During spring cleaning, have you found a set of old vinyl records that until now were just collecting dust in the attic? Well, it is possible that these can be the pot of gold you have been searching for. Depending on what the records are, it is possible that they may be worth quite a bit of extra cash. If you want to check their value, then this article will tell you how you can check the condition of the records, and how you can evaluate them to see if there is a possible profit that you can make. Valuation of Vinyl Records You first need to understand the different types of records that you may be in possession of. Long Playing records (LPs) are 12'' vinyl records. 78s are records that play at 78 revolutions per minute and measure at 10''. 7'' vinyl records that have one tune per side and are known as 45s, play at 45 revolutions per minute. Once you understand the key differences between the different types, appraising them will be much easier. Check any guide, and you will see that best value is accorded to those records that are in mint condition. These have quality sound, are unharmed by scratches, and are preserved in their original jackets or covers. Most dealers rank their records ranging between mint, goof, and fair. Before checking their value, try and catalog your records. List them according to the artist, the title of the record, the type of record, the record company catalog number, and how you conducted the evaluation. This will make your research less time-consuming. It is important that you research them well. You will need to understand the market for vinyl records, and learn about the ones that are considered priceless. This will give you an insight into which records hold the highest spot for rare value. You will need to read up on the history, the functioning of the industry, and how records valuation is done. A large extent of the value is dependent on the demand and supply factor. If there were million copies of the record that were sold when the record was released, then chances are that they do not have much worth. Very obviously, the scarcer the records, the more the value. If the artist died young, or if the record was made during an unusual situation like a war or from a radio broadcast, then the value can be expected to be higher. For example, value of the records by The Beatles is quite high. Another factor that increases the value of a record is if the record is out of print. Illegally-produced records also hold a high value. There are some genres of music, records of which, have a greater value. These genres include, comedy records, Broadway soundtracks, performances by orchestra, spoken word records, etc. If you want to sell the records that you have, then you can do so by advertising on websites, putting them up on eBay, contacting local dealers, or even pawn shops. If you want to assure yourself about the value of the records that you possess before selling them, then you could check the Vinyl Records Collectors Guide (VRCG) before putting them up for sale. This will ensure that you are not taken for a ride by people who know better about the market.