The Lifespan of an LP?

Life span of a record is longer than your life. 

artemus-

I know what you're talking about. My post should have mentioned those of us who owned the "all in one", Crosley and Close and Plays did shorten LP lifespan. I hammered quite few in my youth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYysz-ifznI

Surprisingly, some LP's with visible groove wear and scuffs clean up well and sound good.
Must be the fact those LP's are bring played for the first time with a stylus contacting the surface an inexpensive spherical normally misses?

Don’t know but safe to say they only get worse over time not better. 

Thank you for sharing your experience and research. I have discovered that wear is not always evident in a visual inspection. I have purchased records from the sixties and seventies that are stated by the seller to be  “NM”.  They look really great — shiny, black, no scratches etc. But they don’t all play the way they look. Some have excessive surface noise or pops. When this happens  I do not assume that  the seller has deliberately misstated the condition. Instead, I assume that the seller cleaned and made a visual inspection before listing, without actually playing it. So now, especially with older records, I eiher try to buy from a bricks and mortar vintage store that lets you play before buying and only buy online if the seller in the listing provides notes that clearly indicate that he/she has played it and that it plays NM, as well as looking NM. Is this a common experience?

Been playing Muddy Waters live at Mr Kellys for 50 years and it still sounds great.