Records Worth Looking For

With each passing day, more and more people are jumping on the audiophile bandwagon. Yet CDs and tapes remain the dominant medium, and record companies are inclined to discard the blanks used to make the lp's of older artists in order to make room for the pressing of the next big thing.

 

 

So what if they’re not continuing to press those classic records, aren’t there plenty of lp's and 45's left from the first release worth owning? Sadly, the answer is no.

 

The reason for this is simple: records, although arguably superior in sonic quality, will deteriorate over time without proper care. Heat, cold, moisture, and travel are all mortal enemies of vinyl, and the sad truth is that at the dawn of this new millennium, many wonderful albums are becoming increasingly scarce.

 

One way to stay ahead of the throng while trying to find lp's 45's and special sets is the Internet. However, online dealers often have shady reputations, and sketchy grading systems.

 

Should you find yourself with nothing to do one weekend morning but vegetate in front of the TV watching sports you never liked in the first place, try perusing garage sales for great finds. While in search of a cup of coffee one Saturday, I wandered into a yard sale and walked away with a pristine copy of the ELP classic “Works” for $.50. You never know what lurks in those boxes of dusty lp's or that scratched lot of 45's stuffed in a bag on moving day.

 

Not all garage sales are worth searching through, and you’ll be disappointed more often than not, but if you treat your adventure with a sense of humor, you can have fun with it. Besides, it’s funny to see just what records people own.