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What will you pay for a new LP?

When I started collecting LP’s in the 60’s I paid $2 to $4, choosing from a bin at the neighborhood market. Considering the limited space, they had a surprisingly good selection including Rock & Roll, my preference at the time. A kid then, I had decent cash flow from a paper route.

Records (I don’t care for the term “vinyl”) have gone up in price since then like everything else. In today’s dollars, those $2 or $4 Long Play records cost $17 to $35. You can get unlimited streaming for less than that. Used records can be cheap(er) but collector grade are expensive.

New releases seem to range from $17 to $25 for a standard 150gram and $35 and up for 180/200g reissues. Audiophile labels can go much higher, the Mobile Fidelity One Step 45rpm series list for $125. Colored vinyl too.

I have an ample LP collection and only buy a few new releases each year. I like to play what I have and don’t hear much new music I want to own. I buy a reissue occasionally to replace a noisy record but it’s a gamble on fidelity, sometimes the sound is not as good as the original was.

I did get a wild hair and bought a 45rpm One Step, kinda choking on the $125 price. I wanted to see what the fuss is about and determine if it was worth it. It does sound impressive-and quiet! I was disappointed to find a noisy patch on one record, which the vendor replaced without question and without requiring me returning the bad sample. Will I buy another one? Maybe, if they offer something I really like.

What are your thoughts on album purchases?


128x128bslon
bslon's avatar
bslon OP
2,184 posts
 
@bdp24

Music Millenium is a jewel of a record store with record bins almost over-flowing and the walls covered with LP’s. It’s nearly sensory overload, but in a good way. Quirky Portland is lucky to have it and even luckier it’s endured.
There can be some treasured finds in used records there. A recent purchase was Julie London’s Julie Is Her Name double LP Japanese pressing—$12! A U.S. pressing at Better Records in similar A++ condition was around $500. I guess if you just had to have it…
ghdprentice
7,016 posts
 
I have 2,000 lps, mostly in pristine condition. I’ll pay up to about $40. But I prefer to brouse the used store and pick up albums in great shape for $5 - 15 then carefully clean them, LAST preserve them and add to my collection.
tablejockey
3,913 posts
 
" A recent purchase was Julie London’s Julie Is Her Name double LP Japanese pressing—$12!"

bslon-great score.  I have the 1958 mono pressing. Great album with my favorite guitarist-Barney Kessel

Whenever I go to a show, I bring the album to hear "Laura"
Perfect example of an album recorded during  the "Golden Years"

lmnop
58 posts
 
$35
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