Record Player?

[JM]

I'm interested in buying a record player but have never owned one and have only vague memories of how they operate. Any tips or suggestions on purchasing a record player? The last few months I've been looking for a used player in local online ads but only found huge furniture size units for sale. In this weeks Target flyer I found a portable unit for $70 bucks and I was thinking about grabbing it. Is Crosley a decent brand?

I recently found this at the local thrift store ( ).

 

[Edward]

If you buy a used one, check or replace the needle - that's the quickest way to tear up your records.

 

[CuriousNdenver]

I think they are making a comeback - here in Denver, anyway. You can probably buy a new one in the big box stores.

For a used (vintage) model, I would check Craigslist and Ebay. Ebay can be a great source to learn about what options you have, and what the price range for an item is. Just check the sold listings and look at what you can buy for X $.

I've gotten a lot of my camera gear on Ebay and have been quite happy with my purchases. I only buy from sellers with a good satisfaction rating.

 

[Mushroom]

Another good source is school system auctions. One big place where schools sell their surplus is Public Surplus: Government Surplus Auctions , although since you're in Canada that might not be feasible. I've bought and sold quite a few for a profit on ebay in the past, but haven't messed with it for several years.

 

[jambo]

Vinyl is coming back. I bought a Phillips turntable about 5-6 years ago for around £20. If you buy one, buy a spare stylus at the same time so when the original stylus goes you have a spare to hand. Always get a diamond stylus, more expensive but cheaper in the long run as they last much longer.

 

[JM]

Good advice folks thanks.


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[JM]

Reviews for the Crosley brand are mixed. Some love them. Others absolutely hate them.

Crosley has a retro looking radio that has consistently high reviews. I might just forget the whole idea, by the retro radio and plug my iphone into the auxiliary jack. It would save me from buying records and storing them.

 

[JimmyH]

I had 100s of vinyl albums when CDs first came out. Most of my stuff was old blues reissues on Yazoo, Blue Goose, Document and the like. Took years but gradually all of the esoteric stuff began to appear on CD. I don't miss vinyl at all. I had a Thorens turntable, belt drive and it was a great one. Not in the class of a Linn Sondek or anything like that but still quite good.

I would buy a P-Vine release, blues, pressed on virgin vinyl in Japan, put the record in a special sleeve and upon first playing there would still be pops and crackles. Nostalgia is a fine thing, and I have it for some things, like shaving with straight razors, but I don't miss turntables and vinyl one iota.

 

[Logan]

I had a bunch of vinyls at one point. They end up taking quite a bit of space and are very heavy. I have good memories of listening to the crackly sound but probably wouldn't own another player.

 

[KMK]

I had a bunch of vinyls at one point. They end up taking quite a bit of space and are very heavy. I have good memories of listening to the crackly sound but probably wouldn't own another player.

You know you are old if you have, in your past, had to borrow a friend's truck in order to move your record collection. Those were the days.

 

[Logan]

You know you are old if you have, in your past, had to borrow a friend's truck in order to move your record collection.

I neglected to mention that it was my grandfather's record player I inherited

 

[VictorBravo]

You know you are old if you have, in your past, had to borrow a friend's truck in order to move your record collection. Those were the days.

At least I'm not old then, 'cause I never had to borrow a truck. But I had friends who wanted to borrow mine.

 

[JM]

I can't imagine owning a truckload of records!


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[Rich Koster]

I would suggest getting a turntable & pre-amp and running it through an input channel of an existing sound system. A lot of the stand alone record players are tinny. I have one that I inherited from my dad that looks beautiful, but sounds like a $15 iPod dock. I have a little more than a footlocker remaining of stuff from the 50s-70s that I may attempt to digitize. Everything from the original South Pacific soundtrack, to Sinatra, to Yes on vinyl, sits there awaiting a hard drive

 

[JM]

Thanks for the advice folks. I decided to buy a small retro unit and found out my wife bought it for me already as a Christmas gift.


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[JM]

I've had some luck finding inexpensive records so far. Looking forward to hearing Mumford & Sons on vinyl.


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[BJClark]

I have some OLD Vinyls, and a record player (which I can connect to my computer and record to mp3's if I want)...I inherited many but not all of my vinyls..

Harry Belafonte, Guy Lombardo, Herb Albert and Tijuana Brass, Baja Marimba Band, Glen Campbell, Temple Church Choir (London, 1959), Tennessee Ernie Ford,
Braun Brothers (a country band out of Idaho circa 1980) Kitty Wells, Charly McClain (cir 1970's-80's) Tony DeFranco (1973) Boxcar Willie, B.J. Thomas, The Chiffon's, Cowboys and Trucks (Tex Ritter) Kelly Nelon Thompson (Gospel)David Meece, Grease (The Original Sound Track), Charlie Rich, Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson, John Philip Sousa (Marching Bands), The Lifeguards, Hymns by Johnny Desmond, Skeeter Davis, Melba Montgomery, Jeannie Seely, Son's of The Pioneers,
Meatloaf (Bat out of hell) Don Williams, T. G. Sheppard, Michael Martin Murphy, Brenda Lee, Sandi Patti, Leon Everette, The Oak Ridge Boys, Conway Twitty,
The Carpenters, George Jones, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, Central Baptist Church (Aurora Colorado), One from the Musical South Pacific, Nat King Cole, Some German Polka, and Have Twangy Guitar Will Travel, and some type of Sonic Boom stuff--just to name a few..

My mom had a couple collections she bought from Readers Digest back in the 70's..I have those too..I even have some of my old 45's Donna Fargo, 10cc, David Soul, Margo Smith, Helen Reddy, John Travolta, Bee Gee's, Debbie Boone, Hall and Oats, Larry Gatlin,

I have more in the closet, from Hawaiian, to Learning Spanish (still has the book with it) to the Beach Boys..some of them still have the prices of $2.95 to 3.99 to $6.95.