@thecarpathian The seller feedback is critical! I know everyone has to get a start, and on rare occasions I’ll take a chance. But my general rule of thumb is at least 1000 ratings and at least 99.8%. I still get burned on rare occasions, but overall I have few complaints.
Cheap used LP's: They're still out there!
I often read or hear people complaining about the sky-rocketing prices of used LP’s. Albums that used to be available for a coupla bucks (or even in the dollar bins) now selling for twenty or more. I can’t speak for the rest of the country (or world), but that’s not true here in the Northwest.
For instance: Twice a year or so Music Millennium in Portland has a sidewalk sale, selling thousands of LP’s for $2 each. MM opened it’s doors in 1969, and after all this time has kept it’s counterculture vibe intact (you can almost smell the patchouli oil ;-). To make room for incoming LP’s, the store marks down some $5 albums to $2, and it’s not all junk. Yesterday I found the following LP’s, all in VG+ or better condition (many Mint/unplayed):
- Gordon Lightfoot: Summer Side Of Life.
- Ry Cooder: Jazz (backup copy).
- Cindy Lee Berryhill: Who’s Gonna Save The World?
- Linda Ronstadt: Simple Dreams (backup).
- Barbara Streisand: Live Concert At The Forum (engineered by Bill Schnee).
- Maria Muldaur: s/t (backup).
- Buck Owens: Best Of Vol. 2.
- T Bone Burnett: Trap Door (yet another backup copy),
- Mark O’Conner: Elysian Forest.
- The Dave Clark Five: Glad All Over (mono).
- The Rumour: Max.
- 10cc: How Dare You!
- The Ben Vaughn Combo: Beautiful Thing.
- Barefoot Jerry: Southern Delight (drummer Kenneth Buttrey’s name should be familiar).
- Beethoven: Missa Solemnis, Bernstein conducting The New York Philharmonic.(2 LP’s).
- and for a buck: Joe Ely 12" promo 45 of "What’s Shakin’ Tonight?"
$31 out the door, about the price of one new-release LP.