Where Do You Get Your Vinyl?

Vintage // Vinyl
1

Continuing the discussion from Listening to tonight (Part 2):
@Multibeast
Vnyl’s business concept is solid, but their execution is terrible.

I once had some reward points to use from Lincoln and they offered 3 LP’s from Turntable Kitchen and so I redeemed them for the records. I thought it was pretty good.

My main sources of vinyl are Discogs and San Diego Vintage Collectables, or SD Records for short. SD Records has a subscription service where you can pick a genre or two and a quality level, standard and premium. Since these are all used records, once in a while a sealed one, I choose the premium level to ensure I get decent records that aren’t scratched up.

I’ve been with SD Records for 7 or 9 months now and I’ve not been disappointed with what they’re sending me as far as quality goes. Shipments are on time and predictable and customer service is good and responsive.

You can change your genre’s at any time by sending an email telling them what you want and they respond right away and make the changes.

Now of course I’ve received records that I didn’t care for musically. But as I said in the other post music taste is subjective and personal.

SD Records also has an eBay store and once in a while I’ll go buy records in lot’s of 10 or 15 by genre.

As for Discog’s, it’s usually the same deal with used records, but you also have to be careful who you’re buying from and hope that they grade the media correctly by the Discogs standards. I’ve been burned a couple of times by sellers over-grading an album and finding out it barely plays.

Other places I get vinyl from are Amazon once in a great while, sometimes directly from an artist’s webpage and also from some artists on Bandcamp.

When I receive used records I always clean them with the SpinClean record washer before playing them. It’s amazing how dirty records can be.

1 Like
2

Good idea, I was getting the feeling it was time to move the conversation as well.

TLDR:
Turntable Kitchen is local for me (Seattle) and I do like them for building my 7" collection and getting either a cooking ingredient or bag of coffee. I have been thinking of switching over to the covers alum subscription they have. Pressing plant backups have definitely been rough for them and we are now 1.5 months behind schedule (3 months at one point). When the long backup happened they let everyone choose any past release that they still had stock in to replace the months missed. Snagged a copy of the Fruit Bats cover of The Smashing Pumpkins ‘Siamese Dream’ and man is that a fantastic cover album!

HWF (Heady Wax Fiends) is only about to send out their second release. The admins for the Facebook group of the same name decided on a whim a few months back to start one since so many people were posting about which subscriptions to go for. There are shop owners in that group so they partnered with Ridge Runner Records to handle to buying and distributing portion. this is a private group, but filled with some amazing people with incredible taste in music. There is always something going up I have never heard of and have made so many purchases that last couple years based on recommendations from the group. the group was started as a kind of joke (hence the silly name), but now is over 4k strong. There is really no shitting on peoples choice in music allowed. Discussions are of course welcome and you can poo poo your own posts if your not really digging something and want to spark some conversations. A-holes will quickly be removed. @SandboxGeneral if you ever have an interest in checking it out and lurking on the posts let me know and I can send an invite.

VMP is great, but can also be hit or miss on some of the releases. they were getting to be expensive and too many quality control issues that I decided to hold off on that one for a while and just buy releases from them that catch my eye. Customer service was always helpful for me and they replace damaged packaging and media pretty much without hesitation.

Jazz is Dead I only did for a few months, until they recently switched over to a NFT based system. Ill stick to buying the releases a la carte.

Bandcamp is my preferred way to buy records if I can so that I am also building a high quality digital library at the same time. not always possible of course if I am on the hunt for something older. Another thing I don’t like is that if you can get free shipping by purchasing a certain amount from the artist site or record companies site, you will not get that same treatment if going through their Bandcamp page. Love Bandcamp for discovering new music and staying up with artist releases.

For used records I tend to buy from people in the HWF Facebook group or in person at a store. I will use Discogs for used records, but as you said quality can be iffy and really have to find the right sellers to keep going back to. I am going to have to check out SD Records after your recommendation and experience with their service. Discogs is how I keep track of my collection and seem to have the best service for doing that.

For new records if I’m not getting it from Bandcamp its pretty much wherever has the best deal. I do tend to check out Ridge Runner Records and Fresh Produce Records first before moving on to other stores. Building a report with shop owners in the HWF group has its benefits. Both of these guys will run deals all the time on records and Fresh Produce offers a discount for member of the HWF group.

Other places I like to use for buying records are Turntable Lab, Rough Trade and then there is one of my favorites, Plaid Room Records. Plaid Room is the storefront for Colemine/ Karma Chief Records and IMO Colemine is putting out the greatest collection of modern soul/ psychedelic soul, funk and offshoots of these genres. Black Pumas are on the Karma Chief label. I have a whole cube dedicated to Colemine, Daptone, Numbero Group, Dead Oceans and Big Crown Records. Numbero Group and Dead Oceans are owned by the same people (Secretly Group) and Big Crown is Leon Michels label (El MIchels Affair).

I better stop here before I scare anyone away…

3

I only buy 180 gram records. They seem to sound better than the same album in standard weight to me.

Most if not all of my new ones came in just 2 or 3 purchases online from a couple of places. One was Music Direct. I can’t even remember the other one. It might of been a store on Amazon.

4

I appreciate that! However, I think you mentioned that it’s on Facebook. I’m not on any social media, so that won’t work. Thanks for the offer regardless.

Now your description of Plaid Room sounds intriguing to me. I’m going to look them up after this post.

Bandcamp is great too for the reasons you described. My digital collection is always growing too. Sometimes I’ll buy an LP and a CD of the same thing. I even get a few cassette tapes from Bandcamp from time to time.

The other day I did my first vinyl rip on a few albums. They turned out rather well too. I think I edited out only 1 pop from a track too. I think I’ll start doing that on some albums that I really like instead of buying the CD or digital downloads too.

I also keep track of my library on Discogs. As it grows larger sometimes I forget if I have something and go to buy it again! It’s happened once or twice to me and now I have to LP’s of the same thing. So not too long ago I went through all of my LP’s and made sure they were on my Discogs collection list and I started rating them. Anything that I rate 2 stars or more I consider that I like them and will keep them. If I rate one at 1 star that means I didn’t like it and I set that LP aside in another stack where I’ll figure out what to do with them someday.

You have a lot of cool places to find music and I’ll be looking some of them up soon.

5

There is a need for more record pressing plants.

6

Absolutely! I wouldn’t even use Facebook still if it was not for being in that group.

Colemine/ Plaid Room can be an expensive rabbit hole if you dig those types of music :slight_smile:

I would love to have a decent player that I can rip my older quality albums to. I have not really looked into the cost of a decent one though.

When I started cataloging it took me a few weeks to get through the 300ish or so records. Older ones being difficult sometimes because there can be so many pressings and the runouts down always match. I wish I had rated them and added notes in the process, but I have started doing that with albums the last month or so.

For cleaning records I use an offshoot of the Spin Clean, but really want to invest in a machine that does all the work for me. Those can run from $150- Thousands. I have had my eye on a HumminGuru as I have heard good user feedback from people i know and trust. but that is going to set me back $500 with shipping, so its a big investment.

7

snag your self a record weight for those lighter/ not so flat records and it should help a good deal.

This is the one I use
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FVLBBKK/ref=twister_B08MX4Z69S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

8

My TT cost me $200, then a few months ago I upgraded the cartridge for another $200, so I have effectively a $400 TT. It has USB out which I used to rip those records I mentioned. It worked just fine and I don’t have any complaints with it.

What’s your idea of a decent TT to do rips? I know as with all things audio, opinions vary and sometimes cost is a factor in opinions. At the end of the day I always say that if you’re happy, that’s all that counts.

My record collection is over 200, but less than 300. They’re not yet all rated or have notes on them, but I’m working on it little by little. Anything new that comes in gets graded right away.

I’m happy with the SpinClean, especially considering the cost of the machine types available out there. Perhaps one day I’ll get one, but my more immediate goals are for upgrading more of my 2-channel components first.

9

Easier to say that my non ideal would be some $100 or less one you find on the shelf at Walmart, Target, etc. The AT-LP60X is about as low as I would go for a starter table. I find there is more value in a refurbished vintage table. More bells and whistles for less money than an equivalent new one with the same options. But, as you said if you are happy with what you have no reason to complain. Move up in gear because you can and not because you feel like you have to is a good ideal to follow for me.

I am at close to 600 records right now, with around 50 of them being used classical records that are not in the best shape and I am too lazy to catalog atm. I would like to get to cleaning them up and logging them this year though.

My spin clean knock off works just fine and no complaints really, I just want something I can set 1 or more records inside, turn it on, and walk away for 5 minutes and get other stuff done. having a 2 year old keeps me constantly busy during my ‘free’ time. I feel like with the amount of money I spend on records, spending that what would amount to 10-15 brand new records is worth the cost for a nice cleaner. Again, do it when I can, not because I feel like I have to right now.

Since I am kind of limited on space I cant really do what I want with my 2 channel system right now. So, sticking with an AVR until I can get more space and will get my Denon POA and PRA serviced and put into the system. I say this knowing I will no doubt upgrade something before that time comes. Can’t help it, I like to tinker around.

1 Like
10

I forgot to mention I saw this the other week. The more independent labels that start pressing their own records the better I say. He of course is in a good position for this given his financial status

1 Like
11

The funny way I got into vinyl was purely by mistake.

I went to Amazon to buy the Massive Attack Mezzanine CD and didn’t realize I selected the vinyl by mistake. I didn’t know it until it was delivered and I saw the box and was like WTH, that doesn’t look like a CD.

I didn’t return it or exchange it, but stuck it on a shelf in the closet for a year, maybe two years. I went back and ordered the CD, by the way.

That was when I decided to dump the stereo Apple HomePod’s I had and go for a proper 2-channel system again like when I was a teenager. I bought a cheap integrated amplifier, a CD player and some cheap Sony speakers.

It wasn’t long after that when I remembered that Massive Attack LP I had in the back and I decided to buy a turntable to play it on. The rest they say, is history. (and a lot of money spent on music and gear!)

1 Like
12

I have a couple local shops, Culture Clash Records and No Noise records that both keep a pretty solid variety of new and used vinyl.

As for online I do a lot of pre orders from labels themselves and am in a few smaller label record clubs as well as the get-punk.com record club which is monthly. He keeps a pretty good and constantly rotating selection of vinyl besides that to purchase as long as you like punk/punk adjacent music.

I buy a lot from Bandcamp from the bands directly as well.

Anxious and Angry has a great selection as well.

Then discogs if I can’t find what I’m looking for anywhere else.

2 Likes
13

Originally I had tried starting my record collection back in 2010 when I was living with my buddy who was a dj/ musician and had had a table so I started buying records and decided to scope out craigslist for an amp and some speakers.

I ended up with a Denon POA 1500 AMP and PRA 1000 pre amp and the same towers I still use now, the Polk SDA 2b’s. Also snagged a set of smaller Polk monitors from the 70s and stands all for $250. If I tried to buy all of it now it would set me back 1.5k+, so I still feel lucky and that I got a really good deal.

Moved out of that house in 2011 and never ended up buying a player. I just lugged the records around with me until 2019 when my dad gave me his 78 pioneer PL-518 and about 150-200 records. Since then I have over doubled my collection and might have a problem :laughing:.

I did the opposite in early 2020 and thought I was buying the record version of ‘Jerry Garcia / David Grisman’ and ended up with the MOFI SACD. Mezzanine is a damn good first album to kick off the journey!

1 Like
14

Going into a shop and flipping some bins is still the most enjoyable form of getting records

2 Likes
15

HHV.de in Germany is another solid place to get records, but better be prepared to buy at least 4 or 5 to make the shipping cost justifiable.

1 Like
16

Usually bandcamp, subbed to vinyl me please back in 2015 or so and thus get a lot of stuff from them, at worst maybe Amazon

And obviously discogs if the LP is not even close to in stock

There is a local shop but it’s got little variety

17

Mostly from Music Direct & I only buy 180 gram.