Having a week off from work is a great thing. With the x-mas rush behind me and a lot of spare time on my hands, I am able to spend some time digging into the art of collecting vinyl. What I have found was a scene full of disparate information, a lot of dusty crates, passion filled music junkies, and a sense of brotherhood that could only be found in the dark corners of the music world. I have accumulated a bunch of links, in no particular order, that will hopefully make your adventure less adventuresome or at least give a good place to start:

Vinyl May Be Final Nail In CD’s Coffin - This is an article published by Wired magazine in October 2007 that talks about the comeback of Vinyl. The irony here is great.

Goldmine Magazine - This is one of the top record collecting magazines and online marketplaces. They also put out a record album pricing guide that is available in most book stores.

How is a Vinyl Record Made? - If you are going to collect them, you should probably know everything you can about them.

Birth of a Record - This is another great article (with pictures!) on how a record is made.

Gemm - This site seems to be the mecca for buying and selling used/new vinyl. It’s old school feel adds to its mystique and makes you realize of deep this world goes.

How Much Are Your Old Records Really Worthy? - This is one of the many good articles on understanding the worth of your vinyl.

Osborne Enterprises & Jellyroll Productions - “For more than 30 years the Osborne team has produced and distributed the industry’s leading line of price guides and music reference books — totaling over 135 titles. No one has more experience!”. I recently purchased their Rockin’ Records price guide which is the self-proclaimed “World’s #1 Pricing Guide” It is something I can carry around with me on the hunt.

Record Collector’s Internet Resource Guide - This is a great list of on-line resources for vinyl collectors.

eBay’s Guide to Vinyl Record Grades - This is a pretty standard yet useful explanation on how to grade your albums.

RecordMaster.com - They claim to be the internet’s first price guide. They do have a great page on Recording Values and Grading. If anyone can figure out how to register or are already a current member, please let us know what you think.

Record Collector Magazine - This is another magazine that focuses on Record Collecting.

Kix Software - Not only do these guys sell music catalog software but they also have this great resource page.

The Laughing Papillon - “Your online source for vintage vinyl and collector’s information.” I am a fan of their articles.

Vinyl Records Collectors Guide - This site has a great glossary of vinyl record terms that has been very helpful.

The Clutch - This band’s website also has another great glossary on vinyl record terms. You will need to scroll down the page to see the list.

Vinyl LP Record Collector’s Guide - “This blog is dedicated to all the great music released on vinyl records. On this blog you will find in-depth information for record collectors as well as great record deals.” I am not sure how useful this is for a rookie, but it may be helpful for others.

The Record Collectors Guild - This is a great hub for all that is record collecting. They have forums, a wiki, and much much more.

Elvis Presley Label and Jacket Differences - Here is a forum post from the Record Collectors Guild that gives great insight into how to tell the difference between album covers and pressings. This one is obviously specific to Elvis.

Pink Floyd UK Vinyl Releases - “This is a discography of 7 inch vinyl singles (45s) that have been released in the United Kingdom by Pink Floyd”. This is another great example of what it takes to identify releases and pressings.

Discogs - “a community-built database of music information. Imagine a site with discographies of all labels, all artists, all cross-referenced. It’s getting closer every day.”

Capital Records Matrix Stamper Numbers Forum - This is a great post that talks about matrix stamper numbers. Every label has their own ways of identifying their wax. Grab an album and look at the space between the last track and the label (known as the run off) and you will see the matrix numbers they are talking about.

MusicStack - Another large online music marketplace for record collectors.

Gracenote (formerly CDDB) - This site is a good place to start if you are looking for a band’s discography.

MoreMusic | US Online Record Stores - This is a great updated list of online records stores in the United States.

MoreMusic | Where to buy Vinyl Accessories - This is a good list of places to buy record sleeves,jackets,storage boxes,divider cards,mailing supplies,cd and video protection in the US and UK.

The History of Vinyl - What could be more important for a new collector than the history of vinyl. This is a great resource.

Vinyl Care and More - This a great resource for how to care for your vinyl and a ton of other vinyl related topics.

ClassicRecords.com - This is a great source for classical records and other great articles on collecting vintage vinyl.

Putting Out Your Own Vinyl - This explains how a bands can put out their own vinyl record.

Pressing Plate Initials Discussion - Here is another great forum discussion on pressing plate and martrix number schemes.

Disc Jockey 101 - This is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn the skills of a DJ. Even though I was excited by the scratching lesson, I am sure most record collectors would anger at the thought.

Enjoy.