Collecting Vinyl

[starsgoblue]

Can anyone explain me this? I'm thinking bout starting to collect some LPs...but I really know nothing.

For example, I found a vinyl of Pride at a record store. It was a paper sleeve and seemed nearly perfect except for an indentation from the record on the sleeve... I have no idea to tell what's good or bad though. And how important is the country of pressing in the value?


I need any knowledge available....I'm a newbie....

 

[deep]

i have 1200-1300 lps

this is not for newbies

get yourself a way back time machine
or
if you are good
you may inherit some from an old bastard like me

 

[starsgoblue]

That's not very nice

 

[IWasBored]

are you collecting it because you want to have a valuable investment? because i think there are better ways to invest your money. if you're collecting it just cos you like having the stuff, then the only thing that matters is did you get ripped off for an un-playable piece of crap in a moldy sleeve or not. are you planning on listening to this stuff at home, or just keeping it around to have it? i don't understand collecting just for collecting's sake, so i can't help you there...but if you're collecting it just cos you want to have some cool vinyl shit to throw on the turntable to apease your nerdy side, then yeah...the only thing that matters is does the thing play.

 

[deep]

i'm getting cranky

That's not very nice

careful there cricket
you are halfway out of my will

 

[DeadMansParty]

you would drool at my collection, just ask the baws.

 

[Chizip]

just be sure not to drool ON it

 

[starsgoblue]

Ok, so besides the fact that Deadman and Deep have droolworthy collections and I don't....what else?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i have a copy of the pride single as well. when you say paper sleeve was it a ps (picture sleeve)? cuz if not, don't bother unless it's dirt cheap. my copy of pride is a ps but is paper as well. i got it for like $2. i love collecting vinyls. once i move out and have some more spare moolah i'm gonna have to drag my ass down to midtown more often and finish buying out their U2 vinyls

i've got about half of duran duran's discography (singles and all) on vinyl. i at least have everything the fab five did and will one of these days be able to expand past that.

someone on another forum posted someone's vinyl collection they've helped move. it's amazing. they had at least 12,000 the guy estimated (yes i said 12 thousand). it filled up a storage unit pretty well and then the guy went and laid down on top of about a fifth of the collection.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Ok, so besides the fact that Deadman and Deep have droolworthy collections and I don't....what else?

if you're wanting to know what's worth money and what's not, here's some info:

goldmine grading system: this is how most people grade their vinyl. you can use it to determine stuff's condition on ebay (as anyone should have this stuff listed, if not ask them. if they don't know what you're talking about, you may not want to buy vinyl from them). if you're in a store, you can determine it yourself, of course.

as for certain vinyl's worth (like what's rare and what's really common), i have no idea. i'm sure there are websites out there that list this stuff. i usually never pay more than $5 for a 12" single (or $2 if it's a 7" and i probably won't buy it if it's not a ps unless it's like fifty cents) and $10 for an lp. now if it's brand new and still shrink wrapped, then i would go up to $15-20.

 

[deep]

Ok, so besides the fact that Deadman and Deep have droolworthy collections and I don't....what else?

that's ok

deadman and i are drooling at your profile pic

so we're even





seriously,

i got the vinyl because that was the format
when I was buying music

i have not bought any vinyl for years.

if i was in my twenties I probably would not pursue vinyl

 

[BAW]

Ok, so besides the fact that Deadman and Deep have droolworthy collections and I don't....what else?

If you want actual values of U2 vinyl, @U2 has a really good collector's section with all the info you'll ever need.

http://www.atu2.com/collectors/guide/

 

[starsgoblue]

:blush:

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

if i was in my twenties I probably would not pursue vinyl

 

[timothius]

Vinyl!

I started collecting early this year and am already up to about 100 LP's and about 20 singles. Essentially focusing on 5-6 artists.

I've bought a lot online, they are quite cheap there. I've also bought a lot from record fairs. You've just gotta know what you're after.

I do have 500 waiting for me when the old man drops off (which hopefully isn't soon) so we will see how that goes.

I my Vinyl!

 

[starsgoblue]

i have a copy of the pride single as well. when you say paper sleeve was it a ps (picture sleeve)? cuz if not, don't bother unless it's dirt cheap. my copy of pride is a ps but is paper as well. i got it for like $2.

It was cheap. There was also a nice looking copy of Boy...but it had a teeny tear on the spine and then there was the indentation. Can you expect to have that slight ring from albums that old or does it mean they weren't taken care of?

 

[martha]

I used to have over 500 vinyl albums. I unloaded some of them here when I started culling the herd. Vinyl has its plusses: analogue sound , pretty and large pictures on the covers. But you can't play it in the car, you can fuck it up really fast, and I always hated dealing with the speed thing on the turntable.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

I always hated dealing with the speed thing on the turntable.

oh that's one of my favourite things. the immature kid in me loves playing things at the wrong speed so they sound like chipmunks or like your batteries are dying.

 

[timothius]

oh that's one of my favourite things. the immature kid in me loves playing things at the wrong speed so they sound like chipmunks or like your batteries are dying.

Bad sounds super mad at 45 speed if you're playing UF!

Collecting Vinyl is an admirable quality and to be applauded!

 

[ewen]

I'm not going to show off about my U2 vinyl but it has been collected since the early 80s so it hasn't really been a mean feat. Anyhow, in my persute to live a less materialistic lifestyle, I'm in the process of parting with a lot of it.

so, IMO and after 20 or so years of collecting U2 stuff.....

GRADING:
MINT is precisely that and serious collectors will very rarely use that term since strictly speaking nothing is truly mint unless it has been pressed perfectlly, sealed and kept in a vacuum for its life. NEAR MINT is perfect with no marks whatsoever. EXCELLENT will have one or two visible marks under strong lighting but will not be audible, VERY GOOD will have one or two audible clicks, GOOD will have maybe a bit more noise but no jumps, FAIR will have quite a lot of surface noise maybe with some clicking but again no jumps, POOR will have jumps. Everyone grades differently, so really all I've said about grading is really superfulous as it's subjective - one person's MINT is another person's VERY GOOD or GOOD.....unfortunately. I very rarely get NEAR MINT or EXCELLENT quality vinyl on eBay - especially when we're refering to the condition of the covers.

Note that U2 THREE and Another Day (and in fact all the early singles on the CBS label) have been re-released MANY times in collectors packs. Many fans, or newbie collectors, get disappointed when they realise that their version of U2 THREE was actually a re-release from several years later than 1979. Just because it says 1979 on the label doesn't mean that's when your copy was actually made. There are ways to tell, for instance with U2 THREE, the original release has a 'UKTM' number printed after the copyright info aswell as other stuff including a sunburst label, paper sleeve, thumbcut etc. There are lots of websites that'll guide you on this.

Interesting...collectable and valuable vinyl includes albums from the 90s - Zooropa and The Best Of 1980 to 1990. I have seen the latter (UK version) reach over $175 on eBay in the past! ebay of course is NOT a good indication on how much something is truly worth. standard 7" singles from War, Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum have very little value and I would not pay much for them.

 

[ewen]

Bad sounds super mad at 45 speed if you're playing UF!

Collecting Vinyl is an admirable quality and to be applauded!

try Bullet The Blue Sky at 45!!!!

 

[Tania]

Ewen, would you have a list of stuff you want to send to a new home? I might be interested having a reasonable size collection myself.

Stars, unfortunately, unless someone has kept the vinyl in a plastic sleeve the covers are always damaged (nature of the beast). The actual record, as Ewen has said, can be in a variety of conditions. Unless someone has bought it and hardly played it you are going to get scratches.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i'll have to give bad and btbs a listen

 

[elevation2u]

hahaha i love putting them at 45...especially my darkness on the edge of town vinyl...bruce sounds like a female chipmunk

anyway...i only have about 11 vinyls which i bought mostly because i have my parents record player and they were all in good cindition and very inexpensive at a local shop.
i have the Pride vinyl with martin luther king on one side of the cover and the band on the toher...is this the one you guys are talking about? or am i way off?

 

[ewen]

i have the Pride vinyl with martin luther king on one side of the cover and the band on the toher...is this the one you guys are talking about? or am i way off?

in the UK alone Pride was released in several vinyl formats:

7", double 7" in a gatefold sleeve, a 7" pic disk and there were two different 12" releases of which one was in a blue cover and had an extended studio version of 11 O'Clock Tick Tock.

All covers of the vinyl have a picture of MLK on one side of the cover and the band on the other.

I think the original poster in this thread is actually wanting more info on collecting vinyl rather than specifically on Pride.