Record Supplier advice

[davidlzimmer]

From the advice of a respected Forum member and my own experience, I've come to the conclusion that buying "Sealed" albums is not the safest way to go. Of the five "Sealed" albums I have purchased lately, I have ONE side that plays as I would expect a new album to play. Not a very good ratio!

But the idea of buying used records, to me, is scarry. I did buy one, on Ebay. It would have been nasty had the seller not given me a full refund. His idea of "plays perfectly" meant that the record didn't skip.

So, where do I get records that aren't full of pops and snaps? I live in a very rural area so, at the present, I'm pretty much limited to the internet.

Can anyone recomend a good reliable record dealer? I've seen a few on the net that really appear honest. I was just hoping some of you may have experiences with them.

Thanks!

[kevinkr]

I buy LP records and other related items from elusivedisc and have been quite happy with them.

http://www.elusivedisc.com/

Acousticsounds would be another place to check out. I haven't bought from them, but I have friends who do, no problems there either.

http://store.acousticsounds.com

[kevinkr]

One other thought would be to buy or build a record cleaning machine, cleaning even new records can make a pretty big difference to the residual garbage in the grooves and result in a much quieter disk.

I recently built my own record cleaner and find it very handy for cleaning many of my old records (bought new) not to mention the occasional junk store find. Here's the thread where it and many other similar projects are described: My DIY record cleaner.

Finally as annoying as the occasional pop and crackle may be it is really about the music, sometimes you just have to listen through the noise - this isn't error corrected digital after all. Eventually you may find quiet pressings of all of your favorite music, in the mean time enjoy what you can reasonably get your hands on.

[davidlzimmer]

Finally as annoying as the occasional pop and crackle may be it is really about the music, sometimes you just have to listen through the noise - this isn't error corrected digital after all. Eventually you may find quiet pressings of all of your favorite music, in the mean time enjoy what you can reasonably get your hands on.

kevinkr,

I agree with that and do so. I've learned to be forgiving in order to get the engoyment of the sound of vinyl. But, at present, that still leaves me with very few selection. One LP happens to be borowed from my sister. It's James Taylor. I don't even like him but, the instruments sound so sweet on the vinyl, that I listen to it quite often.

I'll check out http://www.elusivedisc.com/

Any other suggestions welcome!

[hailteflon]

Sorry to hear about your experience with sealed albums.


I used to get a mail brochure years ago from Half-Mile Vinyl. If they are still around, they are a mom and pop small business that sells auditioned vinyl. I talked to him on the phone once, he knows a lot about groove quality.

What some people in your situation do is to make a run to the city with several hundred dollars and buy a trunk load. The requires knowing where to go. Don't pay much for a record.

You need to get experience with judging vinyl by appearance. You can predict the probability that it will have groove damage. You reflect the light off of it and get clues. This is why many record shops have dim lighting.

Years ago I would sometimes meet a quy from Korea that would come to the USA on business and go to Half-Priced Books and send crates of albums back to Korea. Made a ton of money.

[cactuscowboy]

I also live in a rural area and have no problem finding used vinyl at yard sales and thrift shops. As others have noted, look at the vinyl closely for scratches and other flaws. I also use a record cleaning machine (a DIY project) and it makes a huge difference.

[davidlzimmer]

Hey all!

Thanks for all the advise. I did, finally, find a 2nd hand bookstore that had thousands of used LPs. The ones I looked at (Ibrought a small flashlight) were visual perfect. I was in heaven! The store is 65 miles away, so I'll have to save and buy a lot of records to justify the trip.

Also, I've decided that my next project will be a DIY RCM.

Thanks again.

PS. If you like Dire Straits, you should hear them on Vinyl!!!!