McKay Used Books

McKay Used Books in Manassas trades in books, music, movies, games, and more. In this interview, the team discusses its vinyl trade counter, record condition, and how store credit works.

---

Interview with McKay Used Books

McKay is a giant of used everything — books, media, and records, all buy-sell-trade. Where do records sit in that world, and how big is the vinyl side?

We are predominantly a bookstore, about 70% of our business is in books. We also have gaming, toys, movies and music, of course. We typically trade and sell somewhere around 1500 LPs each month.

With a trade counter running all day, what makes a record — or a box of them — a good trade for the shop?

When a box of records comes in, the first thing we do is take a quick peek for mold or mildew. Fingers are always crossed for a clean trade! If everything looks to be in decent condition, we’re happy campers. And if we spot some metal, classic rock, or ’90s rock in the mix, we get especially excited. Those are always fun trades to see come through the door!

Do the same people trade records and books, or are the vinyl folks a crowd of their own?

There certainly are some mixed trades with books and various types of media, but for the most part, the vinyl trades are all vinyl. We have a good number of people trading in 5-10 books at at time, but vinyl is usually a different story. It feels like those trades tend to be entire collections, or a good chunk of a collection at a time. So the incoming trades tend to be 20-200 at at time, while the shoppers tend to buy 2-3 at a time. Fortunately it mostly balances out!

What's the record people are most sure is worth money that just isn't?

Classical music is a good example. We see some beautiful collections come through, and you can tell they meant a lot to the person who built them. Unfortunately, sentimental value and resale value don't always line up! There’s still a market for classical LPs, but demand tends to be more selective than people expect.

What do people undervalue that you know will sell fast?

Sometimes people are cleaning out someone else’s collection – such as after a death, and they don’t know what it’s worth. When it’s metal and classic rock, they tend to be pretty surprised at their payout.

You're built on trade — cash or store credit. What's the honest case for taking the credit, and how much more is it worth?

It’s always a good idea to walk around the store to see what your options are. Some items we only offer trade credit for, but we offer cash for most LPs. If we offer cash for something, there will always also be a higher trade credit offer. So, you are definitely better off taking the trade credit if you are building a collection or just looking to change it up a bit – or if you plan to gasp switch over the CDs.

Virginia summers are humid and a lot of records come out of a basement. What condition problems do you see most?

Unfortunately, mold and mildew are fairly common, especially with records that have been stored in basements or other damp environments. We inspect both the vinyl and the album jacket for signs of moisture damage, mold, and mildew. We also look for warping, scratches, and other issues that can affect playback. At McKay, we only buy and sell LPs with their original sleeves, so we check those carefully, too.

For someone just starting to build a collection, what's your best piece of advice?

Keep an open mind! Pick a genre you like and start playing around within it. Check out the album art, see what catches your eye, and give it a spin. If you don’t like it, trade it back in for something else! It’s great to have a white whale in mind while you browse, but I think you’ll have the most fun if you’re willing to take a chance on something totally new. You never know what you might discover…

Last updated: 2026-10-28

Store owners

Add a VinylPackman badge

Use this small badge on a Press, About, Links, or News page to point visitors back to the feature.

Show badge code

Need to fix store details?

Owner or staff? Send a correction for review.

Correct this listing