Any advice on buying quality vinyl

Hard to be sure what is the first run and what is not, I just follow catalog numbers.
If you are a good musician it is real easy to demonstrate it anywhere.
I even heard on youtube and a few times live in New York City some quite good street musicians. No recordings in most cases, I guess.
One homeless British guitar player on streets of Paris was most impressive - very much in line with fusion era Miles. Another was sax player on 5th Avenue, very deep into the blues.

I bought two brand new vinyl few weeks ago at Target in a sale.
Both new pressings, not reissues or remastered.
One, Mumford&Sons is just flat and tuneless, lifeless in the extreme.
The other, Traces by Steve Perry is excellent, very well done and is actually one of my goto reference recordings now as it is minus pops etc and exceedingly good SQ.

But I would have to say that was more luck than judgement.

Playing right now though is a $1 Kinks album on Arista label and it is divine.

udog,

I have bought 2 different Super Hot Stampers, the second best record Better Records sells out of a set of the same albums.  In both cases, the original records I've had since college both sounded better than the records from Better Records.  Granted, it was not a White Hot Stamper--their best, but I'd have to say, I was more than disappointed.  Tom is good about taking records back and refunding you promptly.

I agree about MoFi records can be good or just average.  The vinyl has always been quiet consistently though.  If you are going to spend over $50 for a record, it had better be rare or it needs to sound good--great would be better.

The 180 grams or 200 gram records are also a maybe as to the sound quality and are they worth the extra money.  All this is probably not what you wanted to hear.

Bob

listening to #235 MoFi of Hiatt - Bring the Family last eve...worth the premium I paid on discogs for an unopened copy...time is money and sometimes money is time travel....yowsa...heard stuff I didnt know was there....big A smile...

of course, not all MoFi hit that mark

I do heavily rely on about ten people on this board - posters on this thread and bdp24 of course...and a few others, and Discogs...and I am a bin scrounger...have some $1 David Lindley and JJ Cale that must be blackhole swallowed a white hot supernova stampers...

God, those are fun to find..

and YES get a decent record cleaning machine and stylus cleaner !!!!!

have fun

enjoy the music, and NEW music...

"The 180 grams or 200 gram records are also a maybe as to the sound quality and are they worth the extra money. All this is probably not what you wanted to hear."

I always thought my limp noodle, Bowie RCA Dynaflex albums sound great!

As mentioned by others, sound quality can be all over the place, even with period presses. I believe it may only guarantee getting closer  to the source.

"Greatest Hits" albums also are disappointing.