Buying Records

Various sources - Amazon, Discogs, RSD, Exclusive Disc….new to near mint. I take close looks at remasters from original tapes, Mofi one-steps.  

I buy records from all over the place.  It matters not to me where, what matters is what the music is.  I am interested mostly in old jazz, a lot of it is out of print so it is a quest.  Also, I might find a better copy of something I already have.  So that explains having multiple copies of some things. Then there are sources like the Tone Poet Society of which I am a Tier 1 subscriber, and Mosaic, where I buy anything and everything they put out.  E-Bay, Amazon, Discogs, especially Discogs are all valuable resources.  I have trouble passing store fronts known to buy and sell records and cds.  Basically I am an indiscriminate collector of old jazz.  Hopeless, in fact I need help.  A real sick puppy. 

I have three or  for local record stores that I shop for usef records. Not unusual to find a great pressing that is just really dirty and can be cleaned up or get a bargain because the cover is in bad shape but the vinyl is great.

I also shop discogs on a regular basis and buy new vinyl from several online stores. I really like the Rhino High Fidelity or Reserve series, the Bluesville re-issues and a few others that are exceptional quality but not at the exorbitant prices of some of the mofior UHQR releases. It’s great when you find a good one 

This issue persists, generation to generation 

I buy all over. One of the main ones is Bandcamp, particularly Bandcamp Fridays (>700). Local store rarely has anything interesting. There are few favorites when I travel, like Plattfon in Basel, 16Tons in Zürich, original vinyls in SF, and Millennium music in Portland.

The few places I have never bought anything are eBay, amazon, or general retailers (Walmart, etc.).

Re used mint, that is impossible, because mint implies unopened/unplayed. So used does not work in the context of mint. Only second hand shrink wrapped with outer cover pristine may get a mint. Alternatively, it was graded wrong, which is not uncommon.

Never bought any of the "audiophile" pressings (Bluenose, UHQR, etc.). The music is not interesting. I prefer odd ball stuff like Brannte Schnüre's "Muschelsammlung" with record noise and clicks part of the recording. I appreciate their sense of humor.  Needless to say, all personal taste. I rather buy artistic packaging, like the friendship editions of 128 label or the Volcan 1/1 editions. That's something worth supporting! The 128s literally have my name engraved in the wood boxes. Much cooler than any super duper half-speed 45 rpm virgin vinyl 454 g pressings of the Blah side of the moon.