Make a list of the records you would like to sell and accurately grade them based on their condition. First grade the record itself. Record grading is a specific system:
"SS" means the record is still sealed and has never been opened.
"M" means in mint condition. There must not be any sign that the record was handled or scratched.
"NM" or "M-" means near mint condition. This record should be virtually flawless without any scratches. There may be a barely visible scuff.
"E" or "VG++" means excellent or very good ++. The disc will be nearly perfect but may have some scuffs or some hairline scratches. The play of the record should be unaffected by these.
"VG+" means very good +. The label may have minor imperfections and the record may show surface wear and have minor scuffs and scratches but these should minimally effect the play of the record.
"VG" means very good. The record will have noticeable scratches and scuffs that minimally affect the play of the record and there are no skips when the record is playing.
"G" means good. This record has been well worn and played, the label may be defaced but the record will play all the way through without skipping.
"F" and "P" mean fair and poor. These records cannot be sold for much unless they are very rare because they are damaged and skip when played.
Grade the sleeves of your records. The grading system is the same as before but applied to the condition of the record sleeves or covers.
Invest in a price guide. Price guides can give you an idea of reasonable prices to set for your records. You can also search the Internet to see what others are selling the same records for, but price guides are more professional and will take into account the true value of your records. "Goldmine" and the "Official Price Guide to Records" are two respected publications.
Visit as many record stores as you can with your list of records and prices to see whether you can find any takers. Some stores may haggle with you but some may take your price if you reference the price guide you used. Many stores will try to undercut you to make a profit, but depending on the perceived value of your records, you may be able to sell them this way.
Advertise your record list and prices in the classified section of local newspapers and music stores. This is another offline step that may help you find a local collector. Many music stores will let you post ads in the store on community bulletin boards for free. If you don't have the money to advertise in newspaper classified ads you can try using free online classified websites. You can find many of these sites by doing a basic web search, but some different free classified sites are Craigslist, All Free Ads, Web Leeg and US Free Ads.
Advertise your record list to online used record stores and online classified websites. You can try selling records on Amazon.com, eBay, Craigslist and online stores such as Sell Record Collection, Collector's Corner or Princeton Record Exchange. While advertising on Craigslist is free, most online stores charge a fee. Make sure to incorporate the fee in with the price of the records. You can bargain with many different stores and take the best offer.
Sell used records conveniently at a garage sale. In order to have a successful garage sale, you will need to make signs and advertise around the neighborhood, but a garage sale may be the best option for you because rather than tracking down customers, the customers will come to your home. To attract more customers, you can try linking your garage sale to several neighbors' garage sales. Make sure to get a permit if your town requires that you have one so that your garage sale is not shut down prematurely.