Hi Guys and Gals. new to the forum and have recently started buying vinyl for the first time on 40 years. there are many records on various sites for sale arc that are classed as "Original" but iscthere a certain way of telling if a record really is an original copy. I know that they should be stamped usually in the deadwax. but should the letters or numbers represent something that is visible on the record label.

A frequently asked question my answer would be Research Research Research. 

Not every record has deadwax stamps marks etc depends on the silkiness  of the studio. 

Sound quality is a big giveaway though some records were  in studios that were little more than a padded room at home or done in one take-how much per hour...right let’s do it in one. John  Manships book, Tim Browns book, discogs and MusicStack reputable dealers and knowledge. 

Read threads on here and on sales section you get very honest dealers, the best in the biz. Research. 

As th bookies say-when the fun stops, stop  

ok will do and thanks for the reply.

Sparky you will find many people with a kind and patient ear, if you decide to buy a biggie put a photo of it on here first if in doubt and get an opinion. There are many honourable men and women on this site who will be happy to help and will soon tell you if you are going to be bamboozled 

bohnsoulie. thanks very much. I have read comments on other records and there are a lot of very knowledgeable people so I will certainly be asking questions when the need arises. great site.

Pete Smith, Keith Williams and John Manship are really good honest guys who know their stuff. Make a point of asking or buying John Manships Guides. www.raresoulman.

Get your hands dirty as they say, look at everything on the label and in the run out grooves, discogs and 45cat can help with identification as do many other places.  Forums are very good for asking questions, no matter how daft they seem, not just here but facebook especially has some excellent informative groups and instagram is getting more and more popular.  Many collectors with a vast amount of knowledge who are more than happy.

Thanks for the feedback. starting to look around now and like it's been said there are some very knowledgeable people and great sites to look at.

Everything is a minefield! Tread carefully! Different rules for different records!

Ask people who have a lot of experience, but even they get it wrong sometimes!

Thanks for posting this I am new too so this thread is very useful.  

A stock reply you hear on this site, would be, 

Don't buy records that have been hammered to death over the last 40 years and therefore bootlegged or reissued. Try buying lesser know but great records that can be a fraction of the cost of the top 500 biggies. Just get digging on YouTube or discogs, check peoples play lists. There are literally millions out there.