"...put some spare time aside so you can come and dig for hours - you have to commit. But secondhand vinyl is worth it."
As the most devoted of record collectors well know, nothing beats the thrill of the find. Whether a first pressing you've looked in every shop for, or a limited edition cult classic you need to revisit on several versions, shopping vintage can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a committed collector.
At Rough Trade, we are lucky enough that a key part of our music discovery stretches beyond catalogue titles and new releases into the form of lovingly graded, hand-selected vintage vinyl. This used vinyl range is available to shop in-store at Bristol, Nottingham and Liverpool and at Rough Trade Vintage in London - Rough Trade's only destination for quality used vinyl in the capital. Our Rough Trade Vintage curation not only allows customers to shop vinyl of significant rarity and value, but also shop sustainably, giving old records a new life when they would otherwise be landfill.
Working behind the scenes to keep these secondhand vinyl sections refreshed is our Used Vinyl department in the Rough Trade Warehouse, consisting of knowledgeable Paul, Huw and Louie, who spend their days unboxing mystery collections ready to soundtrack some lucky customers' home listening. To mark the growing role of secondhand vinyl at Rough Trade, we head behind the scenes - from the buzz of the warehouse to the Rough Trade Vintage store floor - catching up with the warehouse team and store manager Jamie for a deep dive into all things pre-loved records.
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From sourcing stock, grading LPs and the titles which fly off the shelves. We go behind the scenes of Rough Trade Vintage.
What does a typical day in the used vinyl department in the warehouse look like?
Paul: The stock we have sourced arrives in boxes. We decant it into our units and work out a cost price per unit. Then my team (Louie and Huw) will take them over and process them. They'll clean up the records, grade them, they will investigate if we don't know what it is or see what the value is, then they'll price it up. Once that's happened, it then goes into another unit ready to be divvied up for the stores on a Monday for the transfers. That is pretty much a normal day.
Where do you source the best stock?
Paul: We source from everywhere really. People who come into the stores can be contacts who stay linked to us. We use this online form, which is really great for getting directly in contact with customers. It's just a very simple form, I can get their details straight away and pretty much offer them a deal within 24 hours. We offer a service for couriers to pick up people's collections. People don't have to do a lot apart from packing the records away. The records arrive here and they get paid. It's very fast, and people appreciate that. We also buy private collections as well. Whoever wants to sell, we'll take a look!
How do you go about grading the stock that comes in?
Huw: If you know records, you know that they can turn up in any kind of condition at all. So when we get a record, the first thing we do is have a look at the disc. We've got a lot of gadgets and gizmos to get them up to speed, we clean them with water and a microfibre cloth and add an extra layer of protection with a clear sleeve to protect from dust. If the cloth doesn't do the trick, we've got the Okki Nokki One record cleaning machine, which vaccums away the grime!
We grade them by Discogs standards, which uses the Goldmine Standard. This way of doing it starts at fair, but to be honest, ideally we wouldn't want to sell anything that is 'fair'. It goes all the way up to Near Mint. Mint and Near Mint are the best you can really expect for a secondhand record, especially one that's been around for 40, 50 years. Most of the records that we do end up putting out will be VG plus condition or better, ideally.
Which categories or artists seem to be the most sought after by customers? (The albums you hear about flying out of the shops the quickest)
Louie: I know for a fact that whenever we get 90s indie in, it flies off the shelves. This is primarily because the records are pressed in much smaller quantities than they were previously to that era, because of the fact that CDs took over. So it's very rare to see some of these titles on vinyl. Shoegaze titles will always sell very quickly, as there is such high demand for artists like Slowdive and MBV originals. They were also pressed in very low quantities.
Serious about record collecting? Then shopping secondhand might be for you. Jamie Sadur, manager of Rough Trade Vintage in London's Soho, tells us more about shopping used vinyl.
Which genres or artists are most in demand?
We get a lot of classic old-school record shoppers asking for 7", rare 7", funk and soul, and punk. And then on top of that, honestly, it's still The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bowie, Elton John, all of that world. We don't get enough rare hip hop. We did have a copy of a second press of Liquid Swords by GZA, which was very cool and went in one day.
What's the most expensive or rare title you have sold?
We had a signed The Specials' record signed by Terry Hall, which is very cool, and now an even rarer item since his passing. Also, an original copy Pulp's Intro: The Gift Recordings, including all the singles Pulp recorded for Gift Records in 1993, which didn't make albums. That was like 65 quid! Then, in terms of 7", we've had some really cool stuff. We have a Nina Simone 7" of Feeling Good, issued in conjunction with a 1994 Volkswagen commercial with My Baby Just Care's For Me on the b-side. The picture sleeve features a VW Cabriolet - that one is pretty unique.
Record which has come in that you have personally been most excited about?
We had a copy of Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem, a first press still in the shrink wrap from 2007. On top of that, anything Bruce Springsteen (it goes without saying.) And whenever we get Oasis 7"s. All of those things are my holy grail.
Top tips for secondhand vinyl shoppers?
The main thing is, put some spare time aside so you can come and dig for hours - you have to commit. But secondhand vinyl is worth it. For example, if you want to buy the newest Sabrina Carpenter album, it's going to set you back maybe £35, but if you want to buy a great Motown compilation, that you could listen to for weeks on end, that'll cost you seven quid secondhand. That's my tips. You can buy cheap, and you should shop vintage - it will reward you.
Further Reading
A Rough Guide To: Vinyl Cleaning, Restoration and Storage
A Rough Guide To: Starting Your Vinyl Collection
A Rough Guide To: Valuing and Selling Your Vinyl Records