You can sell records online through Discogs, eBay or Facebook Marketplace, or sell the whole collection to a record buyer. Selling online can work well for a handful of valuable records, but it takes time: grading, photos, listings, postage and buyers. Selling to a buyer means one visit, one price for the lot, and paid on the day.
I've been in and around the music industry for more than two decades and buying and selling records for almost a decade, so I've seen every way of doing it. Here's an honest look at your options, including the ones that aren't me.
Discogs
Discogs is the go-to marketplace for record collectors. Its huge database lets you find the exact pressing you own, and serious buyers use it every day.
The catch is the work. You list each record individually, grade its condition accurately, answer questions, then pack and post every order. For a seasoned seller that's routine. For someone clearing a loft of 300 LPs, it can take months.
Good for: a small number of records you know are sought after.
eBay
eBay has enormous reach, and auctions can push the price of genuinely rare records up. It runs regular listing offers, so it can cost less than you'd expect.
You face the same jobs as Discogs, though: grading, photos, descriptions, packing and postage, plus the occasional buyer who disputes a record's condition.
Good for: rarer records where competition between buyers helps.
Facebook Marketplace
There are no selling fees, and local buyers can collect, so you avoid postage. Anyone who has sold anything on Facebook, though, will know about timewasters: people who haggle hard, promise to come and never turn up.
Good for: a box of records you're happy to sell quickly to someone nearby.
Your own social media
Posting records on your own Facebook or Instagram costs nothing but time. Unless you have a big following of record collectors, though, not many buyers will see them.
Selling the whole collection to a record buyer
This is what I do, so I'm biased, but here's how it works. You send me a few photos and a rough idea of how many records you have. I come to you and go through every record properly. If you're happy with my offer, I pay you there and then.
No listings, no postage, no timewasters, and no need to sort or grade anything first. I don't cherry-pick the best few and leave you with the rest: if we agree a price, I take the lot.
Good for: anyone who wants the whole collection sold in one go, especially larger collections or records inherited from family.
Which option is right for you?
A few records you know are valuable, and time to spare: Discogs or eBay.
A box you want gone quickly, locally: Facebook Marketplace.
A whole collection, or you'd rather not do the work: a record buyer who comes to you.
If you're not sure what you've got, have a look at what I buy, or just send me a few photos and ask. Even if we don't end up doing business, I'll happily point you in the right direction.
FAQS
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Selling the whole collection to a record buyer. It usually takes one visit, and you're paid on the day.
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Sometimes, for individual valuable records, but you'll spend much more time grading, listing and posting, and many records may not sell at all.
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No. I go through every record myself.
Written by Joel, Brighter Day Record Shop, Loughton, Essex. November 2026.
