Our Top 8 Reasons To Buy Second Hand Records

With new and used vinyl purchases at their highest in 30 years, there are so many out there to choose from. 

Here are our top 8 reasons why you should consider second hand records for your next purchase.

Pressing new vinyl uses a huge amount of energy and produces a lot of waste. Additionally, new records are pressed using virgin PVC plastic, which isn't something we need to be producing more of! On the other hand, second hand records already exist and most were manufactured decades ago. The environmental impact of buying a used record is so much smaller than new.

 

Second hand records are typically sold by high street record stores, or small online companies. In our experience, the service you'll get from a smaller company can be a lot more personal and rewarding. Not to mention the happy feeling they'll get if you place a big order with them!

 

Lots of reissues will be remastered versions of the original tracks. Many people believe that the original versions of albums are the best - it's a chance to hear the record just as the artist originally approved and intended it. 

 There are so many older copies of records around which will go for a fraction of the cost of a new version of it. Especially second hand records with a lower grading. From the right seller, a record graded VG or VG+ will still be a fantastic listen.

Learn more about how records are graded

 

While second hand records can be more affordable than new, they can also be rare and highly collectible items. One of the most common examples are first and early presses which are extremely sought after. It can be a lot of fun to learn about what you're looking for and how to identify a first press!

Click here to read our post about how to identify a first press.

Just one Google search will tell you how much poorly pressed new vinyl is around these days. There is a huge backlog of records to be pressed, meaning they are manufactured at such a pace that the importance of quality control is often disregarded.

 

Just because it's a second hand record, it doesn't mean it can't be 'new'. Many used record stores will buy stock still in its shrink-wrap, whether that's leftover stock from somewhere else in the music industry or the odd item that was never opened by its previous owner.

Shop our New & Sealed records

 

Not every album has a modern reissue, and there's so much fantastic music out there to be discovered. Whether it is a lesser known album from an artist you love, or an entire artists or labels discography that hasn't been revisited, there are so many second hand records waiting to be discovered!