goN' LPs at $10, I can buy for $0.18

I just hope that someday I'll be lucky enough to find that "mother lode" of LP's that I can buy for pennies per LP. Not much shows up in the thrifts around here 'cause most records have been gobbled up by collectors or the local used records stores or the blackhole of LP's. So I guess I'll have to start looking to estate sales or classifieds. But until then I still buy from my local used LP dealers and it seems that I pay about the same, maybe a few dollars less, as the asking price of many of the LP's listed here. I cannot buy small numbers of LPs without seeing what I'm getting so I don't buy used from the 'net.

Interesting variety of responses! Thank you all!
For Dan_ed: Agree it is hard to buy sight unseen! Different folks' idea of what Mint or VG++ or Excellent, are so scattered over the possible map! I Get nervous when I read an ad on eBay that says the record is Mint and in the same sentence declare that the scratches won't interfer with the sound!
I still buy on the net because many records just are not available in a timely manner, even where I live with plenty of places to shop.

You could say, Elizabeth, that you realize that some people have less time because they are working longer hours than you. A benefit is a greater income, one which will allow them to purchase records for $10 from Audiogon, eBay, or elsewhere on the 'net.

Back when I was in college, I had time to get dirty in Thrift Stores. I spent thousands of hours digging through boxes or record racks. Just imagine the money could I have made in those thousands of hours, even at just $10 per hour. Now fast forward to post college days and a $140K year income. Divide that by 2080 hours (52 weeks times 40 hours/week). Get the concept?

jes45 - So how much are you earning the other 3760 waking hours (365 days times 16 hours/day less your 2080 working hours)? No question there are some people that are willing to pay a steep premium for having someone else do the work but my guess is that it wouldn't take much time to find most of the relatively common albums noted. Assuming 10 per hour sifting through the bins, well worth it at even $140K/year.

Truth is, to make that income, you work longer hours than the average guy. I already own 10K records, so finding 10 records at any Thrift Store is impossible. I'd be very lucky to find one worthy of purchase per hour. This said, I'll gladly pay someone else $10/hour to find good records for me. Like I said, it is a mindset. It's okay if you can't understand it, many don't.

Regarding the other 3760 hours/year; I devote what little spare time I have to my family, to my friends, to my community (Rotary, religious men's organizations that raise money for charities and 5 hours minimum/week at the homeless shelter) and listening to music 3 to 4 hours daily. You may think that I have a warped value of time, I do not.

I'll add that I'm not a seller at Audiogon, nor elsewhere. I hope that sellers will not be discouraged from offering their records at Audiogon, even the $10 ones, after reading the majority of posts.

Happy record hunting.