How to Judge an LP

I have found slight warps can be straightened out by placing the album between two pieces of glass, and putting weight on it for an extended period of time.

Also, I don't know why, but older mono records can look really bad and still play fairly quiet.

A trick for finding records at yard sales. If you don't see any records, ask loud enough so everyone around can hear. More than once I have been led to another location to find a nice stash.

The above points are good, but even new LPs are a gamble. For instance, I recently purchased the new Linda Thompson LP and it's a bad pressing. A huge mark on one side (which is audible) and random noises throughout. You never know what you're going to get new or used, but with used LPs the rummage sale prices often make them well worth the gamble (if they look relatively scratch free, that is).

Peter,

Listen to Twl. You'll get the hang of buying used once you've taken the plunge a few times. The gouge thing is something you should pay particular attention to. I've seen quite a few gouges on new LP's and they play perfect. You'll get to a point where you can tell with reasonable accuracy if the gouge is a manufacturing event or caused by mishandling.

Pbb, would you please stop with the negative comments when a poster wants some analog help? Again, I assert that you have never heard an excellent analog player set up properly. It seems all you want to do is "take the wind out of his sail". Most of us vinyl-heads don't do a wholesale condemnation of digital even if we believe vinyl to be sonically superior. Please post the general location where you live. Perhaps a member in your area will be gracious enough to invite you over for an audition. You may email me and arrange a visit. I promise to be a gracious host and will make a great meal if you bring the wine. I'll let you select any vinyl from my collection for critical listening and promise that for desert you'll be eating your words.

I won't go into detail, since Twl has it covered, but I have found many, many LPs in thrift shops. Some play perfectly and some are trashed. I am often surprised to find that the one that looks the best on visual inspection is noiser than the one with all the scuffs and dust. I also frequently find new, sealed LPs in the bins with the old. What you find might depend on your musical interests. I have found classical LPs to be in generally in better condition than rock. Broadway shows are the worst of all--at least in my area.

One thing that I've found is that if you clean your LPs by hand (Disk Doctor) they will sometime have a fair amount of background noise on the first play, but will quiet down after another play or two.

Pbb, I find it highly unlikely that I am not aware of exactly how prevalent these defects are, and exactly how objectionable they are. I have owned more used records than most people have ever even seen. I have played used records for most of my life. I buy and sell and trade used records, and have done so for 30 years. I am acutely aware of the entire used record market, and probably forgot more than most people will ever know about records, their conditions, rarity, value, and usage. During my lifetime, I have probably bought, sold or traded, over 250,000 records. I have had personal record collections of over 20,000 records at a single time, and the majority were bought used. I am not the biggest record collecter around, but I certainly have more than enough experience to know about the "prevalence" of vinyl defects in used records.

I am also aware that there are some who cannot, or will not use records or analog gear. Fine. That's more records for me. I know just what to do with them.