Anyone collect vinyl?

[Azmontana]

Hello All,

I know nothing about vinyl but last Sunday I woke up and thought it would be a good idea to buy my favourite album of each year since the year I was born on vinyl (already spent £100 on 4 - doh!).

I was just wondering if any of you guys n gals collect vinyl, if so what's the best way of ensuring what your buying is the original first issue?

I've been looking through discogs.com which seems like a pretty good place to get vinyl, any other sites that you could recommend?

Thanks.

 

[GadgetGeek71]

Nothing like the sound of white noise.

Check out this site.
http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/

 

[lostfan916]

I think I am going to start to. I only buy CDs from my favorite artists, but I noticed I don't use the CD at all. I either listen to the digital or I'll make an mp3 cd for the car. So the only use I have is displaying them and vinyl makes much more sense for that.

Now if only I could find an original Animals and Led Zep IV for cheap.

 

[GadgetGeek71]

...Now if only I could find an original Animals and Led Zep IV for cheap.

Appears we have the same taste in music. I'd love to sell you my ZOSO vinyl...but it would be hard to break-up the collection. I've got LZ 1 thru CODA on vinyl. Along with some Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. I've got a copy of The Wall that's practically new...ah...I can go on and on! Good luck on finding ZOSO.

 

[quantum003]

I've got a fair amount of good stuff. What I love about vinyl is the incredible cheapness. You can find great records for $.50 or $1.00 just about anywhere these days. I've got a bunch of great albums by Pink Floyd, the Beatles.. and yes... The Residents. I've also got a pretty decent library of old punk, metal, and indie stuff as well, mostly bands that would only appeal to others with bad taste in music.

Records are "fun" to listen to, I find the process greatly appealing... pulling the record out of the jacket, placing it on the table and positioning the needle.. and that delightful hiss pop hiss pop until the music starts...

 

[2contagious]

I have started creating a little vinyl collection (buying all my favourite albums on vinyl) since I moved to London. MP3 for convenience, vinyl for quality and archiving

 

[CraigB3]

I wouldnt call myself a 'collector' as such. I simply buy all of my music on vinyl rather than CD, therefore first issues etc are not really something that concern me.

 

[Dmac77]

I collect. I've only been collecting for two years, but I've already spent over $5,000 on records. I go after 1st editions and hard to find records, but I mainly just love listening to my favorite music on vinyl.

My most prized possession is my still shrinkwrapped 1st edition Imagine (by John Lennon). It's in a frame to prevent me from opening it when I have the urge to

My second most prized possession is my 1st edition Mono Sgt. Pepper's w/ the original inserts and it's in NM- condition.

Don

 

[RaceTripper]

Nothing like the sound of white noise.

That's an uninformed statement to make. Noise on LPs is due more to using a low quality playback equipment, not a function of the vinyl itself (unless the vinyl hasn't been handled carefully enough).

I have 3000+ LPs (~2/3 classical, 1/3 jazz) that I collected over the last several decades. They all sound great, and I would much rather listen to them than any CD, or some worse quality digital version like you'd get from Amazon or iTunes. Only problem I have now is my Linn Sondek needs repair (after working fine for 20+ years), so I think I'm probably just going to reuse the tonearm and cartridge and get a Rega plinth to replace it.

 

[Dmac77]

I didn't even catch GadgetGeek's post. And I agree, he is completely wrong/misinformed. Good equipment/care makes all the difference. I have a mono 1st edition Please Please Me by the Beatles from 1962, that is in good condition. There are some ticks and pops in it, but that record has more life in it than the new CD remaster of Please Please Me; and I get so much more joy out of listening to that 48 year old piece of vinyl than I do listening to the CD. Keep in mind I have a fairly expensive setup (it was expensive to me at least) that consists of: a Rega P7 turntable (~$2,700), with a Ortofon Kontrapunkt C cartridge (~$1,500), connected to a Rega Mira3 pre-amp (~$2,000) NAD T785 receiver (~$4,000), which outputs to two Paradigm Studio Reference S100 speakers (~$3,000 for a pair) (the entire system is 7.1, but limited to 2.0 for the vinyl playback). The other speakers are: a Paradigm Studio CC-690 center channel (~$1,500), four Paradigm Studio 20 book shelves (~$1,200 for a pair, two pairs) (they serve as the surrounds), and a Paradigm Studio Seismic 10" subwoofer (~$1,500). We have a 7.1 sound system.

So my system (excluding TV, Blu-Ray, CD Player, etc.) cost: ~$18,000, that's cheap by A/V standards
When you exclude the surround sound and stick to stereo (as I do when listening to vinyl) it cost ~$13,000

I've listened to some of my records on cheaper systems and their faults become more evident on lower end systems, but if you have the money and are willing to put it into A/V equipment, vinyl is the way to go IMO.

This luxury setup of mine (as my parents call it) was installed fairly recently, and is what I got for my 16th B-day instead of a car, I basically got to pick our basement theater equipment which I get to have once I have a place of my own; although I might be getting a car from a relative if they get a new car anytime soon.

Please understand that it is not necessary to sink nearly $20,000 in to a system for a good vinyl experience, it's not. But it is hard to go back once you experience a really nice system. Keep in mind that a few months ago, I was really happy with an old Technics turntable with a $100 cartridge, a $500 Pioneer receiver, a $100 NAD phono pre-amp, a $300 pair of low end Paradigm speakers (Atoms) they were phenomenal speakers for the price. I still thought even with that system that vinyl sounded better than CDs and downloads. If you have ticks and pops in your records it is okay, IMO; they almost give your record a personality of its' own, it makes it yours.

Don

 

[Ben Kei]

There are 2 bedrooms in my house.
One for me any the missus and one for the vinyl

 

[H00513R]

I'm not much of a collector, but do enjoy vinyl. The only problem is they are too expensive! Not worth it IMO.

 

[ulbador]

I have an ever growing vinyl collection. I only listen to music in certain situations, like when I am sitting around reading, so vinyl is perfect for me.

Often the newer vinyl purchases also give you downloads or an actual physical CD as well as the vinyl, so it works out nice for the times I actually need a digital or transportable product.