Thinkin' about collecting some vinyl, some questions...

[SGR]

Hey guys, I have about over 600 CDs and love all types of music. I'm finally getting a record player for Christmas and have started to think about getting some vinyl. My question is, how should I go about buying them? Should I buy vinyl copies of only my favorite albums or should I expand to "great albums"? (Like getting all the "Kind of Blues" and "Illmatics".)

Also, do you guys think vinyls are going to have a higher value later on? (sort of like as an investment/collectible?)

Also, is there anything I should know about vinyl before buying it? Any noob pointers/tips?

Do any of you collect or know someone who collects vinyls?

[Key]

For your first question, just get albums you like, i've gotten copies of Jon Anderson albums that I really like, and various others. Vinyl quality is superior, so I like to hear my favorite albums in their true glory.

For your second question, they certainly are collectible, but I wouldn't buy them expecting to make a living off their sales. They only cost around a dollar or so depending on the quality of the record. Some cost up to 30 to 40 bucks, but those are mint condition, mostly.

When you're purchasing vinyl, you want to focus on the quality of the sleeve, like if it has the plastic wrap or if it's bent, etc. A perfect vinyl quality would be unopened and the plastic wrap completely perfect. Here's a list to further assist you with the quality of the record itself as well:

Vinyl Grading and Condition Rating System - VINYL LP Album Cover Museum

My and my girlfriends collection is a little over 200, it's a lot of fun.

[vinylmad]

I have over 1000 CDs and just this year got a new TT which cost less than my SACD player. since getting the TT I discovered many LPs sound much better than CDs. I have purchased new and used LPs and there is certainly a lot to learn about which LPs are best to buy.

I have the SACD of Doobie Brothers - captain and me, it sounds very good. However, I got a LP reissue on Speakers Corner Records and it sounds absolutely amazing! Way better than the SACD.

Make sure you get a decent TT. I spent $1000 on the TT and $500 on the cartridge. This beats my $2500 SACD player.

more to come later

[Trollheart]

Yeah... Unless you're disgustingly rich or have so much disposable income you don't know what to do with it, don't even think of paying that for a cartridge, much less a deck. I'm from the age group that had no choice: for most of my younger years we had no CDs, so it was LPs (vinyl records) or tapes (cassettes) and I have a large vinyl collection. However, my deck got destroyed (shelf collapsed) and I've never felt the urge to replace it.

The good about vinyl can possibly outweigh the bad. Some people will look at it with rose-coloured glasses, but I remember the hassle of properly removing the record from its sleeve (hold by both edges with palms cupped), making sure it was free of dust, same for the needle/stylus, and then having to sit fairly still because a record will jump or skip if there's appreciable movement and could be damaged as a result.

Not to mention storage space: remember how large, in respect to CDs, albums are. You'll need to store them preferably standing up, like books, lying against one another on some sort of rack. Not only this, but when side 1 is over you have to manually change and flip over to side 2, and it's only one album at a time, no way to play several one after another (apart from taking one off and putting another on).

I do like vinyl, but I remember all the hassle we had with it and how happy we were when CDs came out. I personally might listen to one from time to time but the convenience aspect of CDs or MP3s beats out any nostalgia for me.

I also don't think they sound any better, but that's just my personal opinion.

Just letting you in on the other side of the story, from those of us who remember what it was REALLY like to play vinyl.

Oh, and don't forget warping: make sure your albums aren't near a rad or any major heat source. They do look great, and it's fun to read the lyrics/story as the album goes along, much more an immersive experience than these days, but a reasonably decent deck should do you. Maybe a diamond stylus, but five hundred dollars? I wish I had that sort of money to throw away...

[Alfred]

I'd start by collecting your favourite albums, but especially ones you think would lend themselves well to vinyl ("Funeral" by Arcade Fire was meant to be heard on a turntable).

When you store your records, it isn't a good idea to stack them (this can cause warping). Put them upright on a shelf or in a crate.

[Psy-Fi]

Unless you have deep pockets and are collecting for the potential investment, I would suggest buying what you like and enjoy listening to. If you ever see any of your purchases increase in value, consider it an unexpected bonus.
If you are going to listen to your records (rather than just collect them) you should also invest in some record cleaning equipment. It will make a big difference in your listening enjoyment, especially if you buy used albums (which may have dirty grooves not immediately visible to the naked eye.)

If you buy used vinyl, record shows are a good place to buy for less than you would pay for a used record at a retail store. Always take the record out of the sleeve and look at it in good light to check for scratches/imperfections which will affect the value and listening enjoyment.
I generally find record shows to be about 30% to 60% cheaper than retail stores for used vinyl.
And sometimes you can find private sellers who just want to unload a collection for really cheap money. Usually because they are moving/tired of having it/it belonged to someone else who is no longer with them.

If you buy new vinyl, keep in mind that some newer releases are just digitized recordings copied to vinyl. I stay away from those and just stick with analog recordings.
After all, if I want a digital copy, I can just buy a CD or download the album.

Always try to buy the best quality you can afford to and don't worry about the possible resale value down the road. Some of your purchases may increase in value but most, probably, will not.

Here are 3 sites you may find of some interest...


The Record Collectors Guild :: A website for the Record Collector. (News)

Dust & Grooves ~ Vinyl. Music. Culture

Record & Stylus Cleaner

[Alfred]

Most of the records in my collection are records that have been released in the last decade. I tend to buy them as they are released (or as pre-orders come up). This way you can get cool limited variants.

Admittedly, I haven't sold any of my "rare" records yet, though I have had people inquire about them on Deadformat.

[SGR]

Thanks a lot for the tips guys! On Amazon, how do I know if I'm getting an analog or digital recording? Is it even possible to get newer albums (Like from 2006) on analog vinyl?

[vinylmad]

Originally Posted by SoundgardenRocks

Thanks a lot for the tips guys! On Amazon, how do I know if I'm getting an analog or digital recording? Is it even possible to get newer albums (Like from 2006) on analog vinyl?

From my experience there are not many recent releases that are analogue.
I would suggest you hunt vinyl at Acoustic Sounds as they have a much bigger range of vinyl than what Amazon has to offer.
Look at what label has put the record out and do your research to find out if it is a good gamble or not. I've purchased heaps of vinyl this year and made some mistakes but also got hold of some real gems, but I have learnt a lot.

I can tell you that all the reissues done by Speakers Corner Records are fully analogue. They get the master tapes and do a straight analogue transfer to vinyl. They even use an analogue delay for the cutting process. Most others use digital.

Also Quality Records are putting out some great vinyl. Acoustic Sounds, Analogue Productions and Quality Records are all by Chad Kassem. He has been championing the production of superior vinyl for some time now.

DO NOT buy anything on the Simply Vinyl label as it is rubbish and sounds worst than a CD. I figure they are making the records straight from a CD. Terrible!

Led Zeppelin - Mothership box set vinyl is an example of a remaster that sounds worse that the original CDs. Earlier this year I purchased this and hated the sound on it. My old CDs sounded better. I sold Mothership and found some Russian pressings of Led Zep on eBay. They were new old stock from a factory that closed in the 90's. I took a gamble and purchased them. They sound great! Real fat rock sound. Not the quietest vinyl, but I'd rather have some crackles with great sound than clean tinny sound.

Some later release vinyl I have purchased does have a digital sound to it, while others have a full analogue sound which is really nice. Most recent purchase that comes to mind is Mark Knopfler - Privateering. It is on 2 LPs and the sound is great and a very interesting album IMHO.

Maybe if you let us know what type of music you are into, some artists you like or albums you are thinking of buying and we can go from there.

[Rjinn]

I'd personally just buy albums I listen to a lot that sounds better on Vinyl. Some of them don't really cut it to make a worthy enough. It really depends on your disposable income, especially if you're buying them for collection reasons. Otherwise, CDs played through a high quality stereo is good enough.