Guides

Buying vinyl, honestly

The things worth knowing before you spend money on records. No filler, no snobbery.

Record grading, explained

What Mint, NM and VG+ actually mean — and which grade is the value buy.

Does the heavier pressing really sound better? The honest answer.

Runout matrix, barcodes and labels — tell an original from a reissue.

Four rules that keep records flat, quiet and playable for decades.