In this YouTube interview, host Adam Zimmerman (Speaker A) sits with Jeff, the in‑house record expert at Spellman Gallery, to discuss the current vinyl market. Jeff outlines which genres are consistently saleable—classic jazz, soul (e.g., Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder), ’80s alternative (The Cure) and classic rock—explaining that they “always sell” and command top dollar. He then lists genres that have fallen out of favor, such as show tunes, barbershop, mainstream pop exemplified by Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand, as well as opera and classical music, noting the lack of demand rather than a quality issue. The conversation shifts to the importance of record condition, with Jeff confirming that better condition yields higher value, though even scratched copies like John Coltrane’s Love Supreme can still fetch good money. Jeff shares a standout anecdote about a Hank Mobley self‑titled Blue Note record (catalog #1568) that sold for about $2,000 despite being in poor shape. The segment ends with a call to subscribe for future videos.
Chapters
So I'm here at Spellman Gallery with their in-house record expert, Jeff, and he's going to go over records and the exact type of records that are saleable today. So you might have some of these items in your house, some records. What genres are good and what genres are not so saleable anymore? Jeff, tell me.
All right, I've got a few examples here, this one being a classic jazz record. This sort of thing has been popular now for years and it always sells. People are always interested in it. That's something that we always want. Also have a couple of old soul records. This one by Otis Redding and another one, a classic, by Stevie Wonder. These are always in demand. We always want them and we'll always pay good money for them. Another genre is alternative records from the '80s. I have one here by The Cure. These have skyrocketed in value in the last 10 years or so, and it's another example of something that we always want and will always pay top dollar for.
So Jeff, so blues, jazz, rock and roll, sounds like those things are pretty popular. What kind of genres are not so popular anymore in today's world?
Show tunes don't do very well. There's not a lot of interest. Stuff like barbershop. Mariah Carey, I think, is the biggest example. And then of course, Barbra Streisand. It's not because of any— it's not a knock on the quality of the music, it's just that she sold so many records. There's a lot out there. Opera doesn't draw much interest these days, and classical.
Now what about condition? When it comes to records, is condition important like it is with books and baseball cards and stuff? Does it have that much importance?
Absolutely, yeah. Obviously the better condition, the more a record is worth. So that's something that maybe people want to check before they decide to sell their records is, you know, what kind of condition they're in. There are some records, even if they're in not great shape, still bring in good money, like this one here, Love Supreme by John Coltrane. You know, it's still bringing in good money even if it's got a few scratches on it.
What's the most expensive record you ever found in a home?
That would be a Hank Mobley self-titled Blue Note record. Catalog number 1568. I found one and it was not in great shape, but it was still worth about $2,000.
My gosh. So you don't know if you might have another expensive record like Jeff found, but if you need to know, you could let us know and maybe we could find you some treasures. Please subscribe so you don't miss any future videos.
