Where to buy vinyl records without spending an arm and leg?

So, a relative’s early 20 son has got a turntable and a half dozen LP’s, so I was thinking of getting a couple of my favorites from years gone by for Christmas.  A quick poke around it seems that guaranteed good LP’s often run $30 each.  I may be delusionally out of touch, but I was expecting $10 each.  Any ideas?  Things that come to mind are:

• Fleetwood Mac, Rumors
• Springsteen, Born to run and/or Born in the USA
• Eagles’ greatest hits
• Pink Floyd, DSOTM and/or The Wall
• Meatloaf Bat out of Hell
• Led Zepplin IV
• Dire Straights, Brothers in Arms

Any ideas, or has anyone got any of these they want to sell?

Cheers

Adrian

Estate sales are your friend. 

Good idea, I"ll see if I can find any.

Half Price Books sells used vinyl (if you have one nearby).  Maybe a used record shop, here in Cincy we have one or two.

Those are the kind of records you could probably find used at a thrift store or garage sale for a couple bucks. Also see if there are any local record shops with a decent used selection.

Discogs.com has always been like the Craigslist for music recordings but they recently sold out to a bigger company and it seems to be less great than it used to be.

A lot of those records are being repressed and sold for inflated new prices for no real reason other than to accommodate people who only buy new things from Amazon and Target, as there are absurd quantities of original pressings still in circulation.

There are two or three used record stores in Ann Arbor, so I would assume there are some closer to you, too.

Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army may have random collection of used records.  Also, look for any used record stores in your area.  Check out FB marketplace/Craigslist as there may be people selling off their collections.  Ebay too.   You are going to want to look for used not re-releases.

It might sound like that is too simple, but it really is that simple.  An example, a few years ago we got my turntable going again.  My boys thought it was so cool, so we got them some albums for Christmas.  My twins were playing in the HS musical pit orchestra, doing Fiddler on the Roof.  I found that there was an jazz arrangement of some of the soundtrack done by Cannonball Adderley.  I went to the local used record store and they had it for like $10-15 in awesome condition.

In reply to Wxdude10 - Mike :

Hey, I had that album playing earlier today. (Love me some Cannonball Adderely.)

Definitely look into your local indie record store.  Most have a new and used vinyl section.

Habitat Re-store usually has used vinyl priced cheaply... but with selections and conditions to match.

Doesn't exactly help locate them, but this is a great little segment on a local non-commercial radio station.  Every week he showcases an obscure $1 record he's found by scrounging around second-hand stores:

https://johnsdollarbin.org/

Found several used shops near me, no idea why that didn't occure before posting!!  thx all.

Yes, you are delusionally out of touch on the cost of new vinyl. 

As mentioned, indie record shops usually have a good selection of used stuff. Also thrift stores (found a basically mint condition, original pressing of Pink Floyd dark side of the moon at one not far from our house). 

Another place we've had some luck finding deals on vinyl is antique stores. Especially in smaller towns where people often come in and sell 50-100 at a time and few people think to look for them there.

z31maniac said:

Yes, you are delusionally out of touch on the cost of new vinyl. 

New LPs cost more than $10 the last time I bought vinyl... in 1988.

Independent record stores are your best bet for quality/$$.

Target and Walmart frequently have big sales online - especially around this time of year.

If you are looking for something particular: www.discogs.com has an excellent marketplace. I have acquired several of my less-common records (e.g. Tracy Chapman's self-titled) from there.

As for those "crazy" prices of vinyl. Back in the late 90's a CD (which is a LOT easier and less expensive to produce) would probably average about $15. Adjusted for inflation, that's $27 now.

You mean Columbia House won't send you 12 LP's for a penny. then require that you buy only 6 more at regular club prices???

The funny thing is, it was only six months ago I asked my mom and sister to sell, donate, give away etc. my old vinyl collection.  I left it in the UK when I came here for six months......close to 30 years ago.

Duke said:

z31maniac said:

Yes, you are delusionally out of touch on the cost of new vinyl. 

New LPs cost more than $10 the last time I bought vinyl... in 1988.

Well.......I was only 6 in 1988! 

Beer Baron said:

As for those "crazy" prices of vinyl. Back in the late 90's a CD (which is a LOT easier and less expensive to produce) would probably average about $15. Adjusted for inflation, that's $27 now.

But you got a tall, slim box as part of the deal.

Find the lowest "Quality"  weekend swap meet at an old Drive In and get there early :)

These are the swap meets that poor people go shopping at , not cool Swap Meets like the Rose Bowl you see on Instagram.

So 100 plus yards sales at one stop :)  , here is where the storage war stuff  thats just junk ends up at ,  plus store closeouts , and just a lot of stuff , 

But there are probably Vinyl  hustlers also hunting , 

This is where you are going to pay a couple dollars each , 

Good luck .....

PS , Vinyl quality is also what most people care about ,  I was just playing them on old turntables  and the snaps and cackles just gave them "character"

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

So, a relative’s early 20 son has got a turntable and a half dozen LP’s, so I was thinking of getting a couple of my favorites from years gone by for Christmas.  A quick poke around it seems that guaranteed good LP’s often run $30 each.  I may be delusionally out of touch, but I was expecting $10 each.  Any ideas?  Things that come to mind are:

• Fleetwood Mac, Rumors
• Springsteen, Born to run and/or Born in the USA
• Eagles’ greatest hits
• Pink Floyd, DSOTM and/or The Wall
• Meatloaf Bat out of Hell
• Led Zepplin IV
• Dire Straights, Brothers in Arms

Any ideas, or has anyone got any of these they want to sell?

 

Cheers

Adrian

Those are all common records with lots of different pressings over the years, and I bet all of them are in production right now in some shape or form. Best bet for a lower priced playable copy is an independent used record shop. They will be more than a lucky find in a thrift store, but you'll likely get a clean, playable copy to listen to. Around here, the only vinyl you'll find in thrifts/junk shops are Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and gas station promo classical records that no one wants anymore.

Walmart sometimes does a $15/ea sale right around now on all their vinyl, and a lot of those can be found online or in-store. Can't beat that for a new copy. 

Tony Sestito said:

Around here, the only vinyl you'll find in thrifts/junk shops are Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and gas station promo classical records that no one wants anymore.

What about Engelbert Humperdink?

As for Walmart, even without a sale going on, they have Boston self titled for $20 and Rumors for $23.

Discogs

Seriously. Discogs is cool.  If I can use it to fill out holes in my collection of obscure 80's and 90's garage punk compilations that mainstream stuff should be a breeze

triumph7 said:

Half Price Books sells used vinyl (if you have one nearby).  Maybe a used record shop, here in Cincy we have one or two.

Plaid Room Records in Loveland has a great used section (and a pretty solid new selection as well)

californiamilleghia said:

PS , Vinyl quality is also what most people care about ,  I was just playing them on old turntables  and the snaps and cackles just gave them "character"

For the most part, the snaps and crackles come from the records being dirty. Also using a quality stylus helps. My nearly 50 year old copy of Dark Side of the Moon plays perfectly without the noise. 

The likely cheap sources around here - Goodwill, Estate Sales, Craigslist, etc. have a set of "usual suspects" that troll constantly looking to pickup old vinyl to re-sell.  I've pretty much given up on trying to find popular titles.  Jazz is easier.

I wouldn't put a used record on my turntable without a really good wet cleaning.  Not only does it remove a lot of the noise, but you're not dragging your stylus through forty year old taco bell grease fingerprints.  I use a KAB vacuum setup because they're cheap, but there's others that work just as well.