I have been in a used record buying frenzy for about 3 years now. I am buried with albums that I haven’t even listened to yet. However, I keep buying and collecting. What used to be only occasional record store visit is now an (almost) every day occurrence as online record sales have skyrocketed. In an effort to self-reflect (never a strong skill), I examine my collecting habits and my collection. In hopes of understanding my motivations and reasons for diving back into record collecting.
My OG is VG
First off, I didn’t really dive into it. It wasn’t a THING when I started buying albums. It was a part of life for most people. You go to the grocery store to buy milk and you go to the record store to buy music. As a lover of pop music my whole life, I purchased whatever format they sold music in at the time. First albums, then cassette tapes (because I needed my tunes in my car), finally CDs. I did own a few 8 tracks too. A person my age could have a decent size ORIGINAL record collection and I do. I took care of my records, as did my parents. So the OG collection I have is in VG shape.
My turntable broke in about 1984 and I didn’t get a new one. Why should I? Any favorite albums I had were replaced by CDs. Soon came digitization and downloading songs became a way to collect music. Remember the wild West free MP3 landscape? Lars, from Metallica, was right! It practically killed the business.
Just a Matter of Time
I sat on my old albums for years. Moved the heavy boxes 3 times. When my parents passed, I took their collection, and later, two friends gave me their old collections. My used record collection was growing, I finally bought another turntable in 2018. The best part of this was the rediscovery of my old collection. Then I bought another collection from a storage shed sale. I was now in IT. Whatever IT was.
What(not) Have I Done?
I think the pandemic supercharged my album collection. With the spare time, my rediscovery went into overdrive and I began looking online for more additions. The game changer for me was WhatNot. Live online auctions! This is where I really found myself taking chances on artists I always had an interest in, but never owned any albums of. The auction format on WhatNot creates an urgency because it moves fast. One has to be quick with the online research while the clock is ticking down. Many of my winning bids are more reactionary. I can only look back now and wonder why I have made these particular purchases.
Another ‘honey-hole’ for record collecting are estate sales. They are definitely ‘hit or miss’ but the good ones make up for the high-priced, no-deals ones. It’s wonderful when you come across a collection that was well cared for in combination with a seller who just wants to get rid of stuff.
In My Pocket
I am attracted to music from the 1960’s through all the ‘70’s. Why THIS time period? I can only guess that it is because this was the music of my youth. It comforts me. Music was always in the air for me. My parents, my older sister, THE CAR RADIO all formed my tastes . I find that the pop hits of the 70’s are absolute gold to me. Fifty year old albums appear to be where my interest lies when it comes to laying down actual dollars.
As it turns out, I wanted to fill the gaps and learn about artists like: Dusty Springfield, Leon Russell, Bobby Gentry, and Glen Campbell. Deeper dives into the catalogs of some favorites like: Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Chicago. Music that was around me all the time. Life soundtracks, pre se.
How To Collect Records the Correct Way
Only buy music that appeals to you. Don’t buy an ‘investment’ if you are not a fan. If you are running a business, then it’s different. But if you are a music fan primarily, collector secondary, stay away from the trap. Vinyl is hot right now. Who knows how that market will go. New record production is at it’s highest volume in decades. I don’t want to be stuck holding records I would never listen to. More used record stores are opening rather than closing, these days. The ‘record store process’ is glorious! You never know what you’ll find. Holding the physical album in hand is a luxury that buying online doesn’t offer. Refer to blog article: “New Record Stores Pale In Comparison“
Tips:
- Keep track as your collection grows. I get excited when I see something I know in the wild, forgetting that I bought it already 5 years ago. Hello Joe Cocker’s debut album! There are more than a few online options where you can list your albums and get an estimated value, too. Discogs is the big dog.
- This brings us to the selling items from your collection. I have more than a few “doubles” in my collection. I have NOT ever been a seller. That day may never come for me. But if I do start selling, I start with these double purchases. Many places to sell your LPs: Discogs, eBay, Whatnot, record stores…
- Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the value of a collection as much as the next guy. However, I will not buy something only because it’s a good deal (even if they are hard to find). It’s all about the songs!
Here’s a question for music lovers:
When a favorite artist releases new music, do you buy the streaming version, the CD, or the vinyl? All three?
Most people don’t want to spend 3x the money. I think it’s a generational thing. Us older folks might still embrace the physical media. I know I do. It’s Amazon for the CD which adds the songs to Prime Music. Then download to my iTunes and store the CD. No vinyl, usually, for new music. However, I am a sucker for those colored vinyl from Walmart. When they released the Metallica ones….no-brainer. I will also buy an autographed album, if I have the opportunity.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it is the music of my youth, my pre teen years, that formed my musical taste. It is the place I keep going back to. Sure, there’s other music, from later in life, that mean a lot to me, but nothing feels better than a funky Tower of Power song!
I am fortunate to have lived during this time in American music history. I was not too far away from Elvis kicking things off or from The Beatles changing the game. Hell, my mom used to tell me the story of her and a one-year-old me, sitting on our couch watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. The singer-songwriter era began during my formative years. Again, I can argue that this era produced the best quality music in my lifetime. We’ve come a long way but haven’t really gone very far. Still, it’s been quite a trip!
