overwhelmed by record rituals

Get a Nitty Gritty cleaner for a couple hundred bucks. It's manual, but one gets used to such matters. I use AIVS 3 step fluids with excellent results. Follow up with a Zerostat static removal gun. Silence.

If you really get the bug and start buying used records at garage sales and thrift stores, then you will need a record cleaning machine for sure. I'd recommend the VPI 16.5. Make sure the suction tube is at the proper height. To low and the tube will crack. Get it just right and the tube will last for years. Also, don't be gentle with the process. Scrub the crapolla out of the record with the VPI brush that's included with the machine.

Another tip ... before playing any record at the beginning of your listening session, dust off the turntable platter. It makes no sense to put a new or clean record on a dusty platter and then get the subsequent tics and pops when you play the flip side of the record.

Buy some of those micro fiber cloths. They are great for dusting everything, including records. Costco sells them in bulk for cheap.

Another tip ... Don't limit yourself to expensive audiophile reissues. You'd be amazed at how great some of those thrift store gems can sound. Yes, you'll have to go through a lot of "frogs" in order to find the "Prince," but that's part of the fun. For the price of one audiophile reissue, you can walk out of a thrift store with 20 to 50 records.

Another tip ... When buying used records, always ask the seller if you can take them outside to look at them in the sunlight. Records can look perfectly fine indoors under fluorescent lights ... but EVERY flaw shows up in the sun.

Another tip ... When looking through the records in a thrift store, always ask if they had a new shipment that hasn't been put out yet. If they say ... "yes, we have some in the back," ask them if you can have a look at them too. That little trick will get you some really sought after records before they get picked through.

VPI 16 and then 16.5 got me through over 25 years at this hobby. I moved to ultra-sonic about 3 months ago and wish I'd just stayed with an RMC of some sort. Ultra-sonic may be better but what a pain!

Stick with a VPI 16.5. Simple, rugged, plenty of support.
I'm sure there are Clearaudio fans out there...let me tell you about my three months with one of their machines...not so happy.

The pops and clicks could be static, not vinyl, noise. The dusting of an LP (which is all carbon fiber brushes such as the Audioquest do) can create static, so I would get an anti-static gun. Last Stylus Cleaner (amongst others) is a great product, I've used it for years. But apply it before every side. The Last LP Preservative is great stuff too. A VPI HW-16 is a real good idea if you're into vinyl for the long haul. New records have an invisible layer of record stamper release goo on them, which a VPI cleaning will remove. The HW-16 will keep your new LP's in as-new condition as well. You know not to touch the grooves of LP's with your fingers, right? Hold them with the sides of the LP in the palm of each hand, not pinched between your fingers and thumbs. Finger oils get into the groove, and dust landing on an LP with stick to the oil, creating an abrasive mixture, which will lead to noisy LP's. And store your LP's as vertically as possible, without leaning at an angle, to keep them flat. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?!

Hi BDP24 and all-

Yes, it does sound like a lot of work! But as good a place to put my OCD tendencies as anywhere! Thanks, guys, for such incredibly helpful advice. I'm thinking I will go ahead with the VPI HW 16.5--among other things, it's exciting to think I might be able to get into collecting used records this way. Just to ask a few follow ups then, if you all don't mind. Would this make sense for procedure:

For a new acquisition:
1) clean in VPI machine
2) treat with LAST record preservative

before each play:

1) clean stylus
2) use carbon brush
3) shoot with antistatic gun (DO I SHOOT THE VINYL ONCE PER SIDE? WHERE EXACTLY SHOULD I 'AIM' THE GUN? DO I ALSO SOMETIMES SHOOT THE CARTRIDGE???)

and then periodically dust the platter. [CAN I ALSO VACUUM OFF THE FELT MAT OR IS IT BETTER JUST TO GIVE IT A GOOD SHAKING OUT?]

Am I getting close? Thanks!