Album Purging - seeking advice

Hi everyone. I have a Third World problem, but nonetheless, I literally sort of lose sleep over it. I need help to know the best way to purge albums. Space is getting tighter and tighter and I am now in my 60s, so my system is as revealing as it’s going to be (financially) and it is quite good now. So I will be able to let go second and third and fourth copies of certain albums. But that’s not the bulk of the problem. Pardon the Pun. The problem is a bulk of 3000 or so albums (I am not exaggerating) with often ratty covers, and albums that proliferated the 70s and 60s and some 80s, so not of extreme value. And I do check discogs and such, but I know there are no butcher cover Beatles or anything like it.

To go back, I gave away my albums when CDs came out. But then in the late 90s early 2000s, on a teacher salary, I would buy albums of varying qualities in lots on eBay that was just beginning, and I would buy albums from thrift stores. Only in the last 10 years have I purchased albums specifically of very good quality and particular pressings in some cases. However, I did luckily, buy mobile fidelity when I could and some others that I love. But these eBay, garage sale, thrift store, finds have led me to amass about 3000 albums. I always thought I would enjoy just listening to unfamiliar music of any genre even when I was unfamiliar and did not know the artist, title or even genre in some cases.  And I realize now that only seems to work every so often (to discover something new to me that I love). 

And I’m to the point where I would love to love all the albums I have, and not have to dig through so much to find what I want to listen to.

I will say that I clean all of my records before playing on my VPI record machine. So, even if they have crappy covers, which many do, and even with ticks and pops, or even slight scratches, the albums, I know and love - I still know and love even if not the best condition. And sometimes I’ll just re-purchase a better one if I know that I cherish it.  But I realize now that I’m in my 60s, I don’t even have time to listen to every one of these to see if I love them. And actually, some I’ve listened to lately I thought I would really love to have, but I will listen and think I don’t think I ever want to hear that again, or need to, in this format. So I would like to pare down a lot. And I can give them away and sell the better ones. And I’m not a true audiophile, but I finally have a Luxman L 505UX and I play my albums on a Rega P6, with dv20x2low cart and use Sutherland phono stage which is better than one in Luxman. And I use the new Super Lintons on their stands. And I have good room setup and all of that. And, yes, I will always want to hear vinyl even with streaming options.

So, I know this may seem like a dumb problem to some, but it matters to me and I seek wisdom from thise of you who have been through this or have a method in place not to get to this point. The albums I’m talking about probably have not that much value, so I’m just looking at the best way to decide what to keep and what to just go ahead and let go and I know it’s a personal matter and I know that I love all genres of music, but I would love to know the path you’ve taken, or have thought of taking if you understand this dilemma. I’m sure I’ll be back later to discuss the excess equipment I have, which is heavy and does have some value, but requires energy to deal with. And I don’t really wanna discuss it, but I do have some auto immune issues that have occurred despite a lifetime of taking good care of this body, and it does affect my energy levels. In the past I would buy and sell heavy stuff all the time and now that’s a bit more daunting. But that’s for another day. Please help advise if you can and if this is not your cup of tea dance or just move along. Thanks in advance! I am wide open to all sorts of suggestions. And I do think it will be liberating to part with some stuff, and I seem to have been a hoarder.