[DavidS]

I haven't had a turntable running in my system since baby Brett was born in 1991.  Just didn't work very good with three young boys running around.  Have recently acquired an 80's lp12 (a dream table I could never afford back then), put a new Ortofon 2m black on it and in heaven with the sound.

The weird thing for me is I am finding my music buying priorities are now needing to change.  With my cd player I bought lots of new music - new music was accessible and cheap on cd.  Today I went to two used record stores and tons on classic rock and old jazz I didn't really know.  I was paralyzed and came away with nothing for my efforts.  And new records - they are expensive, expensive - so have 6 black disks that are being played over and over (just like my 14 year old collection - Alice Cooper, Sabbath and the Doors played until there were no grooves).  Need to re-jig my interests to used vinyl - mine the edges of my cd jazz collection - more Kenny Burrell, some overlooked Monk, get adventurous maybe America wasn't such a bad band, and go past CSN to just David Crosby and Stephen Stills. 

As much comment as question - just wondering what your experience has been with your music buying from cd to vinyl.

[Elizabeth]

For new to me music i use books i take alone with me when i go shopping.
"All Music Guide to Rock" is one, and "All Music Guide to Jazz" is the other.
I have the books marked with (most of) what i already own, and use them right in the store to read about something that looks interesting in the store.
Say i am looking at Rock stuff and i see this crazy cover with a band named "Rockpile". Now without this book i would not have a clue if this was worth buying. With  the book hey, cool and it is cheap and all minty, Mine now!
See?
So I use the book and buy new to me stuff all the time. I have found plenty of new, interesting artists i did not know about, and for ones I do know only a little, I can buy the better stuff and avoid the dreggs of an artist. (but not avoid the Dixie Dreggs)
For Jazz the book is absolutely essential for me, as I know little about Jazz, though have a big interest.
The ony issue with the books are they are out of print, and the last Rock book is ten years old, so anything newer than 2001 is not reviewed.
They books are available on Amazon, for various editions.
I have two each of the latest ones. My heavily used in the car Rock book is in shreds, and needs to be retired!
I see folks using thier 'phone to call up "allmusic dot com" too. So if you have an unlimited plan, that is a good way to go too. just put in the artist...
One used vinyl store i go to has the books for all the various All Music Guides in a pile the customers can use. Cool.

Added: I even browse through the books and write down 'wanted' lists. (Clearly I have way too much time for this)
So I make a 'list' of say 300 interesting items. And i have actually been filling in the list by acquisitions i find either at the stores, or from Amazon. On Amazon I search the listings and skip the overpriced ones and buy the cheap ones.
So some days I use the lists,and others the books, depending on my mood.
Thus my lists get filled, and i may also find  some of the expensive ones later on for much less. So I buy cheap ones when I can! Never know when they will turn into expensive ones.
(some of the stuff on my lists are really expensive on Amazon...)
Like Nellie Furtado "Loose" two LP set. I love the CD and found the two LP set on Amazon for $12 new. WOW! So it now is 'no one has any'.. My Lp set is 'priceless'. Cool. (the CD is like a penny, so it is not gonna be a true high value any time soon, but still...)
And I use the books and lists for the bargain bin CDs too. I have added 1,200 CDs at $1 to $2 each from the bargain bins locally. And dozens from Amazon for about the same prices  $0.01 to $2(plus shipping on Amazon)
So this is how I find new to me music with little or no hassle.
The one flaw which has been commented to me about is that I am depending on 'other' folks ideas of what is 'good'. Well yes! better than blowing tons of money on crap IMO.. searching by guessing... Gee this cover looks interesting.... (and actually I DO buy a few by cover alone. When I buy $1 CDs, I will choose at least one with a crazy cover that makes me want to buy it. Sometimes it works out...)

[DavidS]

thanks Elizabeth - great comment and advice.  In the past I have kept lists in my wallet - but again lists were for new music to watch for - new albums that are now $25 plus on vinyl and not always available by lp.  Was actually thinking this afternoon in record store that I need an app for iphone much like the wine one where you scan label and like magic all the information is right there for you.  Doubt the app exists so book seems like good option although me and a book in a record store might turn the visit into a half day.

[TONEPUB]

get a rhapsody subscription for $10 a month to refresh your memory on what you like to listen to....

[E4T]

To me there is nothing like listening to an album, a favorite I have heard a million times before, but hearing things I have never noticed before.  Whether it be a guitar line buried in the mix, an odd atmospheric overdub that was added for effect or an additional vocal melody that was lost on another medium.

This is a perfect opportunity to hear things with fresh ears and be excited about favorites again.  Records that blew you away will make your jaw drop all over again.

So, maybe a good place to start is to write a list of favorite albums, and to look for those used.  Obviously some things will be harder to find than others, and you may run into problems if they are newer releases (used anyway), but it may be a great place to start.  Buying records that you know you love and that have stood the test of time for you.

[bastlnut]

hallo,

here in Europe we can listen to the record before we buy it.
i can spend all afternoon in a 2nd hand store and listen to a whole pile to choose what i like.
i usually then leave with a bag full at the end of the day and hit my fav pub to look thru it all again.
then after a few drinks and some good conversation i head home and listen to a few before lights out.
in the US there are a few used stores where you can listen to what you might buy, but sadly not many.
i can't imagine buying blind anymore.

regards,
bas

[DaveyW]

1st Up David - Welcome back to vinyl - there'll be no turning back now 

2nd up congrats on a nice front end - I ran a Black on my Sondek for a while - Great Combo 

So onto your question - the great news is if your general preference lies in 70's early 80's Classic Rock (like me  ) then there is still a huge amount of good quality, keenly priced vinyl out there.
For $1-5 it's never gonna break the bank just taking a punt on something you're interested in - I've got some great finds doing this.

I still listen to the Classic Rock radio stations and even after numerous years of exposure to this stuff there's lots that continue to be new to me. It's a great way to do your homework 

The "What LPs have you listened to recently?" and "Catch of the Day: Vinyl You've Recently Bought " threads here are also an inspiration.
There's always new bands mentioned that I need to go and look into.

My preferred resource for doing this is SPOTIFY
This is free and you can hear whole album if you want to.
I typically use it just to get a quick flavour - it's added to my want list and I keep my eyes peeled at Record Fairs and/or Stores.

I also use DISCOGS as my primary on line buying resource.
I've found the sellers (generally) are much better at grading their vinyl than the bay, but I still assume it's a notch down on their claims so as not to be disappointed.
This is great as you can dial in your specific wants and search for availability around the world - the US and Europe are very well represented by vendors.
Also, once it's in your want list you get notifications when new sale items are added.

Final bit of advice is do some digging on the vinyl forums on how to spot good and bad when it comes to used vinyl.
Some quick tips from my side
If it looks clean but the vinyl is a little dull then it generally sounds dull, probably played on a poor rig in the past - I keep away.
Look for "spider" marks around the spindle hole - lots of these tend to indicate many plays - Again I tend to avoid unless it's a long yearned for item or very well priced.
Obvious one is avoid anything that is visibly scratched, regardless of how minor they might appear - generally even the slightest of scratches causes pops.
Finally - don't be too frightened of dirty discs that are scratch free - this tends to happen if they have been sitting around for a long while, many of which may be unplayed. These can be cleaned - check out the many threads on this (my method is identified in my web page).

Cheers
Dave

[Letitroll98]

We are lucky in the greater Philadelphia metro area to have numerous retail outlets for used and new lps.  So I shop by target of opportunity.  I just wander through the racks and pick up what looks fun or interesting, one example of wonderful finds for me is Joanna Newsom's "Ys" which I bought for it's cover art.  Stunned by the wonder of her performances is an understatement, brought out so much more on vinyl.  So much more like Christmas to bring home unknown presents and gleefully unwrap them, then onto the turntable to discover the magic inside. 

My first choice is new because I just hate clicks and pops, I don't care that it costs more, it's worth it.  But with a nice Nitty Gritty vacuum cleaner I'm not afraid of used, the quality is improving as the leftover junk cycles through and we get "newer" stocks of used selections.  Best of luck in your searches.   

[Elizabeth]

Two comments about vinyl that looks dull. Some vinyl IS dull looking as made. The biggest all the time dull is Telefunken. Various other LP manufacturers used a dull looking vinyl formulation.
Then the opposite problem: LPs that are really 'shiney'. They have been treated with a silicone tire shine or such, and are atificially shined up. They are easy to spot once you know what they look like, as they are just too shiney!
IMO the sort of dull to watch out  for is the uneven ones. where the innertracks are dulller than the outer ones. THOSE are the worrn out records.
 Also watch out for DJ damaged LPs. Those have a single couple of inches of groove scratched up. Like used by the DJs 'scratching' back and forth. Plenty of those at some used places. (some used places will not even have any like that, as they do not buy them, or discard them from collections they buy.)

[DavidS]

so emboldened by your advice got serious at local store today and came away with ....

Ry Cooder - Into the Purple Valley
T. Monk - Brilliant Corners
Crosby Stills Nash - a Rhino re-issue first album
Black Dub - brand spanking new vinyl

Doubled my current collection

all are sounding great - just diving into the deep end is not as bad as it looks!

[Jlappy]

Hey David,

Welcome back!    I was in your shoes almost two years ago (It was a 17 year hiatus for me)!    Congrats on you doubling your collection 

This a very friendly site, supportive and very few if any egos seem to be on here, so welcome again!

There has been some great advice given so far, I am not sure if I'll add anything new, yet I will support a few points made so far.

I agree with DaveyW discogs is a good place to find used vinyl on the web.  Most sellers are fairly conservative in their ratings and you may meet some cool people there also.  My introduction to Caravan and Gong were seriously facilitated by a chap from North Carolina. 

Ebay is a . . . crap shoot.  I've gotten lucky a few times and I've been 'bitten' too 

Also as DaveyW noted the threads here "What LPs have you listened to recently?" and "Catch of the Day: Vinyl You've Recently Bought " can also be very informative and people respond to your questions regarding groups or lps.   

If you start buying lots of used vinyl a cleaning machine is a must as Letitroll98 shared.  One of my summer projects will be a DIY steam cleaner, there is a good recent thread here on this also.  I am a budget guy (have been since high school in the early 80s) so used vinyl is part of my life as is my kitchen sink cleaning ritual   

I like Elizabeth's idea of using books, I have used Discogs in a very similar way and I keep lists in my wallet, and if you a have an iphone you could access a site like discogs that contains a database with user ratings. 

There are also other sites, say if you are into progressive rock there is the Prog Archives http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp .  And many other sites like this on the web. If you are into contemporary rock / indy music paste magazine has a cool site  http://www.pastemagazine.com/

Enjoy your trek 

cheers,  Jim