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There’s nothing quite like the moment when you slide a random rare record out of its sleeve, place it on your turntable, and hear that tune that you never knew you wanted. For vinyl DJs and collectors, finding those hidden gems is half the fun of record collecting. But what are the places where you actually find these rare vinyl records?
Luckily, there are plenty of places to score rare records for both online and offline shoppers. Let’s explore the best spots both online and offline.
Best Online Places to Find Rare Vinyl Records
1. Discogs (The Holy Grail of Vinyl Collecting)
When it comes to rare records, Discogs.com is the first stop for most collectors. With millions of listings worldwide, it’s basically the internet’s record library that happens to be a shop as well. You can filter by genre, label, year, or even catalog number. Perfect for hunting down that elusive pressing of a rare vinyl record. Almost every seller of vinyl records is on Discogs, meaning that the possibility of finding your gem is highest on this platform.
Pro Tip: Always check seller ratings and shipping costs. And don’t hesitate to message sellers! Sometimes they have more gems not listed yet!
2. eBay (Still Full of Surprises)
eBay may feel old-school, but it remains one of the best spots for vinyl hunters. From rare white labels to DJ promos, once in a while you can find records that don’t appear on Discogs. This website can be competitive, but if you’re patient, you can land serious bargains.
When you are buying records on websites like eBay (or any site for that matter), make sure you are buying a fair price for the release that you are buying. There can be huge price differences between originals and reissues, so make sure you know what you are buying!
3. Facebook Groups & Forums
Believe it or not, vinyl trading communities on Facebook, Reddit, and niche forums are still very active. Especially people from older generations tend to sell their collection in bulk in Facebook groups. That often means you can find absolute gems for very low prices. Be sure to be quick, as these offers usually sell very fast.
Pro Tip: Be quick; desirable records usually get snapped up within minutes of being posted.
4. Record Shops With Online Presence
Many stores also have an online presence that you can use to scout through your favourite genre. Most of the records that you find there, if not all, you can find on Discogs as well. But, the selection is usually more centred towards a certain genre, that could make it easier to find the tunes that you like. Over the years, the online catalogue of such shops have improved significantly. Go check it out for yourself at websites like hhv.de, Clone.nl or Yoyaku.io.
Best Offline Places to Find Rare Vinyl Records
Before you start with finding your gems in physical locations, make sure you know how to grade used records when buying at offline places!
1. Local Record Stores (Crate Digging Heaven)
Nothing beats the tactile experience of digging through crates in a local Record Store. Every record collector should know the feeling of finding a true unknown banger for a bargain in the used records section. A feeling that Discogs will never beat! Depending on the genre that you are looking for, specialised record stores will provide the highest chance of finding rare vinyl records. Look for stores that specialises in the genre that you like and spend as much time as you see fit!
Pro Tip: Always check the bargain bins. DJs in the 80s often sold off disco crates when house and techno took over, so you might just find forgotten classics for a few bucks.
2. Record Fairs & Conventions
Record fairs are like Disneyland for collectors, because vendors arrive with trucks full of records and there is so much to choose from. Everything from $1 finds to ultra-rare pressings. You’ll often meet other DJs and collectors who can point you toward records you didn’t even know existed. I think a big record fair is the ultimate place to find your rare gem. The only downside is that usually there are no record players with a headphone to listen to your find before buying it.
Fun Fact: Some of the rarest disco 12” singles were only distributed to DJs at the time. Record fairs are one of the few places they still surface.
3. Thrift Shops & Flea Markets
If you enjoy the thrill of digging through dusty piles, thrift shops and flea markets can be pure gold. Many times, people donate or sell old record collections without realising the value of the record inside. So, even though it is probably more difficult to find a rare gem in your preferred genre (as thrift shops usually sell ordinary records), the price that you pay is usually very low!
Pro Tip: Go early! As they are limited, the best records are usually picked up within the first hour of a flea market opening.
4. Networking With Other Collectors
One of the most underrated methods: make friends with fellow vinyl heads. DJs and collectors often trade or sell duplicates. Sometimes the rarest finds never make it online because they’re exchanged privately between collectors. So, the broader your network is, the higher the chance that you find a tune that you never knew you wanted!
The Joy of the Hunt
Finding a rare hidden gem is truly what record collecting is all about for most people. It’s that fulfilling feeling you get when something so unexpected turns out to me exactly what you are looking for. Whether you’re scrolling through Discogs at midnight or flipping through crates in a dusty corner shop, it is each collector’s dream to find that rare banger of a gem!
As every vinyl collector knows, the hunt is just as exciting as the music itself.
