I spent part of this past weekend at the Austin Record Convention, which is the largest record show in the United States. Sellers come from all over the nation to sell records for three days, and buyers show up from all over Texas, and beyond. I’d been to the convention in the past, but this time I was there not to buy records, but to sell. A friend and I split the surprisingly affordable cost for a table, a mere $150 for the 3-day event. For $87.50, how could I not give it a try?

Some vendors showed up with thousands of records, spread out over multiple tables, in dozens of boxes and crates, with walls behind them displaying their most precious wares. I was only there to sell from a couple creates, and all the records I was offering were ’80s and ’90s rap albums. I realize that while I still play my 12″ singles from time to time, I haven’t touched these albums in years. Many I haven’t played since I bought them; some I never played all the way through even once.

If you are contemplating selling vinyl at a record convention, I hope you will find the details of my experience helpful.

The event takes place over three days, but in all honesty, only the first day was worthwhile. I didn’t even bother to come back the third day, so perhaps I missed out on some fabulous sales, but I don’t think that is the case. Here’s my breakdown of the three day’s crowds:

Friday

This is the day that the serious buyers show up. While a ticket that gets you in on both Saturday and Sunday costs but $5, a ticket for Friday through Sunday costs $30. The people who pay that are paying that extra $25 for a chance to get dibs on the better stuff.

Saturday

There was a larger crowd on Saturday, but barely any were interested in what I was selling. I should point out that most of my crates contained expensive, rare records, so while countless people ogled my promo vinyl of “The Low End Theory,” or my first press of “Illmatic,” none were prepared to pay the price to own them.

Sunday

As I mentioned, I didn’t go, but I was told that most of the Sunday crowd are the opposite of the Friday crowd. They show up hoping to talk dealer’s down, and scoop up bargains. As I wasn’t there to sell below fair market value, I think I’d have spent most of Sunday saying “no thank you.”

Some tips:

1. Bring a couple large blankets. Security is tight, but dealers are expected to cover their wares with a blanket if they step away from their table, or when leaving inventory there overnight, to prevent any quick walk-by snatching of vinyl.

2. Bring food! Unless you come with a crew, you can’t really walk out and get lunch. The show runs from 8am to 6pm, and you’re going to want to eat during that time.

3. Some signage helps. If you don’t have a display rack behind you, put up a sign letting people know what kind of music you’re selling.

4. Maybe the most important thing for me, but it will depend on what you sell how important it is to you: Nearly no one there was selling rap records, and most buyers there had no interest in hip hop or rap. Record conventions are all about rock & roll. Elvis is king. The Beatles are everywhere. People want Dylan and the Stones. Blues are huge. Jazz is massive– the guy next to me got $800 for a beat up Hank Mobley record. Sweet soul and R&B are heavily sought after. Rap? Nope? House, techno, EDM? Even less popular than rap.

So, how did I do? Well, I didn’t sell that many records. I only sold 15 records in total. But they sold for an average of about $50 each, so it was well worth the effort. I’m in a different position than a full-time dealer, in that I bought all my records new when they were released, or received them free in record pools back in the day. Most record sellers operate on a much smaller profit margin. I spoke with quite a few during the event, and the general consensus was that they look for deals at show, and pay perhaps $40 for a record they think they can get $50 for. For them, volume is key. They need to sell a lot of records to make a profit. If you’re like me– selling a personal collection– you’ll likely have a massive profit margin on each record you sell. The records I didn’t get for free back in the day cost me between $7 and $9 each, so $50 per record is an excellent return.

Finally, I’m sure you’re wondering– what did you sell? Here’s a breakdown of each record I sold, and what I go for it. I should mention, unless otherwise noted, each record below is the original pressing, bought new upon its original release, and record and sleeve were in VG+ to NM- condition.

Big Daddy Kane “It’s a Big Daddy Thing”
50.00
Boogie Boys “City Life”
10.00
Davy D “Davy’s Ride”
8.00
Edan “Beauty and the Beat”
115.00
Eric B. & Rakim “Paid in Full”
70.00
Heavy D. & the Boyz “Big Tyme”
20.00
Jungle Brothers “Straight Out the Jungle”
25.00
L.L. Cool J “Bigger and Deffer” (record VG with one bad scuff on side B, affecting two songs)
12.00
Main Source “Breakin’ Atoms” [promo pressing]
151.00
Newcleus “Jam On Revenge”
80.00
Public Enemy “Yo! Bum Rush the Show”
30.00
Rocksteady Crew “Ready for Battle”
20.00
Son of Bazerk “Bazerk, Bazerk, Bazerk”
49.00
Stereo MC’s “Supernatural”
30.00
Whodini “Escape”
50.00

Final Tally: $720 for 15 records, minus the 87.50 fee = a solid profit

So there you have it. My weekend selling records. I hope this helps any future record vendors. As ever, ask any questions in the comments of any of our social media platforms.