Comments on: How We Listen & How We Collect

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 01:34:44 +0000

Humanity have always been collectors and I get that BUT if you look at people that collect automobiles and never drive them, collect wine and never drink them etc etc etc…..AND collect records and never play them you start to have the overwhelming sensation of the absolute absurdity of humanity. On the other hand at least with paintings you can look at them and with records you can listen to them if we choose to. To collect “something” and not actually enjoy that said item is not collecting but simply being a pack rat, no matter how much money you spend. Obviously everybody is going to have a different definition of “enjoyment” but I buy records to listen to them, simple as that.

By: Mike Franden

Mike Franden — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 21:03:07 +0000

I have collectors disease, but I look at as being an audio archivist. I add only music I’m interested in and will play. I cop to having unopened vinyl, which is just “Vinyl waiting for the right moment”. Buying as an investment is not my primary motive. However, should I be somewhere and see a mint copy of “X” in the $2 bin or at an estate sale and I buy a Mosaic box set for $3.00, then it is not an investment, but it adds the overall value of my collection and makes me happy. I too have over 100 Ellington records and I listen to them, all the time. One day, I won’t have the extra green to buy vinyl, so I’m on a bit of a binge right now. Price and condition are important, but not as important as what is in the grooves.

By: psag

psag — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 18:36:23 +0000

Nothing wrong with just collecting just to collect. No need to play them. If you have the collector’s ‘disease’, collecting is its own reward. There are many other perfectly good ways to hear this music.

If collecting was limited to the records that we actually have time to play, prices would certainly fall. Whether that is good or not depends on one’s particular situation. Personally, I’m nearly done with purchasing, so I would rather see prices stay high.

By: geoffrey wheeler

geoffrey wheeler — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:55:26 +0000

When I was young, I used to go down the cape with family and then later, with friends. My family shared a summer rental of a cottage on a side street just up from what became the Kennedy Compound. The Kennedy’s took over the public beach and made it their own. Typical! On one visit to Provincetown when I was in my twenties, I photographed two friends standing in front of a club that offered live jazz. Is there any live jazz left in Provincetown?

By: Fredrik

Fredrik — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 17:09:50 +0000

Records deserves to be played. They are beautiful and they need to be played. I think it seriously defeats the whole purpose of collecting records if you don’t play them. Let a museum keep them untouched for the preservation aspect, but as a music lover… they cannot just sit there on a shelf. It’s the same with having too many records which you can’t possibly find the time to play, they just sit there on a shelf… I’m just saying, for me, records put on a shelf to collect dust, for fear of wear, is a type of collecting that seems to be without the soul, for fear of losing money on your investment… invest in something that wasn’t meant to be played like fine art or company stock. Leave the records to people who love to spin them, like they were made to do… you can sit and look at the records and enjoy that excitement that you own that 1st pressing… but for the love of god, play them from time to time… it’s almost comical to me, the notion to own records and don’t play them… if you don’t play them, and it’s not about the investment, the fear of losing money if you play them, then you can buy copies with jackets in great shape and with VG vinyls, cause you only look at them, right? You don’t play them so the quality of the vinyl playback isn’t important, or? But I think it’s about the money for the most part, when you don’t play the records… I just think that’s sad…

By: Adamski

Adamski — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:30:53 +0000

enjoy the records, we are here for a moment, make the most of it!

By: ian shadwick

ian shadwick — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:47:47 +0000

sorry , my name did not appear on previous comment

By: Just like to encourage

Just like to encourage — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:46:28 +0000

Just like to encourage you to dig out those 100 Ellington’s . Some fine music exists amongst the mountain of recordings he made. Once you get past the “greatest hits” and crowd pleasing stuff
you can find some fine ,ageless music . Money Jungle , Such sweet thunder , Piano in the foreground and New Orleans suite just for starters .I took time to explore Ellington many years back and it was well worth while and the stuff I found still gets a spin .

By: don-lucky

don-lucky — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:17:58 +0000

Maybe it’s the crisp fall air starting to creep in, or the poverty brought about by spending too much on summer getaways that keeps me off ebay… But lately, I too find myself have even started pulling out some of the old favorites, especially those original first pressings I’ve managed to have signed over the years from behind their glass sarcophagus’ homes prominently displayed here on my office wall… The shear joy and excitement of taking out a fragile museum or investment piece again and putting it on the turntable to actually enjoy is almost euphoric and instantly brings back the excitement of yesteryears big scores ! …Then when the LP has played its last note, reality comes crashing down, along with a brief moment of panic as I whisk the LP back into its sleeve, and return it to the safety and security of its home behind 1/8″ of UV Rated glass !

“Guilty pleasure” foot note this past weekend: Mint condition, original first pressing signed copy of Sonny Rollin’s Night at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note 1581) played on the turntable for the first time since it was signed by Sonny and put it behind glass… I think his fingerprints are still on the cover !!! The LP never sounded so good I swear…

By: Steve B

Steve B — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 18:26:58 +0000

I’m not usually one to begrudge anyone their way of doing something they enjoy, but I will admit that the “I’m just buying them to make money” aspect of buying vinyl doesn’t sit well with me at all. Loving them and not playing them is one thing (not my bag but that’s fine), but just grabbing to make some dough doesn’t feel like love to me. Plus it’s the reason I don’t find things in shops half the time, someone else has grabbed it to make a buck. Gets frustrating when that drives up the price because there’s 5 middlemen involved before I get it. Just my 2 cents.