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Second hand vinyl surface damage.

Most analogue enthusiasts enjoy perusing and buying second hand vinyl. I was doing so this week, and picked out four LP`s that I wanted to add to my collection, but only after carefully inspecting their surfaces. Naturally a delicate item such as an LP undergoes `ageing`, a thirty plus year old desirable will not have escaped some surface damage. There are occasionally long and short deeper scratches, and more often clusters of light hairline scratches. If you want it you will have to put up with the result of said surface damage, so what do members consider damage enough to regretfully put the LP back on the shelf?
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artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
1,986 posts
 
I have about 4500 albums now that I got back in the early 2000's. Generally cost me no more than a dollar apiece. Don't know the market today but I know a good album upon visual inspection. Learn the Goldmine standard. It will be accurate. No need to play an album. The only thing that gets past me is groove damage. I wouldn't deal with anyone online that doesn't adhere to it. Learn to see the damage if any
 Then I don't play anything less than VG+. This becomes very important as you upgrade to expensive cartridges. Plus it increases enjoyment. Say no to surface noise.
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,865 posts
 
It should be illegal to sell those fake record players like Crosley. I've seen guys spend $40 on an LP only to ruin it on a $69 junker.
russashe
46 posts
 
@cleeds  Anything that would be audiophile grade, just pulled D2D out of the air at random.  It's just that you notice crud more on superior recordings. Chances are good if you have a better than average deck the stylus is probably much smaller than the previous owner was using so it reaches much deeper in the groove where the old crud is and it gets raked up.  This isn't every used LP but it does happen time to time.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
2,880 posts
 
@russashe  Thanks for the suggestion. I applied Gruv Glide to the album in question and this helped a little, i will re-clean it again, this time using a wet vacuum system. I am afraid that the damage to the groove is permanent though, we shall see. 
swann36's avatar
swann36
35 posts
 
@rushashe ....great tip about the popular track on an album ....i'll do my best to remember that one ..
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