Ar ethe current LP's available for $25 or so as goos as the old ones.

Most of the time, the original press will sound better because the master tapes were fresh and the record is the permanent snapshot of that recording event.  More so than the original Master tapes because they deteriorate with time.  If one takes care of their records, they can last a long time.  Reissues sometimes use secondary tapes and other sources.

Oh yes the quality is much better.  Back in 1982 when I purchased an Lp I had them open it and put it on there TT.  Warping was a huge problem when Lp's got super thin. The cost?  Cost of living, inflation and lower production levels keep the cost close to 1980 prices. How much did you make back then?  Sound quality is about the same would be my guess.  I current system is so much more revealing and just plain better it is hard to judge. My 50's 60's and 70's Lp's can sound a bit better sometimes but I think they just had Engineer's who took pride in their work and were better at it.

You can compare reissue vs. original in your system.

Ha...what a fantastic idea...

What is SQ?