Acquiring used vinyl...is it worth hunting anymore?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Chester0711, Jul 17, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. bluemooze

    bluemooze Senior Member

    Location:
    Frenchtown NJ USA
    I would avoid record shows like the plague. You'll do better at record stores and garage sales. Ebay and Discogs for rare things you might be looking for. Good luck. :)
     
    hi_watt likes this.
  2. keithdylan

    keithdylan Master of His Own Domain

    I find at garage sales now a lot of people say, "My son/daughter is really into records now so we are keeping them." Or I also get, "I won't sell those now, they mean too much to me." This coupled with the resurgence of vinyl in general means a few year in the future there should be a ton of records hitting the garage sale market. Flea markets too.
     
    dee, gss, ODShowtime and 1 other person like this.
  3. David Austin

    David Austin Eclectically Coastal

    Location:
    West Sussex
    I'd say it is definitely still worth it. Not so much for the really big ticket artists, but certainly for the middle-ranking ones. There are some good NM bargains out there. If you're buying online, the postage often costs more than the record, but minor treasures can be found in charity shops (and I'm told branches of Oxfam that specialise in vinyl and collectable books have their records professionally cleaned before putting them on sale).
     
  4. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    1990s was the golden era. Nothing now comes close.
     
    Man at C&A, uzn007, dalem5467 and 9 others like this.
  5. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Stopped browsing thrift stores years ago. Garage sales? Not worth the hassle and time either.
     
  6. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Garage sales can be fun but are not a good nor reliable portal to building a nice collection. And nowadays the pricing is likely to be as (or more) erratic than at your local brick & mortar. Record shows are great. Many dealers want to sell and the shows only last a few hours. Most of my best finds have been from record shows vendors. And of course record stores. Most dealers - the 'good' dealers who want to actually make a living - don't like to sit on titles for months so they market them accordingly.
     
  7. Chris Desjardin

    Chris Desjardin Senior Member

    Location:
    Ware, MA
    Unfortunately, I have no time for garage sales, etc. But there are some great record stores where bargains can be found. It depends on your wants - I am always looking for records in the dollar bins. I usually get the ones that aren't worth much, but to me they are. One local store has a dollar bin, 5 for $3, 10 for $5, 30 for $10! How can you go wrong?

    There are also stores that have better, more valuable items that are still fairly priced. Sometimes, the condition of the vinyl is amazing, considering it's age!

    Then, there are the stores that gouge you. I've been in many of these - I often see records that were in the dollar bin in one store marked $10 in another. And these are easy to find records - they BELONG in the dollar bin! But the stores think they can get it, so they price it high. I was in one the other day for the first time, and left with nothing, because the cheapest record I saw was $10. I typically never go back to these...
     
  8. mahanusafa02

    mahanusafa02 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    If you find a mono Beat of the Brass using this method, I'll guarantee you'll have complete success in your quest!
     
  9. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    Good thrift store vinyl is definitely harder to find than it was in years past, for various reasons. Many people donated all their vinyl years ago and "traded up" to CDs. The advent of ebay, amazon, etc. has also enticed many to sell on line in hopes of getting collector's prices. However, there's still the thrill of the hunt, and occasionally you can still find a few treasures among the trash.
     
    Mike6565 and patient_ot like this.
  10. Dan Steele

    Dan Steele Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago suburbs
    Sure, its fun if you have the time and energy, but I think it is getting harder and harder to find bargains since everyone can compare on Discogs and more people in the know. Lately, I have been buying more cds because those still seem pretty cheap. Is it possible that as more people get into collecting records that they are selling their cds to finance that hobby? Just found the following cds in the last week which are worth a lot more: Who By Numbers made in japan for $3, Jimi Hendrix the Last Experience for $2, Sun Ra Mayan Temples for $4, Led Zeppelin IV West German target for $3, etc
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  11. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    Why avoid record shows? I guess it depends on the show itself, but I've been able to find really nice keeper records and bargains at shows.

    I find it really helps to bring a portable light to the show to closely inspect the vinyl condition. Most shows are dimly lit, so it's easy to miss scuffs and scratches without appropriate light. After a lot of practice, I've finally gotten pretty good at predicting how well a record will play based on the visual condition and factoring in the mastering and pressing plant.

    Also, at repeat visits to shows I've been able to identify the good sellers and ones to avoid.

    Shows can be very good, it's like have having a giant but temporary brick and mortar used record store.
     
  12. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    oh man, you are correct about the 90s. however, you can still get the same thrill these days when you find a gem for next to nothing. I still find those gems, and I still get the thrill.
     
  13. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    Most of the thrift stores pull out rock albums that (they at least think) are collectible and price them accordingly or sell them online. Given that they exist to support a charity, not to sell stuff to resellers and collectors at below market prices, I can hardly blame them. Since I took up cycling, I don't have time for yard sales anymore. That said, people under 40 aren't likely to have purchased records in their youth.

    I know one dollar record store where you can find VG conditioned commons all day long. No Beatles or Stones, of course, but I've seen The Groundhogs (another guy beat me too it), but I have bought the occasional rarer record there.
     
    dalem5467 likes this.
  14. keithdylan

    keithdylan Master of His Own Domain

    A wise lady once told me when it comes to Estate/garage sales/flea markets, "You gotta kiss a lot of frogs." That is so true, but also worth it when it works out.
     
    jj817, gss and violetvinyl like this.
  15. rswitzer

    rswitzer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Golden, CO USA
    I'm no longer willing to go on the hunt hoping for a nice score. I let others do the hunting. They then separate the wheat from the chaff, mark it up somewhat and then sell the items I am interested in to me. I don't get the super deals anymore. I get reasonable deals and don't spent huge amounts of time looking.
     
  16. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.
    No.
    Everyone needs to stop looking.
     
  17. Jeff Kent

    Jeff Kent Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Kisco, NY
    Somewhat self-serving, no? ;)
     
    Arkay_East likes this.
  18. serendipitydawg

    serendipitydawg Dag nabbit!

    Location:
    Berkshire UK
    Indeed. I only attend my local show, limit myself to the bargain bins and minimal expenditure (£20) & I always come away with some gems.

    The 80s were even better, before the wide availability of the Internet, as well as the 90s
     
    greelywinger and TLMusic like this.
  19. Dave Thompson

    Dave Thompson Forum Resident

    Yes, but I also wonder if maybe the majority of the things I'm looking for are rarely going to turn up in such places... most of them don't turn up in regular used record stores, either.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  20. Chester0711

    Chester0711 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Minneapolis,MN
    -In regards to record shows...I love them, I have found rare stuff that is OOP for well below discogs and ebay. Plus, I would rather go this route and see the record before purchase. Grading in my opinion is rough on discogs and ebay....to much variance in what you will get for a VG+ album. Plus, if you buy bulk from a dealer, the price blows away what I can get the same records for at a store.

    -Garage sales have been fun when convenient, but once my collection gets passed filling out the common items, I can see where my purchases would be few and far between.

    -I wont do estate sales, my brother does these regularly and said that the good stuff goes to the regulars of the company running the sale. They get tipped off and either get a ticket at the beginning of the line or get access beforehand to the collection.

    -My local store usually prices quite well, but can be a bit high on collectible stuff. Recently picked up a sealed GN'R Lies with original cover (not the edited one) for $40. My local store had the same album for $100 opened and not sealed.

    -I still love my local stores though, very little removes stress like a long browse through the record store.
     
  21. Opeth

    Opeth Forum Resident

    Location:
    NH
    I've found some gems at record shows more than local stores. I usually clean out new to me stores and then never really find much on return visits.

    My step dad has brought me some sweet original pressings he's found from the dump to garage sales. I don't usually hunt at the dump and garage sales though.
     
  22. serendipitydawg

    serendipitydawg Dag nabbit!

    Location:
    Berkshire UK
    My secret. I'm not looking for anything. Never disappointed;)
    Often pleasantly suprised by what I am not looking for.
     
    dee, troggy, bluesky and 4 others like this.
  23. Isaac K.

    Isaac K. Forum Resident

    I hit flea markets mostly. I'm never out early enough to go to yard sales and when I do see one in passing it usually looks like a bunch of clothing and kids toys of recent vintage. But what I want to know is, do any of you ever see 8 track tapes anymore? I'm not talking the occasional loner or two, but somebody with a sizable collection to sell? I swear it has been more than 20 years for me. SOMEBODY has to have them.
     
  24. PsychGuy

    PsychGuy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    Rock can be tough but if you are open to "easy listening" and big bands there is a lot to be had. Much of it is estate action (albums that belonged to elderly people who bought in the hi-fi era).

    I hit a thrift the other day and all vinyl was 50 cents. Errol Garner, Stan Kenton, Sinatra, Sergio Mendes '66 (of course), soundtracks. Most of it quite playable, just in need of cleaning. Weird thing was Jack Jones -- no fewer than 30 of his albums. Go figure. (They are still there.)

    Record store down the street has a entire back room dedicated to $1 and $2 vinyl -- some good stuff in there, including Joy of Cooking, the Byrds and Sinatra.

    In L.A., I did very well over the years at a Goodwill in the Valley. $1 albums. Again, a lot of big bands and such but it wasn't unusual to find LPs in ace shape.
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2017
    geralmar likes this.
  25. Chester0711

    Chester0711 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Minneapolis,MN
    The lack of 8 tracks definitely does draw some question marks. I saw a box of "spiritual" or religious based stuff on 8 track at a garage sale a few weeks back....nothing otherwise though.

    Sinatra would be a find at my local goodwill... pretty much Barbara Streisand, a slew of thrashed classical music albums, and maybe some Burt Bachrach(SP?) if you are lucky
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine