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# That Special Record: The Definitive Guide to Vinyl

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://thatspecialrecord.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Best Sounding Budget Bookshelf Speakers for Vinyl](https://thatspecialrecord.com/best-sounding-budget-bookshelf-speakers-for-vinyl/): A turntable is only as good as what it's plugged into. Spend a few hundred dollars on a nice deck and then run it through a pair of $20 computer speakers, and you'll never hear what your records actually sound like. The good news: you don't need to spend a fortune to get a real, warm, detailed sound out of vinyl. A solid pair of budget bookshelf speakers will get you there.
- [Record Value Guide](https://thatspecialrecord.com/record-value-guide/): Figuring out what a record is actually worth trips up even experienced collectors. Price guides go stale, condition changes everything, and the same album can sell for $5 or $500 depending on the pressing. This guide walks through the real factors that determine vinyl value and how to research a fair price before you buy or sell. If you're new to collecting, our guide on how to start collecting vinyl records is a good place to start before diving into valuation.
- [How To Grade Records](https://thatspecialrecord.com/how-to-grade-records/): Knowing how to grade records accurately is one of the most valuable skills a collector can develop. Grading determines what a record is worth, whether it's a fair deal, and what kind of listening experience you can expect before you ever drop the needle. If you're just getting started, our guide on how to start collecting vinyl records covers the basics of turntables, storage, and buying — this guide picks up from there and goes deep on grading specifically.
- [How To Start Collecting Vinyl Records](https://thatspecialrecord.com/how-to-start-collecting-vinyl-records/): Learning how to start collecting vinyl records can feel overwhelming at first. Between pressing variations, grading standards, turntable specs, and endless genre rabbit holes, it's easy to get lost before you've bought a single record. This guide breaks the process down into clear, practical steps so you can start collecting vinyl records with confidence — and avoid the mistakes most beginners make in their first few months.

## Pages
- [Vinyl Resources](https://thatspecialrecord.com/vinyl-resources/): Whether you're just starting out or you've been digging through crates for decades, these guides cover the practical side of vinyl collecting — buying smart, storing records properly, and knowing what you're actually looking at.
- [Guides](https://thatspecialrecord.com/guides/)
- [Best Albums By Year](https://thatspecialrecord.com/best-albums-by-year/)
- [Hidden Gem Albums](https://thatspecialrecord.com/hidden-gem-albums/)
- [Vinyl Record Storage](https://thatspecialrecord.com/vinyl-record-storage/): A record collection is only as good as how it's stored. Warped covers, moldy sleeves, and scuffed vinyl are almost never caused by playing a record — they're caused by how it sat on a shelf for the ten years in between. Getting storage right is cheap insurance for a collection that can represent a real investment of time and money.
- [Record Store Guides](https://thatspecialrecord.com/record-store-guides/): Online marketplaces make it easy to find almost anything, but there's still no substitute for flipping through crates in person — you find records you weren't looking for, and you can actually assess condition with your own hands before you buy. Here's how to make the most of it.
- [Home](https://thatspecialrecord.com/)