The Lifespan of an LP?

Even though it'll soon be of vintage age, one of the reasons I stick with my line contact Lyra cartridge is that, whatever is actually going on, it can play the dreaded inner grooves of 33's & 45's that I'm pretty sure I butchered with misaligned or just plain poor-tracking cartridges 'way back when.  

The problem with vinyl is usually not out-and-out wear from too much playing. The problem is that a record needs to be treated with respect.  Don't eat fried chicken before you take a record out of the jacket to put it on.  Don't leave them out in direct sunlight to bake n' warp.  Put 'em back in the jacket after you've played 'em. If you see dust, cat hair, or sand on the surface, gently wipe it off with a clean soft cloth or dedicated record brush. Similarly, if you see schmutz on the turntable platter, clean it off.  Don't play 'em wet. Try not to zoom your tonearm sideways over the record when you're hunkering down to cue up the track you want to hear.  Don't stack them in a random pile.  Don't stack them horizontally, either.

Sure, all this stuff is pretty much common sense.  But if you're buying a used record, who knows where it's been?

jnovak -- As an audiophile even back then, I'd put a dime on the head shell instead. A more expensive solution but less weight.

I'll certainly never look inside every jewel box(?) to check, but whenever I pull a CD from the shelf to play, the disc is fully laminated. It plays, too...even the more scuffed up ones.