I have also come to that point. I have about 5,000 lp's. I started going thru mine about six months ago. I am organizing them in three groups. Group one is going to a thrift store. These are in nice condition, but not mint. Group two will be put back and stored for now. These are near mint but not listened to. Group three will be kept in my music room. These I plan to enjoy.
LP records: Time to... oi... buy another crate...?
OK, I'm not asking you what I should do, I'm asking what you did and, in retrospect, what you think about it. I was doing my annual assessment of my LP collection this winter, running cleaning fluid through the VPI 16.5, listening, and deciding what "VG" copy needs to be upgraded to a "NM" and what holes still need to be filled. I've never considered myself a "collector" and have attempted to "collect" only what I wish to listen to. I'm now at a crux: I've just about exceeded the "magic number" of LPs that I can reasonably expect to enjoy if blessed with a normal lifespan. I'll be one of those old guys, God bless 'em, whose survivors give his collection away to anybody who will take that pile of non-digital whatever.
For my sanity, I need to decide before Springtime whether to keep upgrading or housing multiple copies of stuff I really like (Do I need two copies of my favorites, just in case? How many versions of Quatour pour la fin du temps do I need? Do I really need mono and stereo versions of all my favorite 1958-1967 stuff? Should I upgrade my later Blue Note "player" pressings to early presses and/or 45RPM remasters? Will I really enjoy critically listening to six early copies of Aja one evening to determine which one is the "keeper?"), or just listen to what I have, get rid of what I don't think I'll play, and buy a new release now and then. I think I need to do this because managing the "collection" is now probably preventing me from enjoying it. I'm tempted to visit some of the local used bargain bin sellers with a stack for each, take whatever they offer me, and let somebody else make some lucky finds.
I'm not asking for advice or counseling, I just want to hear from those of you who also reached this point, which way you went, and how much enjoyment you get out of whatever you decided to do. If you decided to radically downsize and listen to everything you have, to "use it or lose it," how many did you keep? Do you miss any, or do you enjoy the remainder all the more? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
For my sanity, I need to decide before Springtime whether to keep upgrading or housing multiple copies of stuff I really like (Do I need two copies of my favorites, just in case? How many versions of Quatour pour la fin du temps do I need? Do I really need mono and stereo versions of all my favorite 1958-1967 stuff? Should I upgrade my later Blue Note "player" pressings to early presses and/or 45RPM remasters? Will I really enjoy critically listening to six early copies of Aja one evening to determine which one is the "keeper?"), or just listen to what I have, get rid of what I don't think I'll play, and buy a new release now and then. I think I need to do this because managing the "collection" is now probably preventing me from enjoying it. I'm tempted to visit some of the local used bargain bin sellers with a stack for each, take whatever they offer me, and let somebody else make some lucky finds.
I'm not asking for advice or counseling, I just want to hear from those of you who also reached this point, which way you went, and how much enjoyment you get out of whatever you decided to do. If you decided to radically downsize and listen to everything you have, to "use it or lose it," how many did you keep? Do you miss any, or do you enjoy the remainder all the more? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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