Have you found reliable online used vinyl vendors?

List of Record Dealers.

I was hoping to introduce myself to the Audiogon community(perhaps a few know of my enterprise already) but I did not want to seem too eager to toot my own horn. I hope that a list of vinyl sources(of which I am a small participant) will be of some value. There will be many obvious and famous sources of course. There are also a few I have stumbled across recently while researching prices for the sealed vinyl I am adding to my website.
My name is Lloyd Sitkoff and since 1985 I have been(rather unsuccessfully) selling (mostly classical recordings). Back in the 90's I would publish a mail order set sale list about once a year (modeled on the lists issued by Dave Canfield(Ars Antiqua). Somewhere, mixed in with my 80000 Lps,20000 cds,1000 reel to reels and a few hundred cassettes are a box or 2 of old dealer catalogs.
Now that I am retired and have more time to devote to music sales perhaps it is time to let fellow Agoners know of my Quixotic enterprise. My 2 week old website (trytoneclassical.com) only has a few hundred items but I am trying to add more(mostly sealed) items every day. In the last 18 months I purchased an 8000 item collection from the Austin Audiophile-Arnold Menn(and later bought his VPI Classic with Lyra Kleos cartridge) and a collection of 8000 LPs and 2000 Laser discs from a San Antonio collector(and then bought his VPI HW 19 Mark 3/SME 309/Lyra Helikon front end). Almost all of the Laser discs are sealed and about 10% of the LPs as well(However his interest were solidly in the Opera/Vocal realm). Please feel free to contact me thru Agon if you have some items you are searching for. You can probably google “Try Tone Records” if you wish to email,write or call.

Many of the names I was familiar with then I believe are still in business.

Ars Nova
322 Swain Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47401, United States
812-333-5463 | [email protected] |

Mikrokosmos.com
Larry Brights LPs
5903 Pine View Dr  Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
(734) 482-2344
Irvington Music
irvmusic.com
Polyphony
polyphonyrecordings.com
Immortal Performances
Immortal Performances Classical Records Tapes & Compact Disc
1404 West 30th St
Austin, TX 78703 - View Map
Phone: (512) 478-9954

Parnassus
Parnassusrecords.com

Now for the famous online sources

Ebay.com
Discogs.com
half.ebay.com
Gemm.com
musicstack.com
acousticsounds.com
amoeba-music.com

Next a handful of sources I have stumbled on in the last few days.

Shugarecords.com
vinyl-records.biz
audiophileusa.com

dustygroove.com
classicvinyl.com
recordsbymail.com
cdandlp.com
vinylrevival.com
solidviper.com
therecordworld.com
http://www.spiralclassics.co.uk

vinylhunt.com
academy-records.com
elusivedisc.com

Need more try these terms in your favorite search engine “Record shops” “Record dealers” Record stores” or substitute vinyl for record. Or “where to buy vinyl”.

Learsfool,

Maybe Ebm's just like a fisherman with a favorite spot. "There's nothin' here! Go away! Don't waste your time! (Bwah-ha-hah!)"

Classical listeners may be less prone to spinning records when, um... influenced by certain substances. Being able to use one's fingers without having to give them verbal directions can be helpful.

I agree with Dougdeacon. I would estimate that 95% of my vinyl was used when I acquired it. I have only had one bad experience from ebay, and it turned out to be my mistake, as I had misread the ad.

I also buy mostly classical, however. It really does seem like classical music fans take much better care of their LPs. I will concede that it is much more difficult to find used jazz, rock, etc. in good shape. I do buy a fair amount of spoken word recordings, however, and have had very good luck with those.

I've bought over 3,000 mint classical LP's on ebay. By "mint" I mean good-as-new, apparently never played, some still sealed.

If you can't find them I'd be willing to assist... for a small fee. ;-)

Seriously however, the only problem I find with EBay (and this relates to Jazz since that is the only thing I collect) is that everyone seems to be looking for the same 200 jazz records. You'd think that Miles Davis and John Coltrane were the only jazz artists that ever lived and that Blue Note was the only label that knew how to do vinyl.

Fortunately real jazz fans know this is very far from the truth. I am listening right now to a Steeplechase recording of Archie Schepp and Horace Parlance "Trouble in Mind" it is just stunning and I bought it on. eBay for cheap.

I could reveal to you my secret list of outstanding vinyl vendors with unbelievable records ... But then I'd have to kill you ;-)

Good luck finding MINT classical records on ebay HO HO!!!!

I have found POP market to have some of the greatest specials I've seen. Send me your emails and I'll send you invite with a discount (I believe).

Joe,

Ya gotta love those generalized overstatements. Whether positive or negative they're often absurdly funny, each is a gem of Excruciatingly Bouncy Myopia. ;-)

eBay is not a vinyl vendor but rather a marketplace for literally hundreds or thousands of vendors each of whom has their own value and quality. To make negative generalized statements about the whole marketplace is absurd.

Contrary to Ebm's experience, I've bought thousands of great quality, used LP's on Ebay... usually at very good prices. Of my 4,000+ LP's, about 80% came from Ebay (US, UK, France and Germany). 99% of those were in great condition.

Early on, I ran into one or two untrustworty sellers. If they failed to make good I left them scathing feedback and moved on. The sellers I stuck with have never shipped me a bad record. I'm friendly with some and we even trade Xmas cards. Ebay is no different than any other group of people: a few bad apples but decent folks on the whole.

It may help that my collection is mostly classical. Classical boxed sets offer ridiculously good value and the records are often Mint... literally never played before I got them.

There are plenty of reliable sellers out there,you just have to take the time to buy and note what you get from who you got it from. Soundstage Direct sells sealed vinyl @ a discount if the record has a bent corner or a split seam. I bought a Foghat Fool for the City MFSL for 19.99 because it had a split seam. Vinyl was brand new and sealed.

Got my second lp from Vinylrecordsinc (from ebay) and it was as conservatively and appropriately graded as the first. So highly recommended.

Midwest classical record show may 17th best place for classical at good prices!!

I have over 7,000 records there are really almost no good record dealers left.

"04-26-14: Ebm
Better records has rip off prices!!!!!!"

Enough. Lets have it already. You either own a record store or you know a place that no one has yet mentioned.

Better records has rip off prices!!!!!!

I agree with Miner42.

Better Records has outstanding vinyl, not cheap but worth it in my opinion.

I was very happy with my first purchase from Vinylrecordsinc.com (a Muddy Waters album found on eBay). I just ordered a second album from them and I am confident/hopeful that they will be as honest and conservative in their description this time.
Gary

Have used discdogs with good success.

Check out Better Records....:)

Audiophile USA has some good used records but they are WAY OVERPRICED!!!

audiophileusa.com

Consistently good quality.
Amazingly varied catalog.
Helpful search engine.
Honest pricing.
Reliable.
Descriptions are helpful and accurate.
Been using them for many years.

E bay got nothing but JUNK!!

Records by Mail on the web!

Conservative "spot on" ratings and great packing.

I've had great luck with SACD 1 here on Audiogon.

Have often bought used from Acoustic Sounds. Invariably found the condition is as stated. OTH my solo LP purchase on Amazon - Stones " Goats Head Soup" is almost unplayable.
Best

I use Ebay for all used vinyl,I have never had any problem.

http://www.dustygroove.com/

I've had pretty good experience with Amazon. Also, to echo Zd545's comment, Amazon takes a lot of risk out the transaction. For consistency, Acoustic Sounds has been very good as well. They have good used vinyl which tends to be on the pricey side. However, their rating system is usually accurate. Good luck and happy listening!

If you're careful, you can get some good records on ebay. Quality sellers understand the importance of good feedback, and do whatever they can to keep it as high as possible.

If you know what you are doing on Amazon, you can do extremely well there buying used. There's 2 main things to consider when shopping with them. The first is that most of the used LP's are not sold directly by Amazon, but by their marketplace sellers. Going that route sounds risky, but its not. Not many people know this, but Amazon has what they call an A-Z guarantee. If the item is not what the seller states or you don't get it for any reason, you file an A-Z claim. Amazon makes sure you get a refund. I've had to use it several times myself. They don't play games. You get your money back.

Mike, (wwjdmike) here on AudiogoN has some excellent used LPs at GREAT prices. I've ordered many times from him and have always been very pleased.

He doesn't have a list per se, so you have to just scroll through all of his listings here, but well worth the time and effort.

Highly recommended!!!

Try either of these online merchants. I've had good luck with both of them.

http://www.discogs.com/
http://www.musicstack.com/