Best Ways to Organize a Classical Record LP Collection ?

Whichever way you like is best. 💡

Hi Mapman

Sure - this is why the thread title is "Best Ways"
The others here have provided their input on what worked best for them. I can’t tell you and the others how much this helped me - time is priceless and the suggestions have saved me a ton of time.
Would like to know what method worked best for your classical record collection if you want to share.  

Cheers

Classical .... by composer.

Jazz ... by instrument ... except for the West Coast jazz groups and big bands. They  have their own sections. 

Jazz ... by instrument? That would drive me crazy. Bags & Trane - which instrument? 
Mingus Big Band - West Coast, Big Band or Bass(or piano for that matter)? LOL, different strokes...

Jazz, Rock, Folk, anything but classical, soundtracks and compilations all are easiest to sort by Artist or Primary Artist. 

Classical frustrates me, know matter how I organize, it isn't great thanks to some albums having a common thread of composer/orchestra/soloist/genre/label. No matter which way I sort, a few LPs manage to hide in the shadows when I hunt for them. At the end of the day I choose to alphabetize based on the main thing that makes me think of that album, so most Bach goes under B, "Best Military Marches" under M and "Soundtrack to Amadeus" under A.

Multi-field database sorting is one the primary joys of digital music. IMHE, it's good news that digital playback is getting so much better than it has been until recently. Cheers,
Spencer

As a classical recording dealer since 1985(Try Tone Records), I chose to adopt a version of Dave Canfield's(Ars Antiqua) method. First sort by categories(Audiophile,conductor, violin,piano ,opera,choral,organ,modern,....). Inside the category organize by alphabet for dominant composer/performer. At the end of category place anthologies if you have no dominant individual and perhaps sort these by title or label. My customers are more likely to ask for Svatoslav Richter LP than any old performance of a Beethoven sonata. This is also the way I am organizing my fledgling web site(trytoneclassical.com). As the possessor of a Master of Science in Library and Information Sciences, let me assure you that there are a multitude of approaches to classification. Your primary interest and the ease of satisfying that may end up paramount. LS