Why are we falling for the great vinyl scam?

[mjw21a]

Records and valves are what got me into this hobby. After multiple systems which were merely different though not better than the other I discovered sound I'd never heard before. Since then I've been enjoying vinyl and improving my system.

I was a 90's kid so it was all CD's and recording music off the radio for me, then recording the individual songs I wanted to another cassette until Napster and CD burners came along. After that it was MP3 playback for years. My systems simply weren't up to a level where I could hear how truly crap those MP3's were.

Now if I play digital it's FLAC files played by JRIVER > USB interface over a balanced connection to a DAC > tube amp.

I prefer to play records though. Better sound quality and I enjoy the experience more. I must say though that it costs more to get a quality analog setup than digital. Neither are especially cheap though

 

[unfairlane]

There are mainly two paths to approach this new vinyl-wave; you can start up from scratch, buy a brand new turntable and buy overprised new records from pressings of wery variable quality. Like a true hipster. Or you can choose the other path by buying a good reputated second- or third-hand vintage turntable, mybe fresh it up a bit and then go for expetidions into the used vinyl-jungle that is still out there, like an Indiana Jones hunting for the lost temple.

Those who primarely choose to go the first path are riding a hype, but if you choose the second path you might be out for a big adventure. Even younger guys can do it the right way, just use those older sharks, ask them for advices, how to do it and what to buy. Like what we see in here on AK.

 

[mjw21a]

There are mainly two paths to approach this new vinyl-wave; you can start up from scratch, buy a brand new turntable and buy overprised new records from pressings of wery variable quality. Like a true hipster. Or you can choose the other path by buying a good reputated second- or third-hand vintage turntable, mybe fresh it up a bit and then go for expetidions into the used vinyl-jungle that is still out there, like an Indiana Jones hunting for the lost temple.

Those who primarely choose to go the first path are riding a hype, but if you choose the second path you might be out for a big adventure. Even younger guys can do it the right way, just use those older sharks, ask them for advices, how to do it and what to buy. Like what we see in here on AK.

Even more fun once you discover the difference an arm change can make to an old table, ditto damping material, different mats, cartridges, SUT's etc. Vinyls the path to the dark side it is

 

[ehoove]

To me what drove my continued interest in vinyl was my collection from the 70-80's. I could not bring myself to abandon that library, and once I improved/upgraded the tables I realized just how good the media could be. I still buy records, including re-issues, and 180gram records as well as used records to expand and improve my library.
Regards,
Jim

 

[toodletunes]

Many worthwhile viewpoints expressed in this thread. As it is the most recent one I found resonant, I'll second Jim's thought's and progression above, and share the following...........................

About eight or so years ago, having moved into our place that has built ins that well accommodate my album collection that I'd been toting about since the early 70's, I sought a better turntable to avail myself of them (probably know what THAT led to). Shortly thereafter, during a pre concert dinner with friends who were playing in the vicinity, I mentioned putting on the Beatles' blue compilation, and how compelling the listening had been on LP. A few, including an engineer/producer that had recently had an album go platinum, asked me to explain my reaction. That started years of trying to put into words what we were experiencing, all the while our LP collection growing by, literally, thousands.

I'd talk about the warmth, the lack of sterility, the naturalness of the cohesion of all elements. About four or so years ago, a friend whose resume of work with and for a litany of musical titans reflects his excellence, and to whom I'd been extolling our appreciation of LPs for a while (much to his amusement) and I were chatting and catching up. High on his list was recounting recent time spent with a friend of his in Austin, and how much of it had been spent listening to this person's LP collection. He had heard the light, and his assessment was exactly what I'd been searching for, "It just feels right."

When artists we enjoy include LPs as part of their release choices, we frequently buy them. We've gotten some duds, returned them, and sometimes the replacements are also unacceptable, at which point we return for CD. There IS a specific craft to mastering and producing LPs. When done properly, there's no scam. There's artistry presented in the way we most enjoy and prefer. It just feels right. To us.

 

[Condorsat]

There IS a specific craft to mastering and producing LPs. When done properly, there's no scam. There's artistry presented in the way we most enjoy and prefer. It just feels right. To us.

Most excellent point.

 

[Tubologic]

 

[BobHol]

I skipped the "record day" promotions. Since I had no interest in New Vinyl. But I did check out Half-Priced Books. They use to have a good number of bins with $1 records. Now all those bins are full of $9 to ? records. The $1 collection has turned into a $3 or less collection and not at waist level anymore but beneath the higher priced bins. Luckily I found a chair to sit in. I found two older Jazz albums. A recording of Shostakovich's 12th symphony (a U.S.S. R. record imported by somebody in N.J.) and a Vox classical record. 4 records for less than $8 I was content.

 

[Condorsat]

I skipped the "record day" promotions. Since I had no interest in New Vinyl. But I did check out Half-Priced Books. They use to have a good number of bins with $1 records. Now all those bins are full of $9 to ? records. The $1 collection has turned into a $3 or less collection and not at waist level anymore but beneath the higher priced bins. Luckily I found a chair to sit in. I found two older Jazz albums. A recording of Shostakovich's 12th symphony (a U.S.S. R. record imported by somebody in N.J.) and a Vox classical record. 4 records for less than $8 I was content.

IMHO ... the dollar bin days have been over since the late 00's. That ship left the port years ago.

The bulk of my legacy Vinyl collection was purchased from Half Priced books locations in Pittsburgh PA, Columbus & Cleveland Oh. Records that I use to get for a dollar, are now $4 or$5.

I've seen the $6 to $10+ records at HPB now ... but in my experience (started buying Classic Rock in 2000) ... those LP's (collectible titles & superb condition) were never a dollar back then anyway (I kept track of what I paid).

I still buy legacy inventory ... at higher prices & better condition. I'll pay top dollar ... but it has to be top notch condition. I also buy new records .... ... there's some really great Vinyl being pressed today.

 

[Ken Boyd]

To me what drove my continued interest in vinyl was my collection from the 70-80's. I could not bring myself to abandon that library, and once I improved/upgraded the tables I realized just how good the media could be. I still buy records, including re-issues, and 180gram records as well as used records to expand and improve my library.
Regards,
Jim

 

[DesertTwang]

As a writer myself, I couldn't help but enjoy the author's writing tremendously.

"I thrill, most of all, at the manual aspects of vinyl-handling, from the tear of cellophane wrap to the piano-player fingering of the sheathed disc, to the overcautious extraction of the new vinyl, to the positioning over the centre-spindle, then slotting in, the turntable’s whirring, purring and hypnotising gyration, the gentle easing over the needle, its finding a groove, that low hum and minimal crackle and then BANG! or SWOOSH or AAAH…. as music floods the room."

One couldn't describe this moment any better. I, too, find myself in a sometimes confused state of trying to retrace the musical avenues of my youth. Two or three years ago, I set out to hunt down vintage records of the music I listen to today (which is quite different from the music I listened to back then). Yet, gradually, and almost subconsciously, my old musical ghosts reappear, and I find myself digging through the crates of records by artists whose entire opus I own on CDs, yet there is an almost compulsive urge to track down the exact same recordings on vinyl.

I derive tremendous enjoyment from collecting and listening to records, but I have noticed a somewhat addictive aspect to the whole thing.

 

[DougMac]

I derive tremendous enjoyment from collecting and listening to records, but I have noticed a somewhat addictive aspect to the whole thing.

I bought my first record in 1956. I bought my latest record yesterday. It was a Kinks record store day special issue.

Since 1956 there's not been a time I wasn't buying and listening to records. After the advent of CDs, I pretty much stopped buying new records, but I was still busy crate digging, especially for 78s.

My crate digging really took off around 2000 and my collection has grown substantially since then. I was buying before vinyl became a fad and picked up some great records for a song (sorry). There are still good records to be had if you know what to look for and don't mind buying something other than the Beatles, Stones or Pink Floyd.

My love affair with records goes far beyond logical discussions of sound quality and convenience. Their magic captivated a five year old boy and hasn't let go since.

 

[SSaxdude]

Prices on new and used vinyl are ridiculous now. Used vinyl at HPB was half the cost it is now. 10 years ago, LPs on labels like Fat Wreck Chords and SST cost less than their CD counterparts (at least on their website and catalog).

 

[Condorsat]

Legacy Vinyl increasing in price (for clean copies) is not surprising to me ... take Classic Rock ... 1972 was 45 years ago. There's still a market demand for the product.

New Vinyl is a niche market ... like SACD ... have to decide for yourself if it is worth the cost to collect IMHO.

 

[Bob]

more to come. not millennials (their networth is negative due to student debt),
we have found the enemy and he is us (apologies to pogo):

reasons?
1. expensive stuff is now cheap (who in 1950-1970s could afford McIntosh or US made Marantz?)
2. for many decades it was one and only one stereo system bought for about 1-4 weeks salary
then boomers going to college with stereos.
3. now we COLLECT - how many of us have more than 1 receiver, preamp, amp, TT, and SPEAKERs?
4. music? how many of us have more than one copy of Aja, beatles, DSOTM, and still not enough?
5. how many of us have more than 1000 LPs or CDs or DVDs, or ...

BUY:
1. fund your retirement by buying JVC/Technics/Pioneer/Marantz preamp/amps/TT/speakers
and selling them for 10-100x profit even if they're (broken, damaged, smokes on power up)
2. anything audio (600LPs for $100, 450 CDs for $125, etc) sell the stuff that puts you to sleep
and recover your costs. build that 10,000 CD collection, or 1000 SACDs, or 5000 DSD128 downloads,...
3. find additional reasons to hoard
a. holds house down esp in earthquake territory
b. building the definitive collection of Aja, beatles, DSOTM, all 275 versions of Beethoven's 9th
c. have ten systems all setup to play your genres - fusion, requiems, pentangle, Marley, megadeath,
John Denver, Shostakovich - all his symphonies on a changer TT or CD, elevator and Christmas music.
4. once you're started - find those that have proven profit potential SOA/TOTL JBLs and maybe not RS
stash in climate control warehouse with bespoke shipping packaging with a codicil that it not be
part of an estate sale for WillyWidowCheater but to be placed on ebay.
(I prefer that I sell everything off and all my music be on that 2020 DAP with 10TB of 24/96 rips)

beat the stampede - use your panic to profit - and enjoy the music

 

[lini]

Hmmm, do I fall for the great vinyl scam? Hmmm, the last record I've bought was Depeche Mode's Violator ~ 1990. Since then I've only bought CDs - simply because records had vanished from my usual stores. However, since then I still have spent more money for vinyl on the playback hardware side, for which I could have probably just as well rebought all of my records on CD instead - but I find CD playback hardware a bit boring in comparison, and as I've always pretty successfully tried to keep my records in very good condition, I didn't really see a reason to completely convert to CD only.

So if I've fallen for the great vinyl scam, that already happened in my childhood/youth.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[malden]

more to come. not millennials (their networth is negative due to student debt),
we have found the enemy and he is us (apologies to pogo):

reasons?
1. expensive stuff is now cheap (who in 1950-1970s could afford McIntosh or US made Marantz?)
2. for many decades it was one and only one stereo system bought for about 1-4 weeks salary
then boomers going to college with stereos.
3. now we COLLECT - how many of us have more than 1 receiver, preamp, amp, TT, and SPEAKERs?
4. music? how many of us have more than one copy of Aja, beatles, DSOTM, and still not enough?
5. how many of us have more than 1000 LPs or CDs or DVDs, or ...

BUY:
1. fund your retirement by buying JVC/Technics/Pioneer/Marantz preamp/amps/TT/speakers
and selling them for 10-100x profit even if they're (broken, damaged, smokes on power up)
2. anything audio (600LPs for $100, 450 CDs for $125, etc) sell the stuff that puts you to sleep
and recover your costs. build that 10,000 CD collection, or 1000 SACDs, or 5000 DSD128 downloads,...
3. find additional reasons to hoard
a. holds house down esp in earthquake territory
b. building the definitive collection of Aja, beatles, DSOTM, all 275 versions of Beethoven's 9th
c. have ten systems all setup to play your genres - fusion, requiems, pentangle, Marley, megadeath,
John Denver, Shostakovich - all his symphonies on a changer TT or CD, elevator and Christmas music.
4. once you're started - find those that have proven profit potential SOA/TOTL JBLs and maybe not RS
stash in climate control warehouse with bespoke shipping packaging with a codicil that it not be
part of an estate sale for WillyWidowCheater but to be placed on ebay.
(I prefer that I sell everything off and all my music be on that 2020 DAP with 10TB of 24/96 rips)

beat the stampede - use your panic to profit - and enjoy the music

I'm set !...