[Wayner]

Mint, I mean noise free, flat and something you consider a treasure. I have several. My Pink Floyd, the Wall is like brand new, given to me by my friend who got it for a gift, but he likes C & W, so it basically never got played. I also have GTR, which was purchased sealed, as was my Supertramp-Live in Paris. I also have Dave Bruebeck's Time Out in real good shape.

Wayner

[BaMorin]

Most of my albums are 20+ years old    Most of them are in very playable condition.....some were noisey to begin with.  Just off the top of my head the scratchless ones ( but not limited to ) all of my FZ after his 1974 recordings. My Sheffield labs albums. Jeff Beck albums, Roy Buchanon, Doors, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke, I just opened a Jefferson Airplane (mono) that I've had for 40 years (is that cheating?).  I've been dragging an expesive rock accross my vinyl since the mid-late 70's, so I've always taken care of them.......only loaned to those who were exactly like me.

[SteveFord]

The ones in this picture were all purchased new over 20 years old and about 95% of them have only been played twice - once to record to cassette, once to burn to CD.
I've found a few warped ones in the pile recently.
I'd say that they're treasures and hope that they go to a good home when I croak.

[dangerbird]

Having been in the retail record business in 1972,which eventually failed,,I have a bunch of Stones,Floyd,Cream and other British artists' on vinyl that we imported at the time,,many are still unopened.

[twitch54]

Wayner, I've got so many over twenty years old that are pristine I can't begin to count them, even thirty years old for that matter (Chuck Mangiones 'Childern of Sanchez' being one of my favorites). It's the ones that are 40 years plus that that I few that I would call 'pristine'......couple of Stan Getz verve come to mind....

[vinyl_guy]

Like Twitch54, I have too many to count in the 20-45 year old category that are in great shape and play noise free. The best ones are those I bought when the cassette tape was in vogue. I would clean them with a Discwasher and record them to cassette and play the cassette most of the time.

[Wayner]

Twitch, I also have that LP by Chuck and it is in perfect shape. I may have to play it next.

So some of you are chiming in on this and that is good. Now for my next statement. I also have some LPs that are 30-40 years old. They are also what I would grade as mint. I have perhaps played them hundreds of times. So, not to turn on my own thread, I have to ask, if you have good equipment (table/cartridge/arm) and treat your records correctly, they actually don't really wear out, like some folks think. In fact, they are quiet durable. The only downfall to our vinyl friends is usually "accidents", in which they fall out of our hands or fall on the floor (too many beers) and get physically damaged.

So, my statement is that records (if cared for) do not wear out.

Wayner

[SteveFord]

I'd agree with that, especially the ones that aren't incredibly flimsy.
I listened to Burnt Weenie Sandwich the other day and it sounds as good as the day I bought it back in 1970 something.

[Wayner]

I glad you said that, Steve. I've been playing the shit out of some of my most treasured LPs and haven't noticed anything going a foul. Maybe vinyl is more forgiving that what we think.

Wayner

[decal]

I just got back into vinyl and I've been extremely fortunate to have collected dozens of pristine records.My best,by far,is a copy of Joni Mitchell "Court and Spark".It looks and sounds like a new recording.

[BaMorin]

I'd agree with that, especially the ones that aren't incredibly flimsy.
I listened to Burnt Weenie Sandwich the other day and it sounds as good as the day I bought it back in 1970 something.

Funny........my FZ pre 1974 releases don't sound so hot....although, my copy of freak out has 3 pretty good sides yet  now I remember  

[thunderbrick]

The ones in this picture were all purchased new over 20 years old and about 95% of them have only been played twice - once to record to cassette, once to burn to CD.
I've found a few warped ones in the pile recently.
I'd say that they're treasures and hope that they go to a good home when I croak.

How's your health, ol' buddy?  I promise to take good care of them.   

[Wayner]

Can I have the Gibson?

W 

[BaMorin]

Can I have the Gibson?

W 

I hear ya   

[Wayner]

Isn't that a Gibson Firebird? If memory serves me. I think it was a take off of the Explorer.

W

Or the other way around.

[hesson11]

So, not to turn on my own thread, I have to ask, if you have good equipment (table/cartridge/arm) and treat your records correctly, they actually don't really wear out, like some folks think. In fact, they are quiet durable.
Wayner

Couldn't agree more. I actually have countless (perhaps hundreds) of 20+ year-old LPs that are mint or near mint. Some of them I bought new myself and have taken good care of. Many, many others I have bought used and have had tremendous good fortune. Then again, I play almost exclusively classical music, and my theory is that classical listeners probably take better care of their LPs (not as many punk kids trashing them!).
-Bob

[SteveFord]

That's a Firebird VII which came a few years later than the Explorer and was designed by a fellow from the automotive industry, of all things. 
Gibson initially tried to market it as a jazz guitar (!) so it bombed horribly.
I'm not dead yet, I just smell funny.

[SteveFord]

And now to finish the derailment of this thread, when it comes to guitars anything worth owning was either designed prior to 1965 or are variants on those instruments.  Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, ES335 - they all came about in the late 1950s. 
They've tinkered with the shapes and electronics over the years but they got it right way back when.
Relating this to audio, I think that the same thing occured. 
Most people will agree that analog sounds more like the real thing than digital, tubes bring a sound that solid state can't quite duplicate and every major advance in the audio world really seems to be more about user convenience and making the product cheaper to manufacture than it is about improving the sound quality.
A buddy of mine is a radio engineer and he says that it's slapping band aids on things that weren't broken to begin with.
As we age and grow more discerning we realize that maybe the stuff our parents treasured wasn't such garbage after all.  It may not have been the greatest but the basic technology was in place.
Feel free to disagree but stereo stuff seems to be like the Italian motorcycle industry with one step forward, one step backwards and two steps sideways!
Let me get off of the soapbox and back to the old albums.
From my experience, if it isn't abused and is stored decently vinyl does not deteriorate unlike tapes and possibly CDs.  The CD deterioration bit might just be nonsense, though.  Twenty years later they still sound the same.

[Elizabeth]

I am about 98% scuff/scratch free. That is 100% not a mark on the surface, including spindle marks.
So I have original Bob Dylan all of them two eye perfect. Beatles after Rubber Soul both Brit and  US copies all minty. Cream Wheels of Fire 'foil' cover all minty. All the LPs of Dave Brubeck many 6 eye ditto, Miles Davis all..  Jazz I have to admit I have many reissues, mostly earlier ones for albums of the 50's 60's from the 70's
So most of my stuff is way older than 20 years. I do not buy warped LPs. And the only item I can think of that is not perfect is a Frank Zappa "We're Only in it for the Money" DJ copy with the explicit lyrics (changed before general release) and that is mostly cover damage (someone tore some sticker off and damaged the cover surface, plus scotch taping it)
Because 'condition' is everyting in LP pricing, I have gotten to where I never buy unless perfect. Why bother? I will find it eventually, mint.
So I have 6,000 (mostly) old perfect LPs. Whoo Hoo!!!! (and the few not perfect are all VG+)
!,800 Jazz, 2,200 Rock, and 2,000 Classical.
I inspect LPs at 2" distance checking for marks or tiny fine scuffs. I am very nearsighted, and can eyeball like a microscope with my (glasses off) eyes.
I love it when I find  a great minty LP I want in the dollar bins!
Most recent finds:
The Flock (self titled) two eye Columbia ,cover has some wear.
Mike's Murder: soundtrack by Joe Jackson
The Bears (with Adrian Belew, my current latest love)
R.I.P. Siegal Schwall

Plus replacement copies really perfect mint! of
Mannheim Steamroller III and IV
INXS "Listen Like Thieves"
Rockpile: "Seconds of Pleasure"
Return to Forever "Romantic Warrior" Japanese pressing ($3 so I cheated on all dollar with this one.)

[DaveyW]

In response to the question does vinyl wear if played on decent gear?
I've spent the last 3-4 years digitally recording the same tracks, using the same LP's while assessing cartridges that I either owned or borrowed.
I'd say that these tracks have been played in the region of 80-100 times now.
I recently re-recorded one of the earliest carts, a low mileage AT OC9 ML II,  just to check if there was any degradation in the vinyl.
Listening to both the direct vinyl play back and comparing the recordings, I really could not detect any difference in any facet. Top end was still pin sharp, bass remained taut and vocals and instrumentation crystal clear.
In fact I played Hearts White Lightning and Wine to a vinylphool friend of mine last weekend using the DL-S1 (this one must have been played well over 150 times by now) and he was literally blown away by the overall quality.
So all in I'm pretty much on the page of - if it's played on a well set up rig and properly cared for, vinyl is amazingly durable.
The only potential caveat from my side is that I've tended towered carts that prefer lowish to medium VTF. The risks associated with high VTF probably warrant another thread to itself.
Cheers
Dave