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Newbie to Vinyl Seeks Tips

With some trepidation, and quite a bit of skepticism, I have decided to take the leap into vinyl.  The bulk of my listening to date has been streaming Qobuz over Roon to an Ares II DAC and a variety of amplifiers and the Tekton Moabs.  I have been very happy with that system.  Since I just want to tip my toe into the water, I am buying the Fluance RT85 turntable and Schiit Mani preamp.  I know nothing about vinyl and am not looking for tips on equipment at this point but do want input on some fundamentals like:

What is the best, and most cost effective way to clean records, both before each play and more like a deep cleaning?

Why are prices of records on Amazon so different?  Are they cheapest when first released and then fall in price or vice versa?

I know different pressings are supposed to have different qualities.  How do I figure out what to buy without becoming obsessed with that?  And if you don't buy from Amazon where do you buy records?

How bad an idea is it to pick through thrift stores looking for records?

In general, is there any cost effective way to build a collection of records?  I'm not somebody that listens to the same thing 20-30x so the  idea of paying $30-40 for a LP is irritating.

And finally, is this just a fools errand?  I have no intention of spending tons of money on turntables, tonearms, cartridges, phone pre's etc. etc..  I've built what I think is an amazing system out of carefully selected but affordable components.  Is such a thing even possible with vinyl?

What other pragmatic things should I know?

Thanks

Paul


pinwa

Showing 1 response by artemus_5

artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
1,913 posts
 
Cleaning:
Spin Clean & cleaning fluid. Use once for dirty albums
Record brush Use before each play
ZeroStat for static as needed
Stylus brush

Good Rules To Follow
Use the cuing device when lowering stylus on the record
Use the cuing device when lifting stylus off the record
NEVER touch the record grooves
Get a GOOD Phono preamp
Clean records should have no pops & clicks
Always return the record to its inner sleeve & cover after play.
Store Records upright, not laid flat
Keep records away from heat. 
Vinyl play is NOT Convenient. But it IS rewarding. 
Vinyl is for listening, not chores, reading, playing cards, etc. Digital is      for those activities.
Learn the Goldmine standard of record grading. It will serve you well when you go shopping for used records. Don't play anything less than VG+. Anything below that will have surface noise, pops, clicks and maybe skips. Plus it is not good on your stylus.
ENJOY The Journey. 

Use these as rules and you will have a good sound and a good time. If these are too cumbersome, go back to digital cause you will not enjoy vinyl. Good luck

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