Spreadsheet? I don' need no stinkin' spreadsheet. It's all in my head. I have three record storage areas on the first floor of our house and 3-4 more racks in the basement. In each location, LPs are arranged by alphabetical order according to musician, if jazz or R&B instrumental, or according to vocalist, if jazz or R&B vocal, or according to composer, if classical, or according to movie title, if movie soundtrack. But in my head is the idea of where in what cabinet or shelf on which floor of the house, to look for a particular LP. Making a spreadsheet would take much too much time. Soko, you must be particularly anal (the opposite of a hoarder) if you both keep a spreadsheet AND bother to sell LPs not in your regular rotation. That's perfectly OK by me, but you should accord the same tolerance to collectors or hoarders who hang on to thousands of LPs, if it makes them happy. For me, I can say it does.
Record collecting versus hoarding
At what point does "collecting" records become hoarding? Unless you are in the business of selling records either primarily or even secondarily, why do so many people here talk about having 2,3,4,6,10,000 records and CDs? It's not stamps or coins.
Let's say you listen to records 15 hours a week (a good estimate for me) that equates to about 750 hours a year or 1000 records a year. I like to listen to mine at least once every three months - I have 300 records and change. In the rare instance when I replace one for a better sounding one (I've done it maybe 4-5 times), I immediately sell the old one - with only one exception. The Sgt Pepper UHQR. I already had it on the Beatles Collection and do occasionally listen to it when I want a treat. It does sound better than the regular Mofi one, which sounds great to me.
Why would you have multiple copies of the same record and not just listen to the best sounding one and sell the rest?
Why would you want records you listen to less than once a year?
Maybe some people listen a lot more than me (and replace cartridges/styli pretty ofter or have a bunch of them)?
The reason I bring this up is because Acoustic Sounds is releasing Steely Dan's studio albums from the 1970s on their UHQR brand (not sure how they now own the name and not Mofi, but that is not the point), I am a huge fan and will be getting a few of these overpriced (IMHO) records, which will replace a few of my non-audiophile (except the Aja Mofi) records. I plan to sell the Aja Mofi immediately after getting the UHQR, which I am sure will sound much better. That is worth a few bucks, but the others I sell should be worth $10-15 in trade at a record store.
Anyone with records they play less than once a year or keep multiple pressings of a single album, please let me know your rationale.
Are you a hoarder? Too lazy to get rid of them? Like the way they decorate your room?
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@sokogear -guess what? the stuff in a collection I don't want gets sold, traded, etc. |
I started buying records when I was 16 in 1968. I have about 2,200 LP's now. I've been a net seller for several years now, and like other contributors here, I'll pull out a record and put it on, and if it doesn't deliver, I'll typically sell it to my local record store, even though I know I could get more if I sold it directly. That's just too much bother. What I'd like to add is that when I do sell a record, I like to think that there is someone out there who'll be excited to add that LP to their collection, and that's reassuring. The money usually ends up going to fishing gear.
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@lewm - I have tolerance for everybody, just not for those that have multiple copies of the same record and never listen to them who buy with the intent to scalp (except of course the dealers). Let anyone who wants a record get it for MSRP or less (Amazon).Those that are just disorganized or unaware hoarders can do what they do. You sound like you are aware of your hoarding, so like you say, you are not a hoarder. Personally, if I have to go down to the basement to get a record to play, it will never get played. My efficiency (anal if you must) mindset dictates that any record in my rotation (97% at this point) is within 1-2 steps of my turntable. Not bending down or opening a glass door is preferable, but not possible for about 2/3 of them. +1 @mkiser - 2200 is a lot, but it sounds like you use and value each record or you toss it. I only sell on line if it is particularly valuable or for some reason my local record store is trying to steal it from me. @mitchagain - I think for the most part, your circle of friends is representative. There are always exceptions. For example, my brother in law has 2-3K records all bought individually, and a very expensive set up (top of the line multi arm VPI, new CJ electronics, Vivid speakers) but he doesn't eve brush his records for dust before playing them, and I have even seen him remove dust from the stylus with his hands! He has cash to burn I guess as is not particularly into optimizing what he has purchased. That's a new category of audiophile, which is kind of oxymoronic, not really trying to constantly improve the sound. +1 @whart |
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