free mojo nixon downloads on Amazon

That's right - for the next few days, you can get free Mojo Nixon downloads on Amazon. This includes most of his albums, including Otis, Free Drunk & Horny, Whereabouts Unknown, and his new Whiskey Rebellion. Big missing one for me was Horny Holidays. Also included are a few oddball singles - Christmas Christmas (only on a punk comp from the 90's) and I Just Stopped In to Check What Condition My Condition Was In. Rave on and enjoy!

Cult artists - don't overlook these gems...

Cult artists - sometimes not listed in price guides, sometimes way underpriced. Jandek, singer/songwriter from Houston way, goes for $25 topping out over $100 - my partner and I found about 25 of his albums at a college radio sale. Townes Van Zandt lps book under $10 each - but his albums on Tomato top out for over $100. If you're in Texas, it may be worth posting ads on your local craigslist looking for those guys. Mojo Nixon - his cds generally go for a lot more than the vinyl. Look for his first cd with Skid Roper - it's self-titled, but popularly known among fans as the Free Drunk and Horny lp. Jimmy Buffet's first 2 lps on Barnaby - Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee can do well - I've bought lps on eBay by misspelling his name in the search engine, then turning around and reselling it on eBay (of course, correctly spelling his name!)

Do a complete auctions search in 45's using "Northern Soul". Keep an eye out for some of those titles - especially if you live around Detroit or Philly. Type in rare funk to come up with some more names. Don't forget to list high price to low price on these searches.

hope you have good luck searching this weekend!

Selling those damned 78s

If you're reading this, you've already realized selling 78's is a tough proposition.

Here's a quick overview -

If you have any blues (and I mean real blues - Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, etc = not Lonesome Shepherd Blues from the Willy Mack Honkytonk Band)definitely auction them - true rarities like Robert Johnson or nearly anyone else from the prewar era - 1930's - go for big bucks generally. We're talking a couple grand and up. These you would probably do better selling to a dealer like John Tefteller outright, who has the customers for that kind of material. Other,later blues, auction on eBay (after researching completed listings and on GEMM)

Early rock can do decently. Some classic country (Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash)And some bluegrass.

So what do you do with the rest? I suggest sorting by label and genre, since that's how a lot of people collect them. Stick them in your eBay store at maybe $1 per 78, and check the best offers box. Consider listing on bonanzle, ecrater, or even Craigs List.

The advantage to the other sites is no charge AND you can set your own s&h fee - 78's are a pain to package - you absolutely have to double box them. Make sure there's no shifting in your first box, then put it in a second box with a minimum of 2" packing material all the way around. Make sure you charge enough for this - most 78 collectors understand.

save those old sleeves!

When going through a collection I bought, I always strip the paper sleeves from the ones I'm junking. The generic paper ones I put in one box - for putting one on a record that doesn't have one before I sell it. Generic record company ones I put in a separate box - nothing like a 60's Columbia sleeve to spruce up that Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin. If you seem to be getting an excess of these, you can put 'em up as a lot on eBay and get 25c to 50c apiece. The album specific ones I usually trash - how many Billy Joel lyric do you really need?

The LPs that are thrashed - strip the paper sleeve, save the jacket for packing - one top and bottom in the box - and save the lp for craft projects. Make bowls, flowers, and much more. Check out etsy.com for ideas - type in lps or albums to get ideas. Other stores put 'em in a box outside - craft project lps 50c each! A few stores around here sell bowls for $4 each - spraypainted flowers for $10 - $20 apiece - the spray-painted flowers go for 10 to 20 bux apiece.

Hope these ideas help you pay for your next collection.

Cajun/Creole music on the upswing?

The last few days, I've sold 5 comp lps of Cajun/Creole music from the 20's - 60's from small Louisiana labels for $25 to $50 each - and these weren't in great shape. Vinyl was strong vg generally, jackets vg, ex radio station with markings all over. Some Folkways stuff too. Might be profitable for you to dig out some of those old recordings and double-check your prices on the ones you have listed.

These were all listed on eBay over a year ago, but just now sold.

Ebay vinyl prices dropping

Vinyl prices have been dropping on ebay - recently sold a lot of 100 classic rock lps - some decent stuff - Stones , Beatles, Doors, wound up at $26.75. Ouch. A Beatles White Album, low number - 83,000, went for $63.00. Lot of 10 Beatles lps - all originals - vg condition = went for 61. I pulled a lot of Lennon/Ono lps - sold it for $100 on Craigs List.

And let's not even talk about jazz- the super high end stuff seems to be holding its own - but midrange stuff -OUCH! Got some more Strata East stuff - I am just gonna hold it - have you seen the prices - completed auctions at 8 bux, 15, 25. Two over 100 - and they were 107 and 118. Last summer I had lots go for over $100 and a few over 200, one for 427.

I'm working on a price guide with a monthly update for 50's Blue Note and 70's Strata East - let me know if you're interested.

condition, condition, condition....

Just like the old real estate maxim, location location location, except with vinyl it's condition condition condition. And a corollary to that would be description description description. Make sure when you're describing an lp, note EVERYTHING wrong with - writing on label, dings in corners; seam splits (and how long they are)ringwear, scuffs on vinyl...You get the picture. If the description sounds too horrific, then you should be rethinking selling that album.

These are the Goldmine standards:

Mint (M) Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly never been played, possibly even still sealed.(More on still sealed under "Other Considerations"). Should be used sparingly as a grade, If at all.


Near Mint (NM or M-) A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly)that no record is ever truly perfect.
The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.
Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.

Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides. Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.


Very Good Plus (VG+) Generally worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value.
A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.
Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK".
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.
Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.


Very Good (VG) Generally worth 25 percent of Near Mint value. Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.
Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price. This, not the Near Mint price, should be your guide when determining how much a record is worth, as that is the price a dealer will normally pay you for a Near Mint record.


Study them well!