Crate Digging

Have you heard about crate digging? Have you ever been to a vinyl music store? These stores are as magical for DJs as bookstores for bookworms. 

DJ’s and collectors call Crate Digging the act of searching records in stores, flea markets or thrift shops. This practice is associated with hip hop producers, who searched for rare records with sounds to sample for a newly created recording. 

With the rise of digital media in the following decades, this transitioned to the “digital” and “electronic” music collecting. Emerged websites as domains for crate digging, including the music review database AllMusic, the streaming service Spotify, and Discogs, which began as a music database before developing into an online marketplace for physical music releases. 

Here are some tips for you to start with if you are interested in crate digging: 

• Look at the general condition of the store. How owners take care of the records? Are they clean, stoked properly? 
• If you are buying a secondhand record, always check it for warps and defects before buying. Small scratches may not affect the sound, but deep scratches will cause a clicking sound. 
• To understand if the price is fair, use Discogs app to learn more about pricing for records. 
• Talk with the stuff. They know what they have and can recommend you something based on your taste.