Last Updated on 27 January 2026 by Massimo M.

Have you just arrived in the world of vinyl records? Here’s the things you need to know

By now it is clear, vinyl records have never died out. They have resisted the advent of compact disc, portable music and even liquid music.

Of course, since the mid-eighties the sales of vinyl records have suffered a very strong decline and many artists have stopped using this support in favor of what at that time was the most popular. But someone continued to print on vinyl and someone else continued to buy, so our beloved black disc continued to exist. Then, now it is a consolidated trend, the passion for this support has resumed field and now a whole new generation is discovering vinyl and also begins to collect it. It is a news of 2020 that vinyl has, for the first time in 34 years, surpassed the CD in sales. It is therefore possible that you have come across this article because you are part of the “new recruits” and you are trying to get an idea of how the world of vinyl records works. Without thinking that I am a super expert, I am not and I know, I will try to give you some tips to make your life a little easier. So let’s get started

Watch out for the cat and the fox

The world of collecting, of all kinds, is full of cunning people who try to sell you trivial things as if they were unique pieces or make inappropriate earnings from pieces that are not exactly unobtainable. So keep in mind that not all albums will be easy to find at the exact moment you want it, arm yourself with patience and wait. There will always be a time when the right piece arrives at the correct price.

Prioritize independent record stores

Buying online is extremely convenient but you will not always find what you are looking for, especially when it comes to objects such as vinyl records. By now we know that an infinite number of variations of a specific album may have been produced and maybe you would like to find the one printed on lemon yellow vinyl in 1997. So, if you can, take a tour of the record stores that happen to you be on hand because the independent stores are all unique, they are often historical and run by extremely competent people. Each store will then have a different inventory, offering the ability to find records that are hard to find online.

Use Discogs to manage your vinyl record collection

After wasting hours creating lists and catalogs using various software and spreadsheets I can advise you, without fear of making mistakes, that the best way to manage your disc collection is to use the Discogs application. If you still do not know Discogs I tell you that it is a digital hub for everything related to vinyl. It is a market, a social media and, very importantly, a real encyclopedia for records, both on vinyl and in all other physical media. The most useful thing you have using Discogs is that you can keep track of your collection using information from its database, which right now is definitely huge. The site also gives you estimates of the value of your collection as it grows and prints become rarer.

Use social media to find more fans

After following record stores on social media, you may find record accounts on Instagram or TikTok of collectors showing off their vinyls. This is the way it could be the beginning of online friendships with other collectors, DJs and music lovers.

Don’t forget about record store day

Record Store Day (or RSD) began in 2007 as a way to celebrate independent record stores when vinyl was still thought to be an endangered medium. It usually takes place on the third Saturday of April. On this occasion the record companies make available hundreds of limited edition releases, albums out of print or that are made available for the first time on vinyl. Due to the pandemic, RSD 2021 has been scheduled on two dates, June 12 and July 17. Some time ago I published an article on the prints in my opinion more interesting of this edition.

Buy only what you like

Collecting vinyl records can become an expensive hobby. Just because it’s fashionable and growing doesn’t mean that prices for equipment are falling or records are being printed as they once were. The trend is indeed upwards. So it’s easy to find yourself accumulating a lot of records that end up collecting dust because they were a big hit at the time, or you bought them thinking about their collector value and not their musical value. I therefore recommend that you start with a small collection of albums that you listen to over and over again rather than having a large collection of vinyls that you listen to once a year or, worse, forget about owning it altogether. In other words, take it easy and enjoy the records you have. If you need some other specific advice you can also consult the guides section of this site.