A Brief Introduction to Vinyl

    Vinyl records are one of the oldest formats for playing recorded music. For many, it is still the superior way to experience music. While this sentiment has been debated for years, the real reason to collect and play them is because it is simply a cool format. Playing records is an experience, a communing with the music on a much more personal level. In fact, for many the only other way to get this close to perfect harmony with music is to hear it in a live setting. 
    I have been listening to music on vinyl since the early 80's as a child. The first record I ever played was Songs of the Humpback Whale, for a school project. The first record I ever owned was the Star Wars storybook record. The first record I ever bought with my own money was Best of Bee Gees Volume 1, bought for 50 cents at a rummage sale (later broken by a falling whiskey bottle when I was 16). Now, through multiple collections (some stolen, some sold away and partially bought back), I own a music library numbering around 2,500 (a conservative number compared to some other collectors).
    So what is there to know about collecting and playing vinyl? I mean you just throw it on a turntable and play it right? Well, I suppose you could, though I wouldn't recommend throwing a record anywhere unless it sucks and you're in need of a new Frisbee (just ask the CD collection now scattered around your house for drink coasters, these things do have multiple uses, but I digress).
    However, if you really want to be a music archivist, or even just a casual listener, there are some steps you should take to ensure maximum listening pleasure. This ranges from the records you buy, to the methods you use to keep them in playable shape, and finally the equipment you use to reproduce the sound in the grooves. This may sound pretentious, but by the time I am through, you the reader should be able to do all of these things with a minimum of fuss, as well as expense. Trust me when I say, this hobby can get expensive. The price of some records alone could cause you to have to pick your jaw off the floor (Google "The Beatles: Yesterday and Today", or "First State Butcher" for an example of this).
    

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