Should I buy a VPI SCOUTMASTER. I OWN 25 RECORDS.

Found this thread and started reading with interest as I am on a similar predicament as the OP, just to find out later on pages and pages of childish comments and statements, very disappointing, enjoy your system Jeff, I will start another thread

No record cleaning machine in the world can compensate for what you call “beat up” records. Beat up records are records that have been damaged by worn out styli or incorrect tone arm geometry or too much or too little tracking force. Once LPs are damaged in that way, cleaning them makes no difference. However, a good RCM is useful for cleaning dirty records that you may have purchased second hand. As to the condition of used LPs, if you select carefully and purchase from responsible vendors, you should easily be able to buy very high-quality used LPs that play as if new.

I forgot to mention that any store that sells 100 LPs for $28 cannot rightfully be expected to be a source of mint condition LPs. Or else they are selling polka records.

The $28 were for 4 VG+ condition Ramsey Lewis ARGOs.  The free records are a mix of classical, pop and country.  Virtually no jazz or classic rock.  However, the condition of 75% of the 155 LPs were in excellent or mint condition.  I chose some rare 50s classical and pop in VG+ condition with only 8 clunkers.  That's a fantastic ratio for free LPs.  Hey, don't go there and leave more good LPs for me.  P.S. Some genres of music on LPs have very low market value such as opera.  Difficult to give away.  The store has a very good selection of mostly pop, rock and jazz at very reasonable prices.  I'm not about to wreck a Benz Ruby 3 $3000 cartridge on dreck condition LPs.

@inorganic For me, there's more to playing records than the music. I happen to enjoy the inconvenience of having to store, clean, and cue an LP. Lots of cartridge, tables and tonearm offerings to drool over. I love the plethora of accessories available.

I really enjoy hooking my system up to a digitizer and evaluating table and cartridge response with a scope and RTA. I have an extreme technical background. I enjoy messing with the cartridge alignment to see how the system responds. I replace caps on every piece of used gear I get. I use REW to get my system and room optimized. I use traps for room resonance control. And guess what...I rally have improved my system. Not just the numbers, but the sound.

I listen to digital also, but I am quickly bored. There's nothing to get my hands on!

Doing "analog" keeps my mind engaged. And challenged. And my pocketbook empty!

This is the opinion from way out on the fringe.