Tips for buying used Vinyl needed

There is a lot of great advice on this thread:

I completely agree with Audiofeil's advice on visual ratings. Even with great sellers, you can get the occasional dud that looks great.

If you are trying to buy more collectible, i.e. expensive records, find a few sellers you trust and establish a good relationship with them. When you get the occasional dud, a good seller will graciously allow a return.

Box sets, especially classical sets, are often rarely played and usually offer great value.

Certain record labels offer consistently great sonics, others not so great. It pays to do a little research before bidding.

Know whether or not you are getting a first pressing (which typically sound better and are more valuable). It pays to recognize the labels, producers, etc.

A good record cleaner is a must.

Good luck. Finding great old records is the one of the most enjoyable parts of the hobby.

Hey, Elizabeth, thanks for relating all those good details that I was too lazy to write about!

Using Fabreeze is a new one for me. Gotta try that!

via mailorder, you have to get a feel for how each vendor grades, as it is somewhat subjective. Especially if they only grade "visually", which is sometimes useless. Then buy more from those with whom you have a positive experience.

I hate cleaning records. It is slow and noisy, but essential.

We have regular record shows at cities throughout southwestern ontario pretty much evry few weeks all year round. One vendor, whose stuff generally looks really pretty good tend to drop his prices to a buck for anything around 2 in the afternoon to reduce his load goin home. It never fails, about half the stuff I pick up there (its a real shame because I have had some really good finds)tends to have a huge amount of surface noise. I clean them with my vpi before playing. I'm guessing that he cleans them with something too harsh. There is nothing untoward about the appearance. I have had some really great finds at flea markets, thrift shops and record shows. It's all part of the fun of this hobby. I think I have added nearly 2000 used lps to my collection over the past few years. Used good jazz is harder to find but some of the newer Bluenote rereleases are great.