These record stores in Mass. will buy your vinyl collection

GATHERING DUST. THERE COMES A TIME IN THE LIFE OF THE COLLECTOR WHEN ONE’S PRIDE AND JOY. YEAH, BECOMES A BIT OF A PROBLEM. AS YOU CAN TELL, THEY’RE EVERYWHERE YOU TURN. LIKE MANY AN AGING BOOMER, JIM DUNN KNOWS IT’S TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT HIS VINYL RECORD COLLECTION. I HAVE PROBABLY SIX COPIES OF THE VELVET UNDERGROUND LIVE IN 69. I DON’T KNOW WHY, AND HE’S RUNNING OUT OF PLACES TO STORE THE RECORDS. LATELY I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT JUST GETTING RID OF THE WHOLE COLLECTION. BUT THEN WHAT WOULD I DO WITH RETIREMENT AND POTENTIAL DOWNSIZING UP AHEAD? HIS WIFE HAS GENTLY SUGGESTED IT’S TIME FOR JIM TO UNLOAD SOME OF HIS TREASURES. LUCKILY, THERE’S AN EXPERT FOR THAT. I DO NOT SEE MYSELF AS A PROBLEM SOLVER, BUT I’M SEEN AS A PROBLEM SOLVER A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO WITH ALL THIS STUFF. PATRICK MCGRATH SPECIALIZES IN RECORD COLLECTIONS THAT HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL. WHO BETTER TO SERVE THE SICK THAN ONE OF THE AFFLICTED? LONG TIME PROPRIETOR OF LOONEY TUNES. USED RECORD STORE IN ALLSTON MCGRATH ROUTINELY BUYS ENTIRE COLLECTIONS FROM THE ESTATES OF THE RECENTLY DECEASED. OUR MOTTO IS YOU DIE, WE BUY. BUT DOWNSIZING IS ALSO ON THE UPSWING. YOU’LL GET SOME A CALL. WE HAVE A LOT OF RECORDS. WE’RE MOVING TO A SMALLER PLACE, OR MY WIFE’S GOING TO DIVORCE ME IF I DON’T GET RID OF THIS. WHICH BRINGS MCGRATH TO JIM DUNN’S LIVING ROOM IN BEVERLY. SO WHAT? I’M GOING TO DO IS WHAT ONE MUST ALWAYS DO AT THIS POINT IS STOOP TO CONQUER. I’M GOING TO PUT THE MOST DESIRABLE ONES UP FRONT AND TELL YOU WHAT. YEAH, I CAN CONCOCT PRICE WISE, AND THEN WE’LL COME UP WITH THE PRICE AT THE END AND WE’LL SEE IF YOU FALL FOR IT. ALL RIGHT. MCGRATH HAS TRAVELED AS FAR AS FLORIDA AND CALIFORNIA TO UNBURDEN COLLECTORS AND RESTOCK HIS SHELVES. AS HEARTBREAKING AS IT WAS, IT WAS ALMOST KIND OF EMPOWERING TO TO LET A COLLECTION GO LIKE THAT. JASON THORNTON IS AN ARTIST, WRITER, AND ABOVE ALL, A HARDCORE RECORD COLLECTOR. I HAVE DOUG FOR RECORDS WEARING MASKS IN BARNS, BASEMENTS, SKETCHY HOUSES, AND SKETCHY PLACES WITH SKETCHY PEOPLE. BUT IN 2010, THORNTON DECIDED TO UNLOAD HIS COLLECTION OF 30,000 RECORDS. IT’S ALMOST LIKE THE OBJECTS OWN YOU, AND IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, WOW, THAT WAS IT FELT AMAZING. SELLING ONE’S RECORD COLLECTION CAN BE CHARGED WITH EMOTION. IT’S A PERSONAL THING. IT’S A LOVELY THING. IT’S PART OF YOU. IT’S YOUR HEART, YOUR MIND, YOUR SOUL, YOUR EARS, EVERYTHING BARRY WHITE BUYS RECORDS FOR THE RECORD EXCHANGE IN SALEM, BUT HE IS PERHAPS BETTER KNOWN AS BARONS. ONE. HIS BAND, BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES, WELL KNOWN FOR UNEARTHING HIGH OCTANE R&B OBSCURITIES, OFTEN DISCOVERED ON BARONS RECORD BUYING EXPEDITIONS. SO HOW BARONS DOES ONE KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO SELL? I THINK THE THE POINT COMES WHEN ONE DAY YOU GO OVER TO THE THE SECTION AND IT FALLS ON YOU. WHEN IT FALLS ON YOU, IT’S TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK UP AND AH, AND THEN YOU GO, THAT’S IT. NO MORE THAT GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. ALL RIGHT PATRICK. SO THIS IS MY HIDDEN STASH IN THE CLOSET. JIM DUNN’S COLLECTION HASN’T CAVED IN ON HIM YET, BUT IT’S DEFINITELY HANGING OVER HIS HEAD. AND HE’S OF TWO MINDS ABOUT SELLING. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE RECORDS, SO THAT’S WHY I’M AT A CROSSROADS. YES, I WANT TO, BUT NO, I CAN’T. IN FACT, THE EXHILARATION JASON THORNTON FELT AFTER SELLING HIS MASSIVE COLLECTION IN 2010 WORE OFF PRETTY QUICKLY. I REALIZED AFTER I HAD DONE THAT THAT I WAS KIND OF, UH, DENYING THE PERSON THAT I AM, YOU KNOW, BY BY DOING THAT. SO I STARTED RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN. THORNTON’S NEW COLLECTION IS BACK UP TO ABOUT 30,000 RECORDS WITH A CONCENTRATION IN RARE 45 SECONDS. EVEN HE SOMETIMES WONDERS WHERE IT’S ALL HEADING. I HAVE NO CHILDREN AND SO IT’S KIND OF LIKE, WHERE IS ALL THIS GOING TO GO? IT’S A STRANGE THING TO THINK ABOUT, AND IT’S KIND OF HEAVY. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DWELL ON IT. THAT’S INCREDIBLE. AND WE SHOULD NOTE THAT PATRICK MCGRATH OF LOONEY TUNES WILL MAKE HOUSE CALLS IN HIS COLORFUL VAN FOR COLLECTIONS THAT HE FINDS COULD BE PROMISING, LARGELY PROMISING AND IN THE UPSIDE DOWN WORLD OF RECORD COLLECTING, THE MORE POPULAR AN ALBUM WAS, THE LESS IT IS TYPICALLY WORKS. SO YOU’RE BILLY JOEL AND YOUR PETER FRAMPTON. PROBABLY NOT WORTH A WHOLE LOT. THEY’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE MORE OBSCURE A