@rsa - "Do they sound better than they did 30 yrs ago?"
Maybe, maybe not. Part of it depends on what and how you were listening 30 years ago. I can tell you that I have records that are 30-40 years old, or more, that still sound fantastic. I treated them pretty well back in the day. Admittedly, I accidentally scratched a few of them and there is an audible click on every rotation where they are scratched. However, I don't let it bother me. But most of my records from the '70s and 80's sound pretty good. Some of my new wave/electronic records from the 80's sound pretty bad, but its the recording, not the media. Those same recordings on CD sound just as bad, or worse.
It also depends on what you were using for playback 30 years ago. I bought a great turntable as soon as I got out of college and could afford it. At the time I had a CJ Walker 55 with a Lustre 801 tonearm and a nice Grado cartridge. The Walker was a little finicky regarding it's suspension and I replaced it with a Linn Axis and lived happily for many years. Those records that were played 10's - 100's of times on those 2 turntables still sound very good. Yes, some of them have various degrees of noise, but I tend to listen to the "music", not the "sounds".
If you are a music lover and you can get past a bit of noise, go for it. However, if you can't tolerate any noise, I suggest you don't bother. That said, I feel that if you are a music lover, especially of music from before about the mid 80's, you are missing out if you can't play vinyl.
Regarding modern records vs original/vintage, I tend to prefer originals if they are in good condition. Modern releases are mostly heavy weight vinyl and are clean, quiet and flat. However, they are expensive and don't necessarily sound any better for the extra cost. Plus, its just cooler having an original. For new music, I'll buys special stuff on vinyl, but most I just get via digital download or the rare CD.
