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Vinyl from Barnes & Noble

 Last week I used a Christmas gift card to purchase an LP there. 180 gm , pressed at RTI, new 25th anniversary  remaster.... The album was wrapped in a baggy crinkly plastic. Inside that was the typical vinyl sleeve, which was not sealed. When I took the LP out I was amazed.... Filthy, covered in fingerprints with 2 very prominent scratches covering one entire side.. This was obviously not virgin vinyl. B & N of course returned it. The associate told me " you wouldn't believe  how often this happens ." ???!!!   I asked if it was company policy to repackage used items and sell them as new. He didn't answer that, instead merely insisting that this is a common occurrence. WTF!   Any one care to comment/ have similar experience?

winoguy17
jnorris2005
185 posts
 
@bdp24

Sorry if you misunderstood, but I did not mean that B&N has only LPs from digital sources.  I meant that they only sell mainstream records that are most likely from digital sources.  The truly analog, less well-known records will most likely be found in hard-core record stores.

I would also beware of colored records.  My recollection of them - and this is going back a ways - is that they are noisier than black vinyl.
wolf_garcia
6,795 posts
 
I've bought vinyl from Barnes and Noble and only once had a scratchy LP and they took it back and refunded me no questions asked. 
winoguy17 OP
1,230 posts
 
As I said previously, B& N returned the LP without hassle, my issue was being told that this happens quite frequently. I foolishly assume that buying new means I am the first person to open that LP.

wolf_garcia
6,795 posts
 
Are you suggesting that I actually thoroughly read posts? I get that now…I have bought a few LPs from B&N and can't imagine that the quality issues are pervasive since if they were, they'd get all over the distributers to avoid a public relations issue. Maybe.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,277 posts
 
jnorris, since as you say B & N's LP stock is of more mainstream music than that of a "real" record store, and mainstream music is more likely to have a digital ingredient than does underground music (as we use to call it), you may be right. You are also right about colored vinyl often being noisier than black, and picture discs are the worst of all. Of course, those weren't made to be listened to! 
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