It consisted of six LPs and around 230 CDs ranging from the golden age 1980s metal up to more recent third wave thrash bands like Toxic Holocaust. The seller, who is an awesome guy I’d seen at metal shows over the years, brought the crate of CDS by my store in Hollywood. I asked him what he wanted, and he said $600 which I happily paid.
They sat in the receiving area for over a month before I finally went through them. If it had been last month, a rogue employee would have stolen over a quarter of them.
A Breakdown Of This Haul:
Although this collection was far from huge, there were a large number of albums that were worth well over $50.
Nuclear Assault – Handle With Care LP
Nuclear Assault – Handle With Care LP 1989 In-Effect [SEALED] [1ST PRESS ] – The seller told me this LP was a reissue, but it’s first press and in great shape.
Value = $125
Ulysses Siren – Above The Ashes CD
Ulysses Siren – Above The Ashes CD 2003 Relentless Records – RR0003000 – Released in 2003, this CD is a compilation of the band’s ’85 and 87 demos and is rare as hell.
Value = $100
Paradox – Heresy CD
Paradox – Heresy CD 2007 Metal Mind Productions – MASS 1047 [Gold Disc Digipak] – This reissue from the now defunct Metal Mind Records (Poland) is worth even more than a 1st press. Looks for all prices on the Metal Mind catalog to spike in the coming years.
Value = $60
Thanatos – Emerging from the Netherworlds CD
Thanatos – Emerging from the Netherworlds CD 1990 Shark Records – 015 [Germany] – Killer death/trash that showed up on the scene just a hare too late. Great record!
Value = $60
Anvil Bitch – Rise To Offend CD
Anvil Bitch – Rise To Offend CD 2003 New Renaissance – NRCD-126 [NUMBERED] – Though this album came out of vinyl in the 80s it never saw a first press of CD till 2003.
Value = $60
Have A Collection Like This To Sell?
I am always in the market. Hit me up at the contract info below.
The video below features a massive $40,000 collection of rare black, death, and heavy metal CDs, tapes, and albums that were stolen from our store by a 3-year employee and subsequently returned.
While it is beneficial to recover some of the stolen merchandise, I need to determine how to obtain compensation for the additional $30,000 worth of merchandise that he sold on OfferUp and other platforms, which can’t be replaced. Over the past year, he has been taking about 1/3 of my inventory, intentionally targeting the most valuable and collectible items for resale.
This is the total amount we’ve added back to inventory so far. The value does not include over 120 items that have already been sold.
He did this by one of two methods: Either stealing the items as soon as they arrived before they were added to inventory, or he would delete the listings from my eBay store and then take them. He did this a little at a time, except for one occasion when I was out of town. I paid him to come over and feed my cats. It was during that time that he removed significant quantities of the albums.
When I asked him where all the other money went, noting that he had sold at least 600 albums worth roughly $50 each since December, he told me that he didn’t have any money left. I also asked if he could replace them with items from his own collection. All of a sudden, he didn’t own any albums except for the ones stolen from me.
How I Discovered The Theft
The theft occurred gradually over the last year and a half. I discovered this while editing this video.
Usually, when I film videos for my YouTube channel, I do them in a single take. Most of the time, I don’t even review the footage. While filming this video, an issue arose with my camera, forcing me to complete the YouTube update in two sections and then edit them together. While I was looking for the edit point, I noticed that many of the most valuable CDs in the video weren’t in my eBay store inventory.
I checked to ensure none of these items were on the shelves. Then, I began reviewing other videos, noticing the same pattern: featured items in videos that never made it to inventory.
When my employee arrived for work the next day, I confronted him with a list of the missing items and asked where they might be. He immediately became fidgety and nervous and began to look on the shelves, quickly leaving the store.
The next day, I called him, and he admitted that he had been stealing from me for a long time and that he would “make it right. The next day, at noon, boxes started to arrive outside my door, and he would text me to let me know that he had left items for me. The deliveries went on for over three weeks, and during that time, he returned almost 300 albums and 500 CDs, many very rare and valuable.”
Stolen Item Highlights
Well, he did return a great deal of inventory, but I am still missing:
Over 600 of the most valuable albums from this collection I bought in Vegas. Several of the missing items were box sets worth over $200. When I purchased this collection, I hand-counted the records with the original owner, and the total number of items came to 1,985. By the time my employee finished with his theft, only 1,200 items made it to inventory. The discrepancy was so apparent that I called the original seller and asked if I had left some of the items in Vegas. I even suspected that he might have been the one who altered the deal.
I am also missing over 500 CDs from this collection, and I had noted in the original blog post that the amounts didn’t match up, although I didn’t know my employee was stealing at the time.
So many CDs were missing from the collection I bought locally that I lost money on the deal.
Over 100 albums were stolen from this collection I purchased in Syracuse.
Countless cassettes were stolen from various collections over the years.
In many cases, the employees stole multiple copies of valuable items. Meaning he wasn’t keeping them for his collection. He was targeting them for resale, which he sold on OfferUp and to Amoeba Records.
If anyone has information or wants to help, please get in touch with me at 310-666-6996 or email jqmediala@gmail.com
There isn’t a huge backstory. I was at my store sometime last week when I got a call from an older woman who lived in the San Fernando Valley. She said she had some metal CDs to sell, precisely the kind of stuff I was looking for.
They told me they had found me on YouTube from one of the many videos I posted showing off collections I acquired.
They said they would come down the next day and show me what they had. What they had was pretty impressive. It contained many 90s first pressings of bands, such as Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Death,Benediction, Acid Bath, and more.
They were charming people. They didn’t think CDs were worth anything anymore and would’ve gladly taken $100. I paid them $500 cash, and they were on their way back to the valley in 20 minutes, pleased as a peach. They even left me a good review on Google.
The video embedded above went up on YouTube and has caused quite a bit of controversy. Many people in the comments think I was taking advantage of the elderly. Sure, it was a great deal for me, but I paid them five times what they sought.
Obviously, the CDs’ resale value is upwards of $6,000 or $7,000, so this was a great payday. However, deals like this don’t come around often, so enjoy them while you can.
Collection Highlights
Here are some of the germs from the epic collection.
Carnage – Dark Recollections CD
Carnage—Dark Recollections CD 1992 Relativity—88561-1105-2 — The original band from Swedish guitarist Michael Amott (Carcass, Candlemass, Arch Enemy) is the one to have and was included in this collection. The original US pressing is the one to have and was included in this collection. Prices currently range from $144 to $200 on Discogs.
Value = $200
Massacre – From Beyond CD
Massacre – From Beyond CD 1991 Relativity – 88561-2038-2 [Original] – Consisting of the late 80s Death “Leprosy” lineup minus Chuck Schuldiner, Massacre delivered one classic record, and this is it.
Value = $70
A.C./Anal Cunt – Everyone Should Be Killed CD
A.C./Anal Cunt – Everyone Should Be Killed CD 1994 Earache – MOSH101CD – Song title on the album aren’t nearly as exteme as some that would later come out on albums like “It Just Get Worse”, but this album still couldn’t come out today.
Value = $70
Cancer – To The Gory End CD
Cancer – To The Gory End CD 1992 Restless Records – 7 72597-2 – While this is technically the second pressing of this CD (the first was on Silent Screaming Records), this 1992 pressing was the first wider release and is worth a pretty penny.
Value = $70
Gorefest – False CD
Gorefest—False CD 1992 Nuclear Blast America—NBA RED 6056-2 – I have never understood the obsession with Gorefest (aka Snorefst), but as you can see from the prices on these originals, some people like it.
Value = $60
Suffocation – Human Waste CD
Suffocation—Human Waste CD 1991 Relapse Records—RR 6015-2—Suffocation’s debut 1991 is technically a reissue of their 1990 demo cassette of the same name, but hey, who’s counting?
Value = $60
Do You Have A CD Collection Like This To Sell?
If you do, I will pay more than $500 for it. I pay more than anyone in the business for collections like this.
This one was a no-brainer, considering that Vegas is only four hours from Los Angeles. I first visited the seller in early November and quickly looked at what he had for a few hours. The seller told me he would sell the entire collection at $15 a unit, the same price for every record and box set. Of course, many records were not worth $15, but there were many more where this would be an excellent deal. Not to mention that the $15 applied to box sets, some of which, like the Metallica Master of Puppets box set, go for up to $1000.
After crunching the numbers, I agreed to the deal, returned in a rented van, and picked them up in late November. I wrote him a check for 30K and returned to LA with this collection ready for sale just in time for Christmas.
Here are some of the standouts from that collection.
Rob Zombie – Limited Edition Vinyl Box LP
Rob Zombie—Limited Edition Vinyl Box LP Box Set 2018 Geffen B0027088-01 — This is a very cool and collectible Box Set with original art, as only Rob Zombie knows how to do it.
Value = $1000
Metallica – Master of Puppets LP/CD/DVD Box Set
Metallica – Master of Puppets LP/CD/DVD Box Set 2017 Blackened – If you want every outtake, alternate mix, and demo associated with this Metallica classic, this is the box set for you! Much of the material seems superfluous, but Metallica nerds will buy anything. They did it at such a level that this box is only available on the aftermarket and costs a lot!
Value = $1000
Moonsorrow – Heritage: 1995-2008 – The Collected Works LP Box Set
Moonsorrow – Heritage: 1995-2008 – The Collected Works LP Box Set 2014 200G EX – While the folk metal outfit Moonsorrow may not be a household name like Metallica, the limited number of the pressings makes this a pricey find.
Value = $600
Pantera – Metal Magic LP
Pantera – Metal Magic LP 1983 Metal Magic Records – MMR 1283 – The LPs from the band’s early hair metal days “will never get reissued,” making these originals worth an arm and a leg. Also, it is perhaps the greatest album artwork in history [insert sarcasm].
Value = $400
Samhain – Initium LP
Samhain – Initium LP 1989 Plan 9 – PL9-04 [1ST PRESS] – Because Glenn Danzig seems allergic to reissuing these proto-punk classics — bootlegs are everywhere, and originals will cost you a vital organ.
Value = $300
Pearl Jam – Ten LP
Pearl Jam – Ten LP 1994 Epic Associated – Z 47857 [1st Press US] – If you are like me and grew up in the 90s, you probably never want to hear these songs again. It doesn’t change the fact that this was a massive debut album that plays like a greatest hits. It has been repressed many times, but the original is worth A LOT. It’s worth noting that this release didn’t appear on vinyl till almost two years after its 1992 release. That’s how prevalent CDs were at this time.
Rush – Counterparts LP
Rush – Counterparts LP 1993 Atlantic – 7567-82528-1 – When you think of “great Rush albums,” nobody thinks “Counterparts.” Due to record company hijinks, the first run is limited and has not been reissued.
Jerry Cantrell – Boggy Depot LP
Jerry Cantrell—Boggy Depot LP 2020 Columbia [Forest Green + Black]— While this is only a four-year-old reissue, it already sells for two of two bills on the aftermarket. You should see the prices on the first pressings—yikes!
Have A Collection Like This To Sell?
I’m in the market and pay top dollar. Contact me at the information below.
This is the second video that I did not publish for a few weeks after the last post because of the YouTube algorithm. There was supposed to be a third video, but it got corrupted on my phone.
We are late in publishing this list as we did our top-selling albums from last year. Based on the posts you see on this blog, you might think we only buy used heavy metal LP and CD collections. That is far from the truth. We buy brand-new CDs, LPs, and cassettes from a growing network of labels and distributors. We buy so much; brand-new music accounts for over 50% of our sales. These are our top-selling albums from 2024.
Mercyful Fate – Don’t Break The Oath CD 2020 Metal Blade – [Gatefold Digipak]
A seller in New York hit me up years ago, wanting to sell these CDs. Honestly, I didn’t do a great job on the offer. I offered him $4600 for this collection of what was supposed to be 2000 CDs. I should have bid higher.
We went back and forth over the price; he correctly thought it was low. After some negotiation, he told me he wanted me to go to Western Union or wire him the money. When I do business with someone, I always like to use PayPal so we can enable buyer-seller protection. It acts as an escrow between the buyer and the seller, keeping me locked into the deal while keeping the seller honest. If something goes wrong, PayPal is there to cover it. I have tried other methods to facilitate a deal like this and never have found better. Just sending someone thousands of dollars and hoping they send you what they promise is the oldest scam on the Internet.
Deal In Limbo
In limbo is where the deal sat for almost 2 years; the guy finally hit me up a few months ago and said he still wanted to sell the CDs and was willing to accept my offer. He then said he had the same issues with PayPal and could not get his account going again. I told him that if he were willing to send me the CDs, I would pay him for them if they were what he said they were. I pointed out that I have a well-respected career as someone who buys heavy metal albums and CD collections.
He then sent me the CDs through media mail. They were packed OK, but were a bit dusty. The playing surfaces were all pristine; many cracked cases needed replacement. The actual count of the CDs was only 1400, not the 2000 that he thought it was. Overestimating the collection size is a common issue when buying collections; people often think they have more than they actually do.
Even with the numbers not being precisely right, this is still a great deal. $4600 was a fair price. The cost per unit totaled $3.28, which is still great. I would’ve paid even more for them now, as there were many rare and out-of-print CDs from the 1990s to the 2000s, many of which were worth up to $50, a few even more than that. I compiled a list of the best and brightest below.
Highlights From This Collection
Dawn – Nær Solen Gar Niþer For Evogher CD
Dawn – Nær Solen Gar Niþer For Evogher CD 1994 Necropolis – NR 006 – For such a short (but great album), this melodic death metal CD fetches a high price.
Value = $120
Gutted – Gutted CD
Gutted – Gutted CD 1997 Loud N Local Music Group – LNLMG9701-2 – Limited run / self-released death metal gem. Only 1500 exist.
Value = $100
Cannibal Corpse – Tomb of the Mutilated CD
Cannibal Corpse – Tomb of the Mutilated CD 1992 Metal Blade – 3984-14003-2 – First pressings of this early Cannibal Corpse CD (as with many from this band) are worth a pretty penny.
Value = $80
Monstrosity – Millennium CD
Monstrosity – Millennium CD 1996 Conquest Music – CM 9301 [Original Press] – The biggest death metal band to ever populate the line-ups of bigger death metal bands.
Value = $80
Aeon – Dark Order CD
Aeon – Dark Order CD 2001 Deathvomit Records – DVR009CD [ORIGINAL PRESS RARE] – The last CD before Aeon signed to Metal Blade Record is very hard to find.
Value = $70
Urfaust – Verräterischer, Nichtswürdiger Geist CD
Urfaust – Verräterischer, Nichtswürdiger Geist CD 2002 GoatowaRex S.D.L.011 *AU – Very rare early release from GoatowaRex before the label relocated to China.
Value = $70
Splattered Cadaver – Merciless Butchery CD
Splattered Cadaver – Merciless Butchery CD 2001 United Guttural Records – UG 014
Value = $70
The Chasm – Deathcult For Eternity: The Triumph CD
The Chasm – Deathcult For Eternity: The Triumph CD 1998 Oz Productions CD006 – Classic Mexican death metal.
Value = $60
Scattered Remnants – Indulgence In Masochism CD
Scattered Remnants – Indulgence In Masochism CD 2002 Deepsend Records – DSR003
Value = $60
Nagelfar – Virus West CD
Nagelfar – Virus West CD 2001 Ars Metalli – ARSCD023 [Germany]
Value = $60
Infernal Dominion – Salvation Through Infinite Suffering CD
Infernal Dominion – Salvation Through Infinite Suffering CD 2000 Corpse Gristle
Value = $60
Do You Have A Heavy Collection Like This To Sell?
eI am always on the hunt to aquire new black, heavy metal, punk rock and death metal collections of any size. None is too expesive.
I rarely buy collections locally. I usually buy from different cities in the US and even Europe. Here is an example of a deal I made with a guy in Greeceto acquire his heavy metal vinyl collection. You can see a tour of it in the video below.
The seller, who lived in Greece, found me through my sales page on this site. He then sent me a spreadsheet and a few photos of the albums, which you can see below. His spreadsheet gave me enough to work with to make him an offer.
I offered him $4000 plus shipping, which he agreed to. We haggled some about the payment method, he wanted me to send a wire, which would have been very foolish. To avoid scammers, I pay for everything upfront via PayPal using buyer/seller protection, making 99% of these deals go smoothly. The seller protection acts as an escrow for two people who want to do business that will never meet. Seller protection locks me into the deal and keeps the other party honest by using PayPal as an unbiased referee.
Fun With Internation Shipping
Normally, when shipping internationally, your best bets are either FedEx or DHL. DHL is a bit more expensive, but is slightly more reliable. FedEx does the job nearly as well, but for a bit less. Both services are available in most countries. For some reason, the seller had trouble finding a decent price, and normally, I would negotiate by calling local agents. This was difficult, considering the language barrier. The seller found air cargo through Delta, and the price was decent, so we gave it a shot.
Everything arrived fairly quickly and packed very well. Even though the shipping through Delta was a bit cheaper, the fees, taxes, and tariffs piled on made it not worth it. To add insult to injury, a rude agent at Customs and Border Enforcement forced me to go through a customs broker to clear the shipment. Fortunately, I was able to locate one who did a great job. If you ever need a customs broker in Los Angeles, I highly recommendOmega CHB.
Tour Of The Records
Finally, we get to the fun part: The records themselves. All of the vinyl was correctly graded with no major issues. Most records were hard rock, heavy metal, and thrash from the ‘80s through the ‘90s, with many Greek pressings. The cool thing about Greek pressings is that they are not cheap, unlike many European presses. The construction is very high-quality, and the cardboard isn’t flimsy. The pressing of the vinyl itself is pretty impressive and is as good as anything in the United States. There was also a bit of newer and more modern stuff in there.
Below are some of the highlights.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Endangered Species LP
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Endangered Species LP 1994 Capricorn 477808 1 [Europe] – I’m shock this is worth so much, but it sold in hours.
Value = $300
Megadeth – Rust In Peace LP
Megadeth—Rust In Peace LP 1990 Capitol Records—C1-91935—This is by far the most valuable Megadeth album, and its value just keeps increasing.
Value = $300
Nirvana – Nevermind LP
Nirvana—Nevermind LP 1991 Geffen—GEF 24 425 [1st Press Germany]—The American version is worth twice this much, but it’s still not too shoddy.
Value = $250
Motörhead – We Are Motörhead LP
Motörhead – We Are Motörhead LP 2000 Steamhammer – SPV 078-21821 [Germany] – Wow!
The video below shows a great collection I bought from Florida. These 350 CDs are from my favorite period in music: 80s – 90s thrash metal. They are 90% original pressings, and there are some re-issues. There is a lot of great stuff in here, not just your typical Big 4 Thrash Metalbut some other great obscure thrash metal gems from the late 80s and early 90s that are entirely out of print, such as Sacrifice, Atrophy, Num Skull, and Devastation.
I can figure out everything I need from reading the catalog numbers.
When I finally talked to the seller, he told me he wanted $1500 for the entire collection, which was more than fair. I would’ve paid quite a bit more, but to help him, I agreed to pay the shipping cost. I sent him a PayPal and had this collection a week later.
Collection Highlights
Below are the most rare/expensive CDs from this haul, along with some values and comments about each.
Metallica – Kill ‘Em All CD
Metallica – Kill ‘Em All CD 1987 Megaforce – MRI CD 069 [1st Pressing CD] – Original first pressing on Megaforce Records, you can tell it’s the OG by the simple white layout on the back. First-press copies of this thrash metal classic are rarely seen these days
Value = $150
Rigor Mortis – Rigor Mortis CD
Rigor Mortis – Rigor Mortis CD 1988 Capitol Records – C2-48909 [Original Press] – This heavy metal masterpiece was believed to be nothing more than a tax write-off for Capital Records and is heavily bootlegged. It has never been re-issued officially, making the original pressings of this highly sought-after.
Value = $130
Sacrifice – Torment In Fire CD
Sacrifice – Torment In Fire CD 1991 Fringe Product FPD3020 [1st Press] [Canada] – While this album originally came out in 1985, it did not officially come out on CD until 1990. This makes it the first pressing on CD from Fringe Product Records in Canada.
Value = $100
Atrophy – Socialized Hate CD
Atrophy – Socialized Hate CD 1988 Roadracer – RRD 9518 [Original] – Here is one of those rare cases where the CD is worth exactly as much as the vinyl. Again, you can tell this is a first-pressing the simple typeface on the CD’s rear panel.
Value = $100
Num Skull – When Suffering Comes CD
Num Skull – When Suffering Comes CD 1996 Defiled Records – DLF-4723-2 [RARE] – Num Skull is an absolutely killer, underappreciated thrash metal band. The CD is entirely out of print and unavailable on streaming services, making it a very rare find.
Value = $100
Destruction – Infernal Overkill CD
Destruction—Infernal Overkill CD 1988 Steamhammer—SHCD 7020 [Original] — This full-length debut album from Destruction has been re-issued many times, but the originals are hard to come by. This CD would be worth much more, but the copy in this collection was scratched up, so the value is a bit lower here.
Value = $100
Slayer – Haunting The Chapel CD
Slayer – Haunting The Chapel CD 1989 Roadrunner RR 2444 2 [Slimline] [Sealed] EU – This rare first pressing from Europe in a slimline jewel case is almost impossible to find. This copy is even more valuable because it is still factory-sealed after over 30 years.
Value = $100
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion CD
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion CD 1987 Combat – 88561-8091-2 [Rare Original] – This is an even rarer case of the CD worth more than the vinyl. Celtic Frost’s classic sophomore effort is one very expensive and in-demand CD.
Value = $100
Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence CD
Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence CD 1987 Enigma – CDE-73253 [ORIGINAL] RARE! It’s expensive for obvious reasons [Death Angel is incredible!!]
Value = $80
Devastation – Idolatry CD
Devastation – Idolatry CD 1991 Combat – 88561-2019-2 [Original] – This extremely rare CD from the quasi-Christian thrash metal band from Corpus Christi, Texas, is a rare find packed with brutal riffs in the vein of Dark Angel.
Value = $80
Have A Collection Like This To Sell?
I am constantly hunting for high-quality heavy metal collections of any size, whether on tape, CD, or vinyl. Use the info below to contact me.
In the video below is highlights from a collection of rare death metal CDs I bought from Arizona recently.
The last few months have been pretty crazy with collection buying. As a business owner, I can tell you my inventory is better than ever. That’s because more people are selling than buying because they are broke.
This is my current inventory of collections I bought but haven’t even had a chance to go through yet.
If I had what I have now two years ago, I would be making 5K a day in gross sales. Instead, I’m making a fraction of that. That said, I’m doing OK… better than many—but that is not the point of this rant.
As we go into this election season, know this: If you think inflation is waning, you are dead wrong. Please don’t believe the hype about the Fed’s interest rate cut because inflation is “over.” It’s all performative theater.
Thrash Metal IQ is all about metal. That is as far as I care to get into politics on the site.
I’m cutting this month’s blog post short so I can to get back to cataloging all this stuff I bought recently.
Have A Collections Like This To Sell?
Despite the massive stack of boxes at the top of this post, I am still buying!
Check out the information below if you want to sell your heavy metal collection.
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