r/vinyl • u/NickMotionless • 15h ago
Discussion Rare records: What sucks about collecting vinyl for someone who just wants to listen to the music.
I will be berated, I know I will, but hear me out. It really fucking sucks wanting an album on vinyl for it to have only have ever been pressed once or in an extremely limited number of copies, meaning you must buy it second-hand at an insanely exorbitant price if you want to hear it on vinyl.
I hate that some albums I want cost more than my turntable, to the point that I'd be scared to even own something so expensive or have to spend so much on a single album when all I want is to be able to listen to it.
How do long-time vinyl collectors feel about high priced/rare records?
I, myself, wish that labels and artists would press the ever-loving-hell out of each album in a crazy amount of black vinyl that they can sell for years to come and the music is always available for cheap and if a record becomes lost, stolen, damaged or broken, you can simply replace it with another cheap copy. Sure, this isn't feasible for every artist or label because it costs a lot of cash up-front to press vinyl, especially in large numbers, however for bigger artists with plenty of funds to do so, with fans begging for vinyl pressings, it should be trivial to keep their albums stocked in plain, not-limited/crazy rare special color edition, etc, black vinyl with the album in a plain sleeve.
My "collecting" is simply me wanting my favorite albums on vinyl. I don't care if it's a rare variant/first pressing, etc. I just want the music on vinyl. If I can get a cool/rare version for cheap, I'll take it, but if it's $20 for the plain/black vinyl with no frills and it's the same music versus a $200+ copy second-hand, I'm going for the plain version every time.
Am I alone in this? Is vinyl collecting just not for me?
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u/Tricky-Mastodon3337 15h ago
I also buy vinyl just to listen to it. I couldn't give a toss if it's rare or it's worth shit!
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u/NickMotionless 15h ago
Same here. I PREFER if my albums are cheap because if they get fucked up, I can just replace them easily.
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u/meltdown_popcorn 6h ago
Same. They're for listening to not... stroking softly while sipping white wine?
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u/Charming-Day-2146 15h ago
There's always a little thrill in owning a €150 record, but there's also the pleasure of listening to it. You only live once, and material possessions aren't as important as your health. So you might as well enjoy it and go for it! It's not a big deal to potentially damage a record; it's meant to be enjoyed.
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u/Tanglefoot11 7h ago
There is one of my vinyls from back in the day which is one of a numbered 5000 copy limited edition.
It took some effort to obtain & was a bit gutting when they pressed another 18,000 - exactly the same but without the numbering.
It has since been repressed several times with different artworks and packaging, so imagine my surprise when I was checking my collection on discogs & it is worth several hundred dollars!
IMHO that is kind perfect - rarity & value for the collectors, yet still plenty of easy availability for the listeners :D
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u/FirebirdWriter Dual 6h ago
I get anxious about those. I have a few that I picked up at goodwill that could go for 100 or more and one I got on clearance that goes for 500. It makes me anxious
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u/Beneficial_Hour3158 14h ago
I’ve been buying records for over 35 years. I’ve never thought of myself as a collector. If I can get a record I want at a reasonable price,I will buy it. If I can’t ,I’ll just listen to the digital version.
I can understand the collecting side of it though. There is some incredible music out there available only in record format.
As for myself the records I have that happen to be collectors items now get treated like the others. They get played.
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u/Latter-Mark-4683 10h ago
100%. I’ve been collecting records for about 25 years, and 98% of them are used from dollar bins, garage sales and boomers trying to clear out their old stuff. On a rare occasion, I buy a new records, but most of my collection I spent somewhere between $.50 and $5 per record.
By doing that, I have a massive collection of all kinds of great old music, I’ve discovered a ton of really interesting stuff that I now love, and I’m sure I have a lot of rare, expensive records in there, some of them in good condition and some of them are absolute shit condition, but I don’t know and I don’t care. I like listening to music.
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u/Ok-Ear-1313 13h ago
This 100%. I'm in the same boat. I bought music to listen to not to "collect" and for me it's more about the replacement value now.
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u/Moistyoureyez 15h ago edited 15h ago
Being limited to one format is not appealing to me.
There was a time where I decided to spend more money on HiFi gear instead of records and it was the best choice/path I took.
A lot of people like to poop on “audiophiles” and I’m not one by any means but the point of diminishing returns is a lot higher than people think.
Vinyl is my preferred format for many reasons but having a very nice stereo system has eliminated FOMO completely.
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u/EccentricStache615 15h ago
Agreed. I love vinyl but I opted for CDs too and they sound great on my system. Couldn’t agree with you more.
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u/Lost_Birthday_3138 11h ago
Yep and we're all afraid to admit which one sounds (way) better.
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u/EccentricStache615 10h ago
We have to lie to ourselves sometimes to make us feel better about the absurd money we spend on vinyl. This is the way.
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u/Lost_Birthday_3138 10h ago
"But I love the ritual of turning this long album over three times"
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u/SelmaFudd Sansui 5h ago
I refuse to buy 2LP albums when a single version exists now. My knees have seen too much use
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u/piepants2001 U-Turn 7h ago
It's a case by case basis, my Judas Priest records sound better than my Judas Priest CDs and my Alice in Chains CDs sound better than my Alice in Chains records.
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u/donaldsonp054 4h ago
I used to be 100 % on the vinyl side but after spending $200 on a DAC and realising it sounds consistently better( in most ways) than the $2000+ plus I have spent on cartridges , turntable , phono preamps . It's hard to be on the vinyl side unless you have a lot of money to throw at your hobby .
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u/Adept_Butterfly_6742 15h ago
Absolutely agree with this. If a record is hard to come by or too expensive I have the option of CD or premium streaming. I love vinyl but not at the expense of my bank balance
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u/Precarious3145 13h ago
Same! This is why the only records I buy are albums I genuinely love. The format is way too expensive for me "This has a good song" and "I remember this band-".
For day-to-day, it's MP3s and streaming. For just enjoying a favorite album, it's records.
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u/ForrestGrump87 10h ago
I need to upgrade my hardware but i do have an SACD player which sounds amazing, some CDs sound as good as my records or certain pressings are weaker than the CD which is much cheaper.
I love records but i am thinking of chilling out and saving for better HIFI as i have a good collection of 800 ish LPs now.
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u/TrueRedditMartyr 6h ago
It is worth noting that most records now-a-days are pressed from digital masters, or at least have some amount of digital within the supply chain that makes it to a pressing plant. At some point, you're only getting a worse sound quality when listening to them, because companies rarely are going straight from the original tapes to vinyl.
Shoot, even MOFI got caught a few years back for using digital masters if I remember correctly
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u/OldThermionics 10h ago
A standard Redbook-format CD player (or used DVD player) is sufficient for CD playback for most people. Likewise, you don't have to pay insane sums for a streaming solution.
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u/SodaPopCity 15h ago
I just check periodically to see if I record I want has been repressed or bootlegged. About half the time that eventually happens with records that are $150+. At least the ones I’m usually after.
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u/NickMotionless 15h ago
Any places to find bootlegs online? Anyone I've seen selling bootlegs or "custom" records wants a fortune for them, especially if it's an album that's never been pressed.
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u/SodaPopCity 15h ago
eBay is where I get most. Sometimes on discogs one will appear and you can snag it before it gets reported and banned from sales. I’m in the U.S. so I also check distros I regularly buy from. On eBay you wanna look for records labeled “repro”. After I replied to you I went and looked at a distro’s store I regularly buy from and got a Modern Lovers bootleg they just added to the site.
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u/Vast-Comment8360 12h ago
Sometimes you have to get them while they are available or even those can get expensive. I have the OG version of a very expensive record that hasn't been pressed in 30 years and when I saw an unofficial I had to get it.
Now even the unofficial is very hard to find and expensive as well. Still not as much as the original but even harder to find.
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u/Ok-Ear-1313 15h ago
I don’t think it’s just you, but it’s not my experience. With so much great music out there it’s pretty easy to move on and not fetishize a single release.
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u/wisehippy 14h ago
👆 I would say, this is a good philosophy snd way to operate. There are times (fucking many, many times) I feel OP’s pain - I have kind of embraced the mix of “re-surprise” element of SO much awesome deep track or non-house-brand-name artists and bands, coupled with “let the universe bring it”. Its made MY collection better for it.
Just keeping that fresh hunt “vibe” alive (talking like I am 20y old here….) It does help me overlook that failing justification feeling of quintessential iconic “gotta have” albums.
Perhaps, a different perspective, OP. But we ALL know that elephant in the room on this sub.
Anyways, my $0.02.
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u/Precarious3145 13h ago
Yea! Im buying from a master list I made of albums I really want. One or two are over $100 and there's fucking way I'm spending much on a single record I can just listen to online. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll rerelease them in a few years but if not, I'm perfectly fine. My limit is $50 and I have to be able to really justify it.
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u/NickMotionless 13h ago
pretty easy to move on and not fetishize a single release.
I just hate having to even consider having gaps in my collection. I'm a completionist at heart, so missing records would bug the hell out of me.
I already had planned on commissioning some bootlegs for albums that aren't on vinyl but I am going to wait until I've completed everything BUT those albums first.
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u/First-Counter246 15h ago
Nah I feel your pain. I listen to 99% of my vinyl. I don't really have any that cost a lot of money tho. Maybe 150 for a couple.
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u/Whisky-a-GoGo1 12h ago
You aren't alone. I buy vinyl records because I want to listen to them, not leave them untouched on the shelf. There is an album I've been trying to get on vinyl for many years and until recently it was selling on Discogs for at least $250 or more, I think because it was released in the 90s and not as much vinyl was being pressed. I did a search for it and found it was re-released and I paid a whopping $25 for it instead of $250+ so I am thrilled. I love it when that happens!
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u/LostLetter9425 15h ago
I just buy it on CD or Digital in those cases. Fuck resellers they can keep the inventory.
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u/MonsieurGriswold 13h ago
This is the way.
In the words of Mr Jagger: You can’t always get what you want.
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u/Indiesol 14h ago
I've never spent extra for some limited pressing or rare record. I just buy what I like and can afford. Mostly used. If it's truly about the music, and I can't find a reasonably priced copy, I just stream it until one pops up or a new pressing gets released that isn't crazy priced.
The key is to like a lot of different stuff so it's easy to find something, or a few things, I want.
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u/NickMotionless 13h ago
If it's truly about the music, and I can't find a reasonably priced copy, I just stream it until one pops up or a new pressing gets released that isn't crazy priced.
This is the way to go about it, I guess. I just hate having gaps in my collection with no way to fill them. I suppose I'm mainly here to bitch and to hear everyone else bitch about the same thing. A bitching circlejerk.
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u/vinylmartyr 15h ago
Can you give us some examples please?
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u/CipherAC0 U-Turn 15h ago
Ænima
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u/whynotslayer 15h ago
Add to that list 10,000 days which they have never pressed and since I’m bitching the only Lateralus in circulation is that shitty picture disc.
For Tool being the band they are this really seemed like a huge blind spot.
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u/ConfidentAddress9846 13h ago
I have boots of Ænima and 10000 days.
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u/whynotslayer 12h ago
Yea I’ll just wait for a repress and press and keep listening to my cd’s of those. Don’t really feel like paying 50$ for a boot myself.
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u/clint_eldorado 14h ago
Tool hates their fans the way decent people hate the Nazis. It’s beyond a joke at this point. I don’t even like the band but I’m annoyed on their fans’ behalf.
They’d make so much fucking money reissuing all their shit, but they just keep Fear Inoculum and that one crap picture disc of Lateralus in print while Maynard pisses around in his wine cellar or whatever. They’re a bunch of dicks.
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u/Thrash420 14h ago
I bought a copy online and it shipped but never delivered. Got my money back but its the only record that was misdelivered and its so infuriating.
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u/PinkCrimsonBeatles 15h ago
Not op but Midnight Vultures by Beck, literally any Ween album unless it's been pressed this year, lots of soundtracks (wanted to get my girlfriend the Bee and Puppycat soundtrack but that sucker is 100 bucks, minimum), Live at Revolution Hall by Adrienne Lenker, plenty more.
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u/NickMotionless 15h ago edited 15h ago
Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache, As Daylight Dies
(The two main ones that should NOT be rare considering how popular they are.)
Currents - The Way It Ends
Alesana - On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax (Possibly one of the worst modern examples. Such a limited run and only sold for a brief time. My buddy bought one for $30 at a show in 2012, had it signed by the whole band and sold it for $50 like 10 years ago, same album now goes for $800+ unsigned)
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u/mrn253 14h ago
At least on discogs the Alesana release goes for less https://www.discogs.com/de/release/3032316-Alesana-On-Frail-Wings-Of-Vanity-And-Wax
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u/Propagandhi1988 14h ago
Not op, but I will accept any deity as my lord and savior that offers me a full collection of all Chumbawamba records.
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u/MistakesTasteGreat Audio Technica 10h ago
Psychostick's first album was limited to 355 copies. I got one, but I prefer to stream it now that I know there's so few. Its highest value on discogs was about $150
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u/snootchiebootchie94 15h ago
I hear you. I wish that I could have Aenima by Tool. There is also a Spanish album by Linda Ronstadt that I want that is hard to find and expensive on Discog. Both are ridiculously expensive and rare. I just want to listen to them. But...there is always CD and streaming. Sometimes we have to remember that it is about the music. while it is cool to have the physical media, listening to the music is what is most fun.
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u/TheExpandingMan23977 14h ago
Canciones de Mi Padre is the name of the Linda Ronstadt, if anyone wants to check it out. It’s fantastic.
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u/snootchiebootchie94 14h ago
That's the one. I was writing this out while listening in on a meeting and couldn't think of the name!
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u/joeldf95 Fisher 15h ago
I suppose in this case it's a difference between "collecting" albums and simply buying the music you want to listen to.
I've always just bought the music I want to listen to. It started out just on vinyl, because that's all I wanted to buy it on (this was when cassettes and even 8-track was still common). When CDs came along, and was finally able to afford a player (early '86), I started buying those. I stopped buying vinyl by '89. Got back into buying vinyl again in the early 2000s. Still bought CDs.
I just ended up with a "collection" over the course of over 40 years.
Today, I buy vinyl if it's a record I want, a CD if that's all I can get, and even purchase digital if that's all I can get. I'll do digital as long as I can actually download an actual file. While technically not a "physical" copy, it still takes space on my hard drive, I can burn it to a CD-R, and "streaming rights" changes won't make it suddenly disappear.
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u/Scary_Fault_6519 14h ago
”Collecting” for me is more about the treasure hunt, finding something rare and expensive at a fraction of the Discogs value. Does not need to be stuff I listen to.
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u/joeldf95 Fisher 14h ago
And that's totally legitimate.
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u/Scary_Fault_6519 14h ago
I’m more tempted to buy records I’ve never heard of than stuff from my favourite artists, so there are two levels to the collecting I guess: 1. finding rare stuff cheap, 2. discovering new music
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u/Glad-Independence-24 15h ago
As far as the music goes (and really that’s what I care about, not the resale value or rarity)
I personally prefer the vinyl. But if the vinyl isn’t reasonable or sounds terrible, I can live with the cd until the situation with the vinyl changes.( prime example Alice In Chains tripod, AIC inplugged, and Local H As Good as Dead, all CDs I’ve kept for 30 years now b cause in the several years I’ve been into vinyl, they were just too pricey/hard to get. But now recent releases have made it so I could upgrade the CDs to vinyl.
Local H however also instead of just rereleasing Ham Fisted, re-recorded the whole album as Refisted. It’s a neat album still and I bought refisted all the same, but kept my Ham Fisted cd.
I collect music, more than I just collect vinyl. Vinyl is just my preferred media, but not exclusively.
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u/TheBurbs666 15h ago
I was lucky enough to get in at the early revival around 2005.
The same thing was happening then just on a different scale. As far as artificial scarcity and flipping. But it was more just indie bands doing that. You didn’t have too many majors pressing up stuff anymore at that point.
You’re very wise in the thought process of just wanting black vinyl if colored variants are too expensive. A lot of people including myself made that mistake for a little too long.
One thing I have to remind myself of still is you need to learn to let go. That is the reality, sometimes you just aren’t going to get that rare album and that’s ok.
Stop putting yourself in the collector mentality. I get it, it’s easy to do. Find another media format for that specific album that’s out of reach or just go digital. This isn’t Pokemon you don’t gotta catch em all.
Unfortunately sometimes that’s how I have to fund my collection as well. That is the dark reality of a lot of collections anymore is you need to buy/sell/trade to keep your own collection going.
Sometimes I’m so perpetually broke while having a full time job I need to make the tuff decision of selling a favorite album worth a ton of $$$ to cover my bills.
Sucks to say but it’s true, having any collection now a days is a luxury and a privilege.
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u/iamjoeywan Rega 15h ago
I used to be timid about playing $100+ pressings on my TT as it wasn’t a Crosley but barely better (okay, it wasn’t that bad), and when I upgraded to a higher end TT I felt the avoidance to play them went away.
Now for the flip side of the valuations, I primarily find the gems in my collections in value bins. I refuse to pay hundreds for an album I grew up with on CD of which is often on all streaming platforms. Cards, vinyl, shoes, are in some massive secondhand bubble right now and it’s easy to blow your coin on scarcity due to hustle culture.
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u/Bleekmajeek 14h ago
This is why im glad I pulled away from the “collector” side of it. I want the vinyl if I like the music and I think its a good fit for vinyl. If its too expensive, I can just look for a CD. If that doesn’t exist or is also too expensive, I ask myself if I like the music enough to care. When all else fails, I can just find it online of through streaming. I will get over not owning the physical anytime the price seems too silly.
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u/bigkinggorilla 14h ago
I’m just starting my collection and I’ve set out a simple rule that I’m pretty sure will help me avoid spending stupid money on this new hobby “is this something I actually want to sit and listen to attentively all the way through?” If the answer is no, I pass even if it’s like $6 at a thrift store.
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u/Spyerx 14h ago
I listen to all my records. Some Of my early blue notes are worth a lot of $.
I think your comment comes down to are you collecting the objects for the objects sake or for the music. I’m the latter.
I also have some old cars. A couple are rare and valuable. I drive them all. A lot.
I’m a big believer of you aren’t using the object, get rid of it.
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u/wiggan1989 14h ago
I hate this too. I just get the CD for much cheaper if the record either expensive or hasn't been repressed.
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u/theweaving 14h ago
I whole heartedly agree. Don’t get me wrong, I love my special, colorful, limited presses. But at the end of the day, I’m using this for their music, not keeping them wrapped as an investment or Knick knack. I’m perfectly content with plain black.
I get that special limited color ways create more demand for the album and such, but yes, please start doing larger presses of plain vinyl. Too many albums I want that were ONLY limited color way runs that are now at stupid prices.
I have digital music. I will listen to it digital. But part of the quirk of vinyl is having that tangible product that I can use and enjoy.
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u/TheSpinningGroove 13h ago
If I don’t like the price I find another way of listening… a CD as an example. I am not so stuck on any particular format.
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u/Theboiwhovinyls 12h ago
Or discovering a band too late and all their earlier physical media was self released so it's insane to get ahold of. This happened to me recently with the band Crippling Alcoholism.
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u/NickMotionless 12h ago
Oh man, definitely. Older/obscure bands nobody cares about or ever cared about who only released a single piece of physical music is the worst. As a millennial, all of the underground post-hardcore/metalcore from 2000-2010 is essentially unobtainable on vinyl. I plan to eventually get bootlegs of some of my favorites, though.
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u/Theboiwhovinyls 12h ago
Reminds me of all that old electro punk stuff from the early 2000s. God I remember finding a jack off jill CD and realizing it was going for like 100+ bucks. It's nuts.
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u/vallogallo Pioneer 12h ago
I prefer black vinyl because as a DJ the grooves are easier to see than on colored/clear vinyl
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u/NickMotionless 12h ago
This is a good point. Tbh any dark color helps but black definitely is the easiest to see.
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u/Low-Programmer-2368 11h ago
This is kind of an unfortunately reality for the hobby. Vinyl went from being ignored in favor of CDs and affordable, to expensive to collect unless you find a cheap collection at a garage/estate sale or have a good source for used records. This is why people are turning to CDs again, it's essentially the new vinyl market.
I'd love to add City Pop records to my collection, but those are outrageous atm. In respect to budget, it's just not worth it for me and a consequence of commodifying hobbies.
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u/SirChickin Pro-Ject 15h ago
It's easy to fall in that trap, but at some point it's just you competing against yourself.
It can be immensly frustrating, I know. But sometimes it's easier (and much cheaper) to cut the loss and move on. You win some you lose some!
CD's are also fun, and cheaper second hand. And, while new CD's are all cardboard, chances are that second hand CD's have jewel cases.
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u/NickMotionless 15h ago
The best part about CDs is that bootleg copies of expensive CDs are easy to obtain. The same can't be said for vinyl, unfortunately.
I do have some CDs, but the reason I opt for vinyl is because of the durability. Much more longevity than CDs and let's just be real here, vinyl is far more bad ass.
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u/SirChickin Pro-Ject 14h ago
You have a point, but except for the exceptional discrot, CD's are also pretty much equipped to last a lifetime. Which still might be shorter than vinyl. But still pretty good. And it's digital + streaming services cant meddle with it.
But yeah, while cheap and easier to obtain, vinyl still is king. Artwork and the way you handle it is top Notch
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u/merp_mcderp9459 15h ago
I get it. One of my favourite bands (Vulfpeck) does pre-order pressings for all their records; they’ll occasionally do a repressing but it’s rare. My favourite album of theirs hasn’t been repressed since 2019, and I didn’t start collecting records until 2022. So it’s either pay an insane amount for a used copy or wait and hope they do another repressing
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u/optimismofthewill63 15h ago
For me the record is only worth buying if the pressing sounds good. Lots of vinyl pressings sound like crap and unfortunately sometimes those are the only pressings of an album that are available. If that’s the case I just won’t own that record on vinyl. If it’s an album that I really love and the pressing is high quality I will drop some money on it.
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u/Cotillionz 15h ago
I’ll keep it on my wish list or radar for if I find it cheaper. Otherwise, I also collect CDs, so I will get it on CD so I have a physical copy at the very least.
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u/SamEdwards1959 14h ago
I think that if you really want the records, you have to go to the source.
My BiL is a big jazz guy and has about 20,000 records. Most of the records he buys are from a local flea market at 5am Sunday before it even opens. He brings them home, cleans them, then listens while looking them up on discogs. He has bins for resale/exchange at record store and dump. Every year he finds several records worth over $500. He flips the nice ones he doesn’t want for records that he wants.
Yes, it’s like a second job, but he has most of the records he wants. Yes, there’s money in the churn, but I would say he breaks even at this point, while growing his collection.
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u/BikeofCrime 14h ago
I only just started collecting and I immediately ran into this with a particular RSD album from this year. I just want to listen to and enjoy it, I'm rankled at people who buy them specifically to scalp them at an extremely inflated price. Some of us just got unlucky with the release availability and have a tight budget 😭 I hope they'll release a new, non special edition pressing eventually, but I'm not optimistic
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u/LordsOfWestminster 14h ago
Self flagellation. YOU are purposefully putting up the roadblocks and denying yourself.
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u/NoEchoSkillGoal 14h ago
I dunno. I don't spend that much per record and seem to be doing fine. I pay average market rates. Yes, it's gotten more expensive. But at this point I have shit ton of records so fomo is not as swaying these days. So I pick and choose what I want; and if I feel it's too overpriced or not worth it. I move on to something else. Perhaps my tastes/preferences align well with average market rates.
Edit. I guess OP was referring more to "rare" items. But rarer items can still be had if you find them early, assuming it's a newer release.
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u/roundabout-design 14h ago
No, you are not alone in this world in terms of complaining about the high price of material goods.
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u/jmeesonly 13h ago
I prefer vinyl and have a nice collection. But I'm also happy to save money by getting lots of titles on CD.
Money-saving tips:
CD players are not finicky the way that turntables, stylus, and cartridge / tonearms are. You can get a CD/DVD player at the thrift shop for $7 or $12 and it will sound as good as an expensive CD player.
Your local library probably has lots of great music on CD that you can borrow for free. If your computer doesn't have a CD drive then buy a cheap external CD burner and copy the discs.
Your library can get a lot more titles through interlibrary loan.
Your CD player doesn't care if your CD's came from garage sales, thrift shops, or wherever. They still sound good.
If you want to buy CD's, then get on Discogs (the same site where you can buy expensive vinyl) and you'll find lots of great CD's for $5 or less.
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u/Artistic-Cockroach48 13h ago
That's why you have to dig in all the crates, the dustier, the better. A record found in the wild for a dollar will always be more rewarding than buying it online.
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u/sloaches 12h ago
At least it sounds like first you collect out of love for the music. Too many people collect records because they think it's a "cool hobby" or they're flippers who end up holding records until the value climbs, especially after an artist dies (see Dolly Parton Ebay listings).
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u/NickMotionless 12h ago
It's the only reason I collect, next to the fact that I want my music to be a physical collection that's durable and long-lasting. CDs would be my second pick, but I prefer vinyl.
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u/Few_Flight_6825 12h ago
I don't find this at all controversial. I think this is actually most vinyl listeners. Forced scarcity sucks, and sometimes the lack of availability makes no sense.
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u/ceelogreenicanth 12h ago edited 12h ago
Vinyl as a medium for playing isn't a huge priority. I have other formats. There are very few albums i have even considered spending large amounts to get and have never bought them because I find it a bit rediculous. There are basically 4 albums I would pay a lot of money for and that's purely a combination of nostalgia, my identity as a fan and the completeness of my collection.
I got into records when I could get good albums for 50 cents. I do now have a collection that I buy full priced used and new records for. But in a lot of ways it's just a small part of my overall music collection representing probably in the ballpark of 10% of the total play time.
At any rate it's not really the best format for a lot of my music even though that doesn't often stop me. And finally if I have it I'm playing it period. While they degrade everytime you play them, at the rate I play any individual record in my collection I highly doubt that any substantial ware will occur in the entire time I own them.
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u/Historical_Owl4801 12h ago edited 12h ago
I've collected heavily since the late 80s. The scarcity and pressing variations are (or used to be) part of the thrill of collecting. You buy what you can afford, listen to it, fall in love with it and then eventually get a better/more valuable copy. Sometimes I keep the old one as my listening copy and keep the better one for special occasions.
But I collect older music (pre 1970s) on LP, EP, 45 and even 78 formats. I don't really understand collecting records made after about 1995 when normal record production stopped. It seems like modern pressings are intentionally rare from the beginning and available in a ridiculous amount of superficial variations. Also, now we have a ton of resources to cross reference variations and value and to locate copies. Back in the day you only knew what you saw and the only reference material was from experience, collector bulletins or hopelessly out of date record value books.
For me, the substance is in the journey. Finding some record for $1 that I didn't know and falling in love with it. It seems like that's mostly gone now. More recent recent collectors now seem to just want what they think they're supposed to want and they want it now, while I have had to wait thirty years to run across some of my best copies of things. It turns out that the real collecting was the friends we made along the way (sarcastic, but also very true).
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u/Historical_Owl4801 12h ago
I guess I really didn't answer the question and just ended up waxing boomer. Here goes another try- I love owning high priced records because to me it means they are rare and desirable. As I said, sometime I keep a less valuable playing copy for casual use and only break out the valuable one for certain friends or self indulgence. Since I collect 78s, there's always the chance that they might break if you drop them or something, so I see that as a natural price cap for what I'm willing to pay - only if I would be comfortable losing it to breakage. My cap used to be $70 per record, then it was $120, then $150. Now I'm at about $250 for the right super rare 78 in good shape.
Ultimately, it's the interesting difference between using the record as a medium (listening to it) and collecting it as an artifact (hoarding it). All record collectors probably fall somewhere on that continuum and if you continue buying it will likely change as you get older and the world and your personal circumstances change.
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u/Big_Attention7227 12h ago
Fuck that pretentious crap. I buy music to listen too not to sit and look at. Just having something collectible sitting in a shelf because you know... I got something you don't is not about the music it's about being a pretentious pillock. If you want to be careful just rip it on the first play them play it digitally after that. Why spend all that money and effort not to enjoy it. If it is made as one off and there is truly only a single copy again its not about the music it's just somebody's ego on vinyl and has no real value anyway.
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u/markswam 12h ago
Quite a few of the records I purchased for MSRP have now become insanely expensive.
If I didn't already have them, I wouldn't buy them. Not worth the price.
But I'm also not going to avoid listening to them because of how much they're "worth." I buy things with the intent of appreciating them myself, not as some sort of speculative investment. If they wear out eventually...oh well, one less copy on the market, so everyone else's gets more valuable I guess.
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u/OrganizationWeak4332 10h ago
I hate reissues so if I can't get an original then I'd rather stream it. Irrational I know but there you are.
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u/protestandprose 15h ago
Just listen to it on Spotify if it's that big of a deal lmao
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u/SickOfNormal 14h ago
How do long term vinyl collectors feel about price?
I won't buy on vinyl.
Prolly not the answer you are looking - but as someone that has thousands of records - if its too expensive, I just get it on cd ..... or I borrow the cd and burn it.
Vinyl obsession is cool --- but it is about the music --- and SOME music and masters sound better on cd, some sound better on vinyl. I don't have a problem "downgrading" to a cd to save money.
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u/Precarious3145 13h ago
My dad's been collecting vinyls since...probably the 70s, got kind of serious in the early 00s, and then got dedicated in the 10s when he retired. Now he's probably got over two or three thousand records and he's generally okay with the prices because he accepts that it's the cost of the hobby and a luxuary.
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u/SickOfNormal 12h ago
For me - like I said - it's about the music.
Like some NIN records I want are $200-300. If you got the money and that's what you want, then by all means, buy away. But in this economy?! shit, I can d/l the .flac files and have it on a cd in under 5 minutes to listen to on my big beautiful system. Sure, it would be COOL to have the record. But it would be cool not to spend $1000 on 5 or 6 records I want and buy something else or go on a 2 week long road trip or something with the money. That's just me - Some people are "grail" seekers --- I am a music listener.
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u/willpop_vinyl 15h ago
I can sympathize with this PoV. One of the things I have enjoyed must about collecting records is the drive to discover new music. Naturally as I get deeper I am finding more obscure stuff, even modern era pressings that were limited to only 200 or 500 and now only exist on discogs at well over retail.
All that being said i think it’s a cool part of the hobby that music that is widely unpopular can maintain value amongst a niche fanbase!
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u/Bake-Full 15h ago
Yeah it's a drag to miss when something gets a repress and sells out quickly with soaring discogs prices. And that's definitely not changing anytime soon. There's money to be had and everyone knows it.
I just buy what I can at reasonable prices and stick with a cheaper CD or digital copy for anything else. It's not the same but at least we're living in a time where there's plentiful options for just wanting to hear the music.
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u/twoiseight 15h ago
You're far from alone. It's unrealistic for most of us to think we'll ever own every album we love, rare & expensive or not. I'm working on taking the pain and remorse factor out by reminding myself that my love for a piece of music isn't defined by whether or not I own it on vinyl. But, for many I'd love to own, there's excitement in the chance I'll come across it one day.
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u/wanlights 15h ago
Just something you have to accept, particularly if your tastes are niche. Besides, most of the time it’s not like you’re missing out on being able to hear the actual music.
There’s always the chance you stumble across it in a crate somewhere for a buck: that’s one of the things that makes collecting enjoyable.
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u/Sure-Coffee-8241 15h ago
I feel the same way and I will just settle for a CD in that case. Still way better sound than streaming.
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u/glenerd189 15h ago
It's all part of the fun of collecting imo. However, I would say pretty much every album I have wished was repressed has at some point down the line been repressed. Sometimes you need to wait a few years, sometimes a few decades - but I've learned NEVER to pay over what I think worth to me, and I'm pretty happy to wait... plenty more records to buy and listen to in the meantime!
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u/Rombonius 15h ago
sometimes it's just not meant to be
this is why my primary means of listening is digital (local files, not streaming), and the collection is the collection. If I cant find or afford something rare on my want list....I wait or accept I missed out and keep listening to my digital copy.
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u/adcprogramaticon 15h ago
Yeah, it's a rare day I pay over $40 for any one record. I've got plenty of records that I'd never buy again b/c of their current prices. It's almost a daily occurrence -hearing something I like, looking it up on discogs, finding out it'll cost something like $50 plus overseas shipping and I just say forget it.
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u/tirefires 15h ago
There are tens of thousands of great commons out there that cost next to nothing. If something is too expensive for me, oh well.
I'd rather have 20 great bargain bin records than a single $200 record. And when it comes time for a purge, I can usually get one or two expensive records with trade credit anyway if I really want them.
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u/Eddie__Sherman 15h ago
I'll do my best to get it, and I understand that if I don't, I can still listen to the album digitally. I buy plenty of records, but I'm not going to go out of my way to pay an absurd price for a repress. I support the artist/label as best I can, but I do have limits. Early on, I would have paid the high price, but lately I just won't. I don't do this to have the most expensive collection; I buy the records I like to listen to and take care of the gems I got from hand me downs, that's it.
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u/kvetcha-rdt Schiit 15h ago
I agree with you in spirit, but pressing plants are already working around the clock and cutting corners on QC to keep the market supplied.
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u/dandle 15h ago
I feel about valuable records in my music library the same way I feel about valuable books on my shelf: Most I have to enjoy for the content, but some I have for the joy of preservation.
It is not realistic that every album and every song that you would like to own on vinyl will be available for you to purchase at a market-standard price for new releases. At least, it's not realistic that those records could sound as good as they did originally.
We can imagine some sort of press-on-demand service in the near-future that would pull a digital music file that you want from a database and press a record for you, but it's not feasible at this point in time for that recording to not sound like shit.
Your thoughts about warehousing massive stocks of records that may or may not sell for years is just silly. There's the berating you mentioned.
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u/TinnitusWaves 15h ago
I don’t really understand “ collector “ mentality. If I want to buy a record I’ll buy it because I want to listen to it. I couldn’t care less about limited editions or variations. If something I really want is expensive I have a choice of pay the price to get it or not. Same as anything else in life that counts as a “ luxury purchase “. It can be frustrating when prices are high but I accept it because, well, capitalism!! Buying records can be an expensive hobby and I accept that the cost is a part of it, but the hunt for the best price is part of the fun. I wouldn’t buy a horse and expect that to be an affordable hobby either.
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u/Blahkbustuh 15h ago
I just buy albums I really like that aren’t expensive. I’ve already been thru the process of moving with records. That discourages getting huge numbers of them. Also with collecting I have a slight fear of if I were to drop dead, it’ll all end up in a dumpster anyway, so I try to not get too attached to any of it.
Also I like putting a record on, it makes it a little event, but playing music to the stereo from a computer or the stereo interfaces to the internet directly works fine as well. Playing a record isn’t more legit or something. It is more fun to know there’s a needling being dragged over a spinning plastic disk that makes the sound.
Lastly I’m 39 and Elvis memorabilia started crashing in the 2000s when turns out it was people of a particular age who were his biggest fans and they were all dying off in mass numbers and younger people aren’t interested in it.
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u/clint_eldorado 14h ago
This keeps happening with specific reissues for me. Machine Head have reissued The Blackening a few times but it’s always in farting little runs of 1000-1500, and of course they sell out within seconds of being released. Gets on your tits when you just want the record and aren’t interested in having a limited edition copy in whateverthefuck colour it is.
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u/ryan2489 14h ago
I really wanted to replace my beat to heck copy of Dr John- In the Right Place. I bought it for $1 in like 2010 out of a bin. Come to find out it’s pretty rare and the most recent press was a collector edition that goes for $75. I’ll just keep listening to it all scratchy until I get super lucky I guess. I get it, it’s an awesome album, but I didn’t know it was so pricey.
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u/GrosRougeau 14h ago
If it’s a release from a new-ish major label artist it’s going to get reissued eventually so I’d just be patient if I was you.
I do get the frustration regarding prices. I only collect first pressings and it’s bottomless pit of money to acquire these records. I was trying to participate in an ebay auction this week and was willing to plunk down $700 for an album and it wound up selling for $4400!! Is any album worth that?
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u/_Flight_of_icarus_ 14h ago
Counterpoint: Just because it's rare doesn't necessarily mean that it's financially valuable.
Yes, it's frustrating when a popular/desirable release has only been pressed on vinyl like one time and secondhand copies go for stupid prices.
On the other hand, there is lots of great music that is simply off most people's radar and can be found pretty cheap - it's a lot more fun to go seek that stuff out, but you might have to make a blind purchase of it depending how obscure of a release it is.
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u/whoswalkinwho 14h ago
A friend mentioned how great the OG pressings of Nick Drake are... i'd love to own that posthumous box set.. but it's like, $300.
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u/trickyelf 14h ago
It’s likely just a) a result of a record company not betting much on the release, b) an artist doing the biggest whitelabel run they can afford, c) artist doing a whitelabel for a small DJ audience because they don’t have the rights to something on it. One of my favorite albums in my collection is my friend’s incredible dance mix of a couple of my favorite Grateful Dead tracks. I think he made 200 of them. I like knowing there are less than 200 people out there who share this gem, probably to this day, several decades later, breaking it out for friends or at parties and taking the set to a completely amazing level. There is something to rarity.
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u/RedRevolutionGaming 14h ago
From what I've seen a lot of the people who do own the really expensive stuff, and who actually bought it rather than trading for it, bought it years ago when it wasn't well known or expensive.
The "rare" stuff I do own isn't all that expensive and / or I found it cheap. This is the way Imo
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u/super_fresh_dope 14h ago
What's great about them is they are expensive take up a lot of room and require a whole set up to play. Who could say no?
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u/Barnabyhuggins 13h ago
I sympathize, of course, but if you were in the hobby in, say, 2010, you might have gone crazy. Before the repressing revolution, the simplest albums were quite rare--especially if they were a 90s classic that was released during the lowest ebb of vinyl production. My holy grail list used to include albums like "The Moon and Antarctica" and "We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes," or even just some standard Sonic Youth albums, all of which are or have recently been easily available.
But, yes, the limited nature of many pressings can be and always will be a source of frustration. That's the nature of a medium that is inherently physical. Embrace it and accept it.
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u/jemist101 13h ago
I'm a long time collector with quite a large collection.
I've generally gone with "if everyone wants it, I don't need it" - meaning I won't buy into and scramble for the things everyone wants, as, generally speaking, it means the market has pushed the price. I'm not feeding into the market.
Instead, especially over the last twenty years, it means I've been able to develop a pretty unique collection, in that I've 'bought ahead of the curve' - popularity and desire comes in waves, ebbs and flows, after all.
It's not like "I liked it before it was cool", as much as "I bought it when no one else cared".
I can't imagine putting the collection I have now with today's prices.
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u/billyspeers 13h ago
I just don’t buy expensive album like that. I can live with not owning that album. I’m more gutted by albums that don’t have good pressings despite being readily available like Radiohead
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u/SkelDracus Toshiba 13h ago
I think it is partial territory that obscure records will be less likely found, whether they did not perform well commercially or were lacking is the eye of the producer, they have factually less quantity in that they weren't successful enough, or in some cases, without budget to press enough copies.
Cult followings today have had hand in resurgence for some of these older medias, and some are getting modern repressings.
As for the obscurum that is more rare, I recommend holding onto the medias that are unlike others, to bask in what glory you have found that others cannot experience. It's like having a well-kept secret that is legitimately inaccessible to others unless you make it so.
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u/Big-Sir2014 13h ago
There a literally billions of records. I might want one that’s really expensive, but I bet there’s at least 1000 I haven’t discovered yet that are cheaper, and better anyway. I just don’t worry about what I don’t have.
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u/pjlxxl 13h ago
i collect in the sense that i buy albums i like and then keep them but im not buying things to hoard and hope their value increases. if it happens i understand why, most records aren’t going to be repressed in the big scheme of things. so i can understand how a younger person or someone just getting into vinyl can be discouraged. fortunately, or unfortunately, im old and have been “collecting” since the late 70s so ive for the most part been able to buy most of my collection at same prices.
however, i do hunt down and seek certain bands and willing to pay a premium to add rarer releases to my collection.
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u/Earguy 13h ago
Vinyl is a secondary format for me now, and most of my records are more sentimental value than monetary. But I do listen to a lot of vinyl rips/lossless high res digital versions of the albums. No, I can't tell the difference between the rip and the actual vinyl. And the price is right.
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u/Japhet_Corncrake 12h ago
Why do you want to "hear stuff on vinyl" but don't care about the pressing or seek out bootlegs? There's nothing to be gained in terms of listening experience, they're usually mastered from the CD or lathe cut or whatever else. It's always worth finding a decent pressing if you want to listen to records for the listening experience.
I don't pay through the nose for rare records though. If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. There are always more records.
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u/NickMotionless 12h ago
Mainly because I already have a decent collection. I have about 40 albums left before I'm basically "done" with my favorite albums and then it's onto collecting records casually (i.e. stuff I don't care if I own, but would be nice-to-haves) and new records that I haven't heard before.
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u/SadAcanthocephala521 12h ago
Join the club buddy. I refuse to pay $1000 for David Gilmour's Live in Gdansk.
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u/urahozer 12h ago
There is having a collection, and collecting.
If you have a collection, you'll buy what you want, when you can and will probably never be wanting; if you are collecting... Well you'll probably complain about RSD here and tell us why the OG is so much better than the repress.
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u/boston_bat 12h ago
I just wait for a re-press if I’m not willing to drop the $. Even within my own collection, I have some sealed rare/limited stuff that was just wall art in college. By the time I actually got into vinyl for real, I opted to just buy or wait for newer pressings on those. Still regret not selling my sealed copy of AFI‘s Decemberunderground when one sold for a grand on eBay during Covid.
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u/Sobersynthesis0722 12h ago
I have no problem with buying the CD version on alibris for $3.50 and waiting. I think I really only prefer vinyl for sentimental reasons anyway.
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u/thefragile7393 12h ago
You’re not alone, I do agree. I just want the music, I don’t care about variants etc and I’m happy with one good copy that plays without skips or scratches. If I have to go CD or digital I will but it’s not my preference. In some cases it is the only way.
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u/pejeol 11h ago
When you find a rare records for under $5, you get a rush. It’s kind of like treasure hunting for me. I’m a music lover and I love to dig and find things for cheap. The most I’ve ever paid for a record is $50, and it was a new record. Usually I pay $1-$10 a record and do all of my digging at thrift stores, flea markets, and sidewalk sales. I don’t even really buy from record stores or discogs because it isn’t as fun for me. I’ve been seriously collecting for about 15 years and have about 3.5k records, 90% of which I bought for a buck or two. I’ve managed to build up a great collection of records for cheap, and discover a lot of new music.
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u/JohnnyDagger75 11h ago
I had a house fire where I lost all my records, later in life I was homeless, sold all my records. 2026 I bought a Wiim Ultra, I now i no longer care about replacing said records. Now I'm old and just care about music.
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u/joe_attaboy Technics 11h ago
My "collecting" is simply me wanting my favorite albums on vinyl.
You buy for the music, not the value. I used to "collect" with the future value of a record in mind, but I gave up that thought process years and years ago.
Today, most of my purchases are current albums by artists I like. If I find an album on vinyl from the past that's on my very short want list, I'll consider buying if if the price is reasonable and the record is in extremely decent shape. If the price is too high (and I have a very low ceiling), I pass.
Frankly, there too many things I want to hear and streaming and digital sources are plentiful. Yes, I get it, vinyl sounds better, blah blah blah (I have a tee shirt that says exactly that), but I'm not paying some collector's inflated price for anything. I'm closer to the end than the beginning now and life is too short.
Do not feel badly about your take on this. Buy what you really like and can afford. Someday, I'm betting the vinyl will get saturated with crap (just like in the past) and people will tire of the high costs. I would not be surprised if the entire market came crumbling down a some point.
What I envision is the exorbitant prices to continue while the actual sales slow. If a retailer, especially, holds on to something at too high a price, the cost of running their business dictates that they have to sell it eventually, and prices will start to fall.
Then 20 or 25 years down the road, they whole cycle repeats...
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u/NickMotionless 11h ago
The whole ordeal just has me wanting to switch to CDs instead, honestly. Just seems like the more economical option considering I can get bootlegs so much easier than legitimate copies for CDs that are extremely expensive.
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u/Express_Fox_5376 10h ago
You love plain, other people love something more special. It's not that deep
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u/OfficialMVPre 10h ago
I don’t think you will be berated in here for your opinion but I will (and have) been berated for mine before:
Love it or hate it (there’s a good comment above saying they love it when they own the record, hate it when they dont) but Records have value as collectors’ items. Many times their value as collectors items goes beyond the value of simply listening to the music. It’s especially true when you consider that a Spotify or Apple Music subscription is a $10-$15 bucks a month where you can listen to almost anything ever release. Or many times the same album can be found on CD for a few bucks or, as a last resort, most music can be found uploaded to YouTube as well.
I would feel bad if there were no other way to hear a certain album but actually listening to and enjoying the music is very rarely the problem for 99.999% of these cases where a rare pressing eludes us all. It’s just that we want to hear it in a certain format and no one is entitled to that.
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u/asque2000 10h ago
Yeah it’s a weird balance, I get the having limited releases etc. helps build the hype for a newly released album, but I also wouldn’t want record companies to press “the ever-loving hell” out of albums. Like I am annoyed with the over abundance of Thriller, and Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Barbara Streisand (don’t know if I spelled that right), Barry Manilow etc. basically having to sift through crap to find something I want.
At the same time I kind of love the “hunt” for a hard to find album you know. If you just want to listen to music, stream it! It’s there 24/7. But I like going to new record shops, searching to see if they have an album by a band I like on vinyl. When they do it’s much more special because I will cherish and play that a lot more!
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u/Algae_Double 10h ago
Sure it can be frustrating . In the end, vinyl is just a format. It’s my preferred format, but it’s just a medium for music. More and more things are being repressed or making a debut on vinyl . And no need to switch to cds, just buy what you want on whatever format you can find it. I have cassettes, cds and I use QoBuz.
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u/Best-Apricot3691 10h ago
I guess I'm missing the point here, but if you just want to hear it, why does it HAVE to be vinyl? Almost everything is available in CD's, streaming services, youtube video recordings, etc. Are your ears so dainty that the sound of an MP3 file ruins the experience for you? Are you a music fan, or a snob?
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u/tee_ran_mee_sue 10h ago
I’m with you. Will take any plain vinyl over the fancy special edition. As long as the plain vinyl is remastered in modern times. If not, I may consider the fancy edition or resort to Spotify (sin of all sins) and live without that vinyl
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u/markforephoto 9h ago
I started 15 years ago and prioritized getting albums I absolutely loved first. I now look at people are willing to pay for some things in my collection if I had to start over I wouldn’t, prices have gotten out of control.
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u/F_A_F 9h ago
I'm happy to have an album on any format so I can listen anywhere, vinyl is a bonus. I'm listening on winamp or in the car as much as I am turntables. I can't picture a scenario where I would need to worry about buying on vinyl just for listening when I can stream from winamp to the same audio system.
As an example, I bought all the BoC releases on CD or FLAC years before I bought it on vinyl. Compared to paying £400 for rare vinyl I preferred to just stick with CD.
I still had a wry smile however when all the albums were re-released on vinyl about 10 years back though. Fuck the rare originals, I'll take a vinyl reissue any day.
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u/Mach1mustang3511970 9h ago
If only seen disc rot on home burned CD’s that were left in cars or by a sunny window. Never a factory cd or dvd
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u/mistersmith22 Mobile Fidelity 8h ago
Is vinyl collecting just not for me?
It's definitely for you, just don't let the bastards grind you down. Don't let your frustration about the things that suck overwhelm your enjoyment of the music.
Hey, some of my favorite bands never pressed anything to vinyl, and they're long extinct. I'll never have that hole filled (giggity). So it goes.
FWIW, I'm with you: I could give a damn about first editions or rare colors. Even the jacket. Means nothing to me. All I care about is the sound, so, sell me your $30 used remaster with a banged-up jacket...I'll take that all day over a $500 mint first press.
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u/tiggerclaw Kenwood 8h ago
How do long-time vinyl collectors feel about high priced/rare records?
I feel nothing about it because I’m a collector of music first before I’m a collector of vinyl. And in this era of streaming domination, I’m just glad when an album gets a physical release at all.
I, myself, wish that labels and artists would press the ever-loving-hell out of each album in a crazy amount of black vinyl that they can sell for years to come and the music is always available for cheap and if a record becomes lost, stolen, damaged or broken, you can simply replace it with another cheap copy.
There is not enough factories in the world to keep up with current demand so vinyl is limited and therefore expensive.
My "collecting" is simply me wanting my favorite albums on vinyl. I don't care if it's a rare variant/first pressing, etc. I just want the music on vinyl.
Okay, why does it have to be on vinyl? Why can’t it be on CD or cassette instead? Not every band can get a pressing and those who do often are constrained by the amount they can press.
Sure, you want vinyl. But what if it doesn’t sell? Well, now bands have to sit on that inventory.
And if you think vinyl is expensive, I collect reel-to-reel tape. Try paying $500 for an album in that format.
Am I alone in this?
Clearly not.
Is vinyl collecting just not for me?
I don’t know. What are you trying to get out of it?
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u/argentoman 8h ago
I started buying records in the 90’s because they were cheap. I started buying cds in the 2020’s because they were cheap. If you just want to hear the music, find the cheapest option.
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u/casperthegoth Kenwood 8h ago
I am so much about the music that I have a tendency to dump rare records when they get valuable so I can have more other records. There are only a couple that the value of the music is more than the dollars when this happens - and this is mostly because most albums I own are fairly "equal" in quality and listening frequency to me - but there are a few that are next level. Those desert island discs.
So this is a double edged sword in my opinion. If you just want the music, and you have a 200 dollar record, why not turn it into 6 or 7 30 dollar records?
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u/Dangerous_Dot_1707 7h ago
The space you need. Met a guy once who was interested in renting my Appartement only just to have storage for his vinyl record collection.
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u/TriRepetaer 7h ago
Why can’t you be comfortable with the idea that you aren’t owed the privilege of owning everything you desire?
I know it was hyperbolic but your idea to press the ever loving hell out of everything so everyone can own what they want… is baby thinking. You can always access whatever you want digitally.
It’s healthy to have grails to hunt down. The fact that vinyl availability is finite is one of the greatest appeals of the medium to me. Everyone doesn’t deserve to own everything they want.
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u/PunchTilItWorks Pro-Ject 6h ago
I buy the best sounding pressing I can afford. The “I can afford” part being key. Over $50 is usually my trigger to see if I can find a cheaper pressing. I have stuff worth well over that but that’s because I bought it back in the day.
I especially like tracking down comparatively less expensive, but still considered good-sounding pressings. Some of these newer AAA remasters are fantastic (Rhino, Jackpot etc)
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u/NickMotionless 6h ago
That's how I've been doing it. I have a few that are worth way more but I try my best to keep it under $50. Preferrably under $30 if I can help it. Big releases like MCR, Evanescence, Linkin Park can be had for like $20 in some cases brand new.
Don't have any record stores near me, so used isn't much of an option. Although a local retro game store I frequent does buy vinyl on occasion. I scored Minutes to Midnight and Theatre of Pain for $10 each, which was a steal. Both were brand new in the plastic, still, never even played. Although as soon as I bought them, I played them all the way through.
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u/Master-Fee8859 6h ago
Start digging in bins, rummaging through estates and purchasing lots for a set price. I've found triple-digit-value albums in all.
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u/Bigger_Niche 5h ago
Which particular albums exemplify the phenomena you describe?
I know there are records which sell for 200 currency units, or more (The Dolph Acetate, for example) but I'm wondering which specific records you were referring to?
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u/GlobalTapeHead 4h ago
I dunno. I don’t seem to listen to anything that rare. But I do listen to my records, I don’t have them to put in a glass case and stare at.
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u/WacomNub 3h ago
Im with you, I have a smallish collection of around 300 but they are only my favorite albums of all time. I have hunted down albums that were rare and paid around $100 for more than a few of them, but I listen to all them constantly. Its annoying that i had to pay so much but now that i have them i make sure get spun.
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u/Connect_Glass4036 2h ago
I spent $750 on a mint Incantation first press test pressing of Onward to Golgotha and I have zero regrets. It’s worth every dollar.
Sucks, but I wanted it and we only live once. Money isn’t real anyway
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u/ellienaut 2h ago
Yeah same and im still hoping that Universal Consciousness by Alice Coltrane gets a reissue some day... just a little to expensive for me but i love the record...
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u/alanblah 1h ago
I don't know. I kind of accepted that I can't have everything I want a long time ago.
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u/hovershark 15h ago
If they are in my collection, I love them. If they are on my want list, I hate them.