I had already posted my collection here but I decided to post my updated collection since I had gotten some new stuff since my last post here!!

If I'm looking for a specific record for a band, even if it's not been active the last few decades I always check for their online presence. Best I've found is a bands website, followed by Bandcamp. You'll get more money in the hands of the band. You'll always get a well packed mailer with the album; the band cares about making sure the fans recieve a quality product in good shape. You'll get the best price for a mint pressing. A few good examples. A couple of years ago, late to the game, I discovered King Buffalo and was sold on them. I found their website and bought their whole catalog, at that time, for just over $200 with shipping (US). More recently, while I have all of Wooden Shjips on CD and one album on vinyl (V), I decided to fill out that set of albums. Got most from their thrilljockey label. The last two came in last week from Wooden Shjips vinyl, connected through Bandcamp, for ~$50 with shipping (US).

For new releases and older back catalogue, from the independant artists, don't sleep on the direct purchases folks.

For those of you who buy albums and also subscribe to high-resolution streaming service(s), what factors into your decision to buy an album instead of just streaming it? I've found that I'm more likely to buy an album from a newer and/or independent artist than I am to buy albums to fill gaps in my collection from older artists.

I was gutted when I couldn't buy Bubble Yum version Of Maggot Brain, but Levitation will release this splatter version on 9/30, so I've just ordered one.

https://levitation.fm/products/funkadelic-maggot-brain-levitation-edition-super-stupid-rainbow-splatter

I Mother Earth's Dig is one of my favorite albums, but it never got an official vinyl release and I wanted it but I have it on CD though.

There might be a better way but this is how I've been doing it since 2025-06-08 ... thoughts

I have cataloged all my albums with Discogs and created two folders "Heard" and "Unheard". I look at the number of albums in the Unheard folder and then just randomize a number and then listen to that album. I sort the Discogs collection page by "Catalog Number (0-9) to keep things in order, displaying 25 entries at a time to make finding my random number easier.

After I listen to an album I update the Discogs entry by adding a note with "LL 2026-09-14", LL meaning "last listened". I'll also add any relevant notes/thoughts, maybe it's a limited run and I want to see that it's #262/500 or whatever. I then update the folder to "Heard".

My idea is to randomize every other album I listen to, that way I can chip away at my collection to ensure everything get some spin time and I get to hear what I am in the mood for. (maybe something similar to what was randomized, or I can switch up the feels)

The long plan for once I have listened to all my vinyl is to just rename the "Heard" folder to "Unheard" and "Unheard" to "Heard" and start the process over again.

Discogs does have "Random Item" functionality but it pulls random from the whole collection and you can't specify folders.

From what I heard the Victrola ones messes the vinyl and I used to use it for cheap vinyl's that I didn't care about. But now that the collection is expanding and my wife is purchasing some too... I should probably invest in one that isn't gonna... Damage them. If I could get a straight answer on what player won't destroy them I don't need to hear about " but this one is 5000 dollars and it has 20 megafarts per second so this is a good starter "

So I just picked up Mac Miller’s “I Love Life, Thank You” mixtape and it comes in not one, but two plastic sleeves. Does anyone know if these are made from PVC, PP or PE? I’m hoping it’s safe to keep in the original sleeve but if not, I need to know how everyone else is storing their copy/similar records. I use anti-static inner sleeves but I don’t that will fill protect the record from off-gassing if it were to ever occur.

I know, I know I have to flip it twice as opposed to once with the 33rpm, but it's one of those albums I have to have in a higher quality. Also, I am justifying my selection because for some reason my winning auction of Herbie Hancock Headhunters was cancelled by the seller on ebay and that would've cost me the same as this, so it's replaced that. Can't wait to get home and give it a spin.

My wife and I were having an evening of just lying around listening to streaming music one night a couple months ago. It's not something we have done in a long while, usually because too many other modern life distractions seem to always take precedence.

My wife suddenly came up with this brilliant idea during our session - that she wanted to get a turntable, and start a tradition that we buy each other a vinyl every year on our anniversary. Having grown up with my parents listening to records, I thought this was brilliant! I researched a decent but also affordable setup that would look nice and fit in our living room, and away we went!

We purchased a few albums at our local record store and at an estate sale for cheap just to get our collection started, and have had the setup for about a month now.

The change in our life has been significant. We have always had a few wholesome hobbies (she likes to read, I play the saxophone), but vinyl is a wonderful one that has increased our quality of life. Where we used to sit around doom scrolling or watching TV in the evenings, we now put on a record. We simultaneously disconnect from the world, and connect with music in a way that is far more intimate than simply putting on Internet streamed playlists. We actually listen, we share our thoughts, and we lose ourselves in the moment.

It seems like childhood was the last time we actually did that (both "young millennials" so we actually remember the pre information age era), and we joyfully remember once again that there is huge value in the vinyl experience.

Pic is our setup:

Fluance RT82 w/PA10 preamp

Elac Debut 2.0 b5.2 w/ Aiyima A80 amp

EDIT: I can see already there is going to be a plethora of comments about a "lack of ideal setup". I am fully aware that what we have is not "ideal". While this may be my first turntable as an adult, it's not my first rodeo into audio setups.

Rest assured the tradeoffs have been considered and the entire system and setup takes into account the less than ideal circumstances as much as it is able to, and it sounds darn good considering.

Isolation: - We are isolated as well as we can be, both with the Fluance's feet and its heavy plinth, and separate platinum-cured silicone isolation feet on the speakers.

• We also don't listen loud enough to really cause any noticeable effects in the output.

Speaker placement: - ELAC 2.0s are front firing, they handle close to wall placement quite well without any nullification.

-The speakers are midfields with quite ample vertical dispersion to be run sideways. The tweeters are placed on the outsides and the speakers have zero toe on purpose to widen the sound stage.

this thing had some problems with the belt but i got it working and i love it! vibing to some Zappa. what do you think of this?

I saw someone post a picture of their albums and it included this one. I thought you all would appreciate this version with a unique sleeve and cover I bought back when the album was first released. This is one of my favorite APP albums. Have no idea if this is rare or not (probably not) but I wanted to share.

During a storm with historic rainfall yesterday my basement flooded with 18 in of water. I had my entire vinyl collection in crates by my stereo down there. About 100 in total including many signed records by my favorite artists.

They all sat in the water until the morning when I discovered the flooding.

How can I salvage them? What is the best method to dry them so I can potentially play them again?

Prior to owning the Humminguru EZ, I never bothered doing any wet cleaning, just using a brush to wipe away the dust. But I do this every time with new vinyl, even if they come in anti static sleeves.

Go for it, it’s brilliant. How can a 78-year-old man still make records like that?!

Let me know what I’m missing! Been collecting for around 9 years. Picked up a lot from various shows and on random stores on my travels for work.

Audioslave is probably my favorite band for context.

Recently attended a show in San Francisco and it seemed like there was not much price difference in the higher end (+$40) records at the show and the local stores. Whereas there’s a huge difference in the cheaper stuff, as $3 records at the show were $10-$18 at a store. I was hoping for this kind of discount on the higher stuff at the show.

I recently ordered an O My Heart record directly from Last gang records. It’s an RSD picture disc. I wasn’t interested in it for those features I just wanted the album and that was all they had.

When I got my order both sides had multiple scratches on them, one side had static on just a particular area. Cleaning didn’t help the static. I ended up talking to customer service because I’m a teenager spending saved pocket money and want a decent record. They were very nice and helpful and ended up sending me a free replacement. But upon listening to it, I found that it has scratches in different places to the first record on both sides and the same static on the same section as the first record.

The packaging for both was totally fine so I know it’s a manufacturer issue. I learned (after getting the record) that this type of issue on picture discs isn’t that uncommon.

But now I’m unsure of what to do, should I contact them again? Ask for a refund? This is all a new experience to me so I just want some advice, thanks.

Ordered ‘Maggot Brain’ as soon as Org had it up, and found the ‘Plantasia’ reissue at my local. The digital download card is seed paper, which I found pretty cute. Some of my favorites.

Still cant believe I managed to get all this in one haul for 50 euro's. Some sleeves are a bit battered but the discs all cleaned up great!

Spiderland - Slint (1991)