originally posted by Larry Stein:
I used to have a Thorens TD160. Bought that in 1972. Last cartridge I had on it was a Dynavector MC. Gave it to Rob Adler in 2003(?). He kindly gave me a bottle of '91 Chave which drank superbly on my 50th birthday in '04.
I sold my 700+ collection of vinyl a year or so earlier. The only thing I regret was my timing. Never figured that there would be a vinyl renaissance. I was way into imported and 1/2 speed pressings. Whenever possible, I'd purchase the British or Japanese pressings of albums that one could normally purchase on US pressings. The foreign pressings, simply put, were sonically superior. It wasn't just groups that were British. I had imports of the Airplane, Dead, Allman Bros, Quicksilver, Talking Heads, Police, Pretenders, Miles...well you get the idea. I never owned a US-pressed Beatles or Stones album.
Also, from a previous discussion, I'd say at least 90% of my ECM albums were German pressings.
In vinyl's hey-day, Berkeley was import central. Tower, Leopold's, Rasputin's and Rather Ripped Records all carried a ton of imports. Tower in SF and Discount Records in San Jose were great for that, too.