Unfortunately, it is not possible to visually inspect a record and tell whether it's going to be ok. Making the problem worse is the fact that there are dealers at shows that cosmetically treat their records to make them look perfect. I'm not sure how they do it (perhaps someone else can chime in with an opinion on this), but the records look absolutely fabulous. In fact, they look too good to be true, and you know what they say about that. If I'm buying at a show, I'd actually rather buy a record that looks less than pristine, or a record that has not actually been cleaned as I don't really know what someone has done to clean that record. If they've manually cleaned and not vacuumed the record, there is a very high possiblity that all they've done is solidify a bunch of crap in the grooves so that even I can't get it out with an effective wet cleaning and vacuum.
On the other hand, there are many records that don't look particularly great that clean up remarkably well. The upshot of this is that I do the bulk of my used record buying at places that offer very cheap prices (read 50 cents to a buck or two max) and for more expensive fare stick to dealers that offer a return privelege if the record is not up to standards. Shows are a crapshoot.
On the other hand, there are many records that don't look particularly great that clean up remarkably well. The upshot of this is that I do the bulk of my used record buying at places that offer very cheap prices (read 50 cents to a buck or two max) and for more expensive fare stick to dealers that offer a return privelege if the record is not up to standards. Shows are a crapshoot.