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Best places to find vinyl

I am a long time vinyl enthusiast.  I used to travel a lot for work and was able, sometimes, to voyage out to thrift and antique stores during working hours and search for albums.  Found some great ones, too.  Curious as to others' routines and methods to expand their collections.  In warmer months, there are some flea markets nearby and I have found a few good ones although I am not very fond of that method.  Never used Ebay or online auctions though.  There is just something about the thrill of finding it on my own, and inspecting it before i buy it...the thrill of the hunt!
awhittington
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
I have one of the best and largest LRS in the USA about 30 minutes from myself.

Their prices are very fair to start with but they also when overstocked throw some very Good stuff in the bargain bins at $1 each.

My last visit I bought 217 albums this way... Lol.

Flea markets around here have just vastly overpriced junk, not even worthy of the $1 bin but all seem to think ALL vinyl is now worth a fortune and charge accordingly.

I have bought some rareties from EBay and Discogs to complete collections but it can be a crap shoot for sure.
reubent
7,048 posts
 
I have a very good, but small, Local Record Store (LRS). There are 2 more larger quality record stores in my metro area, and a few other small ones. I visit the local one regularly, about once every week or two. I visit the others when I'm driving in that area. There are also 2-3 Half Price Book Stores in my metro and I look through their records a couple of times a year.

I use eBay and Discogs to buy stuff I want NOW without waiting for it to show up in the bin at the LRS. I've had OK luck with it, but the prices are typically higher and the grading is typically off by a grade, or sometimes two. You just have to know that going into the transaction. But I still prefer a VG+ or NM- original used record at $5-$15 to a brand new re-issue at $30.
whart's avatar
whart
3,058 posts
 
I rarely find what I’m chasing (if I’m after a particular record) in local shops. When I lived in NY, I would canvass many, along with the record shows; now, in Austin, with a decent number of shops and a pretty large show. And back in the day, I did hit record shops wherever I travelled for business, pleasure, etc.-- it wasn't necessarily easier then, my interests were just narrower.
I buy mostly online. Discogs, occasionally e-bay, from vendors who have their own websites listing older pressings. I think the further you stray from the stuff that is heavily bought and sold, the more unlikely it is that you will find certain records in stores, particularly if they are ex-US pressings and desirable.
I’m talking older records, not new ones.
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