You should also know that there is such a thing as an LP resealing machine. Every Tower Records had one in it's back room; every returned LP was visually inspected, and a disc with no obvious defects (scratches, etc.) was cleaned of fingerprints (with Windex and a paper towel!), reinserted into it's sleeve and cover, and put into a sheet of plastic very similar to the factory one, and sealed. The LP was then put back into the store's racks, and resold to an unsuspecting customer. That an LP is sealed is no absolute guarantee that it is new. One thing that proves a sealed LP is actually factory-fresh is a descriptive sticker on the plastic wrap. Another thing to look for is a seal right on the edge of the cover; the record store resealing machine produced that seal, factory sealing machines didn't.
