· By Rewind Records
Buying Used Vinyl in Bloomington: What to Look For
Used records are the best part of collecting. They're also where people get burned, usually by a record that looked fine in the store and sounded like frying bacon at home. Here's how to avoid that, whether you're digging with us at the Fountain Square Mall or anywhere else.
Learn the grades
We grade every used record to the Goldmine standard, and we grade the vinyl and the jacket separately. That's two grades on every listing, and they don't always match. A beat-up sleeve can hold a record that plays like new, and the other way around.
- Near Mint (NM or M-): barely touched.
- Very Good Plus (VG+): light signs of play, but clean. Most collectors live here.
- Very Good (VG): you'll hear some noise in the quiet parts. Great for a record you just want to hear.
- Good and below: rough. We mostly pass on these when we buy.
The full breakdown is on our grading page.
Check it yourself
A few habits that'll save you money anywhere you shop:
- Pull the record out and tilt it under good light. Scuffs that only catch the light are usually cosmetic. A scratch you can feel with a fingernail will probably click.
- Hold it flat at eye level and look along the edge for warps.
- Sniff the jacket. Musty means moisture, and moisture is bad news.
- If the pressing matters to you, check the label and the numbers etched in the run-out groove.
- Ask. We're happy to tell you what we know about a record, and we'd rather you leave with the right one.
What turns up in our bins
Most of our used stock comes from local collections, so it looks a lot like what this town has been listening to for decades. That means plenty of classic rock, 70s and 80s pop, country, jazz, soul and psych. Most of it was pressed before 2000, and every record has been cleaned and put in a fresh inner sleeve before it goes out. New stuff lands every week, so the crates never look the same twice.
Got records to sell?
Bring them in. We buy vinyl and CDs any day we're open, no appointment needed, and pay cash or store credit (credit is worth more). We pass on records in rough shape and the titles you see stacked at every thrift store. Here's how it works.
Then come dig. We're at 101 W Kirkwood Ave, Suite 105, inside the Fountain Square Mall. Hours and directions. Or start online with used vinyl.