LP's... Do they sound better now than 30 yrs ago?

I have found that they sound much better now than they did in the 70s and 80s. That's because I have better equipment to listen. A good turntable and cartridge makes a huge difference!  Especially compared to what I had in college. 

And that's even for vintage records. A good cleaning and they sound terrific, even if 50 years old.  

I have studied vinyl cleaning intensely in my own rig. Every record, old or new, should be thoroughly cleaned prior to play (not every play, just before it is played on your equipment.) To clean a record, it is necessary to cut off the natural oils to release the dirt held by these oils.Special cleaners and diluted denatured alcohol is what I found to be most effective. 

Once you have a clean record, the surface oil must be replenished.If not, you have a diamond riding on soft vinyl and every play will add ticks and pops as the diamond carves the vinyl. Use Grove Glide with the understanding that less is better than more. And no, I have no interest in promoting this product beyond that without it, you will not be treating you vinyl in a manner that results in maximal care and enjoyment.

If you dont like LPs you can send them to me. I'd be delighted to take any and all off your hands.

As for gear, someone already mentioned the bullet proof Rega Planar 2, I'd add the RP3 as well, these are plentiful on the 2nd hand market, and while not everybody's favorite, they are easy to keep tuned up unlike some finicky sprung turntables. They give a great sound, just make sure your support is not prone to vibrate, a reasonable cart like the Denon 110 will sound great and you can upgrade the tonearm wires (RB250/300), replace the the mat, and sub-platter  as you want later. (These are manual so if you need a tonearm lifter get a Thorens Q-Up to stick on).