Converting to Analog

In no particular order:
Cleaning jackets and sleeves is not something I do, but I have done some Professional Comic Book repair. On the cheap is a cleaning pad available at an art supply store. The pad is filled with a powder. You shake the bag, rub in the powder, and dust it off. You can use a drafting brush if you like.

I have some rice paper sleeves, but don't consider them essential. I have gone thru several thousand of the 7 cent sleeves. The reason is that I really enjoy listening to inexpensive vinyl. I have over 9000 albums now, and have spent a buck or less on all but 1000 of them. Yes, they call me The Cheapskate. Most albums I have cleaned for me by one of my employees at $10/hr. Thats much cheaper than my time, and it's not rocket science.

I use a SAE 5000a and Burwen TNE 7000a. Both are tick and pop removers, and available for about $150 each, but there are many out there that don't work properly. You should pay $300 each if you are confident as to quality. I would be nice if I could buy 8000 albums for less than a buck each, and never have a tick or pop, but I've assembled a collection of several hundred Living Stereo LP's this way, and have bit the bullet on the ones I HAD to have a great copy of.

Most albums I listen to only once. New albums, and expensive albums I'll use Last Vinyl Protectant.

I don't consider the Analogue equipment to have any real cost versus Digital equipment because of the source material price break. You do the math with your figures, but for me 8000 LP's at $1 versus 8000 cd's at $9 equals a $64,000 savings that can be applied to analogue eqipment before the break even point is reached!
Heck, for $10-20 grand you can buy EVERY SACD and DVD audio disk ever made and have plenty left over for Class A players!
I like listening to great music I havent heard before. There is no way to do that in the High End on the cheap except thru vinyl.

The Cheapskate

You should just get out and listen to some TT rigs at various price points to get an understanding of how much it costs it takes to pull it off. IME, there is less diminishing of returns for TT rigs than for other components, so the answer to your first question, for me, is no. That is, if the rig you listened to was $10k. I don't think it takes $10k to beat SACD, though.

I would also suggest that you learn about cartridge and arm setup before you buy. There is a great FAQ section on setup at audioaslyum.com. You really have to be honest with yourself when you consider whether or not you will like or not mind looking for records, cleaning them and setting up your TT. Its a lot more work than comming home HMV and hitting .

GO for it. A second hand table with no movement in the platter at all apart from round and round (sideways rock is BAD). I got a VPI Jr cheap and upgraded it slowly to Mk4 as I could afford it - an Orogin Live modified RB250 arm unless you are feeling rich..... I vote for a Benz 2 glider (with my walett!). mine is medium output, but if you want a cheap phono stage then a high output one will work into a low gain moving magnet preamp fine. Try to listen to a high output Dynavector as well. Grado is also worth looking at, most of all - TRUST YOUR EARS!
Next up for me is an Orogin Live DC motor kit.

Brtritch:

Great post. Oh.... I like the nickname ("The Cheapskate) as well.

--Charles--

Jim-I clean my jackts with windex and a paper towel.It gets all but the most stubborn stains off and leaves them smelling fresh.If the jacket is rough texture I rub very softly with windex and a rag. A paper towel will flake on the rough textured jackets.
As far as groove-glide,Im not impressed with its ability to remove ticks,pops and fizzle.I just don't hear a difference in that regard.The reason I use it, is it makes the music sound smoother and more refined.I don't spin an LP without first using it.

Marakanetz- Always the negative! To answer your question "how the hell do you clean inner sleeves" Place the sleeve on a hard,flat surface.Wipe with a clean cloth that has been dampened with windex or some other cleaner and THATS IT!!!! That wasnt so hard! Besides getting the inner sleeves cleaner and fresh smelling it helps to get some of the creases out.
I sell vinyl on eBay.Original and excellent condition inner sleeves add value to collectable vinyl.When I write my descriptions I always describe the inner sleeves condition.I include also, that all my vinyl has been cleaned on a Nitty-Gritty and treated with Groove-Glide.Buyers love that!!
LP's need to be taken very good care of.This includes jackets and inner sleeves.The inserts and posters that came with many LP's of days gone by need to be taken care of also.These LP's can't be replaced