How to Shop for Used Vinyl
Although streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music are popular, many people still enjoy listening to music on vinyl. Vinyl can range widely in price, with many thrift stores offering albums for a few dollars and limited editions selling online for hundreds of dollars. Also, because vinyl is a physical medium, purchasers must ensure that the vinyl they are purchasing are in good condition, particularly when buying used albums.
Issues of pricing and quality can make shopping for used vinyl intimidating, as many enthusiasts may not know what to look for when digging through crates. Fortunately, a few tips and tricks to crate digging can make record shopping an enjoyable and thrilling experience.
1. Know how to handle records.
The most important thing to know when shopping for used vinyl is how to handle it. Remember, records are easily damaged. That does not mean that you should be scared to hold your vinyl; it just means that you need to be careful when handling a record.
When taking out a record for inspection, use your hand to pull out the entire inner sleeve instead of grabbing just the record or dumping out the record. This will make it easier to get the record in and out of its sleeve safely. Next, without touching the surface of the record, grip the record with your thumb hugging the rim and your fingers on the center label, then pull the record out of its inner sleeve.
Once the record is out of the sleeve, press another hand against the rim to brace the record. To put the record back, just reverse your steps, being careful not to drop the record into the sleeve or album cover, as this can damage the album cover and sleeve. Handling records safely is not too difficult—just be sure that you do not touch the grooves or drop the record.
2. Inspect the record.
When deciding whether to purchase a record, one of the most important things to do is inspect the record. Do this by taking it out of the sleeve and holding it so that light is shining off it. The glare will reveal any damage. Also, be sure to pay attention to how the record feels in your hand. Heavier and stiffer vinyl is generally a higher quality pressing and can give you better sound quality and longevity than light and flimsy records.
Some light surface damage is fine, but gouges and deeper scratches can affect how the record plays, even potentially catapulting the tone arm across your record. To check the scratch depth, you can lightly rub across the damage with your nail. If you can feel the scratch, you can hear the scratch.
Even if you can feel the scratch, the record may still be worth purchasing, records with minor damage can be perfectly acceptable depending on genre and the listener’s tolerance for surface noise. However, it is still important to evaluate the extent of the damage to avoid buying unplayable or over-priced records.
Another form of damage to look out for is warping. Improper storage and heat exposure can warp the shape of a record. Like with scratches, mild warping is not a serious issue and most albums are likely warped to a degree regardless of age and use. However, noticeable warping can affect playback and audio quality.
One thing to keep in mind when inspecting records is the dirtiness of the record. While exceptionally dirty records may be best avoided, dirty records can oftentimes be cleaned. Record cleaning solutions, brushes and machines can be purchased online and can safely remove dirt from the grooves of used records to make them playable again.
3. Check the price.
Speaking of over-priced records, purchasers of used records should compare the price of a record they found to other sellers to ensure that they do not overpay. My favorite way to do this is to search for the album on Discogs, a website and app for purchasing and selling music.
To easily find an album, search for the record catalog number. This number can generally be found on the album cover and the center label of the record. Be aware that different pressings of an album will often share the same catalog number and may be difficult to tell apart.
Other information such as the record company, the country and distinguishing info about the appearance of the album—such as the cover art—can all be used to help narrow down the exact pressing of an album. This is rather difficult to do, so do not worry if you cannot determine the pressing, just try to figure out if the album you are about to purchase is a fair value for you based on what people are selling them online for.
Collecting vinyl is fun, and crate digging is an exciting and fun part of the hobby. Buying used vinyl can be cheaper, especially when crate digging at a thrift store, but it can also be the best way to search for older albums. Some albums are not available new, and those that are may be undesirable pressings or masters. Because of the benefits it offers, shopping for used vinyl is a useful skill for all vinyl collectors.
