Selling un-warped vinyl (heat treated)

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by gonz, Aug 20, 2019.

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  1. gonz

    gonz Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michiana
    I was at a record store the other day and overheard an employee telling the store owner he fixed a stack of warp records and they can now sell them at regular prices.

    Is there any damage that comes from heating records up to flatten them?

    Would you buy with confidence from this store?

    Also heard them discussing swapping out covers with cleaner vinyl.
     
  2. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    No, I would not buy with confidence. You can fix some warps with heat and pressure...but often the flattened record will have permanent surface noise where the warp had been.
     
    audiomixer likes this.
  3. gonz

    gonz Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michiana
    That’s what I was concerned about. Maybe if the store was upfront about it being formerly warped, and priced it accordingly with a satisfaction guarantee. but I’d be surprised to see that.
     
  4. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    Absolutely abhorrent practice.

    It’s one thing to fix a warp for yourself, that will correct for your turntable...that’s cool. But it’s wrong for a business to think they’ve fixed the issue and then sell it off. And their “fix” could damage the info in the grooves and the tracking.
     
  5. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Well, I don't really have a huge problem with them fixing the warp. But they should do a full play test to make sure it they haven't damaged the record in any way. But, it does seem kind of shady that they would sell it for regular price. I actually have no idea what the even means. In the very least, they offer a full disclosure and offer a money back guarantee. I'm guessing these were returned records. So maybe the regular price was the price before it was returned. Still, it would seem that some kind of discount should be included in taking a risk on a record like this.

    If this is something they do to all their records, this would bother me.
     
    GentleSenator and richierichie like this.
  6. richierichie

    richierichie My glass is always full.

    Hi gonz, I believe that you should name this store so others on the SHF who live in Phoenix are aware of this malpractice and are able to choose whether or not to use this store. I know I wouldn't use them not unless they stated the LPs were in-warped and priced accordingly.

    I'm with @Chemguy on this issue.
     
  7. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
    Their doing it backwards. Offer to unwarp records as an add-on price. That way it’s upfront. Of course, that won’t help their sales as much as their current method.
     
  8. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Too little information. Severe warps? Mild warps? Flattening method used? You should ask and get more information. One tip to reduce this: know vinyl and how to grade it.

    The cover swapping thing is a perfectly legit long time collector/seller practice -- as long as the swapping is done same for same, meaning age and manufacture linearity. If they're putting a 1969 pressing in a 1979 cover then thats bad, but it will also be pretty obvious. If the 'frankenstein' is done correctly -- you would not know.
     
    QuestionMark? and JasonA like this.
  9. gonz

    gonz Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michiana
    the vinyl was too warped to sell. the employee took tiles and put them in the Phoenix, AZ sun on his patio.
     
  10. 0ne.eight

    0ne.eight Forum Resident

    Location:
    98233
    A record that has warped has been stretch somewhere. How does anyone know if it has been compressed back to original shape in the right places. Selling with non-discloser is wrong imho.
    This would bother me also. To a collector, the wrong cover can kill the value.
     
  11. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    Without a full playback test, I sure wouldn't touch it.
     
  12. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    This method is pretty crude, and doesn't really get a record flat per se. It should leave obvious signs. Heat crinkle or texturing to areas if it got too hot. Slight waves or warp visible when viewed from the side (i.e. the rim).
     
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