Author: ThrashMetalIQ

The video below is a quick tour of a 30K heavy metal collection I bought in Vegas. It was so my vinyl that the details couldn’t fit in one video, so look for updates in the future on my YouTube channel. People often ask me if I will travel to buy a record collection. For collections north of 10K, I am willing to travel and have many times in the past.

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. 

This was a big buy for me. It was my second largest. My biggest purchase was 63K.

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.

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 Greece to 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 recommend Omega 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!

Value = $200

Sodom – Agent Orange LP

Sodom – Agent Orange LP 1989 Steamhammer – SPV 08-7596 [Germany] [Gatefold] 

Value = $170

Vice Human – Metal Attack LP

Vice Human – Metal Attack LP 1985 Famous Music – FM 14505 [Greece] – Obscure Greek heavy metal!

Value = $150

Metallica – Ride The Lightning LP

Metallica – Ride The Lightning LP 1984 Music For Nations MFN 27 [UK] -1st press Europe

Value = $150

Satyricon – The Age Of Nero LP

Satyricon – The Age Of Nero LP 2008 Roadrunner Records – RRCAR 7893-1 

Value = $150

Have A Collection Like This To Sell?

I am constantly on the hunt to buy new heavy metal CD/LP collections, big and small.  Contact me at the information below if you have one to sell.

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, with some reissues. There is a lot of great stuff in here, not just your typical Big 4 Thrash Metal but 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.

The seller from Florida found me through my contact page for people looking to sell their metal CD and vinyl collections. He sent me some videos of the CDs and some pictures of the spines. Generally, when buying a metal CD collection, I only need photos of the spines (as you see below), a general idea of the condition, and the total number of CDs.

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 Capitol 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 CD pressing 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 reissued 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. 

Visit us in Hollywood…

In the video below is a quick tour of some records I bought from a guy in Las Vegas. While this one is smaller than other punk rock record collections I’ve purchased, no collection is too big or small. My biggest buy was $ 62,000; this was only $500 but is still worth highlighting.

This mini-punk rock collection came to me courtesy of a guy in Vegas who picked them up in a pawn show or thrift store, intending to resell them. As I’ve said many times, selling albums one at a time on eBay is a pain in the butt.

He sent me some photos, claiming he didn’t know whether they were worth anything. You can see some of them in the slideshow below.

This may have been true, or perhaps not, but I made him an offer of $500. Since he had likely picked these up at a thrift store for less than $50, it would be a good come-up without having to go through the rigors of selling them one at a time.

Admittedly, I made a slight mistake in not asking for more pictures; I believed the Black Flag “Nervous Breakdown” was a 2nd or 5th press worth around $500. Unfortunately, it was a 1990 press on red vinyl, which is worth far less.

I paid a bit more than I should have for this small punk rock collection, but I still can recoup some money and make a small amount. You win some, you lose some.

Have A Punk Rock Collection Like This To Sell?

I’m always buying, hit me up at the info below.