What should I look for when purchasing a quality album?

No need to bring up my alone time!

time out!

@OP - Invest in an ultrasonic record cleaning machine. Use streaming to identify recordings you like and then go tracking down the vinyl. I have heard vinyl recordings that don't sound good on CD but not vice versa. There are differences between different pressings of the same album depending on how old the stampers were and, also, sometimes different plants got different generations of the master. However, chasing specific matrix numbers is probably further along the spectrum of anality than your are at at the moment if starting to build a library.

yoyoyaya I have been looking at those ultrasonic cleaners. It seems that even brand new record albums have plenty of dirt and debris on them.

I search BandCamp at least once a week (good for files and streaming, too). I use Discogs quite a bit, and keep some of the collection catalogued there. Discogs uses the Gold Mine rating system.  I have 2 used record stores near me, and stop at both every time I'm in town. I probably am buying 80% through BandCamp, Discogs, Music Direct, and etc. I used to buy through subscriptions, like R. Stevie Moore's catalogue, and some of the artists I am interested in only release on cassette, files or CDr. I follow the music, some of the media is not up to Audiophile snuff. It is somewhat common to end up with variations (pressing plants and other variables) of the same record. It's like collecting stamps or coins, you're going to have some "place holders".