5 tips for starting your very own vinyl record collection
There’s nothing finer than putting a vinyl record on the turntable and hearing the crackling sound as the album starts to spin and make you dance like no one is watching.
These days it seems everybody has a hobby and I decided that it’s time I find one, so I decided to start a vinyl collection.
I got lucky because Jampac Records in downtown Monroe just happened to be having a $1 sale the week I decided to try this new venture.
Walter Gibson has been in business since 1985. His record store is “jam packed” and boasts a grandiose collection of new and used records from blues to Broadway, funk, pop, rock, rap, R&B and everything in between.
Of course I needed help, so I asked Walter for some tips on how to start a collection.
(1) Start by taking records from your mother, father, and grandparents — if they will let you have them.
(2) Find artists’ LPs that you are interested in. Don’t go by someone else’s idea of great music, go by what you like to listen to. What’s good for someone else may not be what’s good for you.
(3) Never buy albums from former DJs. This should be self-explanatory, unless you like scratched-up records.
DJ Moto in the house at @WTHandz battle of the DJ’s. Moto representing NC. From Asheville. #Movethecrowd pic.twitter.com/KxfR7gBiJ6
— Dedrick Russell WBTV (@dedrickrussell) August 27, 2015
(4) Take care of the collection. Walter says the best way to do that is not to let anybody else touch your records. Buying used albums may already have a scratch or two, so it is important to take your time putting the album on the record player, then put it back into the sleeve carefully after you have finished listening to it.
(5) Of course you need something to play your collection on! Walter’s advice for this: Do not buy a record player at a yard sale unless you are wanting to spend some additional money. While you may get a great deal on a $5 table, buying a new needle could cost you more than $45.
He suggests going to one of the big-box stores like Target or Walmart and purchasing a record player for about $80 and grow from there. Unless you are ready to go completely high tech, then you go where the DJs buy their equipment, Holloway’s Music Store, where turntables start at about $179.
If you’re trying to get your collection started, head down to Jampac Records at 111 W. Main Street, Monroe Sept. 5 for the 10 cents sale!
This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 10:36 PM with the headline "5 tips for starting your very own vinyl record collection."