Guides
The Kura blog.
Guides to buying, identifying and storing vinyl and CDs, and the stories behind the albums worth a place in your collection.
October 14, 2026 · Collecting guides
10 Electronic Albums to Start a Collection
Ten electronic albums to explore, from Kraftwerk to Bonobo. A track to start with, why each earns a place, and what to check on a CD or record.
October 14, 2026 · Collecting guides
What to Do With Old CDs: Keep, Sell, Donate or Recycle
Old CDs need different destinations. Decide what to keep, prepare the rest for sale or donation, and check local rules for discs, cases and booklets.
October 13, 2026 · Collecting guides
The Best Soul Albums: 10 Records Worth Owning
Ten of the best soul albums, from Otis Blue to Songs in the Key of Life, chosen so the same players recur, and what to check on each copy before you buy.
October 13, 2026 · Collecting guides
Starting a CD Collection: Where to Look and What You Are Holding
How to start a CD collection in 2026: whether CDs are coming back, where to find them, the discs that only look like CDs, and a list kept from the first one.
October 12, 2026 · Collecting guides
The Best Albums on Vinyl: 10 Records Made for the Format
Ten of the best albums to own on vinyl, chosen for what the record adds: the two sides, the sleeve, the cut. For each, the copy to look for and how to check it.
October 12, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Clean a CD Without Adding Scratches
Dirt and fingerprints can make a CD skip. How to clean a disc without adding scratches, which marks matter, and why to copy a disc before you polish it.
October 7, 2026 · Collecting guides
The Best Jazz Albums: 10 Records Worth Owning
Ten of the best jazz albums, chosen so their credits lead into each other, and for each one the edition to look for and what to check before you buy a copy.
October 7, 2026 · Collecting guides
What Is an Obi Strip? The Paper Band on Japanese Records
The obi is the paper strip on Japanese records and CDs. What it carries, where it came from, how to tell it belongs to your copy, and how to keep it intact.
October 6, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Store CDs and Booklets Without Making It Complicated
On a CD the music sits just under the artwork. How to store discs and booklets, what is known about CD rot and lifespan, and how to check a disc tonight.
October 5, 2026 · Collecting guides
Record Sizes and Speeds: What Plays at 33, 45 or 78
What 7, 10 and 12-inch records usually are, which speed goes with which size, the exceptions, and how to find the speed when nothing is printed.
October 5, 2026 · Collecting guides
Where to Sell Vinyl Records: What to Let Go, and How
Which records to let go, and where to sell them: a shop, a fair, online or a buyer for the whole collection. What each route asks of you, and how to sell well.
October 2, 2026 · Perfect Albums series
Abbey Road: The Story and the Copies Worth Owning
The Beatles recorded Abbey Road while their business fell apart. How the album was made, the zebra-crossing sleeve, and which vinyl and CD editions to buy.
October 2, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Store Vinyl Records So They Last
Upright, supported, in polyethylene sleeves, on a shelf rated for the weight, in a steady room: how to store vinyl records at home so they last.
October 1, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Clean Vinyl Records Without Harming Them
Brush a record dry before each play, and wash it only when it's new to you or visibly dirty. The archive method at home: what to use, and how to dry it.
September 29, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Display Vinyl Records Without Spoiling the Covers
Ledges, frames, wall mounts and now-playing stands, weighed for dust and light: why the disc usually stays on the shelf, and how to keep records findable.
September 29, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Lend Records and CDs Without Losing Track of Them
Lend a record or CD with one written line: who has it, since when, in what condition. How to hand it over, check it on return, and protect a rare copy.
September 29, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Move a Record and CD Collection Without Damage
Pack records and CDs upright in small boxes, keep them out of a parked car, number the boxes in shelf order, and let a cold delivery warm up before you open it.
September 29, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Ship Vinyl Records So They Arrive as They Left
Take the disc out of the jacket, hold it flat between stiff board, label the parcel plainly, and agree tracking and insurance with the buyer first.
September 27, 2026 · Collecting guides
180 Gram Vinyl: Is It Worth Paying Extra?
A 180 gram record is sturdier and less likely to warp, but it can't fix the master or the cut. What to check on the sleeve before paying for the weight.
September 27, 2026 · Perfect Albums series
Sticky Fingers: The Story and the Copies Worth Owning
The Rolling Stones made Sticky Fingers while losing Brian Jones, Decca and Allen Klein. How it came together, the zip sleeve, and which editions to buy.
September 24, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Organise Vinyl and CDs in One Collection
Give each size its own shelf: LPs, 7-inch singles and CDs apart. Then sort by artist. A list of your collection shows an album on LP and CD in one place.
September 23, 2026 · Perfect Albums series
Transformer: The Story and the Copies Worth Owning
Lou Reed's second album, made in about three weeks in London with nothing to skip. How it happened, the sleeve, and which vinyl and CD editions to buy.
September 22, 2026 · Collecting guides
Buying Used Vinyl: How to Read a Record's Past Before You Pay
Every play leaves a trace on a record, and the worst of it is the hardest to see. Where wear hides on a used LP, and where to look and listen before you buy.
September 21, 2026 · Collecting guides
Original, Reissue or Remaster: What Are You Actually Buying?
Four words for four moments in a record's life, only two of them about sound, and what settles which master is on the copy in front of you.
September 21, 2026 · Collecting guides
Record Grading: How to Read VG, VG+ and Near Mint
Where the grading scale came from, how each grade compares with Near Mint, why the sleeve is graded apart, and what to ask when two letters aren't enough.
September 12, 2026 · Collecting guides
Buying Used CDs: What to Check Before You Commit
A used CD can be a perfect copy in a scuffed case, or a tidy case with the wrong disc inside. What to check on the disc, the booklet and the edition.
September 11, 2026 · Perfect Albums series
Déjà Vu: The Story and the Copies Worth Owning
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young made a record with nothing to skip while falling apart. How it happened, the sleeve, and which vinyl and CD editions to buy.
September 11, 2026 · Collecting guides
Vinyl or CD: Which Format Fits Your Collection?
Vinyl or CD? Compare release history, sound, wear, artwork, equipment and the editions you can actually buy, with practical examples for collectors.
September 8, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Start a Physical Music Collection You Will Actually Listen To
Start with albums that mean something or a box of garage-sale finds. Build a vinyl and CD collection, then find an affordable way to play it.
September 6, 2026 · Collecting guides
How to Identify a Vinyl Pressing (and When to Stop Trying)
Identify a vinyl pressing by comparing the catalogue number, label, sleeve and runout. A practical guide to narrowing the candidates without guessing.
September 6, 2026 · Collecting guides
Matrix Numbers: What the Runout Says, and What It Doesn't
Read the matrix numbers and other marks near a record’s label, compare pressing candidates, and know when an identification needs more evidence.