Like someone else wrote, I listen "regularly" to maybe 100 or 200 different LPs, where the term "regularly" may mean only once or twice per year. But I do delve into the shelves now and then to drag out an LP I may not have heard in a decade, and nowadays, I do seek out novel LPs that I got from my friend's collection. His taste and mine did overlap, but he was in general more eclectic. I am especially appreciating his R&B stuff these days. Also, I find that new LPs can catch my fancy and break in to the cycle of regularly played ones. I don't necessarily want more LPs, but I don't want fewer, either.
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Next question. How many do you actually listen to?
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Here's a question: How many have estimated the number of LPs they own and then actually counted them, using any reasonable method such as LPs per foot of shelf space? I see that in 2012, I wrote here that I owned ~2000. Later on in 2012, I mentioned that I had a friend with 7,000 LPs from whom I could borrow freely. Since then, and very sadly for me, my friend developed dementia and eventually died. When it became obvious to everyone that his LP collection (and CD collection and mountains of audio and video equipment) would never again be used by him, his wife gave me the keys to their house and told me to go there and take whatever LPs I wanted. (She had moved herself and him to assisted living, by that time.) Faced with such overwhelming abundance, I nevertheless took "only" 800 or 900 LPs, mostly jazz and blues LPs, a few in the classical genre. (She gave away the rest!!!) I had to purchase a new cabinet to store my new acquisitions, which forced me to take a rough count of what I had plus what I got from my buddy. I now estimate a total of 2500 LPs, which means I was over-estimating when I earlier stated that I owned 2000. It was probably more like 1500 to 1700 back then. The good thing about acquiring his LPs, besides the fact that I can silently thank him for the wonderful music contained on them, is that he was just as anal as I am; his LPs are in "like new" condition and don't require any maintenance on my part, like running them through my VPI record washer.
Someone wrote about yard sales and the like as a source for bulk purchase. I won't own an LP that is scratched or gouged on the playing surface, which is most of what you find at a yard sale or at Goodwill. |
I have around 3000. started in the seventies. |
Approximately 8500 now. Started buying in the late 60’s but in 1970 got a part time job in a record store where almost every penny was spent buying albums. Then in the late 80’s when everyone else was dumping vinyl for Cd , I was given thousands and bought thousands for next to nothing. I cleaned and kept the best and gave the rest away. I made a considerable effort to have a great blues collection as part of them.
Evertime I think of selling down to the hundreds, I start looking through the genre and alphabetized lists I have and think to myself, it’s not about never being able to listen to all of it , it’s about being able to listen to any of it at anytime I feel the urge. It’s also nice to share that ability when people visit and pick a few out themselves to spin and hear again or for the first time . It’s nice having a large music collection and art collection all combined in one as well. |
Tpreaves - I bet that's a familiar story. I too sold off some lps before I made the decision lps are what I want. |
I bought my first album (a Johnny Cash Sun Records best of collection) off a TV ad circa 1968 or so. BEfore that, my sister's had some around the house that I spun more than they.
TOday I have 5 bookshelves worth (not sure how many that is), more than I have time to listen to, but modest size compared to many.
I will buy almost anything that is in good condition and promises to sound good on vinyl these days for 50 cents or a buck or so when I see opportunities at yeard sales, flea markets, Goodwill, etc. I mostly go for older titles from teh "golden age", 50s-early 70s, from the time before I started collecting myself that I had overlooked for many years. A $30 investment or less (the price of less than 2 new CDs often these days) can yield a bounty of good sounds to soak in. Life is good! |
I lost interest in Vinyl several years ago and sold off my entire collection. I was happy not having to perform the vinyl ritual anymore then, alas, the bug bit hard again. I started collecting about a year and a half ago and my count is up to 700+ LPs. |
Bought my first LP in 1975 in Plattsburg NY, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin.
Was buying albums at a rate of about 5 to 6 a month till I bought my Proceed CDP. Slowed down buying LPs until I met up with Mike L where he opened up my ears as to what I had been missing for quite a few years.
Since then I have been buying both new and used Lps.
Some from the Sally Ann, garage sales, and our local music stores.
Unfortunately most of our good local music stores have had to close their doors so my purchases have slowed down accordingly.
Never counted how many I have but measuring them I have 22' 7" worth of Lps. |
I just got into vinyl about 7 years ago. I don't know how many LPs I have, but I've got about 10 feet of albums.
My collection started with my father's stuff. The summer before I went away to college, we got rid of a bunch of stuff because my parents bought a new house. My father told my mother he got rid of his albums, but I stumbled across them in the basement about 7 years ago. He said he didn't have the heart to get rid of all of them. He got rid of a bunch, but his classic rock stuff reminded him too much of Woodstock.
I'd been toying with the idea of getting a turntable for a year or so before that, but didn't have the funds to start a record collection. He gave me the albums on the condition that I buy a turntable. We went out together and bought one the next day.
Whenever he comes over, he spins a few of his old albums. The way I look at it, they're his until the day he dies. Then they'll be mine until I meet my maker. I've bought some albums that I have no interest in, but know he'll like. Haven't told him that though.
My former secretary's husband gave me a bunch of vinyl about 2 years ago. Funny thing is his stuff basically filled the gaps of my father's stuff.
Like a previous poster, my KAB USA EV-1 has been a godsend. Combine that with a steam cleaner, and stuff that's been sitting in a basement and an attic for for about 2 decades sounds practically brand new.
I've bought some used stuff from garage sales and record shops. The majority of what I buy is new releases. Between my father and my friend, I've got pretty much every classic rock album I've ever wanted, and then some. |
I guess about 1000, 25% jazz, 25% classical and 50% rock. I started buying LPs in 1973, fell for CD's "perfect sound forever in 1987, but have come back to vinyl.
Most of my buying is used, ungraded, at a local record show that takes place quarterly. I rarely miss this show, and usually spend about $100 each time. At an average of $2/LP, I add about 200 LPs per year. I have learned the hard way to carefully inspect the used LPs I buy, and more recently to make sure the cuffs match the collars (i.e., the LP matches the jacket). But I have made some great buys: This show is for 50s and 60s rock fans. If you find someone selling jazz or classical, they are usually eager to blow it out for $1 or so per LP. This past Sunday I went to this show and really made out well - a DG 45 rpm classical LP for $1 and a beautiful Capital Stereo recording of Shostakovich's 11th on a 2-LP set - paid a bit more for this one.
I am slowly, slowly, digitizing them onto CD-R for use in the car, and then ripping those CD-Rs to my music server. No, the digitized LPs don't sound as good as the original vinyl, but they blow away most of the commercial CDs of the same albums. Especially in dynamics.
About three nights a week, I unwind after work by listening to one of the hundreds of LPs I haven't heard yet. Healthier than supper or a cocktail, and even more relaxing. It's thrilling to find out if the LPs, whether they look good or not, sound good. Interestlingly, I have found many thin LPs, like the RCA Dynagrooves, that sound better to me than some older heavy-vinyl LPs. I guess then, as now, it's about the recording, the engineer and the mastering as much as it is about the quality of the vinyl and the pressing.
My KAB EV-1 record cleaning machine has paid for itself many times over. It takes filthy dirty records and makes them almost like new.
Will I get to hear every LP, digitize it, and rip it to my server before I drop dead? I dunno, maybe not. But there is the thrill of finding a treasure among the trash, buying it for a buck or two (especially when new audiophile LPs are selling for $50+ a pop) and looking forward to that first time it gets onto the turntable.
Storage has become an issue. My wife, who rarely complains about my hobby, the money I spend on it or the space it occupies in my basement man cave, has begun to show her irritation at the space occupied by my growing LP collection. I am hoping that, as my kids leave the nest, I will have a bit more space to store my LPs. But even though every time I go to a record show, with an oath to focus on quality over quantity, I always seem to come home with another stack o' wax.
Hey - everybody needs a hobby! |
Over 1000 collected over the past 10-11 years. Had a smaller collection until the late 80's when it was lost in a fire. But that's another story. |
I started buying Lp's in the mid 50's.
It was fun in the old days to shop for new records at the many stores in New York City.So it was easy to own about 3000.
With the economy as it is I had to sell about 2,000 privately.
If the economy doesn't improve I may have to sell half of the treasures that I have kept.
Many of these have become Collector Items,although I never thought of them as such.To me it was always the music and the joy I felt by just listening. |
Approx 15k, to many to measure so I measured 100 took that measurement and divided it into total inches of albums to get approx volumeMy back is in no shape to bend and count. I own mostly everything but love is 50-70 Jazz, Blue note and all the great jazz labels. Believe it or not I collected most at goodwill and second hand stores while traveling for work. I now have slowed goodwill buying and collect the 45rpm series from musuc matters (BLUE NOTE)
My wife is getting nervous now because i'm loving the sound of reel to reels and their expensive. |
"If you dont listen to them, why have them?" I keep mine because having them affords me the possibility of listening to them "some day". And it very often does happen that I go delving in to shelves that have not been disturbed in quite a while in order to hear something different from my usual fair. I am my own music server. |
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How do you guys with 6,000-18,000 LPs store them? Alphabetically on shelving, prefab racks, crates or boxes? I have about 2,000 and currently am having custom shelving built to hopefully 2,000-3,000. |
I find it interesting nearly everyone has 100's or 1000's of lps they dont listen to at all. If you dont listen to them, why have them? Would you sell or donate the ones not listened to? If not, does it make you a "collector?" |
Like Lewn i have approx. 2000 LP's and that is way too many. Indeed, only a selected 10% (or fewer) get play time. I still buy audiophile LP's here and there but nothing more. I don't do yard sale or estate sale so that i can cram 8000 LP's in my basement that i will never play. I refuse to be a record hoarder. All my 2000 LP's have been played at least once although many have not played in over 30 years. Bought my 1st LP in 1978. It was Deep Purple Made in Japan. What an album. I got into Jazz 15 years ago and this is what i listen to now. I have about 700 Jazz LP's. Also have some Hirez download on my Mac but that is very small in comparison to my LP collection.
For those who knew Jeff Healy (RIP), he was a Jazz fanatic and had amassed a collection of 28,000 78 rpm Jazz album from the 20's to the 40's in just over 20 years. He was an avid trumpet player as well. |
I have about 5000, I started in the late 60's. I started buying used in the middle 1980's as large numbers of people began dumping their record collections at that time. Once I got my hands on a VPI 16.5, which I still have, my search for used really took off. I had days where I'd find 100+ at a time.
The supply of used records today, at least what I collect, is only a fraction of what it was in the late 1980's. As time went by my efforts began to pay off less and less. Perhaps many of the record collectors from the 1950's and 1960's, the music I focused on, had either passed on or had unloaded their collections as by the late 1990's the search was no longer worth my time.
Today I'll buy some reissues and an occasional title on Ebay. Some of the collectable records that were very expensive in 1990 have dropped in value and are much more affordable. |
I own about 3000 and started in the 70is. But my testes or
preferences changed considerable during the time. I hardly
ever listen to symphonies any more while the chamber music
and songs (Lieder)are at present my primary enjoyment. So I
actually play about 100 of them. At present I buy only occasionaly some SACD's. |
A little bit of an aside, but having the majority of my music digitized and stored on a computer hard drive got me beyond the I only listen to "X" number of albums. Organizing music by several different categories into playlists and the random play feature have transformed how I access my music collection. It also avoids the am I going to listen to a record or CD issue.
I have less than 2,500 records. The first purchase was The Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go", an album that I still rate very highly. |
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Buconero, please put me in your will. Explain to your family that even though you and I have never met, your music will be going to a good home.
...thanks,
mitch
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Experience taught me that Raul is right. So I stopped accumulating LPs once I reached ~2000. It took my 35 years to get there. Of course I do buy an LP or two here and there these days. I would guesstimate that no more than 100 LPs get 90% of the playing time. And I refuse to be a record collector. I have a close friend with 7000; I can borrow any of his LPs, any time. |
About 7,000+, started in or around '85. Would have more if I still had records from the disco days. |
I bought my fist LP in the spring of 1974 when I was a freshman in high school. This has been an ongoing habit since then with the total number of LPs in the 6000 to 7000 range. Of these, less than 1000 fall into the rock, jazz or other category the rest are classical. |
A little over 7,000; almost all purchased new on release beginning in 1959. |
Dear Chazro: Yes, from a collector point of view I agree with you, that's the main subject why we are LP's collectors.
My wife ask me time to time: why if you listen to almost the same 400-500 LPs don't put on sale the other 5.5K+?, well she is not a collector, I'm along along an audiophile.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
oh yeah I started collecting as a hobby in 1967 but the first album I ever bought was The Beatles on Veejay records. I bought it because I remember sitting in the school cafeteria eating lunch and everyone was singing to I Wanna Hold Your Hand that was playing over the PA system. |
I stopped counting @ 18,000. I mostly buy CD's now,have around 3000,my CD system sounds damn good too. I do buy an occasional Lp @ full price but mostly used now. My last purchase was a MOFI copy of Sea Change by Beck. Every record I own is playable and in @ least very good condition. |
Raul - I understand your point about quantity owned vs. quantity listened to but....even though I may not listen to them all, all the time, it's KNOWING what I have, and that I CAN listen whenever I want that gives my collection it's value. I think this is true regardless of whether it's LP's, CD's, or MP3's. |
raul--well said. Actually know a collector that does not even have a working turntable. He collects "rare" issues and focuses more on the cover and inserts. As for me, i do enjoy the "collecting" but love the actual listening of great tracks or albums. If i did not have a demanding job and family life that forces me to actually do something, i would listen more. As many others who get this bug, i have spent a lot of time putting together a system (not nearly as heavyweight as some on this site) that i enjoy listening to. I tend to go into collection listening (ie, steely dan weekend or Return to forever nite) and pull out every one to try listen to. |
I suppose that I am not alone in listening to a relatively low number per month and rotating to a different group the next month. I had not listened to "PIGS EYE JASS Vol. 2" for decades but lately have been playing it very often. Recently got out my "DUKES OF DIXIELAND' recordings, which I bought in the early 60s and hadn't listened to in 40 years or so. |
I dont listen as much as i would like to...still on the weekends I manage to spend 2-3 hours listening, which sometimes developes into an all day affair...depends on what I have going...I dont have kids, so I have a good amount of free time. |
Dear Oilmanmojo: I know that for many of us our LPs are part of each one " collection " and as a collectors we try to " collect " almost everything we can but as audiophiles: how many of our LP's collections we hear each month?, I know that we heard/hear not only a very small number but we heard and listen frequently to our favorities.
Maybe we are listening not more than 400 different LPs over the time even maybe less.
Of course that we have two " hats " the LP's collector and the music lover one and even that are interrelated are two different subjects.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
About 2000, starting in about 1966. There was a big hiatus in the 80's and 90's, when a growing family was the priority. I restarted seriously in about 1998.
The kids, by the way, don't get any cheaper. Why does nowone tell you that before you start a family. Still costing me well into their 20's. Not that I begrudge a penny, sorry, cent. |
Ooops...just came across a yard sale... I tool all the stones, doors, zep, who, Beatles, kinks, who, Dylan, hendrix etc for nada...back yo to near 1k lps |
raul, nice add on question. I dont get to listen as much as i like but not unusual on weekend to do about 15-20 lp's listening to both sides. i do know there are a few that i have not listened to at some point but most i have listened too at least once. Some of my favorites i listen to each month. |
Craigslist is your friend.
There are billions of records out there and most people don't have the means to play theirs.
I had a huge score at a rained out yard sale.
The poor fellow came out and offered me the whole lot for $100.
I had to go get my truck and filled up the back with boxes and a couple of boxes on top of that.
I took what I wanted and sold the rest at $15 a foot, 3 foot minimum. The excess was gone in 3 hours and I made a profit and had thousands of albums for free.
The point is not that I am a genius, but that there is no reason to pay much for LPs.
I don't expect to get much for them when I sell but I enjoy them just as much as I could if I overpaid.
Ken |
Stopped counting a long time ago. The bell curve is still on the uptick and the beauty is in the hunt. The Nitty Gritty has held up well. |
Dear Tbromgard: Nice thread. I think that could be interesting to know how many of those big collection LPs are listening their owners by month?
Btw, I own around 6K+ an started in the 60's.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
I have about six or seven which is about one 25th of my hi rez downloads. I serv my need to figit and tinker by buying a pet. |
Started back in the late '60s with "The Monkeess" (RIP Davy Jones) and have been at it ever since, including still having the ones I bought back then, including an April 1973 Harvest DSOTM. Total is around 4K-4500 |
Bought my first record with 11th birthday money in 1974 -- now with ~3,000. |
3000+
I'm fortunate in that even before becoming aware of 'Audiophilia', and was playing records on an old BIC TT, I ALWAYS handled my records by the edges, seemed logical. Now I find a lot of my records that are 30-40 yrs old still sound very clean! Of course, running them thru the old Record Doctor helps! |
Not too many.
Maybe couple thousands.
95%NM/VG+ vinyl/jacket or better. |
Acquired my first lp in 1952, last count indicated 12,000 are present. Of course they are kept company by the 3000 cassettes, 4000 R2R, 1000 eight tracks and 6000 cd's. Will the madness ever stop? |
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I have around 3,000 Lps. From 1975 to about 1995, it took me 20 years to collect the first 2,000. I stopped buying LP's altogether in '95. All of the first 2,000 were purchased brand new. About 5 years ago a buddy was visiting my place and saw my turntables. He asked if I would like to have the jazz collection of his recently deceased 88 year-old father-in-law. I flew to Chicago, packed them in boxes and shipped them back to LA. More than 1,000 killer jazz LPs fell into my lap just like that.
I don't buy LP's anymore. I too have hundreds that I've purchased that I've never opened. Out of the thousand LPs that my buddy gave me, I've only played a handful of them in 5 years. I don't even play my cd's anymore. I mostly listen to Rhapsody or Pandora on my SqueezeBox.
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I have 6000+ LP's, accumulated over 2 years.
Average cost is less than 9 cents each.
I have stopped collecting for now.
Ken Over eight records a day essentially for free. And how did your Majesty accomplish that? Please do tell. |
Interesting, about four crates worth, I have not ever bothered to count them. Started in the late 70's and then tailed off buying in the late 90's getting into CD's for new music. Amazing how good so many of my records still sound so well even over my modest turntable which has been around a few decades. |
