[Rhyner]

I think I might like to start collecting music on vinyl. I haven't made up my mind yet, so maybe you delightful people can help me out. What are the pros and cons of diving into this (I imagine) monetary sinkhole? You should know that I am a collector at heart--you might even say "hoarder"--so if I go down this path, I guarantee I will end up spending ludicrous amounts of money on it.

The idea has a multifaceted appeal for me. I like the idea of having a physical music collection. I used to have CD's (and even a bunch of cassettes), but I never use them anymore and I'm not even sure where they are. All the music I listen to these days is digital.

As I said, I am a collector. For the last couple of years, I've been collecting twisty puzzles (the Rubik's Cube is the most famous twisty puzzle; if you're curious what else there is, check out this link and click around to the different pages), but I'm now to the point that I have almost every twisty puzzle that I really want, so I'm looking for a new realm to conquer. And vinyl looks very promising.

You might be wondering, "Why not just collect CD's?" Well, vinyl has a much more appealing aesthetic to me. The old-fashioned aspect of it really tickles my fancy. Plus I've heard that people just really like it, that it makes the experience of listening to music more of an event, rather than just something you put on in the background while you do something else. Admittedly I have almost no experience with vinyl, so my preconceptions of what being a vinyl-owner is like are probably way off, but that's exactly why I'm asking you all to weigh in.

So what do you think? Should I do it? Why or why not?
If I do, what should I look for in a record player? Is there a specific one I should get?
Where should I buy the records themselves? Is it wise to purchase used vinyl online, or should I only buy ones that I can inspect in person?
Is there anything else to consider that I'm not thinking of?

[Lachapelle]

If you can find a used technics in good shape you'll be happy. (I picked up an SL-D2 for less than $100 canadian)
Then you just need a pre-amp of some sort, and some decent speakers.

As far as collecting goes.. Its mad addicting. So beware :p

[benpaco]

[Jimmy Dread]

First of all, getting into vinyl needn't be that expensive at all. The biggest outlay should obviously be on your deck and amp (speakers and headphones too of course, but given the choice the former two will make a far greater difference to the sound than the latter, unless you intend to listen to your music through PC speakers and Apple earbuds). Second hand stuff is all well-and-good, but be careful about what you're buying. If you can, try to go to a second hand audio dealer, or scour internet small ads (Craigslist in the US is it? We use Gumtree over here) and you should be able to get a decent deck. Do however be prepared to change the stylus/cartridge before doing anything else though - which depending on what model you get can be a faff (cartridge alignment is key otherwise you won't get a decent sound and more than likely will bugger up all your records permanently). Don't get a cheap new deck in one of those trendy yoof fashion shops (like Urban Outfitters) - they'll be shit. Best advice is find someone else already into it, or chat to someone in your local record shop - they'll be only too happy to give you some pointers.

Once you've got your deck and amp, DON'T make the mistake of getting loads of 180g 'made for audiophile' represses or going berserk buying everything you ever wanted on eBay/Discogs and taking the fun of the chase out of the equation. When I started buying vinyl back in 2001. my first port of call was car boot sales (yard sales), charity shops (goodwill/thrift) and record store bargain bins. From a quick glance at your chart, you'll more than likely be able to find 20% of your top 50 with some ease this way. And who knows where the rest will turn up? In any event, buy yourself some cheap microfibre cloths, some cleaning fluid (or make your own from distilled water and isopropyl alcohol), a carbon fibre record brush and you'll in many cases restore a dusty piece of plastic back to its former glory.

Once you've built up a collection with some bargains (and trust me, I've bought some stuff for £1 before which I thought I'd hate but end up loving, c.f. original press of Talk Talk's Spirit Of Eden picked up in a charity shop many years ago, now worth 40 times that), then start spreading your net and looking further afield. If you travel for work/school/vacation, visit sites such as Vinylhub before you go for decent places to shop. Keep an eye on the classified ads, both in print and on-line. There's always people looking to shift their old records - you never know what might turn up. If there's something you desperately want, give Discogs a look (a great site which also allows you to catalogue everything you own and where people selling records tend to grade them far more accurately than on eBay). And if you do want to buy new, just check that you're not getting ripped off. Modern presses may be on heavier vinyl, but in a fair few cases are just taken from CD masters. If the original's available (especially if it's a pre-mid 80s album), always try to find that first before opting for the repress - I'm sure that'll appeal more to your collector's instinct anyway.

I haven't touched on financially investing in records yet but the one thing that attracted me to restart buying music on vinyl again is its ability to hold its value. CDs drop drastically once you take them out the shop, and whilst vinyl does too to an extent in the long run (and assuming you take proper care of it) it could end up providing you with a rather handy retirement fund depending on how deep you get into it (given your hoarding tendencies, I think you'll do just fine). Plus it's far prettier to look at.

The main negatives of vinyl collecting (apart from burning a hole in your pocket if you let it) would be the sheer inconvenience that its size and weight places on the owner, especially if you are limited for space and move frequently. It's also far too easy to bugger up a record without much bother (I completely screwed up a Nick Drake LP by scratching it with a cloth which still had one of those plastic tags in). Oh, and getting up every 15 minutes in some cases to flip it over.
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[Rhyner]

Thank you so much for all of the advice. This is good stuff. I'm going to spend a week or two looking into it and then make a final decision. I might end up having more questions, so I hope you'll put up with me in that case.

Thanks again. You've been very helpful.

[Satie]

this might be a stupid thing to mention, but try to get some exposure to how your favorite kinds of music sound on vinyl. despite really liking a bit of vinyl hiss over folk records and some other genres like dub or older rock, i've found that i categorically hate vinyl for most genres of music and that these new vinyl of digitally mastered and engineered albums sound completely abysmal. i could see myself eventually getting into vinyl collection because i similarly have an itch to have a big physical testament to how much music i listen to, but whenever i sit down to actually listen to the fucking things i wish i had a CD instead.

[Hayden]

I've never regret getting into vinyl. As everyone else has said, it's expensive, but I really think it's worth it.

Get a decent record player, you don't need to drop too much money. Maybe budget it out at $150-250 or something. Then you'll need a receiver ($300)... and maybe a mini-phono amp ($25). Then, of course, you need speakers.

It's a bit of work, but it'll all come together in the end. If you have any questions while in the process, just ask
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[kevinweed7]

Save alot of money and keep them nice and clean.they have the best sound as most people know. and of course make sure youhave lots of storage room for them.

[benpaco]

[JOSweetHeart]

To me if what you are wanting to hear has already been put out there on a CD, go for the CD. The sound is better and a CD can be played in your car when a record can not.

God bless you always!!!

Holly
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