I thought i'd write this guide as ive recently noticed an increase of bootleg records appearing on sale. Not only are these illegal but they are taking money from the producers pockets.
What is a Bootleg record? A Bootleg record is effectively a copy often taken from a cd, another record or even an mp3. A fake.
How can I spot a Bootleg? A Bootleg will usually be a white label often with 4 tracks pressed on. You will notice its 4 different artists and all 4 tracks will of originally been released on 4 completely different labels. The seller will probably not quote a label in the description, it will probably be something along the lines of "dj only white label"/"white label 4 track" however all this means is it isnt on a label. There are genuine white label presses of most releases, this will be put out before the full release to promote the record to shops and for djs to play the tune and promote it. These will usually include a label in the listing for example "Ram promo"/"Valve promo" etc. If in doubt ask the seller, if he says its a label promo buy it and if he doesnt its probably a bootleg. There are various discography sites just search for them on a search engine.
Why should I not buy a bootleg? For 1 the sound quality will be usually pretty poor, if its cut off cd it will not sound good as it would of been mastered for cd therefore wont have the weight, if it was cut from vinyl it will obviously lose quality copying it + ofcourse there will be noise from the vinyl and finally if cut from mp3 it will of been heavilly compressed(squashed) and will sound flat. Secondly you are supporting illegal thiefs who make money from other peoples work. The responsible bootlegger will not be passing on a penny to the artist/label, he will pocket all profit and what right does he have to do this?absolutely none. Finally its a waste of money, the sound quality will be nowhere near that of an original, you may thing your doing well by getting 4 rare tunes for a quater of the price but they are worth nothing, you will not get the b side of the original. I promise you will look back in 6 months when the vinyl has worn out and wish you'd paid a bid more and got an original.