Which charity shops take vinyl records?

3 mins read

Vinyl record collections are built over a number of years, sometimes passed on to family members, and sometimes found in the loft when buying a new home.

However you’ve come by your collection, if you’re looking for a bit of a clearout and selling isn’t something you want to do then donating the vinyl collection to charity might be something you could consider.

In this article, we look at which charity shops take viny, the best way to donate as well as what else you could do with your built/acquired collection.

Why donate records to a charity shop?

Charities rely on donations in order to generate funds to carry on their good work. Vinyl records are great donations to charity record shops due to:

  • They are easy to sell – Charity shops find them easy to sell which helps generate funds. Prices of records are increasing which means they are worth more to the charities
  • They take up little space – Unlike bulky items vinyl records can easily sit on a shelf / in a record box which means they take up very little charity shop floor space
  • It allows someone else to enjoy the record – Music is created to be shared and cared for. Buying secondhand gives the record another spin

What else can you do with old vinyl records?

Selling records yourself can be time-consuming, but worthwhile – We always encourage vinyl records to go to a good home, so as long as they are set to be played again / added to a collection then we’re all for it.

We have a guide that talks about the best ways to sell vinyl both online and offline including selling on eBay.

Which charities in the UK will take old vinyl?

Below is a list of UK charities that will take vinyl records – If you are dropping them off to your local shop, give them a ring before you go just to check they are able to take them for you.

There are also specialist local charities around which help such as:

https://makeadifferencerecords.com/ is located in Godalming, Surrey.

Check with your local charity shops as well before throwing the vinyl collection out. They may accept them even if it’s not mentioned on their website.

Can you donate vinyl records to a charity online?

British Heart Foundation accepts online donations, but this may end up costing quite a bit of money in posting (as you’ll want to protect the record sleeves from bending) – We would advise donating locally to make things easier for all parties involved.

How to sell vinyl records to raise money for charity

Another way to raise money for charity would be to sell the records and then donate the money to charity. This could be done on a marketplace such as Facebook or Gumtree, eBay (shipping and listing costs may be incurred), or car boot sales.

For more information on how to sell vinyl records to raise money see our dedicated guide

How to donate vinyl records to a charity shop in the UK

Simply take your records bundled up to the local charity shop – Ideally keep records upright to avoid warping of the records. We would advise dropping the records off during opening hours to ensure they make it into the shop.

Charity shop vinyl record donation FAQs

What condition should records be in for a charity to accept them?

Missing sleeves and scratched records may not sell and will just take up space – In this case recycling the record may be your best option.

We would say, try to make sure the record has its sleeve and has no visible signs of warping or scratches. Charities will likely look over the collection before pricing it, so if you are unsure you can always take it to them to view.

Do you need the sleeve to donate the record?

Record sleeves aren’t required, but this will mean the record can raise more money for the charity shop.

Can you donate 6” and 12” vinyl records?

Both are taken by the charity shops listed above.

What types of records and LPs can you find in charity shops?

You’ll mostly find records from the 50s-70s as these are collections that have been handed down generations / have been sat up in the loft collecting dust whilst other forms of media have taken over. Every now and then you may find newer records, so keep a lookout.

Do Oxfam shops take vinyl records?

Yes, Oxfam does take vinyl records in fact they have some dedicated charity shops around the UK which sell second-hand music of all formats.

Music enthusiast with a love for vinyl, gigs and festivals. Here to educate, review, discuss and share the love of music and vinyl records for the next generation.

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