Of course, how you clean them depends on the state each record might be in. You won’t be able to fix a record if it’s covered in scratches or warped out of shape. I have read that you can fix some scratches with a sewing needle, but I think I would be too scared that I would mess my records up more than I might fix anything using this technique.

However, it’s always a good idea to take some warm water and mild detergent to you vinyl every once in a while.

And don’t forget, DUST, DUST, DUST! Vinyl has an annoying trait of being a dust magnet. So keep you records and player dust free as often as possible. For this, I just use a swiffer wipe or a microfiber cloth.

Here are some tips from others:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cleaning-Vinyl-Records
http://ezinearticles.com/?Caring-For-Vinyl-Records&id=3203842
http://www.discomusic.com/101-more/6193_0_7_0_C
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stewartbremner/3755698356

No, not the well, or not-so-well-known Guild of Calamitous Intent, from the Cartoon Network series The Venture Bros.

But the Record Collectors Guild.

They don the slogan of International Record Collectors Online.

The only limits on registration are that you must be 13 years of age or older, or have parental consent. Then registration is free.

The website can connect you with international record collecting groups, collecting groups in your area, and even guild merchandise.

The website has forums, an encyclopedia, site statistics and more.

The website seems pretty legit, check it out and get connected online with other audiophiles, collectors and self-proclaimed music gurus!

Record Collectors Guild

What others have to say on the guild:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2042349_rate-record-collection.html
http://www.akaraff.com/archives/the-adventures-of-a-curious-record-collector
http://www.oldieslist.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=15
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetsbyzoe/2869545281/

I have heard of this before, but don’t know if I’m tech savvy enough to do it. According to online sources you don’t need a whole lot. Follow the links below for more information, while I elaborate on my opinion on this technique.

Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to feel like this habit might fall more into the older age group, which have owned their records for years, long enough to have stopped listening to them and stored them away in a closet to collect dust because they were to clunky to use. Then one day of the numerous days of their retirement, they decide to revive their old passion for vinyl, or at least they beloved tracks and songs, by putting them into a more listener/user friendly medium.

I guess if I had the time to do this, I might consider it, since there are certain tracks that just don’t come in the same group and order on classic hits albums in CD stores. However, I would only attempt the feat for the few prized vinyl discs I catch myself yearning for in the middle of my office day, or in the car (after the radio station has played the same Journey song three times in the same day).

But what about the sound? I don’t know if I would trust this recording method to keep the sound that I like most. It might work for some people, but I like the rich sounds of the vinyl on a turntable, something that I just don’t know if a CD could deliver for me.

For more information on this topic, and how to guides visit:
http://homerecording.about.com/od/transferringvinyltocd/ht/vinyltocd.htm
http://www.cyberwalker.com/article/207/25/2
http://www.tracertek.com/ccp0-display/newway.html
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43671646@N08/4020390016/

This is a sub-culture I am very unfamiliar with but what I’ve picked up on it can be very serious business. You need certain kinds of players, and you have to be much more tech savvy than just an ordinary collector.

Mixing is its own art, of course, but I feel like DJs take vinyl to a whole different level than where I’m at. Recording is the focus of DJs, recording and mixing and, I couldn’t begin to tell you anything about that.

But world of DJ-ing is an intense network of clubs, venues, a plethora of different music genres and a mind blowing integration of vinyl and new technologies.

If you are interested in this topic, visit:
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/how-to-become-a-top-dj-1283529.html
http://www.djculture.com/
http://www.dj-tips-and-tricks.com/
Photo Credit: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/TorqControlVinyl.html

It was l little bit of a downer that the main page of the website has an MP3 downloadable piece on it, but I guess I just have to deal with the day and age I was born into no matter what!

Overall, it looks pretty legit, and I think I would definitely go out on April 17 and participate!

Here is a list of participating stores in Virginia:

CD Cellar, Falls Church VA

Collectors Corner, Melbourne

Fantasy, Newport News

Mountain Aire Music Sales, Bristol

Plan 9 Music, Richmond

Plan 9 Music – Charlottesville, Charlottesville

Record & Tape Exchange, Fairfax

Sidetracks Music, Charlottesville

Skinnies Records, Norfolk

Sonic Music & DVD’s, Bristol

Speakertree Records, Lynchburg

Turnstyle, Richmond

Vienna Music Exchange, Vienna

Read more on Record Store Day:

http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home
http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7647-record-store-day-2009-preview/
http://stereogum.com/archives/tomorrow-is-record-store-day_009211.html
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/luckylisp/3442310912/

I feel that yes, there may have been a few years ago, a re-emergence of love and affection for vinyl. I feel that this most likely came out of the indie scene that was much stronger a few years ago, around this same time.

However, I don’t feel like this interest ever became main stream. Ex: Just because a few kids decide it’s cool to go shopping in thrift stores, doesn’t mean that anyone will mention it on MTV.
But I think that was the point.

I think that anyone who was interested in vinyl wasn’t interested in it for the sake of popularity, or re-popularity, but the music they happen to really be into was available on vinyl and so it sparked their interest.
Sort of a combination of loving older music, (70s, 60s, 50s, 40s, 30s, etc) and loving living and breathing authenticity.

I think that for the most part, right now this trend has faded among many people. It’s hard to find a record store outside of any inner-city community, and it’s even harder to actually find working turntables.

Other information and opinions:
http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/commentary/listeningpost/2007/10/listeningpost_1029
http://www.switched.com/2007/04/16/why-vinyl-records-are-back/
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1702369,00.html
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bfree108/2670117088/

A personal experience I’ve had with my player is one that most people will go through. After a few years of playing records, the rubber band/ belt that spins the turntable will wear out. This is the same band that most people will need to easily install when they first get a player, following really easy instructions that come in the box.

When the belt wears out the key symptoms will be:
1) You will go to play a record and the table may spin, but no sound will come out.

2) The table may not spin at all.

3) You will be at a loss as to what to do.

I had to order a new belt from the company that makes my player. If you have an older model, I would suggest contacting the person you got it from, who may know more about it. (Since they probably owned it for a while before they gave it away)

Here are a few maintenance tips for keeping your player in shape:

1) Dust often! No machine does well with two tons of dust on it.

2) Keep in a safe place. Don’t allow your player to be bumped often or dropped. Take special care while moving.

3) Keep contacts. No who to call when something goes wrong or is broken. Don’t make things worse than they already are. If in doubt, go to your local record store.

Tips from other people:
http://stereophile.com/reference/170/
http://www.turntabletech.com/maintenance.htm
http://quazen.com/recreation/collecting/maintaining-your-records-and-record-player/
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10723807@N00/167951197

A key element to being a religious record collector is the appreciation for sound. Some people have it, some people don’t.

Now, I’m not talking about constantly plugged into your iPod, crazed number-one-fan of your favorite band kind of appreciation.

What I’m talking about are people that have their brains tingled by sound, that are in love with sounds, especially the sound of vinyl. In love with the way the sound waves are transmitted from the grooves, through the needle, through the speakers and into the air.

These are audiophiles.

I knew the definition of this before I knew the term, “audiophile.” Whether that makes me one or not, I’m not sure. But one thing is for sure, if you like sound, records are where it’s at!

Websites on audiophiles:
http://www.thestureidexperiment.com/2009/05/get-thee-to-record-player.html
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/audiophiles-cant-tell-the-difference-between-monster-cable-and
http://phineasgage.wordpress.com/2007/10/13/audiophiles-and-the-limitations-of-human-hearing/
Photo Credit: http://tonemarrowreviews.wordpress.com/2009/06/

1) What do you care about more, the music or the authenticity?
True collectors will probably go out in search of the rare and unique old timey records. This will affect the price range you will have to abide with, because the rarer and more antique, the more expensive. EBay and Amazon are good places to search. Auctions could also bear fruit for those in search too.

If you want to place more importance on your record collection, you may find a record player that is a newer model, just so you can start listening to records and collecting quicker.

2) How will I use my turntable?
If you will be listening to your records turn out for leisure then it may not matter if you get an expensive or less expensive player.

If you will be DJ-ing on the weekends with your player, do more research to find specific types you need. Believe it or not, they do make record players with high-tech options now for recording and editing.

3) How much am I willing to spend?
Again, the rarer you want the pricier it will be, or the more specialized the more expensive.

My Choice: I had limited options when picking my Christmas present in high school. I had to pick from the two almost identical models at Circuit City (out of business now!) and they were both around 150-200 bucks.

I focus more on listening to records, and found the quality suitable. For me the vinyl does its magic no matter what needle it’s under. And my collection is more about quantity than quality. For those in search of specific types, models and years or for restored turntables, the best places are auctions sites or real-life auctions. No one is going to want to give away an extra snazzy record player that works well too, for cheap!

What others have to say:
http://www.collectorsquest.com/blog/2008/02/17/portable-record-players-of-the-past-year/
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/253212/lets-get-retro-looking-to-buy-a-record-player
http://www.thedailypage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39482
Photo Credit: http://inbetweennoise.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

Other interests that vinyl collectors share is an obsession with music. Only the most obsessed the most passionate, search for their music on vinyl.

Most importantly however, is the common love for the authentic. Most vinyl lovers will spend hours trying to articulate their love for the way the needle transforms the sound in the grooves of the vinyl into the music that moves the hairs on their skin, and really gets their blood pumping.

This is why I pose the question hobby or art form?

For me it’s a little of both. Finding the time to flip through tons of records to find the one that quenches my senses for that particular day is extremely difficult. Especially being a full time student with two jobs and living in an area I’m less than familiar with.

The District (Washington, D.C.) is harder to get to than I predicted when I first moved to Fairfax, Va. When you are not used to commuting in bumper to bumper traffic, with about four different rush hours throughout the day, it can be quite a plight.

For this small town girl, setting aside time for the drive to the metro, and the 30-40 minute metro ride, is an up-hill battle. But it’s something that I’ve been battling to do for the past three years. Hopefully this year I finally will find the treasure troves of records I’ve been wishing for!

What others think!
http://classicrock.about.com/od/newreleases/a/vinyl_one.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1784898/collecting_vinyl_records_grading_standards.html
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/records/lps
Photo credit: http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/inthemix/2008/04/record_store_day.html