i used to try to find it on discogs before opening, but then it just felt like a spoiler if i’d get something cool or not. now i am trying to open, appreciate everything, add to database, then listen, reading reviews as a last step because i don’t want anyone else’s opinion of a pressing influencing my feelings of it
I usually only get vinyls of albums I already love, or artists I like. Some of them have greater depth on vinyl but most sound on par with the cd. I almost never read reviews.
If I’ve picked up the record in a record store I’ll generally have listened to a few seconds of each song in the store just to check there’s no egregious pops or skips before buying it. Then I’ll take it home and (since I’m apparently incapable of buying just one record at a time) listen to the new records I’ve bought one after the other whilst adding them to my discogs at the same time.
Sometimes however I’m looking for a specific pressing of a record (often for limited edition pressings or if a certain pressing is known to sound noticeably better than others) and then I’ll be typically buying from someone on discogs in which case I’ll have done extensive searching to find the best quality, lowest price (including shipping) copy of what I’m looking for taking into consideration what other records I might want that the seller is also selling (because once again I’m incapable of buying just one record at a time).
I almost never read album reviews because if I like an album, I’m not overly bothered what someone else thinks about it.
Most of time I search local on record stores, then when info home I give them a spin, the I put it on my discogs and read reviews if exists. When I buy on discogs, it’s only when I want something specific, which means I listened to it and I wntito buy it, still I don’t spoil my self the packaging etc., so when it comes I check the package sleeves etc.
Reviews are not always accurate, so I read them, but I never take 100% serious, not everyone has same taste and idea about vinyls.
for me, I like to add it to my Discogs as I’m opening and looking at some of the packaging and inserts while I’m pulling out the record. I put on side A as I finish looking through the packaging and listen to it all the way through.
Don’t really use Discogs for the reviews side of things, I pretty much only buy records that I already like or am pretty sure I would
