Tips for buying used vinyl

[bare]

I've been buying LP's in the thrift shop exclusively.
Better selection/quality than the useless local Used Vinyl 'Shoppe' .
Only checking for obvious gouges. Been lucky(ish) So far, but then at 50cents each. Not much risk involved

 

[thomo57]

Agreed. I've bought records by the lights in record stores only to later get them in good light and there are light scratches everywhere. With and LED light, they show up nicely.

Buy in the light sell in the dark:thmbsp:

 

[eb2jim]

Lots of good info. I use a key ring LED light as its tiny and does the job well.

Love the culling advice!

I recommend hitting collector shows eventually. They happen in most cities every few months, and the prices for the average thrift shop level lp are typically the same as a thrift shop or used shop's bargain bin. You will find a lot of discs that are pricier but every so often you pay for their hunting down cleaner and rarer lps. Always buy clean lps.

 

[GPJeff]

An led flashlight's also a good tool while searching for imperfection's.

+1 That's what I was going to say.

I like to bring the NDT guys out with their mobile testing trucks to test and x-ray for defects.

A lot of places you can not bring a portable laboratory or spend 10 minutes examining a record. Suiting up with equipment like a guy from Ghostbusters will get you labeled as a weirdo real quick!

If you see a scratch, there's probably more less visible scuffs. Beat up covers with pen marks is also a bad sign.

At retail outlets, you get what you pay for. This is 2014, not pre 2010 days before the vinyl hype and renewed interest. Don't expect to pick up Technics SL-1200mk2's for $15 like the forum score threads of old. Half Price Books still has a hit and miss selection of $1 records in good condition. Most of the more popular LP's are $3 to $8. It mainly depends on the music you like.

One of the things that I have found in used LP shopping is - the less popular the music on the record is, the better the condition of the record. I don't see the tons of Barbara Streisand LPs on too many people's heavy rotation list.

 

[4-2-7]

these are great things that I would of never thought of... I enjoy reading this forum a lot, but the vast amount of knowledge and posts make it hard to find information (sometimes). What I am saying is. Thank you ! for the tips and for narrowing my search!!

Well if you noticed quite a few are talking about going to thrift shops and GW. There you will basical find crap the record stores don't want to buy, and if they don't want it it has no value to most people. Some even said the junk they do not even want they bring back to the GW. So is that what you want to spend your money on?

Buy good quality record you like and your library will have value to you and others. :thmbsp:

 

[jasonsong86]

There really is no good way to tell since you need a microscope to look deep into the grooves.
I have seen clean records play like crap and dirty ones almost crackle-less after a brush.

 

[rileykill]

I'll reiterate that the opposite can also be true. I have $1 records with surface scratches that sound fine. Some of them would have been very expensive if visually graded VG+

 

[DougMac]

Well if you noticed quite a few are talking about going to thrift shops and GW. There you will basical find crap the record stores don't want to buy, and if they don't want it it has no value to most people.

GW is getting harder to find good stuff, that's why I spend more time at less well known thrifts.

While your assertion is generally true, in the last three months I've found the following:
The Best of Little Walter, Chess, VG+, 75 cents.
Blonde on Blonde, NM, $1.00
The Reiner Sound, Fritz Reiner, Shaded Dog Living Stereo, NM-, 40 cents
96 Tears, ? and the Mysterians, VG+ $1.00
The Fleetwoods Golden Hits, VG+ 25 cents

You have to go through 1,000-2,000 to get one jewel, but they are still out there.

 

[RamblinE]

I do not buy used records. No amount of visual inspection can uncover groove damage. Groove damage ruins the entire experience for me.


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[Condorsat]

GW is getting harder to find good stuff, that's why I spend more time at less well known thrifts.

You have to go through 1,000-2,000 to get one jewel, but they are still out there.

Even the less well known thrifts are baron in my neck of the woods ... ever since the "Vinyl Revival". Can't think of the last trip that was successful ... too long ago. I'm sure that the larger metropolitan areas are different.

Looking through 1,000 records that look interesting would yield me about 10 albums. :sigh: ... that even sounds unbelievable to me ... but alas it's true. I'm really picky.

On my trips into larger metropolitan areas ... my time is limited ... so I spend it at the record stores.

 

[hi*ball]

I wonder what the Sing Along with Mitch/Montovani/1000 Strings/Streisand to Good Records ratio in any given thrift store is?

 

[thomo57]

There have been a few suggestions of not looking in second hand stores for records:scratch2:
I suggest that you do:thmbsp:
You will soon get to know which ones are devoid of records.
Usually it is because someone gets in before they are put out in the store.

If you go often enough you only have to glance at the pile to know if there are any changes in it.
Look for new plastic sleeves or records that still have nice crisp square edges among the scuffed and frayed edges which have been flicked through hundred if not thousands of times.

Another suggestion to not buy any records from a second hand store:scratch2:

On second thoughts ignore anything I've said and leave them for me:thmbsp:

 

[Omegaman]

Here is a suggestion:

When flipping through albums in a thrift store, make sure to stand kind of away from the records as they tend to puff out nasty putrid air dust mold mildew virus bacteria from being stored for years

gets in your eyes

 

[drtool]

I have been doing this for decades. If I can feel the scratch I pass. If on the other hand it just looks bad I am good to go and clean it. I bought an old Beatles Lp at a record convention. $3.00. The jacket was nice the Lp no way Jose. I wanted the jacket. After a 20 min wash,VG+++. It plays better then new sealed I have bought. Maggot Brain being one.

 

[thebeez85]

...One of the things that I have found in used LP shopping is - the less popular the music on the record is, the better the condition of the record. I don't see the tons of Barbara Streisand LPs on too many people's heavy rotation list.

nailed it. All the Babs at my local-ish used record store are in GREAT shape :sigh:

 

[Grbluen]

One other general rule from experience:

Used classical is almost always in good condition, used jazz not so much!

 

[jgannon]

I'd like to add one thing...it's always great to hit a second-hand store or a thrift. You may pick up something great, and come across records that you weren't even looking for.

But there are times when you want a specific record, or want a record by an artist or a group you've heard. At those times, I'll hit a web site or auction site, and look for that record. And yes, if it means paying more than a dollar, I'm all too happy to do it! I am NOT into spending an arm and a leg for a record, however, nor do I assume that everyone has a little extra cash to pay for a record.

 

[bobsvinyl]

Go to yard sales and estate sales. Get there early and hit the records before they are picked through. I like thrifts, but much of their stock comes from yard sales left overs. Most people took care of their collections but packed them away when the CD was born. I've found major scores when the seller finally decided to get rid of their collection.

You can usually find a nice group of records in one stop. You can haggle at yard sales if you buy a bunch which usually isn't the case at thrifts. Many times it is genre intensive, so you can find a batch of Jazz, Rock or Soul together.

The main thing is to have fun. Go with another record collecting friend and share the records and experiences. Oh, and make sure the right record is in the album cover.

 

[dantay]

I have found that there are many good used record shops available and that these shops usually sell only good product. I see no point in a purchase that does not fit with the remainder of my collection in near mint to mint condition. This applies to both the vinyl and covers. Purchasing only new copies is difficult as reissues do not cover everything. Price is really not a factor in most cases as vinyl is inexpensive. Discogs is an incredible source for whatever you need.