Great Places to Buy Vinyl Records Online (Ultimate Guide to Vinyl)


Whether you enjoy searching for pieces of your past or relaxing in the present moment with the great sound of a vinyl record, there are countless reasons to buy vinyl records online.

Many great resources now exist to find virtually any record ever made if you take the time to discover your options.

Dozens of record shops offer millions of titles at your fingertips, so any music lover can browse and buy vinyl records online from numerous large collections.

The Greatness of Vinyl Records

Just like the days of flipping through record covers at your local brick-and-mortar stores, or rummaging through neighborhood yard sales, hidden treasures, and rare finds are still out there, waiting to be discovered.

And now completely available from your computer or phone. Many online stores offer free shipping, member discounts, and access to limited edition records.

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Everyone knows this vinyl record cover. And you can find epic vinyl records like this from online record shops.

Where to Buy Vinyl Records Online

If you are searching for a particular record or a specific artist, there are many great resources to buy vinyl records online.

Some of the greatest brick-and-mortar music shops have turned into excellent online stores in recent years.

The love of music has officially proliferated throughout the internet and makes for a great place to buy your favorite vinyl records.

#1 – Music Stack

The power of the internet gives every record collector the ability to search thousands of record stores at one time. Even search for your favorite song on vinyl and find it in seconds.

Music Stack has taken that idea to the next level by assembling a vinyl record community determined to uncover even the hardest-to-find records.

Online stores such as Music Stack can be some of the best places for uncovering hidden gems and new releases.

For over twenty years, Music Stack has connected thousands of vinyl record collectors with rare LPs, vintage records, and out-of-print CDs.

All the resources of your local record store but available anywhere at any hour of the day online.


#2 – Planet Music 33

Since 2002, Planet Music 33 has been selling records online. While they have over 4,000 titles in stock, you can also request just about any record, and they will do the digging themselves.

They can find any title you’re looking for, even if they don’t have it on hand, usually within 7-10 days.

This store goes a step beyond some of its competition. They’ve shipped vinyl records to over 20 countries around the world.

Standing behind your purchase with a 30-day unconditional guarantee that you will be satisfied with your decision.

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Yes, I picked up this legendary record from an online shop. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers vinyl will bring a smile to your face every single time.

#3 – Vintage Vinyl

Buying vintage albums online should be an enjoyable endeavor. Stumbling on old records you have all but forgotten about is part of the thrill.

When you shop at Vintage Vinyl, you can dig through thousands of old records, as well as the new vinyl releases.

Online through their website and in-person at their huge shop in St. Louis, MO, Vintage Vinyl has you covered for all your record collection desires.

Their online store has a very different selection compared to their actual store. Vintage Vinyl record store works with a distributor to offer a massive selection from the website, many items not available at their physical store.

And if that’s not enough, you can also purchase gift certificates and t-shirts straight from the website.


#4 – Mill City Sound

Your search for vintage vinyl records for sale should not end before checking out Mill City Sound. They have a passion for music and a dedication to offering the rarest and undiscovered music.

They are continuously buying entire record collections and adding them to their inventory.

Mill City aims to have what you want but also surprise you with that buried treasure you once heard play on over a radio station way back when.


#5 – Tower Records

Tower Records is back! Honestly, I never knew they went away, but they are back nonetheless. Over 350,000 titles are found, from the Rolling Stones to Pink Floyd to Metallica. Cassette tapes, compact discs, and of course, vinyl LPs.

Tower Records was founded by Russ Solomon in 1960 when he was a teenager working in his father’s Sacramento drug store.

Russ grew Tower Records into a record retail giant over the last six decades, with nearly 200 stores in 15 countries and over $1 billion in annual sales.

Now that online shopping has taken over record sales, Tower Records has created partnerships with artists, labels, and brands to bring online and physical experiences to music fans. Buy digital download mp3 audio files and skip the shipping cost.

“Know Music, Know Life” is the new company slogan, and Tower Records is doing its part to spread the genre of music, rare vinyl online record albums, and great prices around the world.

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Is there anything better than a Bob Dylan vinyl record? I found this one online.

#6 – Amoeba Music

Amoeba Music considers itself to be the world’s largest independent record store in the world. Founded in 1990 in Berkeley, California, Amoeba Music has brick and mortar record shops in San Francisco and Hollywood, CA.

If you thought Amoeba Music stops at vintage vinyl records online, think again.

They still operate their brick-and-mortar shops as independent record stores and offer an enormous amount of merchandise through their website.

And Amoeba doesn’t only sell used records; they sell a huge variety of movies in DVD and Blu-ray format.

While you’re looking over the movie selection, check out Amoeba’s posters, stickers, patches, books, turntables, T-shirts, and a crazy amount of other goodies and new arrivals.

One more unique thing Amoeba Music features the in-studio live performances. They are not only one of your favorite local record shops with a brick and mortar location, but they host musical performances by famous artists inside their studios.

You can watch all the performances on the Amoeba website or purchase them in digital downloads.

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You don’t need a million dollar sound system to enjoy vinyl records. I picked up this tiny record player for pennies.

Where to Check Vintage Vinyl Record Prices Online

There are numerous resources to value your record collection online. How do you get the best price on vinyl records online? It’s always best to stay current with values as the market shifts and adjusts over time.

  • eBay – Find listings of current records or search recently sold titles
  • Discogs – A great resource for sales stats with low, median, and high values
  • Value Your Music – Price guide with auction results as they are completed
  • Popsike.com – An eBay sales tracker searching sales over different time periods
  • Etsy – A large number of vintage record sellers and collectors

RareRecords.net

A perfect place to check the prices of valuable vinyl records is Rarerecords.net. Search for the record you are inquiring about, and you will receive a list of every different version of that record.

Promo copies, limited editions, factory-sealed records, and foreign copies are listed with values of each. It’s the best way to research the records you already own or might be thinking about purchasing.

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Most valuable vinyl records of all time.

Why Should I Collect Vintage Vinyl Records Online

Much like first edition rare books, the value of vintage vinyl records can be off the charts if you find the right one.

Many people are surprised that old vinyl albums can sell for tens of thousands of dollars at auctions. Not only that but collectors and investors exchange entire collections for millions of dollars. 

Having the right resources for vinyl records online lets you keep up to date on the market.

The chance of discovering valuable records and finding those lost treasures will increase because you will become familiar with the landscape of vinyl records online.

vinyl record collectors
Searching for and discovering an old forgotten vinyl record can be a thrilling activity. You might even uncover a diamond in the rough with enormous value, hidden in plain sight.

What Makes Vintage Records Valuable

There are many reasons vinyl records become valuable over time. One huge factor is when an artist releases an album, and the sales are small, only to have that same artist go on to be a huge success.

When the now-famous artist has a poor selling early album, it’s a perfect storm for giant price gains later on. The small supply on the market launches the album’s value once the star is born.

Often, radio stations will release a small number of promotional copies of a certain album.

These relatively rare records can go on to hold huge value, especially if the artist gains in popularity for many years after the release.

5 of the most expensive vinyl records in the world.

The condition of a vintage vinyl record is always a critical factor in its long-term value. Sometimes, you can find a desirable vintage album in great condition also still sealed in original wrapping.

Vintage Vinyl Grading System

There’s a Goldmine grading system used among record collectors, much like sports cards. Mint, Very Good, Good, and Poor conditions represent the overall grade.

Vinyl records are also graded using a numbered system. A scale of 1 to 10 is used, with 10 indicating an album in near-mint condition.

Not to mention limited edition and foreign editions produced in small numbers. Some of the most valuable vinyl records are from the original pressing, where the initial batch of lacquers is cut from original master recordings.

First Pressing Vinyl Records

The most dedicated vinyl collector will also consider the first pressing to be the best-sounding record.

There are many more reasons vintage vinyl records can skyrocket in value. Part of the fun is searching for as many combinations as possible in these desirable traits to really see the values take off.

The Largest Vinyl Collection in the World

Zero Freitas, a Brazillian businessman, owns the largest collection of vinyl records in the world. He owns more than 6 million records and has been known to buy entire collections at a time.

The world’s largest record collection in the world, owned by Zero Freitas.

As you can imagine, owning 6 million vinyl records will create certain challenges, such as how to store them, sort them, and protect them. Which ones to listen to?

He keeps the records in a giant warehouse in San Paulo, where he plans to catalog them for the public and create a listenable archive.

When Freitas was a youngster, he was called “Zero” by the kids at school. Little did they know at the time that young Zero would end up acquiring the largest vinyl record collection the world has ever seen.

Zero’s dad bought him a stereo that included 200 records when he was a kid. His love of music began with those 200 records.

Once he began working for the family transportation company and having some success in business, he began purchasing more vinyl records. It wasn’t long before he owned over 30,000 records.

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Bob Dylan vinyl record
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The Beatles vinyl
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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits vinyl

Are Picture Discs Worth Buying?

If you’re not familiar with picture discs, you should be. They can be very desirable for collectors and, over time, have increased in value just as much or more than regular vinyl records.

Picture discs can make a great companion to an album they already own. The vintage pictures on the face of the record make for great displays and wall-hung features.

The Best-Selling Vinyl Record of All-Time

There are some earth-shattering record-breaking sales numbers for the most popular and best-selling album of all time.

What tops the charts? Michael Jackson’s Thriller, with over 70 million albums sold. Some estimates are as high as 120 albums sold of Jackson’s album,

Here’s an inside look at the making of vinyl records. If you’ve ever wondered how vinyl records are made, there are a few great videos showing how musical creations are born.

Where to Sell Vinyl Records Online

We’ve talked a lot about where to buy vintage and classic vinyl records online, but what about selling? Where do I go to sell vinyl records online?

Many of the resources already mentioned above will buy used records, but there are a few more places you should consider if looking to sell vinyl records.

CDandLP.com is yet another one of many online marketplaces to buy vinyl records. Since 2001, CDandLP.com has been buying used vinyl records from music lovers around the world.

Sellers are charged between five and fifteen percent of the total sale price once the order is finalized.

Of course, there’s always the option of bringing your vinyl to local record stores to re-sell, but nowadays, there are a few great online vinyl record buyers who pay top dollar. All done with one trip to the post office.

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Once again, one of my favorite vinyl records of all time. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits.
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When it comes to vinyl records, it doesn’t get any bigger than The Beatles.
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The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan vinyl is an all time classic.

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