Led Zeppelin 11

@audioguy85 

It should be written as Led Zep II not 11.

Scratched out numbers or codes are not uncommon in the golden days of record pressing. It might be due to a revision in the matrix, as with early Kate Bush where Harvest was bought out by EMI, but there was EMI America and EMI UK each with different catalogue numbers. 

Or scratched out and corrected stamper info.

I see that Better Records hot stampers have suffered from the same price escalation as with equipment.

Yeah, all those old records sitting in basements, attics, at garage sales, vintage shops have suffered greatly from supply chain issues and the war in Ukraine.

I was able to find pressings better than hot stampers.  The LZII is a sore spot for me as I paid big bucks for a hot stamper after Tom saying it was nearly impossible to find a RL copy in good condition which I then debunked when I bought a nice RL copy on Ebay for something like $200 that absolutely eclipsed the hot stamper version.  It was superior in every way especially in bass and dynamics.  The impact was something else.  I eventually stopped buying hot stampers and found my own for a fraction of the price.

 

$200 is a very fair price for hot stamper quality. Better Records prices are too rich for my blood.

@rlawry  how do you plan on finding your own hot stampers? Are you going to rely on descriptions of used records? You'll end up buying multiple copies.

Who are you, clearthinker? A former troublemaker who has returned with a new handle? 🥴

@rlawry , some good tips, thanks. I've been all digital for a few years and am returning to vinyl.

@audioguy85 

This is a worthwhile thread, I'm glad you started it. We're having some good-natured fun. Led Zep 11, we know what you meant, nothing mean-spirited was directed at you. I'm sure you've seen some real nasty comments on Audiogon, that's not what's going on here.