worth.
Standard vinyl record grading runs from Mint (M) and Near Mint (NM) down through Very Good Plus (VG+), Very Good (VG), and Good (G) to Fair or Poor. Play grading means listening for skips and surface noise. Visual grading means checking the surface under strong light for scratches, scuffs, and the dull look of worn grooves. The jacket is judged separately for ring wear, split seams, writing, and water stains.
The same pressing in Very Good condition can be worth far less than a Near Mint copy, so two copies of one album often get different offers. Rarity still counts: a rare pressing in rough shape can be worth more than a common album in clean condition.
Storage leaves its marks too. Heat in a garage or attic can warp vinyl and split sleeve seams, and damp air can leave mildew on jackets and paper inner sleeves. Even so, a rough-looking box is still worth a call, because the titles inside can outweigh worn covers.
Leave the records as they are. Please do not wipe or wash them before the visit. The wrong cloth or cleaner can do more harm than the dust, and we grade the records as we find them.
How to Sell Vinyl Records With Cash For Recordsl
Start with a phone call to Paul or a message through the form on this page, the first step in our record buying process. Have these details ready:
Photos of the spines or boxes are optional, but they help Paul gauge the collection. If it qualifies for a visit, he schedules it on a planned buying trip. Timing is usually flexible, so mention any closing date, lease end, or estate deadline on the call.
At the house, you do not need to move anything or have a working turntable. Paul brings his own grading equipment, checks the records and jackets, and explains how he reached his offer before you decide. If you accept, we pay you at the visit. There is no consignment and no auction.
Where to Sell Records: Shop, Online, or House Call
- Record shop. A shop buys for its own inventory, so its offer usually reflects what fits its bins. That works well for a crate or two and an afternoon of browsing.
- Online marketplace. Selling online gives you control over each price, but you photograph, grade, list, pack, and ship every record yourself, one sale at a time. It suits a few valuable titles better than a houseful.
- House call. If you want to sell a whole vinyl collection for cash, we come to you, look through every box, and make an offer on everything we can buy, not only the best-known titles. If you would rather get a shop offer first and compare, do that, then call us.
Already packing for a move? Call Paul before you book a moving truck, and he will tell you whether the collection fits an upcoming trip.
Buying Records Since 2001
Paul Robinson bought his first records at 11 with paper route money and started Cash For Records in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2001. His wife, Jayme, and their daughters help with the business, and it is still family-run.
Most calls we take follow a life event: a parent passes and the family finds the records, a move to a smaller home means the shelves have to go, a DJ retires, or a radio station clears its library. Those weeks are busy enough without photographing, listing, and shipping a record collection piece by piece.
Paul buys collections in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Ohio.
What Sellers Say About Paul
“…honest and direct. He showed up when he said he would and answered my questions.”
“Classy organization. … They took time to check out every record.”
“Having never sold any records I was a bit cautious about the whole process. Paul and Grace made it a pleasant experience.”
“He bought our record collection and we were very pleased with the transaction.”
Questions About Selling Records
Are my old records worth anything?
Many old records carry real value, but it depends on the artist, genre, pressing, rarity, current demand, and condition. Paul gives a firm figure after he sees the records and explains how he reached it, so start by describing the collection on the call.
Should I sort the records before I call?
A rough count by format is enough. There is no need to grade, clean, or reorganize anything, and a pile of mixed LPs, 45s, and 78s is fine as long as you can describe roughly what is in it.
Do you buy records with water damage?
Water can ruin a jacket or paper sleeve while the vinyl inside survives, so a stained cover does not always mean a damaged record. Leave everything as it is, do not wash the records, and tell Paul what happened when you call. Grading at the visit shows which records still play well.
Is there a minimum number of records?
No minimum applies to the call itself. House calls are reserved for qualifying larger collections because each visit is part of a planned trip. Describe the collection, and Paul will tell you plainly whether it fits a visit.
Tell Paul what you have. Call with the count, the formats, and the main genres, or send the same details through the form. He will let you know whether a house call is the right next step.
Cash For Records
3948 3rd St S, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250