Ebay LP Purchases

IME, ebay is a good place to buy used records. One thing I would say, though, is not to pay any attention whatsoever to feedback, unless it is very bad. There are many great sellers on there who's feedback ratings have been damaged by idiots. That said, there are many bad sellers on there, too, who have great feedback ratings. So I don't pay any attention to it. If I have a good experience with a seller, I go back to them again, and if I don't, I don't. People get way too worked up over the feedback rating stuff. I have been happy with almost every transaction I have had there, and the one time I wasn't, the guy made me a great deal on something else (the problem was not something he could rectify), and I bought from him again later.

I have purchased one LP from a seller on Ebay and that was my last purchase. The album was not as represented in the ad, and the cost was not worth the shipping back nor the time to obtain a refund. But it was a good inexpensive lesson. I have bought many here on AudioGon and have very good luck with Mrrecords, WWJDmike, to name a few.

I have had very good success from ebay sellers fro LP's. Typically as most people would say is to stick to any seller with a high rating (ie 99 %) or given a top rated seller medal of honor so to speak. if the best quality of records meaning of course condition wise, choose the Lp's that have NM or excellent rating. Word of advice is to post your bid 10 to 15 seconds before the auction expires thus giving you a better a chance at winning the auctioned item without starting a bidding war. Most of my purchases have been from North America but have found that sellers from Great Britain are very good as well. To further add to that, shipments from GB arrive quicker to my home (West Coast Canada) than normal ground shipments from the USA. So I do highly recommend sellers from GB. I have good success from a couple of sellers from Japan selling of course Japanese pressed LP's which in my mind and to several others, are sonically superior to most domestic pressings. I did receive a copy of Sticky Fingers (Stones) from Japan that looked like it had been touched up to appear more aesthetically pleasing. Other than that, EBAY purchasing has been more than satisfactory

My experience has been mostly good. Stick to reputable sellers. Also, try www.gemm.com. Nothing beats being able to inspect the record before buying, but sometimes you can't get what you want locally. I looked and looked for a copy of Pentangle's first album to no avail in my local record shops and found one from a seller in Italy. It arrived in one week in pristine condition as advertised and for a very good price. YMMV

No sooner do I post my positive experience when I get a sealed copy of a record with a small bubble in the middle of one track that would surely tear the stylus off my cartridge if I were to play it. I don't think you have recourse on a sealed LP from a private seller. Well, at least it was only a $10 record. That's the way it goes sometimes.