6 Online Record Digging Tips

Digging The Virtual Crates

Discogs Marketplace

Virtual record digging

The phrase alone makes some shudder, with vibes of inauthentic record collectors. I am no such purist, but as I write this at 12:36 AM, I have a few thoughts.

Do I share where I find my online digs, or do I keep the readers unaware?

What if this post loses me a record I’ve had on my want list for months?

Do all dogs go to heaven?

…told you it’s late night. I started writing this just got in from a classic soul concert with the lady, and it was quite the experience. I never thought I would see Blue Magic, Force M.D.’s, SOS Band, and The Floaters perform.  Figuring that train had left the station, along with good music on the popular music stations (a topic for another post).  Seeing all of them at a 4-hour show was pretty surreal.

Check out the video below for a peek inside the show

6 Tips for online record buying

I digress, If you subscribe to this blog, then you probably are already familiar with the resources I use to find albums I can’t find locally.  You see it wasn’t just that thought that has kept me from sharing my clandestine online digging spots; it was the idea of how can I make this post valuable to those who already look for albums online.

So here are 6 Tips for online record buying

Original pressing, Color vinyl, 180 Gram, Re-mastered

Original pressings can be breathtaking. Technically, it represents the closest and most accurate reproduction of what the artist originally intended. Not always, though. Sometimes, pressings are poorly made and will sound horrible. The issues are fixed only on later pressings.

This topic is a slippery slope of discussion.  I have some colored vinyl, but prefer its 180 Gram version if available.  Heavier vinyl lasts longer, and typically sound better.  There are caveats to this, an 180 gram 45 RPM version of a poor sounding album still sounds bad, and you paid more for it.

Lovely Picture Discs

That Anniversary Edition of Thriller looks cool with the cover art pressed into the vinyl. It sounds like crap. The process of making a picture disc puts sound quality on the back burner. If you want a copy of an album for display, help yourself. If you want a good listening copy, keep digging.

Want Lists

My Wantlist on Discogs

I have an extensive want list and would love nothing more than to pick up every album listed. Build one to keep track of the albums you want to pick up.  If you use Discogs, you can download their mobile app and have your list in your pocket.  I don’t obsess over completing it, nor should you. There are several albums that deserve a listen that aren’t your list. Don’t let your tether to your list keep you from some gems, keep an open mind.

It’s All About The Ratings

Here are my buyer ratings, but look at the seller ratings in the 3rd column

I read reviews from buyers before I deal with an online record merchant, and I find consumers to be pretty consistent with their experiences with most sellers.

When I picked up Corinne Bailey Rae – Corinne Bailey Rae (a pretty rare record) I was faced with few choices on sellers. The album arrived slightly warped, and for a price of over $120, I expected the as stated NM condition of the album.

In my communication with the seller, we negotiated a partial refund, and everyone was happy. Good rating + good interaction = good purchase

Establish Price Limits

I never had any hard and fast rules on price, I’ve also overpaid for records that I found a short while later for sometimes half the price I paid. If there’s an album that you simply must have now, look at a few online retailers before pulling the trigger.

Understanding the Goldmine Scale

This is a separate post in and of its self, but here are the fast and dirty rules. If you want to see an article that goes deeper, look here. Keep this in mind, from 1 (poor conditions) to 10 (a perfect and unplayed record); the Goldmine gradings are equivalent to Mint-10, Near Mint-8, Excellent-7, Very Good Plus-6, Very Good-5, Good-2.

Don’t buy anything less than VG (Very Good) for playback. If you’re paying a few dollars for a record for wall art, that’s fine. The exceptions are rare records that are hard to find in any condition.

If you have any questions feel free to comment below or send me an e-mail here.

Speaking of digging the crates I’m hosting our first Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour is on March 3rd, 2017 at Taste & Thirst in the Gaslamp District here in beautiful San Diego.  Can’t wait to see you there.  Get your free tickets here.

If you enjoyed this post and want updates from Vinyl for The People delivered to your e-mail, subscribe here!  Don’t forget to follow us on social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

 

Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour

 

 

 

 

 

I used to wonder why I only saw fellow record collectors at the record store or fairs…

I’m changing that, starting March 3rd.  The Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour #vinylhappyhour, aims to put you in the midst of fellow collectors.  People who understand your vinyl care, storage, and digging woes.

I’ve had a few people comment on my collection when the come by the house, “They still make those?”.  I hate when people ask that but on the same token, I enjoy it.  No better time to share a testimonial of my preference for listening on vinyl than in my own home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I mention there’s no cover?

Come down and have some tasty food and beverages, learn about how to take better care of your collection, get your records cleaned, and hang out with some of your San Diegan ilks.  You don’t really need to see Logan on opening day (I was admittedly a little frustrated when I saw the release date of the movie on Super Bowl Sunday).

About the venue

 

Located in the heart of the Gaslamp District on the corner of 4th & G, Taste & Thirst has a great menu with food for everyone.  I go for the deep fried offerings typically, and their truffle tots don’t disappoint.  With 24 beers on tap, premium liquor abounds, had a heated patio area Taste & Thirst is a great place to hang out.

Bring your dirty records

There is something about having clean records that you need to experience, so I will be offering record cleaning services on-site.  If you have more than 10 albums that you would like to get cleaned, I recommend you sign up a record care package, and I will return ship them to you.  Once you hear the difference for yourself, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

Record abuse

Since you’ve scrolled this far, I want to share something a bit personal with you.  As you may or may not know, I love motorcycles.  I’ve had my Ducati Diavel – Tiffany for about 5 years.  She’s been feeling a bit neglected from our time in Hawaii, so I wanted to do something special for the old girl.  Our anniversary is coming up so I got her some bling…

By the time my plate gets here, it’ll be my birthday.  I would like to thank the California DMV, but the turnaround time won’t let me.  I shouldn’t complain, how can I with a bad ass license plate like that?  I really and truly would like to thank Judy that helped me out, it was the most painless DMV experience I’ve had here in California.  I’m looking forward to seeing you at our first Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour!

 Get your FREE tickets to the event here.

If you enjoyed this post and want updates from Vinyl for The People delivered to your e-mail, subscribe here!  Don’t forget to follow us on social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

What have I been up to, and what are you doing March 3rd?

What’s going on vinyl lovers? 

First, I have great news for you.  Our first Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour is on March 3rd, 2017 at Taste & Thirst in the Gaslamp District here in beautiful San Diego.  Can’t wait to see you there.  Get your tickets at the link here.

Here’s a quick video to let you know what to expect at our first Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour

After two months of no records…

I recently moved from Hawaii to San Diego, and my last few blog posts have surrounded that process.  I’m glad to be back in San Diego, but that joy is admonished by the idiocy of the movers from Covan.

 It’s been pretty aggravating dealing with the claims process and on top of that…Toni Tony Tone lied to me.  It does rain in Southern California.  As I write this, the wet stuff is falling disproving their hypothesis.   I really can’t complain about the rain as California has been in a drought that has been ended by the recent rainfall.

The household goods arriving

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would seem I have the worst luck with Hi-Fi. With the listening room in progress, and an inability to listen to my precious vinyl, I’ve found a bright side. I’ve gotten out and about in “America’s Finest City” and now have our Record Cleaning Fluid in two new locations. You can get yours at Taang! Records in Hillcrest and M-Theory in Mission Hills.

 

 Status of the Stereo: Defunct

Inevetiablelly, what is broken must be repaired.  Gladly Stereo Unlimited was ready to support with excellent recommendations and prompt repair service.  I’ve been shopping with them for quite a few years, and those guys know how to treat a customer.

 Here’s a summary of what they told me:

“Hi Tom, this will serve as documentation for your claim for shipping damage to your VPI Scoutmaster turntable and Salamander equipment stand:

The 10” VPI tonearm is bent and must be replaced. Replacement cost for that unit is $1000…The VPI tonearm mounting assembly is bent, and the pivot point is damaged and must be replaced…The VPI motor assembly has a bent shaft…The Ortofon 2M Black phono cartridge and stylus assembly are damaged, and the stylus assembly cannot be replaced to repair the phono cartridge.”

If you’re looking to upgrade your sound, give them a call.  Yes, they have a phone, and they answer it.  You can visit their website here.

No music sucks.

I’ve decided to go with a different stylus, change brands, switch to Moving Coil and I’ve upgraded my tone arm cable.  This is also a new room, all of which equate to a pretty long string of changes.  I have grown fond Nordost cables and went with Frey 2 tonearm cable in place of the Shunyata interconnect that I had. 

My Scoutmaster had a good Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I wait to for compensation for the stereo and other damaged household items, I’ve been busy getting our first Vinyl Lovers Happy Hour (VLHH) together for you.  It will be on March 3rd from 5-9 at Taste & Thirst in the Gaslamp District here in beautiful San Diego.

We will be doing vinyl care demonstrations, cleaning records and spinning albums of your choosing so make sure you bring some with you.  

What else is going on?

 

 

 

Thank you for pushing our Facebook page past 3,000 likes!  It feels good to see the community growing, and being embraced by so many people. We will have a giveaway coming up soon, so stay tuned and subscribe to our mailing list to be notified.  Thank you for helping us get to this milestone.

Shot the room with my mic, time to place the foam and diffusers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two words, Ducati Diavel.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I developed the audiophile sickness, I mean got into the hobby…I rode my motorcycle a lot.  This past weekend I had the chance to revisit the long rides that Hawaii couldn’t facilitate.  I met up with a group of riders as I was stopping for breakfast and ended riding just over 300 miles.

One of the things I’ve missed about living in Southern California were the breadth of canyon roads to ride.  I went from home to…take a look at the map below:

 

All in all, the time I’ve been back in California has been good.  My Bryston 4BSST2 just came back from service in Vermont at the Bryston US service center.  It would seem that my ungrounded power cable was the issue because the couldn’t recreate the fault.  I came to the conclusion it was the cable after realizing my preferred one was too short for where I wanted to put the amp (between the speakers).

But wait there’s more…

I’m offering a sale from now through February 20th for LP to digital conversion.  You can schedule a consultation by filling out this form.  Secondly, our Record Cleaning Fluid will be available online in our store starting in March.  For now, you can pick up yours at Taang Records and M-Theory Music in San Diego.


I’m looking forward to many great experiences in 2017 with all of you!

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