shamrocks

Im in Tennessee and mine was okay

oink and what really did change the world

Long live What.cd

i get it but if PUP can get 25K records on 10 variants i just wonder if it isnt getting a little better

i owe it to phil

Big thanks to both of you for responding in such detail, that’s exactly what I was looking for.
 
For @dawhizz, I’m truly impressed you’ve managed to integrate so much listening into your current lifestyle.  I think that’s great.  Growing up, my dad would always have a CD on the stereo or sound system and eventually I got to be an age where I could explore that for myself.  Granted, CDs are a little more durable than vinyl – and less valuable, for the most part – it was really cool getting to immerse myself in my dad’s tastes, even if he only owned a very humble collection of CDs across even less genres.  Seems to me like you’d be able to introduce your kids into a variety of fresh sounds if your collection is that large, and that’s really cool.
 
You’ve also really got the right idea about thumbing through the collection every few months to seek out the fluff.  These days I’m pretty particular with what I buy, but at the same time, my tastes aren’t what they were 10 years ago.  So while I do have some nostalgic albums and genres, like you said, there still comes a point where I need to ask myself “look, even for a trip down memory lane, you haven’t had any desire to spin this record in 2 full years.  Do you actually need it?”  I find myself at odds with… myself, really, over that question sometimes.  Which I’ll address below.  Point is, I think it’s super healthy to keep the collection clean and relevant.  As someone who still explores a lot of new albums from bands still making music – and new bands entirely – my record shelf can sometimes feel like a snake.  This organic thing that shifts and breathes on its own, never at a set number.  Never staying stagnant or bloating in size, but rather shedding its skin of stuff I just can’t see myself enjoying outside of the nostalgic Spotify stream once a blue moon.
 
@shamrocks, 3,000 is pretty nuts.  I can’t see why such a large chunk of your collection isn’t played.  You’ve only been amassing vinyl for a few years more than I, but you’re nearly double the size.  I can’t imagine.  Like you, there are times when I’ll get an album and it just won’t be the right time to throw it on.  Maybe I’ll have burnt myself out on it digitally before the vinyl finally ships 3 months later, or it’s clearly a summer kind of record but it arrives in the middle of winter.  I do like to crack open my orders to make sure nothing is chipped, or that I didn’t get 2 A/B records by mistake, and so on… but like you said, listening to music - in general - has been a really intimate thing for as long as I can remember.  Ritualistic, start to finish, even when I was a kid with CDs.  Over the years I have gotten pretty good at identifying what kind of mood I’m in when I throw an album on.  Some hours of the night, drone or shoegaze just scratches all the right itches, and I’ll decide to finally take out that random ambient record that showed up a month ago.
 
But also like you said - and to tie in with the internal debate above - sometimes it’s just nice to own this piece of art that brings you joy.  The same satisfaction could probably be obtained from a cassette or CD, sure, but for me I feel like vinyl has always been the pinnacle of hands-on physical media.  To know that I have access to this album that means so much to me, just a few feet away, with huge liner notes that I can immerse myself in, presented in a premium gatefold or box set… nothing beats it.  Anyone exclusively streaming their music is just missing out as far as I’m concerned.  So every now and then I do find myself asking if I’m owning something just for the sake of owning it all these years, or if I actually value the music and will find myself listening to it.
 
It’s no secret that I often talk down on nostalgia-core.  I think it’s a slippery slope to just amass every album that’s ever been appealing to you.  That’s why I really strive to monitor what I actually own and play, these days, to keep everything “relevant” I guess.  But sometimes I’ll have some old album that I was so proud to cop, or it’ll have the perfect variant to match the art, and I haven’t listened to the band in years… but I can’t quite bring myself to part with it.  I think it’s the comfort of having it, or the potential discomfort of knowing the packaging is awesome, the record is pressed great, it’s valuable, it’s out of print… and the one day I may itch to play it, I’ll begrudgingly play my digital copy and sigh, thinking “yeah… I used to own that one.”
 
So I’ve gotten better about that, for sure.  And like you, I really enjoy supporting the labels and artists that I know and love, when I can.  I think that’s hugely important, and now more than ever with touring being in such a wobbly state.
 
Anyways, much appreciate the insight from both you.  And am relieved to hear I’m not the only one who sees little to no value in a pile of 7”s. 🤷‍♂️

good question
 
im at about 3K and been collecting for ~15 years pretty hardcore from minute one. I am trying to whittle down the variants but probably have around 200 duplicates.
 
Less than half of my collection has seen the needle, although Im working on playing a record a day and maybe will eventually have played everything I own (doubtful). i do love the intimacy it. Im lucky because I have a dedicated space for it and I can play anything I want within reason, but 
 
Im not a framer nor do I want to keep things mint. I do use this hobby as a way to support artists and shops (and labels like graveface and joyful noise) and so I feel that the physical product has emotional value for me. I listen to most of my music at work or in the car, but it makes me feel more connected to know I own the physical media. Silly, perhaps, but we all have our things and I dont hunt or fish, own a boat or motorcycle, and it keeps me from buying other dumb stuff.
 
my kids have really taken to collecting as well, so thats fun, and Im letting them pick off pieces here and there.
 
Ill almost never play a 7" unless its one of the kooky ones that I find at JNR or some of the vanity presses.

a little surprised that I didnt see this on the patreon, did anyone see it mentioned anywhere?

While I cannot help you with a solution, I would like to commend you for an A+ first post

oh wow thats hilarious. this showed up on the feed of new posts for me.

oh wow thats hilarious. this showed up on the feed of new posts for me.

scott should probably get writing credit on I Need some Of That, huh?

scott should probably get writing credit on I Need some Of That, huh?

That happened to me once - same deal, I relisted automatically after cancelling a best-offer who flaked.
I can't remember how long ago, but I don't think this is a 'new' new thing.

4/9...49...everything $49 shipped!

4/9...49...everything $49 shipped!

Offerings was really really top 10 of 2018 good

Yeah its a great looking record, shame about the spindle. I will say, I think most of us were expecting something comically large, I could totally see how this could happen, especially without center labels, which actually may/do support the edge of the spindle hole somewhat

long the song, love JLM, love the pink. lets do this

You looking to trade for a Benji?

It’s solid. We’re playing a show with them tomorrow. Pumped to hear the tracks live. 

havent read others thoughts on this but PFS-Waves is exactly what Im here for. Love this album.
 

i gotta say, its a bit refreshing to see a reasonably priced preorder for once

Shouldnt you be distressed, instead of bummed? Or is that just a pipe dream...

Shouldnt you be distressed, instead of bummed? Or is that just a pipe dream...