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How many LPs is enough?

Right-- the answer is "Just a few more..." However, here is where I am and what I'm thinking: The last three times I was in my local used/thrift shops, I came across a few that I was not quite sure if I already had, or whether I had that pressing. I wondered if I need to carry a Blackberry (anathema to my analog way of life) with my collection downloaded so that I could avoid this kind of dilemma.
I only own about 700 or so titles, spanning classical box sets to recent limited-release albums. I realize that this is nothing compared to most of you, but I donate what I upgrade and I sell what I do not enjoy listening to. I maintain an Excel database of what I have, and enter each upon cleaning and test-listening; I don't just buy 'em and throw 'em in a bin. While it is rather engaging to compare, say, six versions of Bolero or Beethoven's symphonies 1-9 to determine which sounds best, am I really going to listen to the other five once this is determined? Likewise, while I own a stereo and mono version, and often an audiophile reissue, of most of my favorite late '50's through '60's jazz, surf, folk, and psych, it usually turns out that one or the other sounds significantly better. My overriding rationale is that I don't really need more than a one-year supply of one title per day. While building my collection, I have enjoyed making the comparisons or searching out the missing performance when it comes to classical, but nobody who I expose to this stuff is interested in making these comparisons-- they want to hear the vinyl magic, so I always pull the superior recording.
Maybe I only need about 300-400 titles of what I consider best of the best. Even when and if I retire and have more free time, I'm not sure that I would listen to more than one LP per day, and this gives me a year of no-repeats. Of course, my husk can still haunt the local thrifts and resale shops for that fifty-cent, mint six-eye Kind of Blue, so long as I immediately sell my two-eye... Has anyone else come to this conclusion? Am I to be immediately and henceforth banished from the Brotherhood of Crusty Vinyl Seekers after having my stylus bent?
morgenholz
sirspeedy
738 posts
 
I have met collectors,over the years who have told me they had to take out storage space to house their collections.
Take a look at the AVguide website.There is an article entitled "The World's Greatest Audiophile".In it you meet a collector who not only has a four story Equipment collection,BUT 260,000 LP's!!God only knows how many CD's the guy has got!
Suddenly my 2500LP,and 350CD collection seems small!
Best.
grimace
624 posts
 
Too many is never enough!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,303 posts
 
Good vinyl recordings are great, but many are inferior by today's standards.

I recently bought a lot of ~ 40-50 albums of interest for ~ $2.00 each, a very good deal.

All were in good condition. A few recordings were top notch (Alan Parsons Pyramid for example). Many were just good or OK.

I suspect many sound better professionally remastered on CD these days, but CDs would cost a lot more and I only have so much time to listen (unfortunately).

I use my Denon CD recorder to transfer cuts or whole albums to CD for flexibility and ease of listening, including in the car when needed.

The Denon-mastered CDs sound as good as the originals to my ears even on my reference system....like vinyl transfered to digital should when done right.

My only concern transferring LPs to CD (other than the time required) is whether the recorded CDs will still work 20-30 years from now. Vinyl lasts and does not seem to deteriorate much or at all under normal conditions. I don't know that the same is true with CD media available for mass home recording.
hevac1
812 posts
 
Many many more as far as I'm concerned.

I started collecting records in the 80's. Mostly current regular releases, MFSL & D-D, R&R and the like. Then the CD revolution started and people I know started giving me there collections and still do today. Most of it is rock & roll or disco. Disco ends up at record stores unless I really like the song, few and far between.

Now here’s the problem. Like I said I am mainly into rock but over the past few years I am finding my tastes are changing. I'm starting to like Jazz, Blues and some classical. I have some but did have a lot of this kind of music. Now that I am older and travel in different circles some of the people I now meet have Jazz & Blues & Classical and they learn I listen to records they offer me their collections. Some want money but most just want the room they get when I take them away. I'm hoping I get some real nice items. I just got a bunch of CTI recording & some Blue Note originals.

After trying to get some of the above mentioned used, I realized it will cost quite a lot of money to secure them from stores etc, 100's if not 1000's of dollars if they can even be found. I start looking at reissues, the prices are more reasonable but still on the high side. I look further into it and realized that even the reissues once out of print can also cost almost as much as the originals.

I have been collecting reissues even if I do not like the music, Jazz etc. just in case I like it later. This is the only way to afford them. I do leave them sealed unless I like the music now or later, as an investment.

I figure when I retire I can sell some off as I get older or my wife can live off them when I am gone. I know she will out live me her mother is 92 and her grandmother lived to 105, my family average is 72. I just hope she doesn't sell them at a yard sale for .50 cent each. My current collection, around 6000 and counting.

Enjoy your music,
mrmitch
359 posts
 
I saw the article Sirspeedy refers to in TAS. Talk about dying and going to audio/musicophile heaven!! I had the same reaction as Sirspeedy did, as my collection is 2500 LP's and about 500 cd's.--Mrmitch
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