Second hand records

[bigfish786]

After buying 5 used albums this week, I collected them from the post office and brought them home.

on opening them, my joy slowly evaporated as on opening each one, they all had visible signs of damage, scratches, etc. Generally poor condition.

Definitely not in the condition I expected. Or wanted.

Lesson learned. If you buy 25year old vinyl, expect it to look 25 years old.

i will be playing them tomorrow, after cleaning them, and hope for the best.

 

[Al ears]

After buying 5 used albums this week, I collected them from the post office and brought them home.

on opening them, my joy slowly evaporated as on opening each one, they all had visible signs of damage, scratches, etc. Generally poor condition.

Definitely not in the condition I expected. Or wanted.

Lesson learned. If you buy 25year old vinyl, expect it to look 25 years old.

i will be playing them tomorrow, after cleaning them, and hope for the best.

Where did you get them from. If they don't fit the advertised condition send them back. No point in ruining expensive stylus if they are that bad.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Agreed. They would've been advertised with a description of the condition, and maybe even graded.

 

[bigfish786]

After buying 5 used albums this week, I collected them from the post office and brought them home.

on opening them, my joy slowly evaporated as on opening each one, they all had visible signs of damage, scratches, etc. Generally poor condition.

Definitely not in the condition I expected. Or wanted.

Lesson learned. If you buy 25year old vinyl, expect it to look 25 years old.

i will be playing them tomorrow, after cleaning them, and hope for the best.

Where did you get them from. If they don't fit the advertised condition send them back. No point in ruining expensive stylus if they are that bad.

bought a few from eBay, and a couple off discogs. Normally I've not had issues like this, but for all five to look pretty poor I thought was more than just bad luck. Or bad descriptions.

Already responded to one on eBay and got a partial refund. I suppose that's better than a kick in the man balloons

,a

 

[Daz B]

It sounds like you have been unlucky. I have genuinely been lucky when buying on eBay. I have never bought from discogs. I must admit I haven't bought second hand recently except from record fairs. I have had recent bad experience buying from a local record fair where I have checked the record but when I have got home one had audible scratches and one had a bad warp but that was my fault for not checking fully.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

There's more and more people jumping on the record selling bandwagon, and I'm afraid some of them don't truly understand what they are selling.

Contact all the sellers first, but be prepared to start disputes with all of them. Remember, if you paid with Paypal on Discogs you can start a dispute through Paypal.

 

[thescarletpronster]

eBay has definitely gone downhill over the past three years in terms of the reliability of grading by sellers. I think BigBern's got it right about the reason for it. I've had so many problems over the past few years, have ended up with many sub-standard discs that were described as 'as new' or 'mint'. But a 25- or even 45-year old disc can be immaculate - I've got many of those two. Vinyl doesn't just degrade with age, only with maltreatment.

I feel your pain, anyway. Been there too many times over the past three years.

 

[thescarletpronster]

I've taken to asking sellers specifically what marks they can see under strong light, how many there are and how big/deep they look, as many sellers clearly don't understand the grading definitions. You tend to get a better idea of the condition if you ask specific questions about the state of the disc. It's also a good way of sounding out how much the seller cares about grading honestly and keeping customers happy - if I receive no response or a half-hearted reply, I generally decide it's not going to be worth the risk and don't bother with that item.

 

[bigfish786]

more than anything.

Ive given them all a basic clean, just so I can see the best and worst of it all.

Babysitting duties mean I haven't had time to play them today, but I'll give them a try tomorrow, and see how bad/good they really are.

 

[keeper of the quays]

After buying 5 used albums this week, I collected them from the post office and brought them home.

on opening them, my joy slowly evaporated as on opening each one, they all had visible signs of damage, scratches, etc. Generally poor condition.?

Definitely not in the condition I expected. Or wanted.?

Lesson learned. If you buy 25year old vinyl, expect it to look 25 years old.?

i will be playing them tomorrow, after cleaning them, and hope for the best. 

what genre were these lps? If scratched and generally abused? Im thinking pop or rock? Usually jazz and classical the owners cherish their records..my cart is designed for old records, nearly all my purchases are pre loved! I have a Radiohead lp someone gave me as a gift..not sure bout mastering..sounds like the cd version..

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Usually jazz and classical the owners cherish their records.

Especially classical. I was looking through my classical records the other day, and there was one that was well over 50 years old, and it looked immaculate.

 

[oldleodensian]

I have had recent bad experience buying from a local record fair where I have checked the record but when I have got home one had audible scratches and one had a bad warp but that was my fault for not checking fully.

I've bought a few over the years from record fairs that look immaculate (or at least a strong ex grade) and then turned out to have really poor sound quality, full of crackles and clicks despite being thoroughly cleaned before playing. Must have been played on a rubbish turntable with a trashed stylus back in the 70s/80s.

It's usually only a quid or two lost, so it's not the financial loss that I find most annoying...... it's the plain old disappointment and the sense of time wasted cleaning them again and playing them again (just in case it suddenly sounds like it looks) ....... that and the fact that I find it impossible to dispose of a record even though it sounds poor.

 

[Jim_W]

If you're buying used records it pays to form a relationship with a dealer or trader; in this way, you're less likely to be ripped off as the dealer will want to keep your custom. You'll also be able to take any really unplayable records back with no questions asked and either get your money back or part-exchange. I have a relationship with a couple of dealers and I trust them to offer damaged records at a fair price; if the price is right, then I can come to an informed decision whether to buy or not. You'll also get rare records in good nick at a fair price too.

I buy a great many second-hand records and I think common sense dictates that you either keep spare styli, headshells or maybe even a complete system, if appropriate, to play your damaged, but playable, records. Depends how much you want to hear them really.

For me, nothing much beats cleaning up knackered-looking rarities bought for a few quid and finding they play ok and at least you can listen to an album you've read about and wanted for a long time. Maybe one day you'll find a mint copy but until then you have a collection filler that will do the job.

If you demand perfection and you find that clicks, pops, inner-groove distortion and warps are an affront to your sensibilities then maybe second-hand records are not for you; you'd be better off buying a cheap cd or downloading the music.

 

[bigfish786]

Of what I buy, I already have copies of, on cd.

Im really enjoying the whole vinyl experience, so I'm trying to quickly gather a decent collection to use, so I am basically picking my favourite albums up as and when I can.

I know it's no big loss having a bad copy, but the prices aren't really reflecting the condition any more.

 

[oldleodensian]

If you demand perfection and you find that clicks, pops, inner-groove distortion and warps are an affront to your sensibilities then maybe second-hand records are not for you; you'd be better off buying a cheap cd or downloading the music.

New vinyl can also be full of clicks, pops, crackles etc that is caused by pressing defects. (I've had a few like this in recent years that have had to be replaced) Dissatisfaction that a record is noisy with clicks, pops etc does not mean that CD or download is the alternative.

I find buying second hand vinyl at record fairs is great fun, but it doesn't have to mean buying albums full of clicks and pops is inevitable.

I've bought loads of great albums for only £1 or £2 over the last 15 years that sound superb after a proper clean; some look and sound like they've barely been played and some with maybe only faint crackle or the odd click or two.

Then there's always the annoying surprise when vinyl looks mint but is trashed. If I've only paid £1 then it's no big deal, especially when it's something easy to find (like 80s pop or rock), it just means buying the ****** again sometime, hoping for a better copy.

This is all part of the rich tapestry of listening to vinyl and visiting record fairs.

 

[bigfish786]

I've had the chance to listen to all the vinyl today, a couple of the albums sound shocking.. Basically worn out. They all played the whole way through with no skipping or jumping.

Out of the lot, I bought Faith No More's The Real Thing. This is the one album that still sounds new, with very little sign of wear. I'm listening to it now. It's a little Gem in comparison to the others.

One album is an unofficial release on red vinyl, this has visible pits similar to the dimples on golf balls, but remarkably played the whole way through, although sounded very dirty.

This week, I'll be looking for CDs.

 

[Al ears]

I've had the chance to listen to all the vinyl today, a couple of the albums sound shocking.. Basically worn out. They all played the whole way through with no skipping or jumping.

Out of the lot, I bought Faith No More's The Real Thing. This is the one album that still sounds new, with very little sign of wear. I'm listening to it now. It's a little Gem in comparison to the others.

One album is an unofficial release on red vinyl, this has visible pits similar to the dimples on golf balls, but remarkably played the whole way through, although sounded very dirty.

This week, I'll be looking for CDs.

To be honest if I buy second-hand vinyl without actually seeing it I tend to use only established dealers that quote condition in the acknowledged format.

 

[plastic penguin]

The best records I've purchased - condition wise - has come from charity shops.

I'm normally quite skeptical of buying from online dealers - they usually buy in bulk and there's no record of their past. Whereas with charity shops, generally speaking they are handed in from a one-owner situation, usually to declutter.

 

[Al ears]

The best records I've purchased - condition wise - has come from charity shops.

I'm normally quite skeptical of buying from online dealers - they usually buy in bulk and there's no record of their past. Whereas with charity shops, generally speaking they are handed in from a one-owner situation, usually to declutter.

Quite agree, as I stated, best way you can do it if you can actually examine what you are buying.

 

[Daz B]

What I tend to do with eBay is look at the sellers feedback and look at the feedback comments. This tends to give you a idea what the seller sells. If I see a few comments saying condition not has advertised I will avoid purchase. Unless it is a good price and worth the risk there are normally plenty to choose from so I just wait. Buying 2nd hand is a risk but most the times I have been lucky and have some superb records in my collection that I wouldn't have if it was not for eBay and record fairs/charity shops.

 

[keeper of the quays]

Try a eraser sponge, from poundstretcher this should make vinyl bit quieter..soak sponge in water..clean record..then have another go with squeezed out sponge...dry with kitchen roll..my denon dl110 in mc mode is fairly quiet on vinyl..also has a tip that designed to go deeper into groove...avoiding some surface damage..old cart damage is the worst as you cant see it..i bought a rare classical lp..unplayable! Grrrrr

 

[bigfish786]

Well, I've been refunded partially for two of the albums, both off eBay.

Waiting for a replacement for a new album bought from discogs.

So, not brilliant. But a little better than a few days ago.

To cheer myself up, I ordered 3 new albums from dodax, so they should be here soon.

 

[knaithrover]

I only buy vinyl second hand in person so I can at least check its condition. I know they can still crackle even when they look immaculate but i still find it safer than buying ex ebay. I've even had bad experiences buying new online with dodgy sellers...