Vinyl Junkies

Hootywho wrote: I started my vinyl collection with "Absent Lovers - King Crimson" this is a live album recorded in 1984, one of their last performances done on vinyl (I know I spent too much on this), and I haven't been able to stop buying records since. I recently picked up "Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues", "Selling England by the Pound, A Trick of the Tail and The Lamb lies down on Broadway - Genesis", 2 ELP records which I don't want to type out, 2 Mahavishnu Orchestra records I can't recall the name of right now and "Aqualung - Jethro Tull".

Wow ! Didn`t know that one was on vinyl. I was at both shows here in Montréal in August `84 and we knew it was going to be made into a record because Fripp or Belew said so on stage but we didn`t know it woud take so long probably because that was the last show they did unti`they reformed with the double trio in the 90s.

Just noticed this thread.
 I`ve been collecting vinyl since 1973. At last count I got to 3,500 and gave up. I don`t keep anything in anty particular order and keep on discovering stuff that I didn`t even know I had. Some of it is still in the original wrapping. Perhaps the biggest haul I ever made was buying this guy`s entire Amon Duul collection for 50 bucks back in `79. All German imports no inferior North American crap. I don`t buy albums because they`re rare or anything but for the love of the music. Long live vinyl.

Certif1ed wrote: BroSpence wrote: Rubidium wrote: Just be warned that when looking for cleaning solutions on the internet, every single person seems to swear by a different method and discount all methods used by others.  I'd recommend going to a flea market or a thrift store and look for some really cheap dirty records to test these methods on.  That way if some crazy guy tells you to clean your records with 15 M hydrochloric acid, you'll burn a whole through a Herb Alpert record rather than something you actually care about... Lord knows we need less of THOSE.     I like Herb Alpert...

I'm not saying Herb Alpert is bad per se (though not my cup of tea), just that I can't walk into a thrift store without finding three copies of "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" and "Going Places".  I wonder if there is an ebay market for beaten up copies of these records.  I could make a fortune...

Yeah, most of the records I have bought haven't been over $5 except for some rarer things (in this area anyway) like Van der Graaf Generator and Gentle Giant. But Rush and Kansas should be easy to find for less than $5.

That's kind of what I was thinking, but I'm only looking for good deals and am not willing to pay more than one or two dollars for an album, unless it's really rare.  But then again it was an antique store and not a record store, so that might have something to do with the prices.

The only reason I went was because they were supposedly selling all of their records 10 for a dollar because they are moving to a smaller location and want to get rid of their vinyl.  They only had one tiny box of albums that were 50 cents (everything else was priced as marked) and they were so scratched that they could never play and the covers were two unconnected pieces of cardboard, so there wasn't even any value as collectibles, which is too bad because they had a copy of Steppenwolf's second album, which I would not have minded buying.

For whatever it's worth, there was a copy of Yellow Submarine in the same bin as the Rush and Kansas albums being sold for $65.  When I saw that I decided that there was no point in looking any further.  I have a feeling that they'll be stuck with their vinyl for quite a while...

Here's something that I was wondering about fans of vinyl.  I was in an antique store a few weeks ago and they had a bin of vinyl that contained a bunch of Kansas and Rush records (judging by the covers I'd guess somewhere in the VG range) for $10-$12 each.  How many vinyl fans would be willing to pay this price for vinyl when you can get the remastered CDs for less?  Or how many would just be buying those albums as collectors items, with no intent of playing them?  Or how many just think they are overpriced?

When i was living in England it was much easer finding those lovely old vinyls as there are many good record shops scattered around the country, but now i have moved to Canada not so easy finding them, tho  there are a couple of good record stores in near by Windsor  but they dont have all that much in the way of Prog but have damn fine JAzz selection which i love, so since i have been here in Canada i have used the internet a  lot for buying records, you can still find some good bargains, just takes a lot of searching , but would much rather
look around a good old record store any day,   nothing like spending a couple hours browsing a good record store, the Only thing i miss about England is the record shops, last time i went back home i bought back 20 albums with me, 

I actually went out and bought a record cleaning kit made by ''Protec' that includes a record brush,cleaning fluid and stylus cleaner.

Just be warned that when looking for cleaning solutions on the internet, every single person seems to swear by a different method and discount all methods used by others.  I'd recommend going to a flea market or a thrift store and look for some really cheap dirty records to test these methods on.  That way if some crazy guy tells you to clean your records with 15 M hydrochloric acid, you'll burn a whole through a Herb Alpert record rather than something you actually care about...

The Rock wrote: I don't know if this is the right place to ask such question,but;   Is there a way I could clean some of my ols LPs?I mean some of them have visible stains and scratches and we can hear loud pops and scratches while playing them,mostly during quieter passages.   Should I clean them up with a humid cloth?   Any vinyl specialists here?   Thanks.

I'm not a vinyl specialist, but I am a record collector. Some damage on records can be cleaned off, but some can't. If the vinyl itself is damaged (scratches etc) then you are stuck with the resultant noise, but if you are dealing with substances that have been spilled on the record, dirty fingerprints, dust etc, all superficial damage can be cleaned, except candle wax, that's a tough one.
I use a cleanimg solution that I buy from Grooves in SF. You can also try a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Don't use soap because that will leave a residue. You should check the internet for more cleaning solution ideas and cleaning tips.
After you have worked with vinyl a lot, you will develope an eye for what can be cleaned and what is permanent damage.