The Ultimate Guide for Starting a Record Collection

If you’re thinking about starting to collect vinyl, welcome to the family! Collecting vinyl is a great way to fully immerse yourself in a love of music. Owning records allows you to display and listen to your favorite artists and albums without a monthly subscription fee and own them forever! Beginning a collection isn’t always as simple as buying the first record player you can get your hands on. These are tips that I wish I’d known when I was starting to collect, and that I’ve learned over the last 6 years on my way to amassing a 150+ record collection. I hope that these tips will help start you on your journey!

1. Invest in a good turntable

The three most important things to consider when choosing a record player are quality, price, and aesthetic. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is buying a cheap record player that damages your records and doesn’t take advantage of the audio quality that vinyl provides. Getting an all-in-one record player like a Crosley may seem convenient, but if you want your records to last a long time it is important to invest in separate components.

The best starter turntable for the money is easily the Audio Technica-LP60X. It typically retails for $149 and has all the features you need without breaking the bank. I started off with this record player and loved it for the first couple of years, before deciding to buy a more expensive and higher-quality turntable.

If you have the money to spend and don’t want to upgrade down the road, I would highly recommend the Audio Technica-LP120. This is the record player I currently have. I love the way it sounds as well as how heavy-duty it is. You can also find it in three color options.

If you don’t like the aesthetic of the LP120, I would recommend the U-Turn Orbit (with preamp) or if you’re planning on getting a receiver (see step two below) the Fluance RT82 or U-Turn Orbit (without preamp) are also good picks.

2. Deciding on speakers and headphones

Like most people, you will probably want your vinyl setup in your living room, bedroom, or a smaller dedicated music-listening room. While speakers are a great way to listen, you may want to consider if you would like to listen out loud exclusively or have the option to listen in a more concentrated way through headphones. If you want the option to listen through headphones you will have to invest in more equipment.

If you’ve decided on only needing speakers, you will have two options. If you purchase one of the turntables above that has a built-in preamp, you will only need to buy a pair of powered speakers and you will be set! Powered speakers can be connected directly to the turntable without any intermediary equipment. The best starter speakers are the Edifier R1280Ts. They sound excellent for the price, pair nicely with the Audio Technica-LP60 Turntable, and look great! If you want a higher-end pair of powered speakers that will grow with you, you can't go wrong with the Klipsch R-51PM speakers. This option has Bluetooth as well if you want to use them for multiple purposes.

If your turntable doesn’t have a built-in preamp, you would like to have the ability to upgrade your speakers, or you want to easily switch between using speakers and headphones, I would recommend investing in a receiver. All of these components together can be pricey, so if you’re starting out with a small budget I would recommend just getting powered speakers.

If you have the money to invest in non-powered speakers and a bigger setup, I recommend getting the Elac 2.0 B6.2 speakers. These are the speakers I have, and they sound crystal clear, have great bass response, and fill any room with their sound. I’ve had these for years and I use them for my vinyl setup and music production. Another solid and typically less expensive option are the Klipsch R-51M speakers. Both options will set you up so you don’t need to upgrade again.

A good receiver that isn’t too pricey is the Sony STR-DH190. This receiver will allow you to power better speakers and connect headphones. In addition, you can hook the receiver up to a TV, PC, or allow Bluetooth playback.

Depending on how frequently you plan on listening with headphones, you will most likely want to get a dedicated pair of headphones for listening to vinyl. It’s best to have headphones with a more neutral soundstage than most Bluetooth or in-ear headphones have, to fully appreciate the quality that vinyl offers. I would recommend either the Audio Technica MTH50Xs (my preferred headphone for listening to music and music production) or the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros.

3. How to display and store your vinyl

You may not have much of a collection yet, but it’s good to plan for your future collection and have a place to store it. There are many options for storing a small amount of records without taking up too much space like this record holder. I think the best way to display vinyl and place your turntable is a four cube storage organizer or a similar shelving unit. You can get these at Amazon, Target, Walmart, or Ikea. There are many options but the Kallax shelf unit is a good example. The important things to look for when deciding on a shelf are to ensure you can fit your turntable on top without surpassing the weight limit, and that the cubes are at least 13 inches high to fit your records. Buying a storage cube organizer or standing shelf with legs helps avoid vibrations from the ground that cause records to skip too.

One of the best parts of collecting vinyl is displaying your favorite albums. You can easily hang them on your wall and decide which albums you're enjoying the most currently, and switch them out regularly. Amazon has many options, but the most popular are these shelf mounts. Another great option if you only want to display the current record you're listening to is to get a single record holder.

I would recommend not having your speakers on the same surface as your turntable as the vibrations can cause issues with record playback. Amazon has plenty of options for speaker stands that fit your specific setup. Depending on where you want to sit while you listen to records, you can also set these up on a bookcase or a shelf.

4. Where to purchase your vinyl

Once you’ve picked out your turntable and decided on your listening setup, you’re probably eager to buy your first records. There are many places to choose from, each with different pros and cons.

The first place I would recommend looking is your local record store. Record stores are by far the most immersive and friendly place to shop for music. Most record stores will have a good mix of both new and used records allowing you to quickly find the new release album you’re looking for, while also crate digging to find a used or rare record like buried treasure. While I would recommend supporting your local record store, sometimes they may not have an exclusive colored variant of a record you want, or another store might have a deal you can’t pass up. In these cases, you can look to Amazon, Walmart, Target, or even Barnes and Noble. All these retailers offer exclusive pressings of an album you can’t get anywhere else, and Amazon will almost always have the cheapest price for a record.

5. How to decide on different pressings

Albums on vinyl come in many colors. You can find your stereotypical black vinyl or look for a different colored pressing. Unfortunately, not all record pressings are created equal. Some albums will have notoriously bad pressings that cause skipping, or pops and clicks. I've often been excited about a colored variant of an album, only to find out that it's practically unlistenable. Before deciding on a record I would recommend using Discogs or Amazon as a resource to see if there are a large number of good/bad reviews for a specific pressing. If you've decided that you just have to have that exclusive record and you’re willing to take a risk despite consistent bad reviews, I would recommend purchasing from a store with a good return policy.

If you have an album in mind already and you’d like to see what vinyl pressings have recently come out, you should search for the album within the Vinyl Releases subreddit. You can often find all sorts of pressings with alternate colors and album art that lead to a unique listening experience.

6. Caring for your vinyl

Finally, vinyl is a more delicate form of physical media. Vinyl is easily damaged and requires some upkeep to keep your records sounding their best. Static, dust, and dirt can easily collect on the records, leading to a less than pleasurable listening experience. The most basic way to care for your vinyl is with proper storing and handling. Make sure that your vinyl is stored vertically and not stacked horizontally on top of each other as records are not meant to support this weight. While handling your records, avoid touching the surface as you might with any other physical media like a CD or a Blu-Ray. Handle your vinyl from the edge or from the label in the center and never touch the surface of the record to avoid oil buildup.

There are additions you can buy for your record collection to help you prolong their life and keep them sounding great. At the bare minimum, I would recommend getting an anti-static brush. Static accumulates on records over time causing dust to stick to them, leading to a noisy album listen. Running the brush over your record before listening to it will remove that dust and static. The Boundless Audio brush or the Audio Technica brush are great options.

Cleaner is also helpful to keep your new records sounding great and rejuvenate any used records you buy. Especially when buying used records you may come across albums with quite a buildup of residue. You can go for a cheaper option like the Big Fudge Vinyl Record Cleaning Kit or spend a little extra for a more intensive option like the Spin-Clean Record Washer.

One final way to keep your records sounding great and protect their longevity is to buy anti-static sleeves. Paper sleeves that records typically are shipped in can leave paper residue and scratch your record or contribute to static build-up. Mobile Fidelity sleeves are the best you can buy but there are plenty of similarly priced sleeves.