How much were vinyl records selling for?

It depended on the label. I think $5.99 or thereabouts was list for most things. Hard to remember as I was either buying them as a dealer or my usual method of buying on closeout or sales. What I do remember was how we were assured that the price of CDs would be lower because of the reduced manufacturing costs. I also remember that the record companies use to spend more on the jacket than the record.

I worked in a record store in the mid 70's. List price then was $5.98 with specials at the $3 mark.
I believe by the early to mid 80's the list price was about $7.98. That was what I remember paying.

I paid $19.99 ca. 1980 for Half Speed Mastered recordings. That was big money back then. I bought more of them in later years cheap in the sellout bins.

In 1987 when I waited table across the street from Cactus records (and down the street from Sound Warehouse) and had to decide wether to buy a record or a CD with the cash in my pocket after a shift ($80-150), the records were 8.99 and the CD's were 12.99.

domestic list prices were 7.99 to 8.99 but there were midlines for 5.99 and less. imports were all over the place.