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Where do you buy your vinyl?

Just getting in to this hobby and have a small collection some bought from garage sales and more inherited, but I am beginning to understand the immense difference between a great recording and one that is just ok and as I look to build my collection further, I am thinking of buying some new/unused records. I am not looking for collectibles, only for high quality sound and I am interested in where the best places are and how to figure out which pressing to get.

Here are the outlets I know of so far:

Acoustic Sounds    https://store.acousticsounds.com/
In the Groove    https://www.theingroove.com/
popmarket    https://www.popmarket.com
The Sound of Vinyl    https://thesoundofvinyl.us/

Are there other good places to look? How do I distinguish between versions? Do some stores have better quality s.t. I can rely on them to stock the best copies?

saulh
mckinneymike
89 posts
 

@jeffrph Thank you for the suggestion. Love that he play grades and includes the country of origin/version!

saulh OP
56 posts
 

@audiodwebe I am talking about different pressings of the same underlying recordings. 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,813 posts
 

For used records I prefer to buy locally, where I can inspect the disc. Some Discog sellers grade accurately (to my admittedly high standards), some don’t.

For new records I also like to buy locally when possible, to keep my LRS's in business.

hifi28
50 posts
 

I just found a used record store yesterday 10 minutes from my house. I stop by today and it was running a 50% off everything below $4.99, I got 6 good condition records for $11, and these are audiophile recordings!

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,813 posts
 

 

One of my LRS’s now has a rack devoted to $2.99 LP’s. Today I came home with the following, all in Near Mint condition:

 

- Rickie Lee Jones: Girl At Her Volcano (10").

- Andrew Gold: What’s Wrong With This Picture?

- Difford & Tilbrook (from Squeeze) : s/t.

- Billy Burnette: s/t. Accompanying musicians include Chips Moman---who produced the album, Bobby Emmons, Reggie Young, Spooner Oldham, Dann Penn, Chris Ethredge, and Randy Scruggs. Wow.

- Jerry Lee Lewis: Country Memories, produced by Jerry Kennedy. Sidemen include Harold Bradley, Pete Drake, Kenny Lovelace, Hargus "Pig" Robins, Chip Young, and the great Buddy Harman. Yowsa!

- Harpers Bizarre: Anything Goes, produced by Lenny Waronker, engineered by Lee Herschberg.

- Will (Sexton) & The Kill: s/t, produced by Joe Ely.

- Nicollete Larson: ...Say When, produced by Emory Gordy Jr. and Tony Brown. Accompanying musicians and singers include James Stroud, Richard Bennett, Jerry Douglas, Hank DeVito, Jim Horn, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Sharon White. Songs include those written by Nicollete, Wendy Waldman, Kevin Welch, Hank DeVito, Steve Goodman, Jesse Winchester, and John Jarvis.

Eight LP’s for less than the price of one new LP!

 

At a nearby antique mall I found a still-sealed copy of the one Beat Farmers (the L.A. Roots Rock band from the ’80’s, great live) album missing from my shelves: Van Go, produced by Craig Leon. $10.

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