Bad vinyl

Hi Bill. I'm not saying you're wrong but I've purchased vinyl lately (within the last 10 years) that is just dreadful. This includes a limited edition "Are You Experienced?" ($35?) that has an impassable bridge (between the groove sides) that renders the song useless. Also, a first King Crimson album that sounds like white noise was mixed into the music. In both cases, I waited too long to return. So now I'm preaching "play ASAP and listen for defects".
As for the "old days", I remember many purchases that had paper fragments, from album label punch-outs, that got into the hot pot. Guess we'll have to wait for Heaven for a perfect world... 

I’ve had good luck with new vinyl (from Barnes and Noble mostly), until the other day when I bought the new release "Bach Trios" Yo-Yo Ma, Thiele, Meyers thing. WAY too much surface noise, so back it went no questions asked…bought the CD instead and it sounds great. Note that the new Krall vinyl is 2 discs (sounds great by the way), one side being blank so now I can check my skating, although I'm not sure what I'm checking for. The blank side is also great for those times when you want some peace and quiet.

Wolf, I long ago bought a piece of acrylic and had it cut into a 12" circle with center hole, to use for setting anti-skate. Then I learned that a blank disc is inappropriate for such a task, as anti-skate compensation includes the friction and inward pull of the groove of an LP, the anti-skate compensation combatting those forces, not just the offset angle of the headshell.

So it's just the peace and quiet then.

If you intend to use your new vinyl (not "sealed" investment), play ASAP and listen for defects.

You are so right, dweller. I just played a new 180g Zeppelin remaster that I bought months ago and it's warped. I purchased all the remasters and this is the third record with a defect.