Bargain Basement Vinyl

[eyeofnewt]

Question around the etiquette of buying vinyl: in the past I've bought stacks of ungraded of vinyl from second hand stores. In the shop I don't inspect every record, because mostly I find everything looks fine under strip lights.  However when I play it at home the record is unlistenable.   Most recently I picked up for $20 a copy of Script for a Jester's tear, which looks and sounds like it fell off a motorbike and slide along the road.  Do I just accept this as buyer beware and only by graded record where I feel there would be more comeback?  What do you do with unplayable copies?

 

[eman]

If it's not graded by the seller you have to decide for yourself.

 

'Unplayable' for $20 sounds like a  return job. Not fit for purpose.

 

What do you mean by 'second hand shop' ? There are shops with perfectly fine vintage records and then others with dumped junk.

 

I'm also finding there's so much money being asked for anything vinyl there's plenty of sellers with no concept of grading.

It's like a mad jumble sale in an antiques store with cashed up drunk dipsticks bashing a football about.

Think about getting the CD.

[eyeofnewt]

This particular record came from a seller in Fyshwick.  He always give me a discount and faulty records are seldom.  I just feel bad about taking something back.  Similarly I had purchased a copy of Paul Simon's Graceland for $15 from the shop in Kambah that sound weirdly distorted.  I assumed in my ignorance that a better copy must cost $30+?  Like you say there is a scramble to own all the vinyls (sic) that is pegging prices of poorly cared for records artificially high.

[BuzzzFuzzz]

If I'm in a shop hunting records, I inspect every potential purchase, usally in the most lit section of the shop, or even into the doorway with sunlight.  I only have myself to blame if I pick up a dud.

 

Buying online is rather risky.  We rely on the seller's honesty and experience.  I'm sure many of them don't even listen to records, and they have so many it would be nigh on impossible to grade them all.

 

In my opinion, unplayable records should not be sold... who listens to them.  But, even I struggle with throwing away unplayable records... it just doesn't feel right, and they sit in a box in the spare room.

 

I have had good results cleaning records with Clear Gel Glue ( there is a dedicated thread in the Vinyl section ).  I clean every purchase before playing.  I recommend you give that a crack before giving up on them.

 

As far as returns go...  I wouldn't hesitate taking a record back if I was a regular customer.  It wouldn't hurt to try.

 

Cheers.

Ant.

 

 

 

[Candyflip]

1 hour ago, BuzzzFuzzz said:

As far as returns go...  I wouldn't hesitate taking a record back if I was a regular customer.  It wouldn't hurt to try.

 

Yep.  ^^^

[Wimbo]

3 hours ago, eyeofnewt said:

Question around the etiquette of buying vinyl: in the past I've bought stacks of ungraded of vinyl from second hand stores. In the shop I don't inspect every record, because mostly I find everything looks fine under strip lights.  However when I play it at home the record is unlistenable.   Most recently I picked up for $20 a copy of Script for a Jester's tear, which looks and sounds like it fell off a motorbike and slide along the road.  Do I just accept this as buyer beware and only by graded record where I feel there would be more comeback?  What do you do with unplayable copies?

 

Its always good to check the run in grooves as this cops a lot of wear from stylus bounce and playing.

[Monkey_Relish]

It’s buyer beware.

There are some rogues out there.

I found this “gem” for the bargain price of $22.

[Godot]

I wouldn’t feel bad about taking something back, give the seller the benefit of doubt, particularly if you are a regular customer. The seller may be embarrassed that you’ve ended up with a purchase you were disappointed in and would prefer to rectify that situation rather than risk reputational damage. 

[t_mike]

Buy a good quality pocket LED torch. LED light shows up defects like you wouldn't believe. A 2" magnifying glass is handy as well. All SH records need to be thoroughly cleaned before you drop a stylus into them.

[audiofeline]

Many records are given a visual grading.  Commercial sellers don't have the time to play each record to hear how they sound (although there are some who I'm sure will at least sample play the records so they can be reasonably honest in their gradings). 

 

As you have bought good-quality records from that seller before, take it back.  As you are a good customer I would expect that they would probably apologise and offer an exchange. 

 

From what I've read buying graded records can be a matter of luck.  At one extreme there are many people selling records that have no idea about grading, and they just lift words that look good from other ads to make an unethical sale (eg "Mint ultra-rare vinyl lp" for a trashed Richard Tauber 78, which isn't even a lp or made of vinyl).  At the other extreme there is a record collector who rates a record extremely conservatively because they obsess about the detail. 

 

There is one place for bargain-basement records.  Op-Shops.  There are bargains to be found (if you are lucky) - visually good records that also sound good.  There are many that don't sound good, but at that price it's a donation to charity, and the record can be re-donated.  To be bought by someone like my neighbour - who loves buying records from op shops, and loves the sound he gets from his Crossly player.

 

 

 

[Luc]

On 17/08/2020 at 3:33 PM, BuzzzFuzzz said:

they sit in a box in the spare room.

I have a large section of my storage area clogged up with boxes of these. If @candyflip was closer to me I'd let him sort them and take them away and we'd bin the rest(but keep the covers0

On 28/08/2020 at 7:28 PM, t_mike said:

All SH records need to be thoroughly cleaned before you drop a stylus into them.

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^

[Geoff Millar]

All op-shops in Melbourne are closed at the moment anyway, so I've no idea where to get Kamahl or Jim Nabors LPs to have as booby prizes in Christmas trivia contests.

 

Seriously, I've picked up the occasional gem in these places: a Readers Digest box set of Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, mint condition for $10. Actually  RCA recorded with great sound.

 

Geoff

[Ruffter]

On 17/08/2020 at 4:59 PM, Wimbo said:

Its always good to check the run in grooves as this cops a lot of wear from stylus bounce and playing.

Is there a thread I haven't found on what to watch out for when purchasing second hand records, or if not, can people more knowledgeable then I please give me a brief run down what I am looking for when looking at second hand records? I have just ordered my first record player and will be on the hunt as I regularly go to second hand shops and garage sales.

 

Good points I've already gleaned from this thread are:

 

1. Take an LED torch,

2. Check the run in grooves,

3. Always clean second hand reords thoroughly before playing,

 

Anything else people want to add? What am I actually looking for in the grooves? I am guessing scores in the vinyl which run perpendicular to the grooves?

[Wimbo]

2 hours ago, Ruffter said:

Is there a thread I haven't found on what to watch out for when purchasing second hand records, or if not, can people more knowledgeable then I please give me a brief run down what I am looking for when looking at second hand records? I have just ordered my first record player and will be on the hunt as I regularly go to second hand shops and garage sales.

 

Good points I've already gleaned from this thread are:

 

1. Take an LED torch,

2. Check the run in grooves,

3. Always clean second hand reords thoroughly before playing,

 

Anything else people want to add? What am I actually looking for in the grooves? I am guessing scores in the vinyl which run perpendicular to the grooves?

If you are buying old vinyl, a good record cleaning machine is invaluable. This washes then vacuums your record. A big problem with vinyl is mold in the bottom of the grooves. Even more so then scratches. A record machine will get rid of that. We also have a Record cleaning machine forum on here,

 

[audiofeline]

Some records will look perfect, but have been carefully played with knitting-needle styli.  There is no guarantee that a visually-good record will play well, but it's a starting point. I recall reading a thread somewhere recently where the regular customer caught the owner polishing every secondhand record with WD40 (or something equally horrendous) so each record looked "shiny-new".  If you are a regular customer, take a poor record back, the worst/best that can happen is they say "no" and lose a customer. 

 

My in-store evaluation: Look at the record in good light. Check both sides.  Sometimes gently touching a fingernail across a scratch can give an indication of the amount of damage that may have been caused. 

Evaluate the visual condition (record and sleeve) against the asking price and against what a reasonable price you think would be for the record and against the rarity of the record (how likely are you to find another) against how much you rally want(/need) the record. 

If it has a high price-tag, ask the seller if it is possible to return for refund/credit if you feel it doesn't play as well as it is store-rated.

 

And yes, a good cleaning is essential insurance.