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Starting a collection of vinyl records can seem overwhelming at first, but taking the right steps ensures that you buy exactly what you are looking for at a reasonable price. In this guide to collecting records as a vinyl DJ, you can find the exact steps to take to grow your collection without breaking the bank. What should you be looking for? Where can you find your desired records, and is it worth buying originals versus reissues?
Where to Buy Vinyl Records for DJs (Online & In-Store)
There are many places nowadays where you can find the records you desire. Depending on the goal of your collection, this choice is critically important, and here is why.
In a nutshell, vinyl records can be found both online and offline. There are numerous sites where you can acquire records, but the most famous one is Discogs. This location serves as the online library of music on vinyl, and almost all records ever distributed can be found and purchased here. In terms of accessibility, this way of digging is by far the best choice. But this can become quite expensive. Pricing is generally high, and you must consider shipping costs that can sometimes be even higher than the price of the record.
That is where digging in physical locations comes in. Even though the catalogue of a physical store is, of course, a lot smaller than what Discogs has to offer, a record store is the true experience of a recorddigger. Not only is it an amazing experience to look for music that you like and talk with people about music, but you can also find absolute bargains in a record store if you know where to look. Always go through the bargain bin on the floor. Often, I have found great tunes for less than $2.
Original vs Reissue Vinyl: What Should DJs Buy?
The choice of whether you want to buy original pressings or reissues is an important one if you don’t have much money to spend. Let me start by explaining the difference between the two.
Many records have many pressings, either to distribute their music to different countries or simply because the record is very popular and needs to be pressed again to meet the demand. The pressing from the release of the record is the original pressing. Anything that has been pressed after that is what we call a reissue. The more pressings there are, the more sought-after the original pressing becomes, and therefore also more expensive.
In some cases, the original pressing offers superior sound quality. Especially if the record is old, a reissue can sometimes be pressed with unoriginal tapes, significantly reducing the sound quality. With more modern music, this is less of an issue, and the difference between an original and a reissue is very slim.
So, which one should you buy? Well, it depends on what you want to get out of the record. If you are an audiophile who requires quality of sound, you’d better get that original pressing. If you are a DJ who doesn’t want to spend too much and just wants to have the music, it would be wiser to choose the cheapest option, which is generally the reissue.
What to Check Before Collecting As a Vinyl DJ
Now that you know where to look, whether you should get an original or a reissue, there are some other small things to consider when purchasing your vinyl record.
First of all, when you are a vinyl DJ, it is important to know what version of the song you want to play in your sets. This is more relevant when you play HipHop, Funk, or Disco, and less so when you play mostly House or Techno. Many of the songs from the Disco era were made for the radio and not for DJing. Apart from the fact that these ‘Radio Versions’ of the tracks were generally short, it also meant that these songs had short intros and outros. This makes it hard to mix the songs in your set, as there is limited time to make the transition. Therefore, ‘Extended versions’ were created specifically for DJs.
Understanding which version you are getting is critical if you are a vinyl DJ. It allows your sets to have a way better flow.
Secondly, when buying used records, you must be familiar with the Goldmine Grading Standard. With this grading standard, you can easily define the overall state of the record. It ranges from Mint (M) to Poor (P), with Mint being completely new and Poor being in a dramatic state. Here is what each grade stands for:
| Grade | What It Means | DJ-Safe? |
|---|---|---|
| Mint (M) | Perfect condition. Still is or just came out of the protection sleeve. | ✅ Yes |
| Near Mint (NM or M-) | Almost perfect. Played only a few times. No visible damage to the record. | ✅ Yes |
| Very Good Plus (VG+) | Light signs of wear, and there can be tiny scratches on the record. This should not be very noticeable when playing. | ✅ Yes (best value for DJs) |
| Very Good (VG) | Noticeable scratches or scuffs, but you should be hearing some scratches and pops while playing. | ⚠️ Risky |
| Good (G) | Heavy wear, scratches, and surface noise throughout. | ❌ No |
| Poor (P) | Heavily scratched, warped, or even cracked. Practically unplayable. | ❌ No |
My advice is never to buy a record that has ‘Very Good’ or lower. The risk that the record is too damaged is high, and it is not worth spending money on such records. On Discogs, every record on the marketplace has a grading assigned to it. When you go to your local second-hand record store, make sure to inspect the record well before buying.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to start collecting records as a vinyl DJ, it is time to get out there and acquire your desired tunes. Make sure you take your time and don’t buy every song that you think you like. Be critical in your selection, or you end up having a record collection that you actually don’t enjoy playing.
