So just how much vinyl do YOU own?

bdp24 -

Wow that is amazing, to grow up in San Jose in that era! I’m jealous, hearing about all the incredible garage bands you saw in the mid ’60s. I met Greg and Suzy Shaw in 1977 when I visited their home in Los Angeles, and he showed me his record collection and spent the whole day with them discussing music. He released a 45 I made with my band, on his Voxx label.

I love the Sonics (Tacoma WA) too. And the Music Machine. And the Lyres. Here is a shot I took just now showing some of the ’60s garage 45s (and a few LPs) I have in my collection, all from San Jose (except Music Machine). Maybe you even saw some of the more obscure bands, as support acts for the more well-known bands?

http://www.g45central.com/posts/SanJose.jpg

According to Discogs I just broke 2000 LPs.  I have another 500 or so I just culled (doubles, stuff I don’t like,  bulk purchase dross) that I will off-load at the flea market for $1 and spend the money on more records.  

I heartily agree with Elizabeth.  No sense leaving your records around to weigh down your survivors. Several times I have visited my parents in their 55+ community to find hundreds of records in their basement that were dropped off by their neighbors kids because my mom told them I like records...I cull through looking for the stuff I like and immediately take the rest to Goodwill. 

I have considered establishing a Southern Maryland Vinyl Tontine. Each member agrees to help the deceased’s family liquidate the collection as efficiently as possible. When my time comes around I hope to have culled my collection down to my favorite 1000 LPs.  

But as someone once wrote on one of these forums, I hope at my funeral my friends sing an old classic song that hasn’t been written yet.

In my opinion...not nearly enough.
In my wife's opinion...way too many!

But seriously, I have more records than I reasonably have room to store.  I haven't counted but I think it's around 700-800 currently. 
I'm trying to reduce the number by selling on Discogs and ebay, but it's not making much of a dent.  I recently got rid of all of my "junk" vinyl that was simply taking up space.  Just about everything I own now would qualify as premium quality vinyl.  I made a choice a few years ago to only keep the records that I love, and not be a "collector".  Still trying to stay on this path.  I don't want my stuff to be a burden on my family when I'm gone.  I also want them to know that they shouldn't give the stuff away if they ever have to make that choice for me.    

Most of us old music lover audiophiles have large record collections. I still have my Father's pre recorded tapes. He had a wonderful old tube Ampex back then. I never counted. I always got rid of albums that were either poor pressings or music I did not like for some reason but back then you had to be reasonably good to get a recording contract. Sometimes I bought an album simply because I liked the cover. You can't do that anymore because there is so much garbage out there. Fortunately it is becoming easier to audition music online. Having a large collection is fun because you can always pull a record that you have not listened to for years so it is almost like playing new record. Also records have memories attached to them and you can bring those memories back by listening like when my first girlfriend dumped me or the first time I played Meet the Beatles on my Zenith portable with a cobra tonearm. I can smell the tubes. When you make a significant upgrade to your system like a new set of speakers or a much more powerful amp it is almost like having an entirely new collection. Music is eternal all this other stuff not.  

Unfortunately none now. Being a minimalist, i already disposed a hundred of them 15 years ago when my grandfather died. Now I can;t help to think that there are things worth keeping.