Collecting Vinyl (LP’s) How to Start Your Collection

Zane Vanderhorst-Sewell
Mar 28, 2018
3 min read

Want to start using a turntable but having trouble getting your record (lp) collection started? (How to start collecting Vinyl) The Do’s and Don’ts of collecting records.

Here are a few tips and tricks for you to be on the way to having that dream record collection you always wanted.

-Thrift Stores

Visit Thrift stores early and often. Often thrift stores will put out all their new merchandise in the morning, and not put anything out for the rest of the day. To take advantage of this you should go early to beat all the other pickers, that way you can have the first pick on all the records for the day. But of course this is all circumstantial.

-Local Shops

Getting to know your local record shop clerks is an amazing strategy to helping improve your collection. When I was working as a chef, there was this manager of a small record shop called “Into The Music” that I would make breakfast for every day and after getting to know him he would always let me know when some records came in that he thought I would dig, which was an amazing perk. But even just befriending your local record clerks will give you an insight to finding exactly what your looking for and potentially getting introduced to some new music.

-Knowing when and when not to buy

Don’t get stuck on rare records that will end up just taking up shelf space, buy records that you will actually play. Don’t buy record with reselling in mind; it takes a lot of the joy out of it. Another thing to try to avoid doing is second guessing or holding yourself back from buying a record you want, there is always a chance you may not see another one for a long time, if ever. It is easy to get sucked in by unique looking lp’s such as colored and graphic which usually tend to be worth more, but not by much so keep that in mind when you see your favorite artist graphic lp but its got a 50$ price tag, because buying a record there should be a perfect marriage of price and desire.

-Things to look out for

One thing to know about vinyl is that it is much softer than most plastics, and if the lp is not new it will most likely have some wear but don’t worry when you hear the crackle of the stylus on some old vinyl, that is all part of what a vinyl enthusiast must bear.

Unless you are a vinyl collector of strictly original pressed records don’t worry whether or not your lp is bootleg (non original press), it will most likely sound better off a newer press anyway and easier to maintain.

My stereo in my room.

-Cleaning

A major lesson I learned after collecting records for roughly a year, is that you need to clean your vinyl, whether that means wiping them with a microfiber cloth or using some store-bought solution to really get in between the grooves, you do not want to ignore taking care of your collection. I learned this the hard way after letting my “Hall and Oats” record stay dirty for a large amount of time causing irreversible damage pushing the dirt to an unrecoverable level in the grooves.

-Collecting on a budget

If you are on a budget, which I know I am, I am always trying to find the cheapest solution to save money wherever I can, so I rarely buy brand new records or order online with some exceptions. When buying online you want to try to avoid buying used records, many times the record upon arrival will not be exactly as described and sometimes having to much damage to even justify dropping the needle on it. The only way to know the true quality of the record is to feel the grooves in your own two hands.

I hope this has encouraged and helped you to getting your collection started.

Below are some links to my favorite shops in the city for finding some hidden gems.

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