Record Collecting in the here and now. And beyond.

On this Record Store Day 2023, I thought I’d write a post about the state of the vinyl “resurgence”, where we are and where we are going. Until last year, I didn’t know Record Store Day (RSD) was a thing. Much like many aspects of the vinyl resurgence over almost 30 years, RSD has added to our love of collecting vinyl.

This post will not be a digital v analog or CD v vinyl debate. You have your favourites, I have mine. Enjoy your music your way. I stream, play CDs and spin vinyl daily. Not equally, but daily.

The 25-cent record

Back when vinyl whisperer Michael Fremer was a lone evangelist talking to many deaf “Perfect Sound Forever” ears about the superiority of vinyl over the harsh, glassy sound (at the time) of CDs—Fremer (his site linked below) wrote a seminal article in LA-based Music Connection Magazine way back in 1983 stating “Compact discs are not the future. They don't sound better than records and soon very few people will still have CD players”—record collecting was for the few holdouts. I was a digital guy back in the late ‘80s and had long sold my records. Fool that I am. Later, equally foolishly, I got rid of thousands of CDs (as streaming blossomed, nobody wanted them, even for free!). My vinyl epiphany happened when listening to a cheap and cheerful Sony Direct Drive turntable, and realizing my fancy CD player was missing a lot of emotion and engagement of my equally cheap and cheerful LPs. 25 cents.

When I graduated to a Rega Planar 3 and Ortofon Red cartridge, I saw glimpses of audio heaven never afforded the CD. Sure, many CDs were impressive, thrilling even (I’m looking at you Montreal Symphony The Planets), but eventually, a pretty scuffed-up Columbia Murray Perahia Mozart Piano Concerto LP hit me harder emotionally and musically on my old Sony direct drive rig. I was convinced. And never looked back.

Where are we in 2023?

As a reviewer, I must listen to and appreciate the efforts of all types of equipment and recordings. I love my streaming setup, my fabulous CD player and both my turntable setups. But, if pushed, I’m throwing on a record. All the well-publicized attributes are there—tactile, cover art, notes, musical focus, etc, all before the essence of why I and many others believe vinyl sound is superior. Even many designers of superb digital gear believe in the superiority of vinyl.

Back to the 25-cent record. This was the price of entry into the fabulous new world of collecting. As many converts to digital cemented themselves into the zeitgeist, records became widely available at record shows, thrift shops and the resurgence of second-hand record stores. But like most things in this life, cool stuff is ruined by greed, avarice, and selfishness. And if you know any vinylphiles, you’ve seen this behaviour (guilty!). As vinyl has become mainstream again (outselling CDs this year for the first time in an era), collecting has now jumped the shark. Many mainstream and boutique companies are releasing new titles on vinyl. The customers are not necessarily “collectors”, but more music lovers and vinyl enthusiasts. CDs? Well, a resurgence of a type, but nothing like the vinyl Renaissance.

My audiophile/vinylphile nephew Ian runs a record business. We have never discussed pricing and I have no financial interest in his company. He sent me this photo yesterday of two lovely records purchased by a young lady. Notice the pricing. Fair these days and market value, etc. But only a few years ago, the two records would be no more than five dollars each. Ten years ago, a dollar. I get market valuations, collectibility, fluctuations, capitalism, etc, but the vinyl markup has been huge.

Because of the popularity of vinyl, the entry level jumped from 25 cents to a dollar, then to five dollars and is now at ten or higher. So my beat-up Canadian pressing of Tea for the Tillerman cleaned and sounding wonderful cost me $5 at a local audio show about five years ago. Score. Bigger score, all Alfred Brendel’s many Philips Schubert releases for $5 each. But, if an LP has an “audiophile” label or history, the price is often x5. A Japanese pressing of an original LP, the same, x5. And so on. And RSD originals and special pressings go for up to $100. The new UHQR 45 rpm Kind of Blue I purchased recently cost me CAD$200 including shipping.

It sounded awful when I purchased a new “remastered” Tea from a local, reputable shop a few years ago. Digital and crap (sourced from a CD master—more on this swizzle below). The worse of both formats. A very common experience (Julie London, Led Zeppelin and numerous jazz luminaries—great looking, new vinyl for $30 each with the hype sticker (see photo below) spouting “180-gram audiophile vinyl” and more). Deeper research and due diligence uncovered a lot. And the MoFi debacle, which I won’t discuss too much as it’s been done to death, has only increased suspicion. What was it David Letterman used to call record executives? “Record Weasels”.

AAA

Well before I got back into vinyl, buying and more intensive record collecting looked like fun. Young ones and hipster’s enthusiasm had indie rock bands releasing their new recordings on vinyl. My son Matthew, a passionate 13-year-old at the time (2003), told me of vinyl’s popularity and how much he enjoyed the sound, look and feel of vinyl compared to his iPod. Stupidly, I thought it was the impetuosity of youth. He would receive the shipment and tell me all about the bands, and how much he enjoyed the experience. I can’t even remember the equipment he played it on. Below is a photo of a vinyl release of his favourite band, Minus the Bear (2001-2018). I also remember direct-to-vinyl or vinyl-only releases from his other favourite cool groups like The Reign of Kindo, The Mars Volta (both still active) and others.

These records were pressed at various locations and recorded from analog tapes and other digital sources. Not much else was deemed necessary with the new, colourful vinyl records. With originals, we could buy at our leisure and if we wanted to get into the recording/pressing weeds, we could. All part of the fun. I remember seeking out original RCA LSC classical recordings, always disappointed when I found a Montreal pressing rather than the highly rated US Camden pressings. It seems the original tapes and pressing plants were very important, only to become more so as reissue/remastered vinyl became more popular.

In the ‘90s, Michael Hobson of Classic Records perfected classical, jazz and pop reissues. Many of us waited patiently for his new release information. Even remastering engineers like Bernie Grundman and Kevin Gray became famous with their releases much sought after by collectors. Pressing plants, such as Quality Record Pressing and Germany’s Orbital, are the same.

It was about this time, at least for me, when I began to notice how the expensive reissues were remastered and pressed. As I learned more, I realized just how important the quality of the vinyl, the lacquer cut, the plating, and the pressing was to produce a satisfactory product. But just as important was the provenance of the “Original Analogue Tapes”.

A fine line.

The all-important “hype sticker”. This is from very reputable Analogue Productions. Buy with confidence. For other hype stickers, delve a little deeper and ask some questions. Get the companies on the record about their remastering source. I’ll list some wonderful, honest companies that I purchase from later in the post.

What last year’s MoFi debacle fallout missed on so many levels, primarily because of the social media outrage frenzy and the Washington Post article (briefly, MoFi, a long-established HiFi company with impeccable credentials released some of their expensive remasters from a DSD digital file rather from the advertised “Original Analog Tapes”) was just how awful it was on a business ethics level. Let alone the dreadful optics (about 100 anti MoFi YouTube videos!). But the frenzied mob got much of it wrong and some turned it into “See audiophiles, you can’t tell if it's digital or analog”. That old chestnut! And typed with absolute glee. They were wrong of course. Simply, it’s the principle of the thing. Some of the DSD-sourced reissues have received good reviews, some not. Again, not the point. I’ve never owned a MoFi release. And unless it is an absolute AAA production, I won’t be getting any unless people I respect say buy with confidence based on the sound.

As with any collecting, fine lines are drawn. And for many, the Original Analogue Tapes source is non-negotiable. And it turns out, that MoFi is not the only one that has been fibbing. As we move forward, I will be doing my due diligence and researching the hell out of every expensive reissue. I suggest you do the same. Just on logistical grounds, we may be fighting a losing battle as Universal, Warner, Sony Music, etc, will not be shipping original tapes to Bernie and Kevin and the rest of them for too much longer. Sadly, tape is finite, digits are not. Damn!

Above right is a “hype sticker”. You’ll find them different shapes, sizes and colours stuck on the outside plastic of many expensive reissues. The above is from my new Analogue Productions UHQR 45 rpm Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. If it’s from Analogue Productions (they purchased Classic Records, all the metal work and mastering some time ago), I take them at their word. A very fine company. Many collectors and audiophiles thought the same of MoFi, so due diligence. (I do not have any financial connection with any stores or companies I link to in this post).

For us, sure 180-gram, 200-gram vinyl, virgin vinyl, this or that pressing plant, packaging, deluxe, is all well and good. But I’m looking for two things, the information found in the first on the sticker list. Also, I see it’s Quality Record Pressing, probably the best kitted-out pressing plant in the US.

Buying originals online has become easier with the improvement of eBay and Discogs. But, they can be very expensive and shipping pricing is a joke, especially on Discogs. Happily, FedEx delivered my new UHQR yesterday on time and for a fair price. Wonders! Is the damn pandemic finally over?

Japanese pressings like my Led Zeppelin II above follow the enviable Japanese aesthetic of less is more and simpler is better. Japanese companies use high-quality vinyl with far fewer pressings from quality lacquers and plating. Et voila, much better-sounding vinyl LPs. The paper insert on the left of the record is called the “sash” and ensures the new Japanese pressing information is there without adjusting the original cover artwork or liner notes.

Where to buy?

If you are serious about music and vinyl or a passionate collector, there are a few places I buy from I can recommend. I suggest you still do your own research. It’s a fun part of the hobby anyway.

I take Kevin Gray, (Coherent Audio) and Bernie Grundman (Bernie Grundman Mastering) at their remastering word, also Chad Kassem has invested huge amounts into his Acoustic Sounds, which includes Analogue Productions and the amazing QRP pressing plant. Germany’s Emil Berliner Studios is very fine, too—they do the Berlin Phil Direct to Disc LPs. There are other engineers and pressing plants with great reputations not listed here. Please add some of your favourites for our readers in the Comments below. Thanks.

Purchasing? I love record shows and crate diving. Sometimes, you get lucky. Second-hand shops here in Victoria have discovered our passion and jacked up all pricing. Before I bought my superb Japanese Led Zep pressings, I purchased all the Jimmy Page recommended latest Zeppelin releases; they are digital sources (my bad!). Not sure what the great man was hearing (he has a vintage Thorens turntable)—they were almost unlistenable. Due diligence forever more. Unlike fun record shows, second-hand record stores are not at the top of my shopping location list. At least at record shows, you have a shot at a bargain.

For originals, I still use eBay and Discogs. I look for a Canadian or US shipping address (still crazy shipping pricing no matter how close the seller is) and always Mint or NM. After hundreds of Discogs and eBay transactions, no problems. I receive what is advertised.

For new releases, I trust the two biggies in the US, Elusive Disc and Acoustic Sounds. Both are very fine digital storefronts. I’ve never had a problem. If any Canadians have a top-flight, honest online shopping suggestion for new vinyl, please put it in the Comments. Thanks.

As for labels, lots of great people are in the business and want to give their customers the very best. I buy from Chad Kassem’s Analogue Productions and Impex Records, founded by the amazing Abey Fonn. They are my primary go-to labels. For jazz specifically, the Blue Note Tone Poet releases are exceptional. There are others, but for new vinyl, AP and Impex are very impressive. Analogphonic is new to the game and for shits and giggles and severe FOMO go to the UK’s The Electric Recording Company for their pricing. Exquisite reproductions and remastering for $500. Truly, the benchmark for reissues. They sell out the very limited run immediately and you can get them on Discogs moments later for a grand! What was it about market value and the original fun of collecting? What does my brother call it? “The New World”. And, it ain’t no symphony.

Understanding the investment luminaries like Chad and Abey have in great vinyl products and their pricing, one must consider costs for new remastered pressings—licensing costs, pressing plant, shipping, logistics, payroll, design fees, writing fees, producer fees, and image licensing. Endless outgoings.

In closing

So what does the future hold? We’ll always have collectors attending shows and stores will continue, but maybe not thrive. I don’t think streaming is going anywhere but I think even more people will discover how great vinyl sounds and decamp digital. Sadly, original tapes will be harder to secure—the big conglomerates with all the valuable tapes won’t be sending them out. DSD copies of a one-run-through analog tape provided at great expense by Sony, Warner, Universal et al is one possible vinyl dystopian future. As such, buy while you can. And care for them as you would anything valuable.

Please continue to read Audiophilia’s vinyl reviews, written primarily by Max Geiger and myself. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thank you.

Happy collecting.

Note: Audiophilia has no financial association with any company mentioned in the post.