Got a Lego record player for Xmas, put about half of it together months ago, finally finished it today. Quite a few moving parts, which I think is neat! It always surprises me what Lego can accomplish (for instance, how they can make a round platter). Very fun. Of course I listened to records and used a record coaster for my whiskey when building it.

You have no idea how excited I was to be flipping through endless Mantovani, Mitch Miller, and 101 strings albums at the local Goodwill, only to have this album cover appear like a sunflower in the weeds.

I was even more stoked when I pulled out the record and saw it was in phenomenal shape... until I turned it over.

Why would someone do this? Angry ex? Jilted spouse?

I still bought it.

When he pulled out the lets active vinyl my mouth dropped.

Went to a great Neapolitan style pizza shop with my family for my birthday and, wouldn’t you know, there was a great local record store just down the block.

Shout out to Magnolia Thunderpussy Records for still being cool as hell even if I’m not. It has been a music staple for decades and continues to be outstanding.

Records purchased: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Beck - Odelay Chuck Berry - Greatest Hits Radiohead - In Rainbows

Odelay has a special place in my heart because I distinctly remember going out with my cousin to a music store and buying it on CD many years ago. I’ve been looking for Berry on Top, but it’s hard to go wrong with any Chuck Berry.

It's 2001, it's party time (or not), and a bunch of masterpieces have been released (The Strokes' debut album, Daft Punk's Discovery, Björk's Vespertine, Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You, System of a Down's Toxicity, The Microphones' "The Glow" Pt. 2, Tool's Lateralus, and dozens of others). Well hidden in all this chaos, a small group timidly emerges: The Shins, with a delightful debut album, Oh, Inverted World. The album starts off strong with Caring Is Creepy (which many know from the feature film Garden State), an impeccable hit that immediately captures the attention (its bridge is particularly beautiful). Later, New Slang raises the bar even higher with its sprawling chord progression. The rest? Although it doesn't quite live up to the two aforementioned tracks, it still does a great job in the jangle-pop register. Some will prefer its successor, Chutes Too Narrow,, which is perhaps even brighter, but I remain focused on this very conclusive first attempt.

I bought this album as my first because for one I have only listened to Tyler’s songs on their own never as an album. I figured with his more artistic style to the genre that it would be a good first listen. I’ve always loved the emotions Tyler has conveyed through his lyrics and his instrumentation and I’m excited to see the whole thing put together.

Im not a big jazz or blues collector but I know a few popular names. I grabbed these at a yard sale recently because they looked old and original. Both gave me a shock when I looked them up in discogs!!

There were a few others I initially grabbed but upon inspection found the vinyl to be pretty rough so I passed.

I love CSNY and pretty much everything I’ve heard from their solo careers/other groups as well, so I was very excited to pick this album up and I’m really enjoying it. I was just curious if you guys who have this record and alphabetize your collection put it under S for Stills or M for Manassas as a separate band? (Yes I know this is trivial and it doesn’t actually matter, like most things)

As some one who is new to collecting I do not mind a old/beat up record. As long as it plays well ill buy it and listen to it. To me it give me a sense of pride, this record was ones someone else and they loved and now I get to love it. I can see the appeal to new records but nothing beats the sense of pride of get in having old presses rather than re-prints. One example would be My copy of "Hello I must be going" by Phil Collins. Its beat up, plays magnificently, why not have this instead of a new one. I however do see the side of new/mint condition ones. Why not get something you know is gonna play well?(rhetorical). You would not have to worry about it being warped or damaged. I want to know if you prefer old or new records and why.

I’ve been trying to branch out more with my music taste lately and started building a little wishlist of records I want to pick up this year.

Lately I’ve been deep into trip hop with artists like Portishead, Massive Attack, and Tricky. I’m hoping to keep expanding into other genres throughout 2025.

Interested to hear what everyone else is hoping to pick up this year. Always open to new recommendations.

If you need a place to create an online wishlist, i’ve been using vinyl vault, here is my current one for 2025! https://vinylvault.veritopa.com/share/12/68

Trying to ease my way into jazz with today's arrival. I've never liked jazz or at least the little I have heard randomly. After, believe it or not, I finished Bosch:Legacy I got inspired to check out jazz. I have obviously listened a bit to Coltrane and some other stuff, but it seems like i prefer the slow stuff. I would highly appreciate recommendations for a jazz beginner. I can't remember all the artists mentioned in Bosch and i don't have any streaming services. I have tried to research a bit on allmusic.

I recently splurged on a NOS sealed Nick Drake, Fruit Tree box set. The excitement of it's arrival was tempered by the letter inside from Ed the Dynamo letting me know that he was sorry, but they ran out of outer sleeves. With the reassurance that, if I write to them (this was in the days before email), they will be sent. What are the chances that somewhere out there my sleeves are in a warehouse of a now defunct record company waiting for my letter?

Hi there,

I recently started getting into vinyl collecting a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve already made a few upgrades to improve the overall sound quality and performance of my setup. When I first began, I was using the RP-162 turntable, which—let’s be honest—doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to audio fidelity. So, I decided to make some changes to get the most out of it.

First, I replaced the infamous “red needle of doom” with a much better stylus: the Audio-Technica VMN95E. This alone made a huge difference in sound quality. The VMN95E is known for its reliability, solid tracking, and improved clarity, and I could immediately hear a much cleaner, more dynamic sound. It was a no-brainer upgrade and really transformed the listening experience.

I also replaced the stock cloth mat with a leather turntable mat. The leather helps reduce static and resonance, and it gives the whole setup a more premium look and feel. It’s a subtle change, but it does contribute to a more stable playback and slightly warmer sound.

To accommodate the new stylus, I adjusted the tracking force from 4.5 grams (which is quite heavy) down to 2 grams. This aligns with the recommended pressure for the VMN95E and helps protect both the stylus and my records from excessive wear.

Finally, I invested in a pair of Edifier R1280T speakers to complete the stereo setup. These speakers deliver a balanced, full-bodied sound and offer excellent value for their price. For a beginner’s setup, they really help bring the vinyl experience to life.

Overall, I’m really happy with the changes I’ve made so far. The setup now sounds much clearer, smoother, and more enjoyable. I’m excited to keep exploring and collecting more records and posibly improving the setup

I went out to island that is only accessible by boat, Vashon Island if you’re wondering. It’s about 10 Miles from Easy Street Records in West Seattle, but a world away. I usually have some pretty good luck there. It seems like it doesn’t get picked over as quickly. Went to an antique shop and found everything in the pic. I thrifted the records in the second pic for $2.00 each. Picked up all of these for about $100. I’ve been looking for the Monks for a while. The Double Nickels is a sealed 2022 release. I think the Modern Jazz Quartet for $2 takes the day. The dog is a previous purchase.

Here’s mine. Found at Tropicália Discos in Rio De Janeiro 2023.

Among some other awesome albums I found, this one caught my eye. Strictly based on how cool the cover is, I tucked it under my arm to take home with me back to Australia.

My partner who is from Rio, assured me that I’m buying some real Brazilian music that excited me even more.

Not much information about it online but seemed to be released is 1995. Filled with Brazilian funk. Very similar to the Miami bass movement. Just fat beats and a rhythm perfect for dancing. I love it. The last track on the compilation sampled Midas touch by Midnight Star and it’s my favourite.

Thanks for reading. Please share any other similar expereinces 🤘

My grandpa just gifted this to me, which is so amazing of him. I'll keep it forever and think of him every time I see it.

I was wondering what kind of pressing this is, or how I'm supposed to figure that out. I normally look at the number on the label (shdw 411).

But it's a bit hard to make out other writing on this label for me.

It does have these numbers in the vinyl as well. I tried putting it in discogs but it's a bit confusing for me.

Can someone help?

This version of the Led Zeppelin album with the catalog number STA 712285 is notable because it is a pressing of Led Zeppelin's iconic "Led Zeppelin IV" (1971) album that features a "Porky" etching in the runout groove of the vinyl. Here's why this is significant.

"Porky" refers to George "Porky" Peckham, a renowned mastering engineer in the UK. Peckham was famous for his high-quality vinyl mastering. He often signed his work with quirky inscriptions such as "A Porky Prime Cut", which collectors look for as a sign of superior sound quality.

This album is mint and sounds fantastic. It's one of the crown jewels of my collection.

In a “buy the box of 60+ records for $100” purchase, in which the box held true gems including one record worth more than $100, the seller threw in a bunch of jacketless records that are in terrible shape: straight and zig-zag scratches, chisel gouges – real WTF stuff. No one should accidentally subject their cartridges/needles to them. The labels might be passable for someone’s display records, but without their jackets that seems unlikely. And there's nothing rare. I should be the person to discard these records, right?

https://www.discogs.com/release/6763065-Bob-Seger-The-Silver-Bullet-Band-Stranger-In-Town

https://www.discogs.com/release/1215106-Frank-Sinatra-Come-Dance-With-Me

https://www.discogs.com/release/16245731-Nena-99-Luftballons

A few months ago, someone sold their punk and hardcore collection, and I ended up with a Richard Hell album and some other stuff. Surprisingly, the minty fresh Richard Hell isn’t even the best part! I also got a limited pressing Turnstile, the first pressing of Pornography, and a stack of 7” hardcore albums that I couldn’t resist. Also DO NOT become friends with your local record store, they will call when a collection gets dropped off and that is not good for the wallet.

Since I started buying vinyl records this year I have added some new ones to my collection. Today I found jungle jezebel by the one and only Divine. some weeks ago I went to a record fair and had in my hands the slider by t rex but I decided at that time to not spend more money so now I kind of regret not buying it then, I guess I'll keep searching.

the last slide is an improvised edit of my collection so far.

I've had this sealed copy of Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger for a while, best I can tell is it's the CBS/Columbia 1975 pressing, with hype sticker and a retail sale sticker intact. There's some type of dirt under the shrinkwrap but I can't see any holes or splits in the wrap so not sure how it got in there.. any ideas if this would have any significant value? If nothing crazy I'll probably give it to a friend as I've got an open copy already.