Any new vinyl collectors?

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

When I moved up to Philadelphia I sold nearly half of my music collection. I didn't have a job when I moved so I managed to convince myself that the money would come in handy and it'd make for an easier move (I had roughly 700 records and 1200 cd's). So I sold and saved a lot of money. Then I got up here and found a carreer job within a month. Now looking back I am thinking it was maybe the worst idea of my life. I miss my records so much. I had tons of good stuff and originals because I sorted records at a flea market on the weekend and they'd pay me in records and no one in my town was interested in a Burrito Bros or Elvis Costello record.

Anyway, now that I have the income, I am going to get back into collecting music. As far as new albums I am going to buy mostly vinyl and also peruse record stores for older records. I figure now it's not going to come as easy and affordable as it was (pretty much every Neil Young record for $3 each) so I'll probably by cd's for older releases.

My question is: do you guys collect vinyl and if so do you have prerequisites for why you will or won't buy a record instead of a cd? Also do you know a good place to buy from online? Record stores are always safe but I was also debating getting an Amazon Prime to get quick and free shipping. I dunno any thoughts?

I used to listen to cd's in my car which made the decision tough. But now I don't have a car and it seems like if I'm listening to music primarily at home all I need is vinyl. Plus it's beautiful and sounds amazing.

[Bryan]

At some point in the last 5 years or so, CDs started seeming really crummy to me. It's pretty unusual for me to buy a cd these days, but if it's something that's extremely rare, or too expensive on vinyl I'll buy it on cd (or download it...)

I like my LPs cheap'n'cheerful. I really prefer to keep my vinyl purchases under $15 a disc - under $10 is even better.

[Martin]

I buy vinyl, and purchase mp3s online. These days I buy CDs very rarely, and only when I really want to support a specific label or act (which is partly why a majority of the CDs I've bought the last couple of years are comedy albums - Stereolaffs, AST Records, etc).

Where I live the chances of coming across good vinyl (new or used) are slim to none. We have one independent record store with a pretty dire selection (for my tastes, although god bless em), and they're pretty expensive to boot. (Though they did have a sale on their used records the other week - picked up an old Leaders of the New School LP for almost nothing.)

So I tend to buy a lot online, and I've found the Discogs marketplace (www.discogs.com) to be a wonderful resource for all kinds of records, new and used - mostly it's record collectors buying and selling to other record collectors, but there are a few stores among the sellers aswell. The fact that the marketplace is so integrated with Discogs' vast database makes it really easy to browse and find stuff.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I also love discogs but have had to wean myself off of it.  NYC has tons of record stores, but these days I try to only buy when I'm traveling.  I found a chain in Indiana (Joe's Records) which is shockingly overpriced, but has some great stuff in the dollar bin, stuff like The Carpenters and Glen Campbell, which is perhaps ubiquitous in Indiana and which they haven't yet figured out they can gouge hipsters for.

Like Martin, I'm all vinyl and mp3s these days.  My main criterion for an LP is: will I listen to this a lot?  Occasionally I'm wrong, especially with new bands.

I try not to spend more than $20 for any record, but every so often I'll find something I can't pass up, like the 1974 edition of Nuggets with deadhead cover art.

I also sold all my vinyl, years ago, and regretted it.  I managed to re-buy most of it, but it led to idiotic moves like spending $30 on the Murphy's Law green vinyl album and realizing, the moment I played it, that I am no longer 15 years old.

[Christina]

I'm back on the vinyl after probably decades away. I have the kind of record player that a 13 year old girl would have ... I"m starting out small.

I'm definitely in that camp of having sold off multiple collections on both vinyl the first time around & on CD. I think i've bought the entire Led Zeppelin catalogue 3 or 4 times, so I'm not really gonna do that again, know what I mean?

Like Martin, I buy to support labels in whatever format & then I buy LPs I know well.

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

Drag City is the only label I buy direct from because they offer free shipping and I like a lot of the artists.

I just signed up for Amazon Prime and so far it's cool. Amazon has a lot of vinyl now. All the Pavement reissues are $12. And the free two day shipping really does feel good. It's free to try for a month then $79 annual.

[Spalding]

Where I live it seems like everyone is dumping their CDs. I've gotten great stuff at yard sales over the past month for .50-$1 each. We have one "collector's" record store that prices their stock directly from the prices listed in Goldmine, which has led me to ban them from my rounds.

I know CDs are junk, but what about the impending mp3 apocolypse, when the sinister computer worm converts everyone's iTunes libraries into Amway sales seminars? I'll still have my box of CDs as back-ups.

. . . like spending $30 on the Murphy's Law green vinyl album

ARF! ARF! ARF!

[dave from knoxville]

I still have about 600 vinyl LPs, used to have maybe 1500. I still buy CDs, hardly ever listen to the vinyl though I am thinking about picking up a cheap USB turntable for my birthday.

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

On a snowday this winter I ripped all of my cd's to my computer. I deleted everything from my computer last week. I didn't like the feeling, or lack of feeling, I got from listening that way. But that is totally a personal intake preference. Few people care, or should.

[Lothar_Brightblade]

I recently bought Wings's At The Speed of Sound purely because of last years premium. Only $2.99.

Still looking for Ram.

[gravy boat]

Paul, there is a very good record store somewhat close to Philly that has used records, although not a huge selection,  in Princeton, NJ. Princeton Record Exchange.  Worth a short drive.

[Gilly]

Used CD's are dirt cheap at certain places in the Twin Cities, mostly Half Price Books. A few scuffs that don't affect playback gets them tossed into the dollar bins so I have really upped my CD collection in the past 6 months. I very rarely listen to mp3's these days unless I'm streaming them from my phone. The main reason for that is because I've invested a lot in vinyl and CD equipment and even flac doesn't sound as good as a cd or vinyl just because of the equipment I have and that I haven't invested in computer audio hardware. But also, even putting in a CD is more of an experience than clicking on a file. It's a lot more fun to browse through my shelves and find something I want to listen to rather than scroll and click.

[Pregnant Pause]

I recently bought Wings's At The Speed of Sound purely because of last years premium. Only $2.99.

Still looking for Ram.

My mom recently gave me a box of 40 records she found in her attic, literally the only one that wasn't either scratched to hell or warped beyond being playable was Band On the Run, which was in near mint condition.  Not even 30 years of neglect and 110 degree tempatures can get Paul McCartney down.  

[Gilly]

I don't know if it's because everybody had them or nobody wants them anymore but every single McCartney vinyl record can be found in the 50 cent bins around here consistently. I have about 2-3 copies of many of them because I just buy them if they look like their in better shape than the copies I already have.

[Lothar_Brightblade]

Cincinnati must be a no McCartney Zone because I have rarely seen any of his stuff, and certainly never in the cheapo bin, which is where I spend most of my time. That said, if you ever need any Linda Ronstadt, I'm pretty sure I can get you 2-3 copies of all of her stuff.