agreed.. and there has been a lot of advances in needle cartridges in the past 15 years. Grado makes an amazing cartridge for around $200 ... Used turntables are cheap and affordable..
but then I guess we are using up more “space” of the original poster’s living area...
as for me, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff.. but I still listen to classical and jazz in the dark, so what the heck do I know.
used LP stores are still out there, at least in the major cities. You can buy classical music for 2 bucks an LP and they are normally in great shape due to the previous owner.
When I lived in Seattle, I found all sorts of sources for vinyl. My personal favorite was estate sales. On many a “half price Sunday” I would offer ten bucks for a whole box of good stuff and they’d take it. I’m talking some unopened or virtually unplayed “valuable” albums. Unreal, really.
Here in rural central KY, fuggetaboutit. The peddlers malls want $2-$5 for pure crap (Firestone Christmas album that had been used as a doormat for a while), but in Louisville and Lexington there are quite a few places. Same prices as Seattle, too.
BTW, you mentioned space. You might find this interesting. Forget the mancave, this is the “Mantuary”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyfYjWMOXls
For a real blast from the past, go to 13:00