2. analog
  3. 1291956623

Tips for buying used Vinyl needed

I see there is a learning curve to buying used vinyl, can you please offer your wisdom and experience? In my recent attempts at buying used vinyl I have learned not to buy from someone who has stored their collection in the garage, dusty, moldy, and urine smells are gnarly. I am starting to look closer now that I have brought some home from my local shop and noticed imperfections in the vinyl itself, resulting in pops. Finding thirty and forty year old records in good condition is not as easy as I thought it would be.
bigwavedave
tzh21y
1,377 posts
 
look at the spindle hole for wear
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
>>12-10-10: Tzh21y
look at the spindle hole for wear<<

Meaningless.

I have albums 50 years old that have a fair amount of spindle hole wear that play perfectly.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Another thing about stretched center holes that negates worrying about them as a reason not to buy them.
A few auto turntables had no overhead arm to stabilize the waiting LPs, they used a central spindle only (with three tiny fingers sticking out and had a small pressure finger to hold all but the LP to drop. And they pressed open the central spindle hole on all my LPs with even just one use.
I know because i owned one many years ago. A Garrard Lab 80, and all my LPs had mashed out holes, even though I used a Sure M55e at 1.5 grams...(1966)
tzh21y
1,377 posts
 
I have to diasagree with Audiofeil here. Spindle hole can tell a lot.
headsnappin's avatar
headsnappin
295 posts
 
Spindle holes are meaningless if the TT it was played on are of the caliber of Audiofeil's. His is the level of less than 5% of the consumers that played those LPs, so it is a more safe than not assumption.
More to discover