Rockaway Records Vinyl Wants

First, What We Don’t Want
There are many LPs and 45s out there that have no value to us, even in great condition. A  record that was popular at one time may have sold millions of copies, meaning that there are still many, many copies on the market. Anyone who ever wanted one probably already has it, already got rid of it or has since bought it on CD.
So unless they’re somewhat obscure or still factory sealed (in the case of some LPs), we are generally not interested in the following (with some examples):

• Pop Vocals (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand)
• Easy Listening (Mantovani, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith)
• Readers Digest or Time-Life box sets
  Opera
• Broadway Showtunes (South Pacific, My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line)
• Soundtracks (West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Sound Of Music)
• Big Band and Swing (Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey)
• Country from the 70s-80s (Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Oak Ridge Boys)
• Comedy
• New Age (Yanni, Mannheim Steamroller aka Fresh Aire, Windham Hill label)
• "Wave" Jazz (Michael Franks, Yellowjackets, Kenny G)
• Most big name rock artists from the 70s and 80s like Journey, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, etc. who sold so many records (that are also available on CD) that their hit albums are
  virtually worthless.
• 45s without picture sleeves that were huge hits (unless they’re promo copies, maybe)
• 78s (except for a select few, like pre-WWII blues or Elvis Presley on Sun Records)

OK, So What Do We Want!?
Records have been around for a long time and it’s still a big, wide world of records out there, so that is a tough question to answer, but here goes.

Mainly but not exclusively:
60s to very early 70s rock albums, especially psychedelic & progressive music…usually, the more obscure the better; bebop and post-bop jazz of the 50s-60s; soul jazz; blues; picture-sleeve 45s; audiophile pressings; some vintage 50s-60s classical; R&B, soul & funk; private and independent releases; obscure folk & country; old school rap & hip-hop; obscure new wave 7" & 12" singles; punk rock; and always the blue chip standbys like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. And especially imported pressings of most of the above.

Records should be in great condition, including the covers. The rarer the record, the more likely it can still have some value even if it is less than perfect. The more common the record, the less likely it can be anything other than perfect and still have any value at all. The records should be free of scratches and the covers should not be split or excessively worn. SPECIAL NOTE: LPs in their original shrinkwrap, whether still factory sealed or opened, can be worth more than usual, especially still sealed ones. Also, a common LP we would normally pass on when opened might be something we’d consider if still sealed.

No matter what kinds of records you’ve got, you never know when you might have a hidden gem. Sometimes the records we buy and pay the most for are the ones you aren’t expecting! So just give us a call before you come in or, if you already have a prepared list, email or mail it to us.