Ebay has gone to war with NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal). I distribute a small number of titles, including Grand Belial’s Key for Weltenfeind Records. By and large, eBay has been allowing sales of various “NSBM” bands, such as Goatmoon, Grand Belial’s Key, and Vothana. While eBay has always targeted certain bands like Burzum (because of Varg’s politics, not lyrical content), Absurd, and Der Sturmer, it has allowed sales of some bands that are less in-your-face or have no overt Nazi imagery.
That has all changed. Grand Belial’s Key is now persona non grata on eBay. Say what you like about the band’s politics, you can’t argue that the riffs aren’t divine! No wonder they are a top seller with so many black metal fans!
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Ebay has either been taken over by Antifa or is running some type of AI that is going crazy flagging listings for anything further right than Creedence Clearwater Revival. An innocuous copy of Death In June was recently triggered by the “offensive music filter” as Nazi, even though it’s 80’s synth pop. I guess the little skull-and-crossbones cartoon on the cover was too much for it.
EBay’s Offensive Music Policy Specifics
Below is the verbiage of eBay’s offensive music policy:
A simple read of this would apply to all black/death metal and extreme metal bands, as religion is a common target for most extreme bands. Although nobody seems to get their feather ruffled when it is Christians who are being targeted.
It’s pretty clear that things will not get better from here. It won’t be long before bands with even tertiary associations with NSBM, like MGLA or Deathspell Omega, are on the out list.
What Are We Going To Do?
We are in the process of pulling all of our more controversial listings from Ebay and moving them to our online store. While this will be a lot of work, there are quite a few upsides:
No more censorship. We decide what we want to sell.
Our prices will be lower. Ebay takes 20% of our money. We will pass those savings on to you.
The same great free, fast shipping, and customer service at a lower price.
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It will take some time for our new store to be completely stocked. By no means do we intend for it just to be a clearinghouse for NSBM, but we have to start somewhere.
Check out our new online store below.
We are taking orders now. We ship every day, Mon-Friday!
This month’s update is a bit different from many of our past updates, as it has a lot of non-metal stuff, as you can see in the video below.
The acquisition of these LPs was a bit different than most. Primarily, I buy metal collections by mail. I usually never meet the seller. In this instance, a guy from the Los Angeles area called me and walked into the store with the records he was selling.
He said his girlfriend had acquired a large collection from a big-time collector who had just passed away. They were getting tired of selling them one by one themselves and wanted to get rid of them in bulk. As I have emphasized many times on this blog, selling a large collection could be a full-time job. I can take five or six years to accomplish. Even then, not everything in the collection will sell.
The first batch was all amazing records and crazy condition, many of them from the 60s and 70s that were still sealed. There was an amazing Nirvana LP in near-mint condition, NM “butcher baby’ Beatles records, sealed Rolling Stones, rare punk gems, and more. What was interesting about these records is that almost everything in the lot was worth more than $100.
Since then, I have purchased two more small collections from this guy, all of which were the same caliber. Rather than boring you with a protracted story, let’s take a look at some of the gems below.
Standout Holy Grail Records
Here are some of the craziest pieces from this haul.
Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign LP
Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign LP 1967 Stax – S723 [FACTORY SEALED] – Original 1967 first pressing of Albert King’s most famous album is worth money, not sealed. This copy is factory-sealed, the colors look amazing, and it’s hard to believe it’s almost 60 years old.
Value = $550
Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals LP
Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals LP 1998 Nothing Records [Blue/White] – Issued as two separate LPs there are sold together. Original pressings go for a pretty penny and are nearly impossible to find.
Value = $550
Black Sabbath – Paranoid LP
Black Sabbath – Paranoid LP 1970 Vertigo – 6360 011 EX/NM *UK [1st Repress] – This is the first repress of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”. While this is technically a first UK pressing, the actual first pressing includes the band’s management in the gatefold credits. The original run sold out so quickly. The repress omits any references to Black Sabbath’s original manager, Jim Simpson.
Value = $500
Patti Smith – Peace And Noise LP
Patti Smith – Peace And Noise LP 1997 Arista – 07822-18986-1 [Factory Sealed] – This album is limited to 1000 copies and is already worth a bunch. Factory-sealed makes it even rarer and more expensive.
Value = $450
Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York LP
Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York LP 1994 DGC 24727 [1st Press/White] – This album looked so new you could swear it came out of a time machine. It sold immediately on discogs. The customer asked me to check the runout in the wax. I knew it was correct because the album looked so legit; I knew it was the real McCoy.
Value = $400
The Rolling Stones – England’s Newest Hitmakers LP
The Rolling Stones – England’s Newest Hitmakers LP 1964 London [SEALED] [MONO] – Factory sealed from 1964. These albums weren’t stored in plastic sleeves, so I have no idea how they stayed in this good condition.
Value = $350
Bad Religion – Back To the Known EP
Bad Religion – Back To the Known EP 1985 Epitaph – BREP 2 [1ST PRESS] – This punk rock classic was a bit more beat up than many LPs from this collection, but is a score nonetheless.
Value = $340
Edmond Bordeaux / Norma Jean Nilsson – Journey Through a Thousand Meditations LP
Edmond Bordeaux / Norma Jean Nilsson – Journey Through a Thousand Meditations LP – I didn’t think this expensive, ambient, experimental album from Mexico would sell. It sold within minutes of being posted on Discogs. Go figure!
Value = $300
Thin Lizzy – Fighting LP
Thin Lizzy – Fighting LP 1976 Mercury [Signed by Scott & Brian w/ 8×10] – Signed by two of the members that are still alive. If it were signed by Phil Lynott, it would have been worth a fortune!
A few months ago, a collector in New Jersey hit me up about a small- to medium-sized black metal CD collection he was looking to sell. I asked him a basic question about it. He asked if I bought cassettes or other metal swag, which I do. He added some cassettes and black metal tapestries to what he was selling, and I added some money to the deal.
When it came to shipping, there was a small misunderstanding about how to use USPS Media Mail, so I gave him a quick call to walk him through it. During that phone call, it became obvious to me that the seller was Black. Of course, race doesn’t matter to me, but you’ll see how this plays into the story next.
It had been a bit of time since I fished the quote on this collection. When it arrived, I totally forgot how much NSBM was in it, including such “racist” bands as Goatmoon, Grand Belial’s Key, Clandestine Blaze, and others. I do not censor or “cancel” bands based on ideology and sell everything from the furthest left (Dead Kennedys, Aus Rotten) to the hardest of the right (Dark Fury, Der Sturmer).
Highlights From This Collection
There was a lot of great stuff in this collection, but here are some of the highlights.
Satanic Warmaster / Archgoat – Lux Satanae CD
Satanic Warmaster / Archgoat – Lux Satanae CD 2016 Hells Headbangers – HELLS130 – This split with Satanic Warmaster and Archgoat is easily one of the most sought-after black metal CDs released in the last ten years. I’m not sure why Hell’s Headbangers hasn’t repressed/reissued this release, since they could be selling thousands of these things. The limited quantity works for me because it caused aftermarket prices to skyrocket.
Value = $100
Immortal – Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism CD
Immortal – Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism CD 1992 Osmose OPCD 007 [1st Press] *FR – This CD has been reissued many times, and most pressings aren’t worth that much. In light of how big Immortal would eventually become in the black metal world, first pressings are worth a bunch. The disc itself contains “Made in Germany” and “GEMA” markings, which are not present on any other pressings. The 5th track is misspelled on the disc and back cover (“Cold Winds Of Feneral Dust”). In the booklet, the printed title is the correct one (Cold Winds Of Funeral Dust).
Value = $70
Cephalotripsy – Epigenetic Neurogenesis CD
Cephalotripsy – Epigenetic Neurogenesis CD 2024 Self-Released [Rare] – Pictured is the first pressing of this release. The second press in the Japanese issue. According to the band, it is limited to 500 copies. While this is a very recent release, it’s already worth money due to its limited quantity.
Value = $63
Death – Scream Bloody Gore CD
Death – Scream Bloody Gore CD 1987 Combat – 88561-8146-2 [2ND PRESS] – There are two pressings from 1987. The second press (pictured above) has a tracklist laid out with no “Side 1/Side 2”. The actual first pressing has a track listing laid out like the vinyl (pictured below). Both are from 1987.
Value = $63
Goatmoon – Stella Polaris CD
Goatmoon – Stella Polaris CD 2017 Werewolf Records – EVIL-039 [1st Press Etched] – First pressing with etched CD case. Subsequent pressings do not include etching.
Value = $50
Abysmal Lord -Disciples of the Inferno CD
Abysmal Lord -Disciples of the Inferno CD 2015 Hells Headbangers – hells 165 – This is another recent release. Because Hell’s Headbangers never reissues anything, the aftermarket prices are through the roof.
Check out the video below to see one of my best finds ever. I picked up a collection of more than 2,300 super-rare black and death metal CDs from a collector in Oregon.
A few months ago, the seller got in touch and sent me photos of over 2,000 CDs he had collected. The pictures gave me a good idea of the music styles and years. About 80% of it was black metal from the late 1990s to around 2012. Some of the labels were JBL America, No Fashion, Head Not Hound, Osmose, and No Colours, among others. There were virtually no major-label releases of stuff like Van Halen, System of a Down, or Iron Maiden. From his description, I could tell he had some great stuff, so I offered $8,000 to buy the collection, and he agreed.
I left Los Angeles around 10 PM the night before, drove up to Lodi, and checked into a hotel. Lodi seems like a small, quiet town, but there are quite a few homeless people and drug users around. I was a little worried that my truck might get broken into.
The next morning, we met near the interstate. We chatted for a few minutes, and I took a quick look through the CDs in the bins. I agreed to pay him and sent the money through Venmo, since we weren’t doing the deal by mail. We didn’t have to worry about PayPal’s buyer protection because we were handling everything in person.
I didn’t get a chance to look through the CDs until I got home, and was amazed by how many rare albums I found. There were lots of first pressings from Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, and plenty of other lesser-known bands that are just as valuable.
You’ll notice there was also a fair amount of NSBM in the collection. I don’t get too worked up about black metal bands with extreme views. I believe in free speech and carry releases from all sides, from the far left to the far right. Honestly, when you listen to a black metal CD, you usually can’t make out the lyrics, and you wouldn’t know if it was NSBM or a Christian band unless you already knew the band.
The collection was so big that I couldn’t fit everything into one video for my YouTube channel, so I split it into two parts. I still haven’t had time to go through everything, and have about half left to sort through.
The Highlights
There was a ton of amazing stuff in this haul. Here are some of the highlights.
Burzum – Aske CD
Burzum – Aske CD 1993, Deathlike Silence Productions – anti-mosh 005 – This CD was in the collection and in perfect condition. It is easily the most valuable CD I’ve ever acquired. Pictured above is a first pressing of Burzum’s “Aske” on DeathLike Silence Records from 1995. The runout matrix on the back of the disc is correct (DURECO [01] ANTIMOSH CD 5.
Value $1000
Enslaved – Vikingligr Veldi CD
Enslaved – VikValue $1000ingligr Veldi CD 1994 Deathlike Silence Anti Mosh 008 – Here is another big one also on Deathlike Silence records. The real first pressings of the CD are virtually identical to the represses. However, the first pressings do not include a barcode (pictured above).
Value $250
Old Man’s Child – Born Of The Flickering CD
Old Man’s Child – Born Of The Flickering CD 1996 Hot Records – SHAGRATH 003 – The debut album by the newly reformed Old Man’s Child on the now-defunct Hot Records is extremely rare. Born of the Flickering has been repressed and reissued many times, but the originals fetch a pretty penny.
Value $200
Dimmu Borgir – For All Tid CD
Dimmu Borgir – For All Tid CD 1995 No Colours Records NC 003 – “For All Tid” is Dimmu Borgir’s debut album and has been repressed 1 million times by a host of different record labels. The original German No Colours release is the one you want, goes for a ton, and doesn’t sit on the shelf for long.
Value $150
Under a Funeral Moon – Darkthrone CD
Under a Funeral Moon – Darkthrone CD 1993 Peaceville – Vile 35CD [1st Press] *UK – another CD that has 1 million different versions, the most valuable of which is the first UK pressing. You can tell by the back cover pictured above.
Value $150
Darkthrone – Transilvanian Hunger CD
Darkthrone – Transilvanian Hunger CD 1994 Fierce Recordings – 9086-11060-2 – first pressing US contained the now infamous phrase “Norsk Arisk Black Metal” which translates from Norwegian into “pure Aryan black metal”. This caused some controversy and was removed on subsequent pressings. The band claimed it had nothing to do with far-right politics and that it was simply “pure black metal”.
Obtained Enslavement – Centuries of Sorrow CD 1994 Likstøy Music – oe 941 – This band is fairly obscure. This release hasn’t been reissued many times, but what makes it so valuable is that the originals are nearly impossible to find.
Value $125
Gris – Il Était Une Forêt… CD
Gris – Il Était Une Forêt… CD 2007 Sepulchral Productions – SP008 – This depressive black metal gem from Canada will put a nice hole in your bank account.
Value $100
Gorgoroth – Pentagram CD
Gorgoroth – Pentagram CD 1994 Wild Rags Records – WRR 061 [1st Press US]– Wild Rags Records was an iconic Southern California record store and label that released a great number of important underground releases in the 1990s. It has subsequently gone out of business. Many of the bands on Wild Rags roster went on to do huge things.
Mayhem – Deathcrush CD
Mayhem – Deathcrush CD 1994 Deathlike Silence – DSP Anti-Mosh 003 [1st Press] – this debut by Mayhem has over 100 different versions, many of which are hard to distinguish. The first pressing is the one shown above from Deathlike Silence Records. You can recognize it because it does not have a barcode, while many of the early all-DLS repressings, including some from that same year, do.
ThrashMetalIQ has expanded our online retail options onto Discogs. We are offering a limited selection of items we have for sale on eBay. Due to lower Discogs selling fees, you can find some of our inventory for sale at lower prices than on eBay.
As we do each year, we are publishing our list of top selling new albums . These are new albums that we purchase from labels and distributors. We do not gatekeep, cancel, or deplatform anyone’s point of view from the furthest left to the far right. There are some controversial titles in this year’s list. We have no dog in this fight; this is just what sells. Because all albums we purchase in collections we buy are technically “one-offs,” they are not included in this list.
Grand Belial’s Key – Judeobeast Assassination CD 2026 Weltenfeind – WFP022
Goatmoon – Finnish Steel Storm CD 2018 Werewolf Records – EVIL009 [SEALED] *FN
Cannibal Corpse – Eaten Back To Life CD 2017 Metal Blade 3984-14425-2
In the video below, I showcase an extensive collection of grindcore, punk, and death metal that I picked up from a seller who was about to go to prison in 2 days.
I paid $10,000 for over 600 12″ LPs and 700 7″ singles and EPs. Most of the collection consisted of death metal, punk, and grindcore, although there were some outliers. About 60% of it was first-press stuff, and the rest consisted of various reissues and limited editions.
The Backstory To This Collection
The acquisition of this collection has an interesting backstory. In February 2024, the same seller hit me up about selling a collection of death metal and grindcore CDs. We did the deal by mail. He told me he had an insane collection of records he was thinking about selling. The seller didn’t want to part with them, but was facing legal trouble that could involve prison time. He would only sell them if he needed to.
Fast forward to September 2025. I got a call from him saying that he wanted to sell those records. He described to me what he had to sell. It was such a massive collection that it would beworth a tripfrom Los Angeles to just outside Phoenix, Arizona. I told him that I would try to make some time in the next few weeks. He said if I wanted to get these, I had better come right now because there’s a distinct possibility he could be in prison for 25 years come Friday. He didn’t say what he was in trouble for, but I’m assuming it was some significant drug offense.
The Deal
I left LA at 10 p.m., drove to Arizona, checked into a hotel at 3 a.m., and met the guy the following afternoon. Most of the collections I buy are by mail, and I never meet the actual seller in person. For transactions over 10K, I will frequently go to the seller’s location and pick it up myself. We agreed on a price of $10,000 via Zelle for the entire collection. Normally, I usually only do deals via PayPal, but since we were meeting in person, I could see everything was on the up and up. I didn’t bother haggling with him because the price was fair. It came out to about six dollars a unit when you divided it by everything.
I loaded up my truck and drove back to LA, and that was that.
Highlights
Here are some of the highlights from this awesome metal/punk collection.
Misfits – Halloween 7″ Single
Misfits – Halloween 7″ Single 1981 Plan 9 – PL1017 – This album is a true holy grail for punk collectors. Because of Glenn Danzig’s insistence on never reissuing anything (until now), this heavily bootlegged single is almost impossible to find.
VALUE = $1400
Misfits – Walk Among Us LP
Misfits – Walk Among Us LP 1982 Ruby Records – 1-25756 – Although reissued several times, the first pressings are the ones you want. This copy is complete and includes the original inner sleeve and the Fiend Club flyer.
VALUE = $500
Impaled Nazarene – Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz LP
Impaled Nazarene – Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz LP 1993 Osmose – OPLP010 – This album was the only black metal title in the entire collection. Fortunately, like all first pressings ofImpaled Nazarene from the 90s, it’s worth a fortune.
VALUE = $370
Crossed Out / Man Is The Bastard – Split 7” EP
Crossed Out / Man Is The Bastard – Split 7” EP 1992 Slap A Ham – #14 – I’m not even sure why this one is as expensive as it is.
VALUE = $300
Incantation – Onward To Golgotha LP [RED]
Incantation – Onward To Golgotha LP 1992 Relapse – RR 6037 – 1 [RED] – “Onward” is the only Incantation album I give a crap about. The first pressing on red vinyl is very sought after by death metal heads and is worth a pretty penny.
VALUE = $300
Assuck – Anticapital LP
Assuck – Anticapital LP 1991 Sound Pollution Records – POLLUTE: 07 – the price on this classic communist punk album will turn anyone into a capitalist real fast!
VALUE = $250
Do You Have A Collection Like This To Sell?
Do you have a rare, extreme punk or metal collection like this that you’d like to sell? I buy collections from all around the world, and will even travel to you if the score is big enough. Use the contact information below to reach me.
In the video below, you can see a collection of around 400 CDs and 25 vintage T-shirts that I picked up for $1700. The original owner bought them up in the 80s and 90s while stationed in Germany in the military.
While $1700 is a lot to pay for a collection this small, I figured I could easily recoup my money on the T-shirts alone. Included were original Slayer tour shirts from 1987 and 1994, Stormtroopers of Death 1992 tour shirt, Agnostic Front, and many others.
There were even some DVDs and VHS included with the deal. The Dissection VHS included was very rare.
We are expanding our buying efforts here at Thrash Metal IQ and are actively seeking collections of vintage heavy-metal T-shirts to purchase. If you have T-shirts you would like to sell, check out our new dedicated page here for more information.
Standout Items
Here are some of the standout items from this score.
Slayer – South Of Heaven T-Shirt
Slayer – South Of Heaven Vintage XL 1988 2-Sided Tour T-Shirt – From the 1987 South of Heaven tour, I never thought I would see one of these again. I used to have this shirt back when I was a kid.
Value = $200
Slayer – North American Intourvention T-Shirt
Slayer – North American Intourvention Tour Vintage XL T-Shirt – From Slayer’s first sans-Lombardo effort, Divine Intervention tour.
Value = $150
Agnostic – New York Hardcore T-Shirt
Agnostic – New York Hardcore Vintage 80s Two-Sided T-Shirt [XL] – the slightly faded, the wear & tear on this T-shirt adds character.
Value = $100
Bal Sagoth – Imperious Rex T-Shirt
Bal Sagoth – Imperious Rex Vintage XL 2-Sided Longsleeve T-Shirt – Talk about a rare shirt! Try finding one of these again!
Value = $100
Slayer – Haunting The Chapel Longsleeve T-Shirt
Slayer – Haunting The Chapel Vintage Longsleeve XL 2-Sided T-Shirt – I’m not sure what year that was from but it must have been a good one because it didn’t stay in inventory long.
Value = $100
Have A Collection Like This To Sell?
Whether it is records, CDS, cassettes, or heavy-metal T-shirts we buy them all, and we pay more than anyone. More information below:
The video below features a collection of approximately 1,200 CDs and over 400 vinyl albums that I recently purchased from a man in Pomona, whose brother had recently passed away.
The standout thing about this collection was its exceptional condition. Many of the records and CDs were brand new and still factory sealed. The records opened were NM/NM and placed in collector’s sleeves. The seller’s brother kept everything, from the download cards to the original hype stickers. He was clearly a man who was a serious collector and believed in keeping all his items in impeccable condition. Condition is essential to the value of records and CDs.
Additionally, another notable feature of this collection is that it contained almost no mainstream metal artists, such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, or Van Halen. It consisted almost exclusively of underground death and black metal. Most of the records were from 2016 and later. Some of the albums were duplicate copies of the same title, but with every color variant, which is pretty cool. The CDs began around 2005, with a few exceptions from the late 1990s, and continued up to releases from this year.
I met the seller in his garage in Pomona, where he had the records and CDs out in boxes. I spent about 45 minutes reviewing them and offered the man $ 7,000 for the collection. He gladly accepted. He was shocked at the amount of money I proposed. I could have provided less, but that was what it was worth. I’m not trying to take advantage of this delicate situation.
Heavy Metal Is Not A Passing Phase!
Unfortunately, I often find collections for sale from grieving family members and friends who have just inherited them. Because underground extreme metal is frequently misunderstood, trying to figure out what to do with a massive collection can be a complex and challenging process with a steep learning curve.
Many people’s parents may have told them when they were teenagers, “Heavy metal was just a passing phase”. Now that the music has been around for over 50 years, hardcore fans hold on to their collections for life and often take them to their graves.
Here is a quick list of some of the best stuff from this haul.
Weakling – Dead As Dreams CD
Weakling – Dead As Dreams CD 1999 tUMULt – tm 17 – This CD is a rare “holy grail” for black metal collectors. “Dead As Dreams” was the only release from San Fransico’s Weakling before they disbanded in 2000.
Value = $250
Insomnium – Above the Weeping World LP
Insomnium – Above the Weeping World LP 2018 Candlelight – CANDLE753571 [Orange] – This is a limited run reissue of 2006’s “Above The Weeping World” is sold out and out-of-print. It’s already worth a bunch. What makes this more special, is it’s factory sealed!
Value = $200
Celtic Frost – Monotheist LP
Celtic Frost – Monotheist LP 2016 Century Media [1st Press LTD 500 2x WHITE] – “Montheist” is perhaps the greatest heavy-metal comeback of all time. Pictured is a limited first, pressing on white vinyl, nearly impossible to find.
Value = $200
Panopticon – Autumn Eternal LP
Panopticon – Autumn Eternal LP 2016 Nordvis Produktion – NVP034LP – An unlikely fusion of bluegrass and black metal combined with a limited run color scheme makes this album a rare and expensive find.
Value = $150
Machine Head – The Blackening LP
Machine Head – The Blackening LP 2024 Nuclear Blast [2x Ghostly Black] [New] – Originals of this album are so expensive, you may need to pawn vital organ to get one. What is worse, is the re-issues aren’t that much cheaper either.
On August 28, US Customs and Border Protection confirmed this exemption in its E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions, stating that the “duty-free de minimis treatment shall remain available for [sic] goods covered under 50 U.S.C. § 1702(b) – such as certain donations and informational materials.”
Simply put, music and informational media have always been exempt from tariffs and continue to be so at this time. This means neither sellers nor collectors on Discogs should be charged additional customs fees.
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