So far I own around 300 vinyl albums all purchased in a last 20 years. Even while I listen to for about 10 albums a week it seems I want to keep adding more and more to my library. I wonder if there is a point when one says it's enough, there is no point to add more as there is no time or an interest to listen to them all. How many do you have? How much time it look to put it together? How many of them do you really listen?
I play CD's, but there isn't a thread for that on this subject. I have about 2200, and there are a good number of them that I rarely listen to, but I want to have a well rounded collection, so even those rarely heard titles are important to me, because I look at it as a library of varied genres, mostly well known as well as some obscure. Every two years or so, I go through and cull out some titles that I decided I really don't like, and have no further interest in listening to in the future.
I have perhaps 1,000 +or- 100. Like miller carbon said "who bothers to count their LPs. All have been acquired since 1983 after a major burglary at my home got all my LPs. The goofy fool burglars go all my LPs and left the much more valuable stereo equipment behind.
I used to own 1100 sold them for $1,700 all VG -VG +,Now I have about 1,000 most in VG + to Near Mint,2500 cds about 50 box sets ,plus 500 cassettes, Some RtR prerecorded and blank.
My collection is both small and large. Its missing so much of what I would want. Yet I have at least 800 classical records I have not even listened to yet ( bought a huge lot at auction ).
I have around 3,000 LP’s. I have an excellent analog rig....and I rarely play my vinyl. I also own an excellent digital rig, which is much more convenient to play, and its sound is easily equal to my LP’s. However rarely I play my vinyl, I’ll never sell it. I love looking at my record accumulation that I started in college, I am now 68 years old. I never consciously collected my records, I bought them over a 50 year period...one day I woke up and there were 3,000 records on the shelves. It works the same way as the stuff in your garage, you never intended to collect all that stuff in there, but you woke up 20 years later with an incredible accumulation of stuff in there.
I'm impressed (or shocked) at the large quantities of records that many members have accumulated. I only have about 250, even if you count the double disc albums. I only add if I see something interesting. I was in an antique store recently and found a Nautilus copy of Moody Blues' "On the Threshold of a Dream" LP. I took a chance, and despite the ticks and pops, found it so well recorded that I was glad I bought it. Yesterday, I listened to a couple early Beatles (UK/Japanese) albums. It reminded me that I need to do that more often.
Over 4000, I am sure. Not quite 5000. 60% classical, 15% Jazz, 15% Rock/Pop/Folk/Metal, 10% the rest (easy listening, country, sound tracks, ...) Need to get rid of those I seldom listen to or those not in at least VG+. Over 1000 CDs with same genres.
@chakster sounds like you have an amazing collection. i love a lot of that same music and own a few gems, but i'm not above reissues if the ogs are scarce enough- can't afford to be at this point! some older diggers of my acquaintance built A1 r&b/funk/soul collections in the mid 90s-early 00s because the vinyl was so cheap. some of those guys could retire now if they sold their records off, but they never will!
My system is 100% analog since the 90s, I sold all my CDs more than 20 years ago. Since 1998 I was a co-owner of the record store for DJs and went on my own with another record section in two different locations in downtown. It was not the best time for vinyl, but it was way before domination of online dealers and stores over the physical record stores.
I sold about 10 000 records locally over the years, it was 17 years ago. European distributors supplied great new records for decent prices back then.
Since 2004 I buy records online from all over the world (private dealers, online stores whatever), slowly I stopped buying re-issues at all. My passion is original vinyl from the 70s. Some of the Soul and Funk discoveries on 45s dramatically increased its market value. Collectors trading and selling records, sometimes you have to sell some to buy some more.
I decided to keep only what I really like, so at the moment I have about 2000 records, some of them are very rare with typical market value of $100-300, some are extremely rare with much higher market value, and some nice cheapies too.
Nowadays I mostly looking for perfectly recorded Jazz-Funk LPs from the 70s, but also Brazilian stuff from the early 80s.
Anyway, monitoring digital sources for music from the past it’s still hard to find particular sound that I like today, so I wish to buy more, but sometimes it’s impossible simply because I don’t like 99% of what i hear on youtube and in some podcasts etc :)
I remember each record from my collection and can reproduce it in my mind, often in my dreams.
I've got probably 3 or 4 thousand, down from about 10 at the peak. Everything that survived The (latest) Purge is elite and gets spinned. Still too many though - i'm just sentimental about stupid stuff. There are so many great records out there, and the older i get, the more i realize how little i've heard. It's a lifelong thing for me, for better or worse - the journey never ends. YMMV
Around 200 or so at present but slowly build them up again. Like many of the rest of us, I bought CD's in favour of records in the 1990's when CD became more "fashionable" In hindsight, that was a big mistake. Should have bought more vinyl..
About 3000, my favorite 300 of which are on browser shelves. I’ve listened to those 300 many times. Starting to branch out to the rest of my collection which are less accessible.
I have about 475 albums. I stopped counting at 450. Most (350+) are mine purchased over 48 years, the others are from family. Every Saturday morning I was at Sam Goody’s buying records from age 9 until they closed up. I would have more if it weren’t all those diapers from 1998-2003, along with having to box up my system because my kids got their hands on everything. 1 tweeter and 2 cartridges were enough for me to pack up until they were much older. I listen to something “new” every other day or so beyond what’s in heavy rotation.
I have just under 100, But I have only been into Vinyl since Jan 2021. I buy 15-20 a month online. Been hitting Acoustic Sounds pretty hard recently I think I have 82 on wish list and 30 on notify. Bought a lot via Amazon but not very happy with some and fairly let down with the experience (I have a Greta Van Fleet I ordered a month ago that won't arrive until June 22). I am working 7-12s so I have money to order new more than time to bin browse at least right now. I tend to listen to 6 LPs in a sitting, and tend to like Moods more than specific genres. I tend towards Female vocalists, Jazz, Blues, good classic rock, and Male crooners. But like GOOD music of any style.
I get a lot of joy from my LP music collection. I buy one to four LP's a month. I listen to at least 300+ a year. Many more than once. My wife and I enjoy listening in a living room vintage setup. My son has a deck in his bed room. My good deck and gear in basement along with majority of LP's. I'm ashamed of how my large collection is so disorganized I've no clue what I own. Three large Ikea wall shelfs full of LP's. About eight or ten cubicles are high quality LP's bought new the past 15 years? The remaining are a mix of good used and "listenable" used. Mostly classic rock but Blues and Jazz as well.
I seriously need to organize and catalog this mess. To be honest I'm very ADD an it's difficult for me to start the task of organizing my collection.
am right behind @ebm, count wise, have just under 5K, mostly classical and 50s jazz, with about 8% rock/pop. Had to build shelving units to hold them all.
I have about 2050 cataloged in Discogs and perhaps a thousand or so more that are yet to be cataloged. I buy more every week. I have a an excellent system and prefer vinyl to digital (I also have about 3000 CD's give or take). I started collecting vinyl around age 12, migrated to almost all CD's in the 90's and returned to vinyl (with a vengeance) about a decade ago after setting up my old turntable just to see if I could hear a difference after listening to digital exclusively for almost twenty years. I was floored at how much of the music, presence, dimensionality, and emotion I had been missing when I did that needle-drop. I stopped buying CD's on that day and have been buying new and used vinyl ever since. I've come to the conclusion that life's too short to listen to digital and I prefer the medium over all others-- but it sure took me a long time to realize that!
About 9000. I’ve been collecting since 1973 during a stint in the Navy. The Navy Exchange sold new for $5 a pop back then. During 9 months on Guam we bought a ton of albums. Mostly a 100 70’s RnB and the rest are jazz. We can’t get enough jazz you know.
About 3000. I have easy access to about 300 prime records, so I usually rotate through them. Wish I had easier access to the rest, but they’re on an obstructed bottom shelf. Lately, however, since I got a new streamer, my primary listening is in streaming. Have to get back to those records!
I had over 1100 lps collected over 55 years which I sold 5 years ago.I have rebought about 500 back .Years ago I only had one turntable with I used all the time .Now I have 8 lol ,which I dont use .I'm joking I do have 8 but use a Nad 588 with blue Ortofon cart.But I don't use it enough I play more cds.
There’s about 65-85 LPs in a linear foot. Depends on the thickness of the vinyl and the sleeves. So, the someone with 5 linear ft has about 375 LPs. When I moved, there were 88 boxes 13 x 13 x 13. That was about 75 LPs per box (excl boxes for the 78s and 45s).
I have 6,000+ LPs, about 300 78s, about 200 45s. I started collecting when I was 9. I’m almost 67 now so that’s a lifetime of collecting, about 100 LPs per year. My first LP was 12 X 5 by The Rolling Stones.
The LPs are about as follows: 25% Afro-Cuban, 35% classical, 40% everything else (blues, jazz, gospel, reggae, soukous, tango, country, country western, bluegrass, zydeco, folk, rock, 50s-60s-70s-80s, punk, new wave, rock ‘n roll, disco, swing, Tex mex, world musics, etc. almost no rap or hip hop).
I listen to about 500 regularly. I would say that I listen to each one more or less at least once over the course of 6 years. Some are still unopened. Some I have only because guests will ask to hear them (most of the disco for example), or because they are good dance LPs for parties. Some are duplicates.
To the person who reduces collectors to neurotic hoarders: Yes, I “collect” LPs. I “collect” books. I also happen to get use out of them.
that said, I’m planning on weeding out about 1,500 LPs via eBay.
I usually don't plan what I'm going to listen to when I fire up the stereo. Maybe I'll cue up Qobuz or Primephonic and look at what's featuring on their home pages. I might click on something...more often than not something I've never heard before. Then again, maybe their home pages might inspire me to go to my CD or LP shelves. Or else, I might go to one of my pet websites, such as Fiddle Hangout. I'll click on something a contributor has posted (maybe a YouTube, a historic old performance or a self-recorded vid/mp3). I'll route it through the hi-fi. The world is my musical oyster.
About 300 of which I listen to 90% of them, on the average 4 times a year. I think if you don't listen to them at least once a year, it's a waste of space and $$. Do the math. For me it's more of a limit of what I would play than a top number. Some artists get played more than others (Miles, Steely Dan, Beatles, Wes Montgomery, Milt Jackson, Pat Metheny, Stan Getz, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne, Coltrane, Grateful Dead, Linda Ronstadt, Boz Scaggs, Jimmy Smith, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd immediately come to mind) and they are rotated almost evenly within each artist collection.
Most are audiophile pressings and I add maybe 10 a year, trying to make sure they will be in the higher playing frequency category.
703 albums here......over 40 years. A lean collection. 550 of these I purchased at thrift stores, in the epoch when whole NM collections were being dumped. Virtually free. I've only purchased 150 new albums. I have not had a good experience of buying new vinyl without defects, so I mainly concentrate on original issues from the '50s and '60s....jazz and jazz singers. Contemporary jazz I buy always on CD, which has become an excellent medium.
I have around 500 vinyl LP’s. I would have at least another 200 if not for a flood about 25 years ago. The flood carried off the vinyl records I collected during my youth in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Most of those records were in great shape so that was a tough loss. Around 200 of the LP’s were gifted to me when everyone else was switching to digital. I was the sole analog holdout amongst my friends and acquaintances. Many of the LP’s from friends are not in the best of shape and I’ve spent a good deal of time cleaning them. Very few of my LP’s, maybe only about 15, are reissued recordings pressed within the last 10 years. I would say that about 50 of the LP’s get 75% of the play on my turntable. I listen to a lot of jazz and classical on FM and stream some music. When I play my LP’s I really want to listen, so I wind up playing recordings that give me a great deal of pleasure.
I've got about 500 or so; used to have way more than that before I sold a bunch when CD's came out. Most of what I have are ones I got for free when I was in the record business in the 70's and early 80's. Sometimes I look for newer things, but not very often...
I have around 4,000 LPs - classical, jazz and pop. The movers messed up my filing when we moved a few years ago, and we have just finished resorting. I took the opportunity to sift for duplicates and albums I really didn't want to keep and am sending 6 moving boxes to the local vinyl store.
And yes, when I have the time to sit down and do serious listening, it is almost always to vinyl. I have as large a digital collection and it gets used for background and for serious listening when I don't have the material duplicated on vinyl.
I am 49 and got into vinyl for the first time about 15 years ago. My buying criteria was let's say not too selective in the beginning....lol. I was simply so excited to be spinning records and loving every moment. The past 5 or so years I have been adding more audiophile recordings and am around 1000 in total. I added 100 in 2020 and already 39 YTD. If you load your collection into Discogs this is an easy stat to determine. I listen around 50-60 hours a week. I have been working from home throughout the pandemic so the stereo is on most of every day. I was talking to an audio buddy this week about this and I probably need to remove at least 100-200 as I never touch them. I already have about 200 that I officially decided to not touch but haven't done anything with them. There is an exciting listening library being constructed in our old Sears warehouse/distribution/retail center here in Memphis(Crosstown Concourse). EgglestonWorks has partnered with them to set up their speakers in this music library that will be open to the public. Not sure mine would be wanted but I may offer to them as a donation.
2,000+ and I listen to 4-5-6 per week. I acquired a few big collections so it will take me years to listen to all of them, but maybe one day... When I'm retired.
I own roughly 1000 albums. I listen to about 100 -the Beatles and Beach Boys remasters, Electric Light Orchestra. The Frank Zappa instrumental albums. In jazz, Carla Bley and Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan discs with big bands backing them.
I can't say an actual number but about 10ft. worth. With the advent of streaming and being able to listen to anything- its given rise to buying more. Seeking out albums from years ago that you've discovered from streaming- and never mind discovering new stuff. It'll stop when I can't make it to the store or click here. I will say I'll only buy an album if I like the majority of the album and not one or two songs. I try to keep it to - all killer no filler. And when I get into a musical rut, I go back to the classics. I suggest that for everyone- whatever that may be for you! happy listening!
I have at least 8k albums to listen to and i play them all at one time or another but it took me about the last 40 years to put it all together and assemble the collection.
Oh dear, by the sounds of most of your posts I belong in the extreme nutcase part of the world. I started collecting records when I was 12 and have never stopped. It is a familial curse that I share with all 4 of my siblings. I don't know precisely, but I know that I have between 13,000and 14,000 LPs and between 9,000 and 10,000 CDs. I have just over 13,000 cataloged on CATrax. My friend who is a really good contractor is worried about how much it all weighs because most everything is on the third floor, but until we can afford to finish the basement, que sera, sera. I worry more about the sequoia that is maybe 30 to 40 ft around at the base and is 29 ft from the house and both worries seem sort of silly at my age.I listen to all kinds of music including western classical, blues, jazz, music from various folk traditions and popular traditions, especially Celtic, reggae, African, Chinese, while mainly and above all being a rocker. I have a musical game I invented many years ago to help shuffle what I play as well as choosing emotionally.
How many? I really do not know. They used to be in every room of the house except the bathrooms until my sweetie built me a 1000 sq. ft. “music room” for them, my equipment, the piano, and the HT (I am an INCREDIBLY lucky man). My sweetie says she is glad it is that instead of a boat or a girlfriend. I have 180 feet (about 55 m) of shelf space full. I teach a course on west coast jazz; 6979 of the jazz are catalogued, but the rock, R&B, classical, folk, comedy, experimental, electronic, etc. are not (yet). Yes, there is no country. My best guess: around 13,000. No, I was never a DJ. Except for about 3500 of the classical, I purchased all of them beginning about 1956. The 3500 were a gift from a nun who was retiring to, in her words, the old nuns’ home. Those were mostly vocal and there were only about a dozen duplicates with my existing collection. She used to teach voice and was working on her Ed.D. at age 81. She was the nun in the Canadian film “The Company of Strangers” [“Strangers in Good Company” in the US] who tried to repair the truck. I have not heard all of hers (yet). I have listened to all the others at least once. I listen to vinyl every day. It is what I do instead of Valium, Xanax, Prozac, Norco, THC, EtOH…or worse! I still buy new vinyl as well as cruise the used record stores wherever we travel. Lately it has been the Blue Note Tone Poet series. I know that we will have to downsize within the next few years, but I have no idea what I will do then. Perhaps the archives at the Conservatory of music at the local university may be interested?
I probably have less then a 100. I am always tempted to buy more and more but I try to be selective. First of all, I want to make sure it's an album I want to listen to all the way through.
Also, I have limited space, so I simply cannot have an endless supply which brings me back to being selective in what I buy.
I had about 2000, but after moving three times in four years, I reduced that number to about 600 of my favorites. I also have about 1450 cd’s and SACDs that I’ve ripped and put on a NAS. Music plays in this house 3-7 hours a day.
About 1200-1300 LP’s. I am very lazy these days and mostly listen to FM stereo. My collection is 70% Rock, 15% Jazz and 15% Classical. I spin vinyl at most, twice a month due to my extreme laziness.
About 2000 lp's, what to choose, depends. Though i admit my classical collection is partially neglected in terms of listening for the moment. For me 3k to 4k would be a good library.
Several months ago, I bought a pre-owned higher end turntable. I sold most of my records when I sold my last turntable a couple of years ago. I have around 250 records now, mostly reissues. I'm still working my way through the ones I bought recently. I have become a dedicated headphone listener and the CD format is just so easy. I'm even considering selling my Nakamichi cassette deck as I simply can't find the time to enjoy all the formats.
It is interesting to learn from reading the other posts on this thread that most of us, or most of you, don’t own more than 1000 LPs. In my opinion, there really is a lot to be gained from having a large number of LPs. Because in that way you can occasionally enter a Time Machine and revisit different areas of your past life when this or that artist might have taken your fancy, and maybe now you forgot about that music. I really would not be happy with fewer than 1000 LPs at this late stage of my life. Maybe in fact 1500 is a minimum for me. A few years ago I inherited 900 LPs from my dearest audiophile friend who passed away at that time. I culled them from his 6000 LP collection. And I am fairly sure that his wife gave away the remainder after I took what I wanted. That is what put me up to the 2500 LP mark mentioned above. I truly enjoy listening to any of his 900 LPs. They’re all premium pressings in mint condition. It brings me closer to the days when he and I used to listen at his house on his system.
I have 300 or so records of the 78 rpm variety. I enjoy listening to them when I'm in the mood. A great juxtaposition to the main rig. Especially when I run across a track in 78 that I have on CD.
And, I now realize: the idea of leaving the equipment and content to others has been made ridiculous by their preference for digital played thru nothing big or special. IF special, compact speakers, not big horns.
I certainly had too many (2,500) and now dealing with the 4,000 I just inherited, so around 6,500, WAY TOO MANY, THOUSANDS TOO MANY. (leaving a bit of extra space, around 90 lf).
Even if I sell/give away 3,500 that leaves me with 3,000, still WAY TOO MANY. I’ve got to keep less, especially since I have spent so much time upgrading the past year: TT; 3 Arms(MC,MM, Mono); /3 input SUT. mx110z with wonderful phono stage is now in rehab at Audio Classics (new gold plated input/output boards, YAY).
And, I now only listen to well recorded Mono (many, including 20’s, 30’s, 40’s are un-expectantly good), and Superior Sounding Stereo (many are not).
Mine were alphabetical (a few years ago, I fooled myself into believing I was done buying). Prior inheritances, my purchases, and many given to me when friends ditched them for CD. Many of those are not my taste, many of those are near mint, others, including some of mine beat to crap. I never bothered weeding mine, until now, to merge with the new ones.
I was already cleaning and selling individual LP’s on eBay to make room for new purchases (hard when alphabetized). (new rule: 1 in/2 out). Buying new to me and fresh copies of worn favorites.
First, (small interior garage of small split-level house) I had to buy 9 tall rolling shelving racks (5 to deal with our existing stuff) and 4 for the inherited lps (60 lf) (existing 30 lf). Happily they came with twenty 3 ft library shelves, maple with recessed metal tracks for movable dividers
Second I am FAST SORTING out of boxes to shelves: keep/sell/give away. Pretend they never existed, just decide: keepers go on the 3 easier to reach middle shelves; top and bottom shelves to go. Who needs 20 or more Louis Armstrong ...?
Third, have several friends over, one at a time, take anything they want. Anyone near Plainfield, NJ?
Fourth, have 4 nearby big buyers come here, make me a bulk offer for the top and bottom rows. They may also cherry-pick my keepers after that.
Fifth: Alphabetize Party: good weather, folding tables in driveway, lively music, beer, pizza.
Sixth: another fast weed, another bulk sale.
............................................
Exciting problem to have, and Donna’s behind me 100% as always.
~4000 When vinyl ended the first time, as well as a great deal of other classical vinyl, I bought many Decca and some other opera boxes, all used with 50s labels. Mostly mint or VG++, it appears opera fans didn't listen very often. I knew I had little interest in opera but these are wonderful performances by great artists most of whom have since left us, recorded and pressed by the premier company in the golden period. Irresistable. Many of them I have never heard.
I have been collecting vinyl since 1963, peaking in the 1980s/90s. Now I often reprise the whole output of a particular artist or composer in chronological order, interspersed with a few other discs, usually ones I haven't played in decades.
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