Tips On Record Collecting

So, I am first and foremost a metalhead. However, my advice applies to any genre you get into. And I do collect many things outside of hard rock and heavy metal. I have a good friend, who is no stranger to the metal scene. He has spent many years buying vinyl/cds. But I still find myself giving him tips, and advice. Even correcting some rookie buying mistakes. Let me just jump into this post. You may hear people tell you if you are starting your vinyl collection, try thrift stores, and goodwill. If you are into Metal, it is just too in demand. It will be rare that you find anything half decent. If you are in the area, and have time, of course check one out. But in years of vinyl hunting, I do not think I found more than 1 ok purchase in a thrift store. And living in a hipster town like Portland for many years, it would be a miracle to find anything of interest. Possibly if you live in a smaller sized city, you may have more luck. But in big cities not much to see.Your first stop should be your local record shops, if you have any. Always good to support local. If you are more into the underground, there are some American distros, like Shadow Kingdom, and Hell's Headbangers. They carry thousands of titles. They usually have a recent arrivals update every week or so. Keep an eye out, rare titles will be gone sometimes the same day a new title posts. Ebay is still my favorite place, for one off buying. Usually, can find a good price there. I would avoid Amazon for the most part. You pay a higher price. Discogs is sometimes more expensive but getting better. Occasionally you can find a rare title, not currently listed on Ebay. There are also European labels and distros. Shipping time is usually good, and you can buy direct from the label. High Roller Records from Germany, is a great label. They re-release old classics, with new remastered sound. And put out several versions, in different colored vinyl editions. That is another point. For some, black vinyl is just fine. For me, I avoid it at all costs. Unless that is the only option, or I don't feel like tracking down the other versions. I love having different colors in my collection. Not knowing what one record is, before I pull it out. Some colors are actually an improvement in audio from black. However, white vinyl is the worst, for sound audio. Also, if you like the bands on a certain label, let's say Metal Blade, visit their website on the regular. You can keep track of new releases, and other direct from the label. I just got a reissue of Armored Saint-"March of the Saint" on green vinyl. I wasn't aware of the reissue, until I checked the website. So, in general, have a strategy. For instance, if you love a sub-genre go for that first. Metal has tons of them: thrash,speed,power,death,doom,funeral,black, you get the idea. I love the 80's, so I tend to get releases from that decade first. Next would be classic death metal from the 90's. Also, when starting out, try to find some good bargains price wise. Look for distros that have a vinyl sale online. Or check the used bins, in your local shops. One rule of thumb, always get the releases you think are most awesome first! And don't just buy stuff because it was cheap. You want to have a killer collection, and vinyl you want to spin. To me it is better to spend $40 bucks on a hard-to-find masterpiece, than to buy 2 above average releases for the same amount of money. I am sure I have forgotten a ton of info. I will come back to this topic more in the future. Maybe a topic on purchasing a turntable would be in order. Do not buy the first cheap one you see at your local Walmart! Blasphemy!! Good luck, and happy vinyl hunting.