10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Began Collecting Vinyl
I will never forget the first record I purchased. I was at a Get Up Kids show at Irving Plaza in 2015 as the band toured for their 20th anniversary. Unsatisfied with the T-shirt selections but always committed to buying some kind of merch when I see a band on tour, their press of Something to Write Home About caught my eye, and I held onto it awkwardly for the entire show. That Christmas, I was gifted my first turntable and today I have nearly 500 albums on vinyl.
Like I tend to do with all of my hobbies, I dove in headfirst into buying without doing enough research. A decade later, I have learned a ton (but am far from an expert) and as my friends are getting into buying vinyl, many are asking for my expertise on things. Here is everything I wish my younger self knew when I first took on this hobby.
Figure Out the Space Situation
Vinyl takes up a lot of space. You need dedicated counter space for your turntable, speakers and any type of display you may want, and that’s before we factor in storing your vinyl. To make things worse, a lot of shelving units today are not deep enough to fit an LP.
Put together a plan (and make sure you loop in your significant other) for where the turntable and speakers will be and how your vinyl will be stored. Make sure the shelves are sturdy — the weight of vinyl adds up over time.
Learn About Turntables
This is arguably the most important thing because a bad turntable will not only deliver poor-quality sound; it could even damage your records. My first player was a Crosley 5-in-1, which had a weird feature — the record player’s platter was not stationary. So when an album played, you would also hear the platter scraping the inside as it rotated.
After moving on from that player, I purchased a Victrola briefcase player with built-in speakers. I had so many instances of an album skipping, playing like it was warped or just sounding terrible that I assumed buying vinyl was a mixed bag and I was finding myself making return trips to wherever I purchased an album. It wasn’t until I was gifted the Audio-Technica ATLP120XBT by my lovely in-laws on Father’s Day a few years ago that I discovered what I was truly missing out on. All of those problematic albums suddenly sounded crystal clear. I still keep my Victrola in my office as a reminder that there is no substitute for high quality.
Also — don’t forget to change your needle once every 18-24 months.
Learn What Makes an Album Valuable
The condition of the record is not the only thing that matters, but the quality of the jacket as well. If your album has bent corners, a seam split or other wear and tear, it degrades its value. You can preserve your vinyl in a number of ways. I make sure all my records are stored in a protective outer sleeve, but some prefer to use an inner sleeve for the vinyl itself as well.
Also, don’t forget that your records should always be stored vertically, not stacked on top of one another, otherwise you risk damaging your records.
Decide What Kind of Record Collector You Are
Some people are completionists who must get their hands on every type of variant provided for an artist or album. Others chase original master recordings. Some like to find rare first pressings, and others are purists who only want black records in their collection. Personally, I prefer colored pressings, and have some strong opinions even in that regard (don’t get me started on splatter pressings). I also refuse to purchase greatist hits albums, picture discs or zoetropes.
Two of my favorite pressings in my collection include this tri-color pressing of Panic at the Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out as the colors they chose perfectly match the album cover (I loathe when an album is just a random color) and Midtown’s Living Well is the Best Revenge, which was pressed on color in clear.
Make a Discogs Account
Discogs is important for a number of reasons. It helps you get an idea of the value of your collection if it ever comes time to sell, you are able to see which albums on your wishlist have been out of print for some time and you have access to an international network of record sellers who can get an album in your hands if you can’t find it locally. You can also use it at your local record store when digging through the used section to determine if the album is priced correctly (and always remember, your local shop doesn’t charge you for shipping but the Discogs seller will).
Set a Budget
Like all hobbies, if you come in spending freely, you are going to go broke quickly. Record prices are going up, so it is important to set a reasonable number to spend. My wife graciously gives me a budget of $250 per year before I have to resort to the allowance we both take out each week for discretionary spending.
Be Patient
I’ve been there before, you have an album that is your white whale. It hasn’t been pressed since 2010 and you’re not certain it ever will be again. I am actually in that boat at the moment with At the Drive-In’s Relationship of Command. Record labels know that they are making money off of record sales and they are waiting for the right moment to strike with a repress. I have only spent north of $100 on an album once, and that was after confirming with the band and a connection at the record label that there were no plans to press it as I went through the album’s 25th anniversary. The exception to this, of course, is the occasional artist who you love that came and went without the fanfare they deserved and their album may have been pressed just once.
Make Friends with the Record Store Employees
Not only are record store workers fun people to talk to, but they have a connection to vendors and can probably find a pressing of an album for you if it is in production. Additionally, a lot of records have indie exclusive pressings, including the new Phoebe Bridgers album, Lost Weekend, that I recently picked up.
I live in Florida now, but grew up in New Jersey and worked in New York. Anytime I am visiting a city, I just have to walk into a record store. Some stores I recommend include:
Florida
Salty Dog Records — With two locations in Sarasota and Venice, Salty Dog has a sizeable collection of records and the owner, Josh, is almost always spinning Weezer, Descendents or Bad Brains. The Sarasota location also has sports memorabilia for sale and ’80s nostalgia covering the walls.
Microgroove — One of my favorite indie stores, due much in part to the owner’s knowledge of ’90s emo. The store has a good selection of emo, indie and classic rock.
New Jersey
Jack’s Music Shoppe — My hometown (Red Bank) record store and one I will always have a soft spot for. Along with records, they sell instruments, CDs and movies.
Princeton Record Exchange — The crème de la crème in New Jersey after Vintage Vinyl in Fords closed down, Princeton is a large store with well-categorized vinyl located in the heart of this college town.
New York
Limited to One — The best record store if you are looking for out-of-print pressings in emo, hardcore or indie located in Manhattan’s East Village. I’ve snagged more than a handful of out-of-print albums while taking my lunch break at work.
Pennsylvania
The Rock Shop — Located inside the King of Prussia Mall, this store has a deep selection of new and used records, band tees, flags, turntables and more. Any time I went to Philadelphia, it was a must that we stopped here (and Chickie’s and Pete’s for dinner).
Unfortunately, not everyone has a great record store near them. National chain retailers like Walmart, Target and Barnes & Noble can fill those gaps (and they do have exclusive pressings of select albums) while Amazon has a large catalog of vinyl as well.
Be Active on Social Media
I am able to stay up-to-date on the latest vinyl pressings because the vinyl communities I am in on Facebook shares when an album is re-pressed. Additionally, I follow the Instagram pages of bands, artists and labels. Many of them will respond to your messages and (if they can) will give you an honest answer about whether or not you can expect a vinyl pressing in the future. Additionally, just as a music fan, you should do this so you know when the artist you like release new music or announce a tour. I have a separate Instagram account just for my vinyl where I follow most of these pages.
Have Fun
Listening to vinyl is and should be a fun experience and the 12-inch display of the album cover should be a conversational piece when your friends come over. More importantly, your collection is a reflection of you and the music you love.
