[JohnR]

I acquired my current collection by purchasing a few lots some time ago. Finally going through it trying to sort it out and some records just sound bad. I've realized there's a good chance the "bad" ones came from the same lot.

So it's really possible to totally wreck a record by playing it on a poor player?

It will be sad to toss them in the bin, but...

[JakeJ]

Yes, sorry to say.

[WGH]

A bad needle can really tear up vinyl. Our local independent radio station frequently has record sales, they still play vinyl and get lots of donations. The records they sell are all bad, most people take horrible care of records. My brother and I played the heck out of Henry Hawk's Chicken Hunt and totally wore it out, I vaguely remember taping pennies on the tonearm, it worked for a while.

[woodsyi]

Yep.  Some are just going to be single use black frisbees.  You get some that are like pristine and then some that are far too scratched up to listen to.  As long as you are buying used lots, as opposed to paying market price for the selective used records already culled, you will run into duds. 

I still do it though, because you never know when you hit a mother load.  Especially if you love classical music, there are still some bargains to be had.  Not so much on Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll "collections" -- they are usually overplayed and scratched up.

[Goosepond]

I'm 72 years old (and that's not dog years!!!). For some reason I still have a collection of vinyl (that's all there was!) from when I was a youngster (so long ago). They were played on a cheap old Sears tube (that's all there was) record player (definitely not stereo). And I took it to college (you can imagine what hell it got there). I couldn't afford many albums so mostly 45's. But I did have some treasured albums.

So anyway, when I found this forum and got a lot smarter with high-end gear, I decided to at least get an affordable TT, etc. I didn't have much expectations that my old albums (still have not had the courage to play the 45's) wouldn't sound like crap. But I've been pleasantly surprised several times. Yes, they're a bit scratchy and wobbly but WTF cares. I'm playing memories!

Gene

[Folsom]

Some need cleaned. Some were bad pressing. Some were played too many times.

Clean, and sometimes they need a sonic clean. If it sounds dull it's bad pressing generally. If it sounds muted it's probably played to death (sometimes with a bad needle).

I have some records that are certainly not perfect, but I love them anyways. Then there are others that have more noise than music, and they don't stay.

[lakeallen]

I hand clean and ultrasonic clean all my records- used and new. I've found that with used the issues are: 1. Small abrasion/scratches from being stacked, hard to see sometimes but easy to hear. 2. Popular songs on used albums are often over played (reduced dynamics) compared to rest of album. 3. Lots of records played with misaligned cartridges causing L or R channel distortion. 4. Hole off center- I've had several used with this issue.

[JLM]

Yeah broadcast turntables are brutal.  Damage from just one play was quite audible on our nice system back when I worked at the college radio station in the 70's.