Where can I find cheap vinyl?

[sennheiserhd485]

Where can I find cheap vinyl?
 
I have bought some pretty good finds at antique shops, but I am not sure where else would be good places to look.
 
I know that the yard/garage sale LPs could possibly be very scratched up...
 
I have saw where some people recommended thrift stores, would this be a good place to start?

 

[Stevtt]

Goodwill stores are always a good place. Usually about a dollar. You can make some great finds

 

[BotByte]

Any second hand shop deals them about $1
Not really worth it, but nice for a weekly present to yourself.
 
Goodwill
Salvation army - cheapest unless the manager is a prick
Savers
 
I just bought a turntable to play used vinyl
 
I asked a fellow Headfi-er about something and he recommended that it would be a smart idea to ask around to buy whole collections. It would save money in the long run and be better condition.

 

[sennheiserhd485]

Quote:

Any second hand shop deals them about $1
Not really worth it, but nice for a weekly present to yourself.
 
Goodwill
Salvation army - cheapest unless the manager is a prick
Savers
 
I just bought a turntable to play used vinyl
 
I asked a fellow Headfi-er about something and he recommended that it would be a smart idea to ask around to buy whole collections. It would save money in the long run and be better condition.

Why is a $1 record "not worth it"?
 
Where do you think that I could buy whole collections?
 

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

Why is a $1 record "not worth it"?
 
 
 
Where do you think that I could by whole collections?
 

 
It depends. Too bad a lot of what you find aren't what you KNOW are good. But, that's half the fun
 
I donnaknow. I've got a couple older freinds I'm been needing to ask
 
I'm mostly doing it to listen to some more "unique" albums I find. Some of the stuff you find in the bins are just plain weird and I'm interested.
 
I should have bough those two Bob Dylan's albums I saw. Maybe they're still there...
 

 

[sennheiserhd485]

 
Quote:

Goodwill stores are always a good place. Usually about a dollar. You can make some great finds

Thank you. I never thought about that. I guess thrift shops would have some too, right?

 

[sennheiserhd485]

 
Quote:

 
It depends. Too bad a lot of what you find aren't what you KNOW are good. But, that's half the fun
 
I donnaknow. I've got a couple older freinds I'm been needing to ask
 
I'm mostly doing it to listen to some more "unique" albums I find. Some of the stuff you find in the bins are just plain weird and I'm interested.
 
I should have bough those two Bob Dylan's albums I saw. Maybe they're still there...
 

I also like the idea of picking through a collection. I could always find a new artist that I might love.
 

 

[Redcarmoose]

Its something I have done off and on for about 35 years. Best to get a collection from a collector. I'm not describing a collection of rare import vinyl from the 1960s and 1970s of super expensive stuff. I'm talking about finding some middle of the road middle class persons collection that they had in the basement for 40 years and want to sell for 50 bucks. There your going to get John Denver albums, Carol King Tapestry, James Taylor, Carly Simon, you know.........all the stuff the kids know nothing about. The dream in finding this is they are recorded super well. They are usually are in good shape. The rock records went though parties and show wear from the events, these are just quiet stoner records.
 
 
I have done my share of thrift shops and yes there are times. I think I was able to get the whole Alan Parsons Catalog in the early 2000s. The thing you have to do is ask around because someone somewhere has one collection. This stuff is really not worth that much as there was a ton of these type of albums sold, but they are great. If you have an open mind to music you may find some strange stuff that is really cool.
 
 
Good Luck, part of the adventure is in the chase!

 

[BotByte]

Just thought of something
 
I'm mostly going to needledrop, so I can check them out from the library. Record them (make sure it's good) then return them
 
Brilliant!

 

[bigshot]

Garage sales are where dealers get their stock. Some is scratched, some is perfect. If you look at Craigslist in your area for large collections of LPs for sale, call them and tell them if they can't find a buyer, you'll haul the records away for free. You'll get thousands of records very quickly that way. Sort through them and give the ones you don't want to a thrift store.
 
Ironically, I've never found records in good shape at the Goodwill or other thrift stores. Usually, there's an employee that tips off a record dealer when a good batch comes in. The dealer cherry picks and the good ones never hit the sales floor.

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

Garage sales are where dealers get their stock. Some is scratched, some is perfect. If you look at Craigslist in your area for large collections of LPs for sale, call them and tell them if they can't find a buyer, you'll haul the records away for free. You'll get thousands of records very quickly that way. Sort through them and give the ones you don't want to a thrift store.
 
Ironically, I've never found records in good shape at the Goodwill or other thrift stores. Usually, there's an employee that tips off a record dealer when a good batch comes in. The dealer cherry picks and the good ones never hit the sales floor.

Tip for garage sales.
 
When you see a crate of records. Pick through them, but tell the man you'll cut him a deal. He say $0.15 per, 100 records, tell him $10 to take them all.
 
I've found craigslist to be horrible. Maybe that's just my area. People try to sell individuals for $2-5 a record.
 
I also watch people run around town, buy audio components (cd decks, receivers) sell them on CL for double what they paid.
 
Look up audio shops in your area. Some carry records. but be weary of the books-cd-vhs shops. Most I've found are over priced for LP's

 

[Redcarmoose]

Unless your library has new vinyl coming in it will not work. The library records are the records from hell in my experience. They look like they have been walked on from my experience. But the goal is to be creative and check out a ton of places. Sometimes record store owners will be just into three types of music and they monthly have boxs of stuff they purchased in a collection that they don't want. It could take awhile, but if you are cool and they like you they will let you go through the stuff they don't want and you pay 10 cents a record. This has been my experience. The great part is they don't know everything, no one does and if you get into some really strange music sometimes these guys either don't want it or don't know what it is.  
 
 
Half of real record collecting is making friends and taking years at getting what you are looking for. That is unless you want to pay top price then you go to record conventions or pay shop retail.
I don't know where you live but downtown Los Angeles or Seattle, mostly every big city will have good shops downtown, but you will pay.
 
You want to base your success on a yearly basis not a weekly basis. I really didn't buy expensive stuff. Maybe an import Pink Floyd or something but most of the time I would see a $100 Yardbirds record on the wall and settle for the scratched one I found somewhere else. Most stuff I just wanted to hear a couple of times. I had no need for some over priced record. The most I would ever pay is like $20.00 usd. That would be for something I really wanted. 
 
The other great thing is to have record collector friends. They will never show you where they go. It is kind of a rule that collectors will keep their prime fishing holes secret. Even if you know someone for years, they may only show you a second rate place. You can go on runs to big record stores together and when they learn your style and price curves, your Buds will show you key product. The strange thing is even though there are books on prices, every record store prices stuff different. All have gems if you are willing to look through a couple thousand records to find them.
 
 
Most shops have bins, if you look close and careful you will find two secret places. One place is where the collectors before you tried to hide a great deal if they don't know the owner and the place will not save the find and they do not have the cash. You will find the records out of place. Maybe hid in the childrens record section!
 
The other stash place will be under the records. I used to find stuff like four mint UFO records under the record racks where someone found them and was going to buy them at a future date.
 
Finding someone elses treasure is all part of the fun. I even lost record collector friends after finding rare records right under their nose by looking in a different place. I would not give them the records to buy so they just hated me. It can get weird at times. 
 
Go into a record store and talk with the manager ask him if there was any on hold albums that could be for sale that someone left for to long with out paying for. This is lost capital for the owner, he may go through the stack and find some he thought were picked up. He may let you buy them. Also ask where the boots are, Just say something like that. Many record stores have a secret group of pressing which are not shown to the general public. Funny though because if you ask they will show you. They are just not in the open. 
 
Go into a record store ask where the records are that they are throwing out. They all have stuff they need to get rid of to make room for what is coming in. I loved hearing the finds my friend made in the early 1980s of such throw away records.
 
Quote:

Just thought of something
 
I'm mostly going to needledrop, so I can check them out from the library. Record them (make sure it's good) then return them
 
Brilliant!

 

 

[Uncle Erik]

I like to hit out-of-the-way junk stores.

Go to smaller towns off the beaten path. Do not go to dealers, record shops or precious antique stores.

You want junk shops with scary-looking old stuff. They usually have old vinyl at good prices you can negotiate.

You will not find that kind of store in a major city. Go to the little places with old crap in the yard.

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

I like to hit out-of-the-way junk stores.

Go to smaller towns off the beaten path. Do not go to dealers, record shops or precious antique stores.

You want junk shops with scary-looking old stuff. They usually have old vinyl at good prices you can negotiate.

You will not find that kind of store in a major city. Go to the little places with old crap in the yard.

Good thing I bike everywhere.
 
I search for tools like that. A bucket is covered in grease, see a Snap -on socket wrench "$1 for the bucket". And "sold"
 

I see big cities as rip offs. Of topic, kinda:
 
So I fix bikes and sell them for a little profit and change. New parts, let's say a rear derailier, $50. Go to the small town down the road to a used bike shop $1. Same thing, just a little dirty and greasy.
 
I like going downtown to the rundown salvation army to look around. Everything small is under $1 and furniture is cheap. I've made my $5 speakers out of that store and they sound great.
 
 
Also offtopic:
 
Have you seen the permanent yard sales? People put out the same overpriced stuff with retail items every weekend. And where I live, those are every other garage sale.

 

[Stevtt]

Very rarely are you going to find a "great" deal in a record store. At least if the owner knows what he's doing. You may find some decent deals on things you really want to hear but if you are looking for the "Magic butcher cover beatles" for 5 bucks in the store it's not going to happen. 
 
If you are looking for specific things and wanting to collect then the more organized stores do the work for you. If you walk into the store and everything is in plastic with matrix numbers written on the tags then the owner knows exactly what they are worth and you are probably going to pay a premium. There is one owner I know of that has them all sealed, will not let you pull the vinyl out unless you are up at the counter, and will get really upset if you don't put them back exactly where you found them. He keeps everything over a certain price behind the counter.
 
On the other hand, I know another place where the owner is a music lover, they aren't so organized and they are small but I have gotten some great stuff for a more "Normal" price. Just traded him a couple Stones for another copy of the white album (like I needed it).
 
Record shows are usualy where I find the "collectable" stuff for a decent price. Picked up a near mint copy of The division bell and near mint copy of the MFSL Dark Side of the Moon way below the going rates.
 
Half the fun of vinyl is the search. And you would be surprised at how many aquaintences you may have that once they hear you are collecting will go "Oh, well, you know I have a bunch of Rolling Stones records in my attic"