When the pandemic forced my shop to close temporarily, the only thing that kept the business alive was a hastily assembled online store. That crash course in e-commerce taught me more about selling vinyl online than I ever wanted to know, but it also revealed a revenue stream that I now consider essential to the business.

If you’re running a record shop and not selling online, you’re leaving significant money on the table. Here’s how to do it without losing your mind.

Choosing Your Platform

You have three main options, and they’re not mutually exclusive.

Discogs Marketplace

Best for: Secondhand and rare vinyl, reaching serious collectors.

Discogs gives you access to a global audience of dedicated record buyers. The marketplace is integrated with the world’s largest music database, which makes listing easier and helps buyers find your stock through searches.

Fees are relatively low — a flat rate plus a percentage of the sale price. The downside is that competition is fierce, shipping from Australia is expensive for international buyers, and the customer base skews toward collectors rather than casual buyers.

Shopify

Best for: New releases, Australian customers, building your own brand online.

Shopify is the most polished e-commerce platform for small businesses. It handles payments, inventory, shipping labels, and customer accounts. Integration with Instagram Shopping lets customers buy directly from your social media posts.

Monthly fees start at $39 AUD for the basic plan. It’s more expensive than Discogs but gives you a branded online presence and much more control over the customer experience.

eBay

Best for: One-off sales, reaching non-specialist buyers, moving bulk stock.

eBay reaches a broader audience than Discogs, including people who might not think of themselves as collectors but want to buy a specific record. It’s particularly useful for selling estates, bulk lots, and popular mainstream titles.

Fees are higher than Discogs, and the platform is less tailored to vinyl, but the audience is enormous.

Listing Effectively

Photography

Good photos sell records. You don’t need professional equipment — a phone camera with decent lighting produces perfectly acceptable results.

Standard shots: Front cover, back cover, labels (both sides), and any inserts or extras. For condition-sensitive items, photograph any flaws.

Lighting: Natural daylight near a window is best. Avoid direct sunlight, which creates harsh shadows and colour distortion. A piece of white card as a background keeps things clean and consistent.

Consistency: Use the same setup, background, and angle for all listings. This makes your store look professional and saves time.

Descriptions and Grading

Be honest about condition. Overstating condition is the fastest way to earn negative reviews and returns. Use the Goldmine grading standard and describe any specific flaws.

For new records, mention whether the item is sealed, opened but unplayed, or played once. For secondhand stock, note surface marks, sleeve condition, and whether original inserts are included.

Pricing

Research comparable sold prices on Discogs and eBay. Price competitively for Australian sellers — remember that international buyers are already dealing with higher shipping costs, so your pricing needs to account for that.

For new releases, price at or near your in-store price. Online customers understand that shipping is additional, and most are comfortable paying retail plus postage.

Shipping Vinyl Safely

This is critical. A record that arrives damaged destroys the sale, your reputation, and the customer’s experience. Invest in proper packaging.

LP mailers: Rigid cardboard LP mailers are essential. Buy in bulk — they cost $2-4 each and are non-negotiable. Never, ever ship a record in a padded envelope.

Inner protection: Place the record outside the sleeve but inside the mailer, so if the mailer is crushed, the record doesn’t crack the spine of the jacket. Add cardboard stiffeners on both sides.

Sealing: Seal the mailer securely with packing tape. Label clearly with “Fragile — Do Not Bend.”

Australia Post options: For domestic shipments, the 500g parcel satchel is usually the most economical option for a single LP. For multiple records, use a box with appropriate padding.

Inventory Management

The biggest operational challenge is keeping online and in-store inventory synced. Selling a record in the shop that’s also listed online creates a problem. The solutions:

Dedicated online stock. Keep specific copies set aside for online orders. This avoids sync issues but ties up capital in stock that’s not on the shop floor.

Integrated POS and e-commerce. Platforms like Lightspeed and Shopify can sync inventory between physical and online channels in real time. This is the best solution if you can make the systems work together.

Manual management. Update online listings when records sell in-store. This is labour-intensive but workable for small operations with limited online stock.

For shops looking to scale their online operations, working with the Team400 team can help automate inventory syncing, pricing optimisation, and demand prediction across channels. The efficiency gains are meaningful once you’re listing hundreds of items.

Customer Service

Online customers can’t experience the personal touch of an in-store visit, but you can still make the interaction feel human. Include a handwritten thank-you note or a business card with your orders. Respond to messages quickly. Handle issues generously — if a record arrives with a problem, replace or refund without argument.

Every online customer is a potential in-store customer, and every positive experience builds your reputation in a community where word of mouth is everything.

Start Small

Don’t try to list your entire stock online immediately. Start with 50-100 records that you know are desirable, build your systems and processes, and expand from there. The shops that burn out on e-commerce are the ones that try to do everything at once.

Online sales aren’t a replacement for the physical shop. They’re a complement — an additional channel that reaches customers you’d never meet in person and generates revenue that supports the physical business. Get it right, and it becomes a significant part of your overall operation.