I still buy vinyl but only from Amazon. As you have noted, the prices are up and the chances of receiving a less than perfect LP are up as well. I find myself returning 30 - 40% of the new LPs I purchase. At today’s prices, there is no reason to accept anything other than pristine. Amazon’s return policy works in my favor. Cheers.
Prices of Records/Vinyl in 2025
Is it me or have prices of vinyl recently surged to an average of $35 or more ? Just a couple of months ago the average seemed to be around $30. I bought around 30 records to play on my exorbitantly expensive turntable and its multi thousand dollar cartridge, its hundred of dollars of cables, the $1000 phono preamp etc and immediately had 7k invested before buying any records. After buying 50 albums or so and finding about half to be shitty recordings I had $1500 invested in realistically 25 playable, great quality recordings. I just went back online to look for a few more and I'm certain prices have jumped from $30 average to close to $40. WTF ??? More gouging I assume. Is this industry truly sustainable when people are expected to have close to 10k invested to play some records? Insane. I protest, with my wallet. Let's see, hmmm....stream a million tracks for $20 a month with perfect sound, no cleaning, snaps, pop or crackle and hiss and- jump tracks and artists the second I don't like what I hear- or- invest $40 in a crappy recording on vinyl, suffer through it or toss it in the trash because the recording or the music suck. I could literally light two $20 bills on fire instead of bothering to gamble on ordering a record online.
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Exactly why I sold my turntable and small collection of LPs years ago. I realized that for the same price, I could either gamble on one LP and listen to 12 songs or subscribe to Qobuz and listen to 3 million, all with great sound and zero hassle. And yes, albums now (like everything) are an outright ripoff. I get gas, groceries, and haircuts...that's it. |
The OP is a pretty succinct indictment of vinyl as a preferred playback medium. It’s expensive, inconvenient, and noisy compared with digital. This won’t dissuade any of the true believers. However I do notice that there are many like the OP who come to this realization after spending a lot of dosh. |
In the mid 1960's, I'd go to the record shop and buy a mono album for $3.50 or a stereo version for a dollar more. I don't know the answer, but maybe somebody else can say what that might amount to in 2025 dollars; records are not the only things that have gotten significantly more expensive over the last 60 years. |
I just calculated, $4.50 in 1965 is worth $46.28 today. As a record collector who was buying records then with his paper route money and who still has those records in his collection today it is my opinion that without doubt the records today are of higher quality overall than the ones from back in the "good old days." As for streaming, for me it is like a kiss on the telephone, you can't feel it. Furthermore, for those of you who think that is your best option just think of all the memories it will provide as you age into your dotage, just keep your receipts handy because that will be your only vestige of the experience. I think I'll play Swing Low Sweet Cadillac now and remind myself with Dizzy of my youth. One other thought, if you really think about it, the best option at this time is neither streaming or vinyl, it is CDs. |
Streaming music is the fast food of music playback in quantity and quality. McDonald’s claims billions served, streaming services claim a million songs. The bottom line is less music is more. Out of 100 random songs or compositions streamed my purchase/interest rate would be < 1% meaning a lot of wasted time. Streaming can have value for modest systems, retirees and those with space and attention limitations. As for the current price of a vinyl record it correlates with inflation, Sound Quality(SQ) of a recording has always been a barrier for an Audiophile. In general Popular music is not recorded on the same level as Classical or Jazz/Fusion/Vocal recordings. If your main genre of music is popular music from the digital age 1990’s-current streaming could offer you the "perfect sound". |
@dayglow +1
What album(s) were you buying on vinyl and what caused you to purchase it? Reviews are available for EVERYTHING these days and which pressing to buy Youtube videos are in abundance. If you think about it in proper context, if you purchase recordings, you might consider buying the optimal version/format. Pre-1980 its almost a certainty that a great vinyl pressing is the way to go. Digital versions of recordings post-1980 seem best suited for digital be it cd or hi-rez downloads. If your decision tree is either buy an album or stream for $20/mo then that is a purchasing music vs renting music quandry. |
I sympathise with the OP, having also just spent thousands of dollars resurrecting my turntable. Looking for Jazz recommendations from Audiogon set me on a path towards Miles Davis Kind of Blue. with a price tag around AUD-300 for highly recommended pressings. My record shop had a CD version for 1/25th as much, so I thought I'd try that first. I am very glad I did. My partner, who likes most music, absolutely hates KOB and i am not far behind her. I am mainly into classical music (romantic orchestral to be more precise). Presto is my go-to place for new recordings, and I also have a subscription with them so I can stream or download before committing to silver disk or record. In general, new records seem to be three times as expensive as new silver disks. My rule is: if a recording is available as a Pure Audio Blu-ray or SACD, that's what I buy. Otherwise, I get the record(s) if available, then the CD. I do not like 'renting' music because the rental availability is unreliable and quality hardly ever gets to SACD levels. Having said that, my local bookshop keeps a modest selection of used records for about USD-3.00 each. I give them an ultrasonic clean and usually they are as good as new pressings. I put some of the sound quality down to using a micro-line stylus which bridges the wear patterns created by conical or Shibata stylii. Ironic to spend thousands on a deck and peanuts on feeding it! |
@larsman : Caldor's department store was where I bought most of my records in the mid 60's forward into the 70's. Stereo records were $3.29. I never bothered with mono. I was in high school from 1967 - 70. My first part-time job was in the fall of '68 as a stock clerk after school and all day Saturday. The pay was $1.90 an hour. That was .30 cents more than the $1.60 minimum wage. In the summer of '69 I got a raise to $2.10/hr. I was a happy 17 year-old! |
@speedthrills : Why would you decide to buy a multi-thousand dollar cartridge? A Denon 103R costs $350 and sounds perfectly musically satisfying! I have one along with other Denon mc cartridges. |
@jasonbourne71 - $3.29?! That's a pretty good discount they offered. No, I never bought a mono album back then, though there are a few now that I wish I had. Back in the very early 70's, a college roommate Bruce and I both got summertime jobs at the campus. I was basically a janitor, and Bruce mowed the lawns. I was making $1.65/hour I think, and I was jealous of Bruce 'cause he was getting a nickel more! |
Vinyl is very much like golf. The elusive incredible shot on the golf course keeps you coming back; reliving the shot; remembering the joy it brought. It's not a cheap endeavor and it takes time. |
I never understood what the big deal was mono vs. stereo. I'll take what I can get. What matters to me is the music although early stereo could be very distracting. Ping Pong effects. Pianos with the left hand in one speaker and the right hand in the other. Or another fav, the hi hat on one side, the ride cymbal all the way over one the other side, like the drummer would have to have been an orangutang. When that was a thing, I preferred mono. Then there was the sensible stereo vs the sound effects stereo competition. Living Stereo vs. Phase 4 type stuff. I still tend to prefer simple mic set ups to most multi-channel recording techniques. |
I have had great luck with used albums. Yes, you have to cherry pick, by inspecting the vinyl, and I always clean the album before play. I have found some amazing sonically clean albums for $10-$15 dollars and even more for $20 used. Maybe it's just living in Northern California, but I rarely buy new LPs, unless I cannot find it used after a year of so of looking. I too run a rig that comes in at around $7K from cart to phono pre. Added bonus, I love the old stuff, Dinah Washington and Ella, from The Jam to the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Big Mama Thornton. Love it all.... |
Not all vinyl LPs are created equal. I bought the bulk of my "collection" (I considered it an aggregation, rather than a curated collection) years ago. Most of this material was recorded and cut from analog masters. I was fortunate to be a little ahead of the curve- bought up much of the Island pink label (UK), the Vertigo Swirl label, Strata East (spiritual jazz) and many of Chad's re-cuts, like Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section or the DCC cut of Deep Purple's Made in Japan when those records were 50 bucks. Today, they fetch a multiple of that. The issue was largely a question of condition and completeness of packaging. I cannot tell you how many copies of certain rock warhorses I own- from a dozen or so LZ1, several RL LZ2, a Straight label WLP of Love it to Death, an early pressing of Alice Coltrane's "Ptah." None of these records are readily available today and the few copies on the market tend to be very expensive with questionable grading. Is it a gouge? No, I think it is supply and demand. As vinyl resurged, people started to buy up desirable copies and the market price went up. There are some good reissues- I like Tone Poet- which I'll buy through Amazon, because of generous return policies. Katanga! is a must buy. Dream Queen, which as I recall, was recut by Bernie, is well worth the price of admission (an OG is a 4 figure album). I got rid of over 12,000 LPs when I moved to Texas, and had begun curating back in 2006 or so, sorting the good stuff from the dross. I still have thousands of classical records on Decca, London (UK), EMI ASD, Lyrita and a ton of "audiophile" crap that I rarely play. I'm not the target market for the new UHQR or MoFi One Step stuff. I have more than my share of the rock warhorses. Discogs is actually a decent platform if you engage the seller and get a sense of their knowledge and scruples. I used to buy a fair amount of UK pressings from EIL, which is now pretty pricey, but they stock very fine copies. I've also tapped into the Japanese market for jazz- pretty conservative grading, DHL Express shipping (5 days from Japan to Texas). But you really need to know what you are hunting. Deadwax is helpful, but not entirely determinative-- I have three copies of Tons of Sobs- Free- all have the same dead wax, but one sounds better than the others. It's a deep rabbit hole. Part of it depends on your taste and preference, and some of it you can learn by researching the older threads on Hoffman where people did shoot-outs of various pressings. I've slowed way down in acquisitions at this point, since I have more LPs than I can possibly listen to; I will buy a so-called hi-res download of something I'm ambivalent about and will on occasion, buy the record, but it is worth doing your due diligence. As to the 30 dollar standard issue pressing, I don't regard that as much more-given inflation- than the 6 dollar retail record from the early '70s. |
@larsman : People that didn't grow up in the 50's and 60's don't know what it was like to work for $2 or less an hour! Of course things cost less then but those were still low wages! Caldor's was a chain of 145 department stores on the East Coast. They were in business from 1951 to 1999. |
assume you are talking about new. I try not to buy new unless they have great reviews - like from Mikey and others. Discogs has TONS of excellent vinyl, and I stay with M and NM. Always clean in my USM cleaner + vacuum. I have a handful that I cannot get clean, out of about 1500 albums. Vinyl $$ on Discogs varies widely from $5 - thousands. If you like classical, LOTS of bargains, same with most jazz stuff. Rock and pop from 70s-90s is about $20 or so for NM, depending on the artist. EBay also will have deals if you do your homework. |
On my modest system, I loved playing vinyl when it was $4.99 per copy in 1976. When I got back into it, and they were $20 per copy, I figured they were still worth it, so I bought more. |
For me its not so much the price it’s the crappy remastering that sound worse than the original versions, but you know they love to reissue records for profit. Mastering is the biggest issue to me, most new “remastered” albums sound dead and compressed. Sure, they are crispy clean and on initial listen sound great, but they just don’t stand up to me, most are lifeless. |
Generally speaking, as in virtually all matters of this sort, there are always variables and extenuating circumstances to consider. For example: "expensive" doesn't necessarily correlate or equate to "good" ... equipment, sound quality, vinyl pressings or otherwise. Are the records in question good pressings (i.e. from factories using state of the art tools & systems like stampers; hydraulic presses; cooling protocols; etc.)? Are the records being played truly "clean"? Even brand spanking new records should be cleaned before play. How are the records being stored (e.g. good quality anti-static inner and, possibly, outer sleeves; etc.)? Are the releases engineered by good mix masters, studio sound engineers, etc.? How are the records being played (e.g. dust cover on or not; clean stylus; properly calibrated TT; dust mitigation efforts after play; etc., etc., etc.)? Yes, playing vinyl records is indeed more work and more labor intensive than just popping in a CD or streaming. However, it is a labor of love for those who enjoy great sound quality or fidelity. Is it better than digital? Well, that is a matter of opinion and preference. Even CDs and digital sources have poor recordings and sources. Have prices for our toys gone up in the last 6 decades? OF COURSE THEY HAVE! HAVE YOU HEARD OF INFLATION? DO WE ALL SOUND LIKE OUR FATHERS THESE DAYS WHEN HE'D SAY THINGS LIKE: "I REMEMBER WHEN THE PRICE OF A GALLONG OF MILK USED TO BE EIGHTY CENTS!"? A five-dollar 1970's vinyl LP would go for around 40 bucks these days when factoring for inflation. This isn't easy reading for most folks but might interest you: Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records-3rd Edition - The Vinyl Press. I consider it mandatory reading for any vinyl music devotee. You don't need to sweat the scientific details to get the overall picture. As for good sources for good vinyl pressings, I've always had good luck with Music Direct out of Chicago and buying direct from major labels. |
Was mostly a CD kid had only a milk crate full of vinyl. In the 80-90 CD's cost more then a record. Both were under $20 or around that. Got back into vinyl a few years ago, new records at the time were $20-25. Used were $5-20 depending. CD's were $15. Starting last year, that $20 record was $25 more records started at $30, now, $35 is the new $30 and more and more records are over $40 for a single album. Used prices have also gone way up in my area it's hard to find a used record for under $20, most are around $25. Then you got put inner and outer sleeves on them, clean them, and store. All record products are going up even sleeves and cleaners. Early this year got a $48 "fee" in the mail 3 weeks after receiving my $56 order. Used to buy around 10 records a month. Now I'm buying only a couple. Been thinking about just not purchasing vinyl anymore due to the high cost. We haven't even got into cart prices going up! |
I think DIscogs can be a great source of vinyl (and CDs) if you’re careful who you buy from. Sellers with large feedback numbers tend to be stores who, with their massive volume, grade LPs visually, which is a real crapshoot. Unless their positive feedback is in the 99% range, I would expect many of their records to play more poorly than they look. Then there are some sellers who are selling from their private collection and can provide listening-based grading. One such seller on Discogs is audiophile112, who states that the records have been machine-cleaned, as well. Vinyl from the ’50s and ’60s is more likely to have been played without adequate cleaning on gear that might have damaged them. During the ’70s there was an oil embargo that resulted in lower quality vinyl, especially on mass-market US rock LPs. Many of these had "pops" and other surface noises when they were brand new. So it’s reasonable that older vinyl that actually plays well deserves a premium price, even though it may be about what would be expected from inflation. Vinyl from the '70s and later has a better chance of having been treated adequately. Later vinyl in NM condition may be more available, but the quality of the music is another story. I wouldn’t buy vinyl made with any digital processes unless it’s a special audiophile release--on a good system, the CD or digital file may sound as good or better.
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Yes, I've tried used records but find the "rating" the store assigns is almost arbitrary and I haven't bought a single used record yet that is clean, quiet, nice sounding etc. All are pretty well played and noisy- and still - at $15 no bargain. Also in response to folks mentioning checking out reviews prior to purchase I def do that, often on my phone right in the store as I'm looking at a promising purchase. Here again I find the reviews are so subjective that most of the time despite being reviewed as a "wonderfully recorded, musically involving" record is strictly mediocre at best. So, I'm also more inclined to risk $35 on a record I already know of rather than gamble on something new- which really makes no sense. I always end up defaulting back to streaming and jumping around the second I don't like a song/artist or recording. |
It seems to me that the increase in the price of vinyl records has basically remained on par with the averages of inflation over all of the years. It is what it is. Or at least, this is my opinion. For me, therefore, a quality reissue is certainly worth the price. However, only if the original recording was very good. No matter how good the reissue is regarding the quality of the vinyl, mastering, plating & pressing, it has to have been a good recording for the reissue to sound good. If so, then it's certainly worth it. I select my "new" record purchases with caution. I also enjoy my streaming system very much. Even in streaming, though, the quality of the original recording has to be good, or the sound quality suffers. Having a good record collection and vinyl front end, along with a good streaming front end is musical heaven. So glad that I have both. |
@speedthrills: Do you own (and use) a "serious" record cleaning machine? A vacuum type, an ultrasonic, or better yet both? In my opinion, if one is going to have a record collection a record cleaning machine is not optional, it is mandatory. That is true whether one is buying original pressings of old titles, new reissues of old titles, or new pressings of newly-recorded music. "Deep" cleaning an LP can drastically improve it’s sound quality.
As to the recordings themselves, upon what do you base your assertion that most new recordings are made digitally? That has not been the case in all but one pro studio I have been in in the past forty years (the sole exception being Emitt Rhodes’ studio in Hawthorne California). 16 and 24 track analogue recorders using 2" reels of tape has been the common means of recording in EVERY Southern California, Atlanta Georgia, and Portland Oregon studio---including the studio in which Bill Frisell records his albums---I have been in in the past forty years (with the noted exception of Emitt). The multitrack recording is then mixed and copied onto a 1/4" reel of tape, and from there test CD’s made and given to the client for approval. What is then done with the 1/4" mix tape is left up to the client. Go ahead, investigate the matter.
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I started buying vinyl albums in 1976 when I was in high school. I recall paying around $4-5 back then. I recently bought three new release titles on CD from my local music store for $12 each. These were brand new copies. According to an inflation calculator, $12 is equivalent to $2.11 in 1976 dollars. I dumped my vinyl decades ago in favor of CDs and looking at today’s prices, I’m very glad I did. |
As far as used records. I always go to the store and when I find something I like I remove it from the cover and examine it carefully in the reflection from the lights above on the grooves. I have found that about 98% of the time I can pick out pristine albums that at worst are dusty. I still machine clean them and they tend to be perfect. It only takes a few seconds per side to evaluate in the store. A lot of folks have purchased albums and either never listened to them, or only listened once.
From Amazon, my experience has been around 30 - 40 % acceptable. Even new ones tend to be warped... through mispackaging. |
If you invest a modest amount in your streaming you can easily match the sound quality of newly recorded music on vinyl. I only find vinyl offers greater sound quality when it is an older recording or a new audiophile repressing. Simply buying the latest Van Morrison album on vinyl offers no sound advantages.....at least in my system. |
my experience is similar to @ghdprentice. if you have a few used record shops near you and are careful you can do pretty well. As he said, you have to carefully inspect the vinyl and maybe take a little flashlight because the lighting in most of those stores make it very hard to see the condition. I also take a little jeweler loupe and look at the dead wax. ChatGPT or something similar can tell you from that what pressing you have and how it is regarded. That is very important. A lot of the cheap reissues sound terrible but if you get a high quality re-issue or a well pressed original, it can be very good and with the proper tools and effort, you can clean up a really dirty old record. If it has scratches, gently rin your fingernails across them. If you can easily feel the scratches, it is probably Into the groove and not worth buying. If you can’t feel the scratches, there’s a good chance you won’t hear them either. To me, the key is to focus on buying good releases and not just ordering some random re-issue that is sure to disappoint. |
It is hard to compare buying music 50 years ago with today. Back then every penny counted for me and I treasured every LP . Adjust for inflation and perhaps vinyl still costs comparably but it’s so much less of a sacrifice. If I purchased an LP that was so warped or noisy that it was unplayable back then I was really upset. Now I just shrug. There have been negative comments about streaming in this thread. It makes one wonder about the streaming set ups people have. Current services such as Qobuz sound fantastic on even low priced streamers , much better than equivalent priced vinyl play back. I think people view it as disposable because it’s so easy to change tracks, whereas it isn’t easy to change a record. |
I'm also in NorCal, and my local record shop has been a reliable source for used records. In the 2nd half of this year I have found and purchased 1st pressings of King Crimson, Darryl Hall, Fripp and Summers, and 2 or 3 others. Guys my age ( ladies too) are passing on their collections. 20$ for these 40 yo firsts.
But my new favorite is record shopping on vacation. On an Alaskan cruise I found an 1st pressing of Maggot Brain, and of Red. The KC was 30$, the Funkadelic was .. a bit more. In Montreal a Canadian 1st So ( sadly flawed , and an Industrial repress of a Texas band on a Canadian label pressed in Germany.
Next year Portland OR! |
Couldn't agree more. I have amassed many gigabytes of music and even with as much to choose from as those that stream, humans have limitations with how much of it they can realistically favor. I have a playlist of 1,200 songs and that number is representative of 50 years of music loving and listening. If I listen 3 hours a night, I will arrive at the end of the playlist in a month's time. I would expect that to be fairly common regardless of the medium used. No one likes all kinds of music and listens to everything, but it would seem as though many humans may think they do, or might. Most do not do the math. The marketing ploy of getting people to sign up for $15 a month - over a million songs! - is just misleading. Who out there listens to a million songs? Just for edification, if you listened to a million songs it would take 24 years to do it, so for those out there streaming, get busy and get your money's worth! No listening to the same song twice! |
