Looking at the covers, checking off the boxes of the have and have not become the sole reason for the hunt. But if you are buying the original pressing of your favorite record (to hear a better quality recording) and find that the reissue sound better than the $400 first pressing you paid for—you learn a valuable lesson… The man at the pressing plant determines the quality of what you buy. Were the presses hot that day when your record was made? Did you get the first records off the press, (in the morning) or the middle or the end of the day’s run? Was the plastic mixed correctly? Was he/she having a bad day, and the attention to quality lacking? Record quality is determined based on the professionalism of the company’s standards and the press operated of that day… And plants varied greatly in those days as those who run the presses.

You can have a $10,000 system or more, but if the record was pressed badly that day—what is it really worth (as a collector who doesn’t play them)–its not really important nor an issue.

Paying for better needle or amp will not improve the sound quality of a badly pressed record. Some of the best looking records–VG+ or M can sound very badly at times.

I have own 1950’s and 60’s Fender’s telecasters and stratocaster’s and some of the early 70’s CBS models sounded better. This is subjective and is determine by the person who wants the items and those who want to play it–right? So, I would say, if it works for you–fine.

In truth, if quality of sound is what you are seeking, you better play it first before you buy, because no one really knows what you are going to get until you put it on… Some first pressing sound wonderful and others sounded badly…

If you are a true collector, and not so interested in how the record really sounds, then this works too. Everyone is happy and the end of the day…

Sometimes the latter blue label blue note pressings sound the best and when they do I sell the original and keep whatever pressing sounds the best. Sometimes the originals sound good but pressing equipment in the 50’s was not so great. I realize my views are out of the mainstream but I’ve been doing this for a long time……..

I have just the Horace Parlan ‘Speakin’ My Piece’ 2x45rpm, and the piano and drum sound is so realistic it’s scary.

Phil DeLancie remasters appeared at the same time as the first generation of OJC CD issues. Sonic comparisons upheld my suspicions. My suspicions were confirmed when I was lucky enough to speak with a wholesale rep when visiting an audio store. He explained that the OJC catalog was digitally remastered beginning in 1985 to create a uniform master that could be used for either C D or vinyl pressings.

In a few instances I have replaced originals with later reissues and found an improvement in both sound and condition.

Personally, it isn’t just about the music — it is to some degree also about the record as artefact. But I tend to regard records much as I do books. While an absolutely compulsive book buyer, I would never under any circumstances expect (or require) every book I read to be a first edition hardback. If I happen to find a first edition hardback of a title I like *by chance*, then of course I gladly add it to the collection. But for general purposes, I buy the nicest edition I can afford and find, and “nicest” means decent production qualities, good condition, well used but well looked after…

Indeed, when set against some of the online collectors I read about here and elsewhere, it is doubtful that I even really qualify as a “record collector”. Just another compulsive record buyer…as I was when a teenager.