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LP records: Time to... oi... buy another crate...?

OK, I'm not asking you what I should do, I'm asking what you did and, in retrospect, what you think about it. I was doing my annual assessment of my LP collection this winter, running cleaning fluid through the VPI 16.5, listening, and deciding what "VG" copy needs to be upgraded to a "NM" and what holes still need to be filled. I've never considered myself a "collector" and have attempted to "collect" only what I wish to listen to. I'm now at a crux: I've just about exceeded the "magic number" of LPs that I can reasonably expect to enjoy if blessed with a normal lifespan. I'll be one of those old guys, God bless 'em, whose survivors give his collection away to anybody who will take that pile of non-digital whatever.

For my sanity, I need to decide before Springtime whether to keep upgrading or housing multiple copies of stuff I really like (Do I need two copies of my favorites, just in case? How many versions of Quatour pour la fin du temps do I need? Do I really need mono and stereo versions of all my favorite 1958-1967 stuff? Should I upgrade my later Blue Note "player" pressings to early presses and/or 45RPM remasters? Will I really enjoy critically listening to six early copies of Aja one evening to determine which one is the "keeper?"), or just listen to what I have, get rid of what I don't think I'll play, and buy a new release now and then. I think I need to do this because managing the "collection" is now probably preventing me from enjoying it. I'm tempted to visit some of the local used bargain bin sellers with a stack for each, take whatever they offer me, and let somebody else make some lucky finds.

I'm not asking for advice or counseling, I just want to hear from those of you who also reached this point, which way you went, and how much enjoyment you get out of whatever you decided to do. If you decided to radically downsize and listen to everything you have, to "use it or lose it," how many did you keep? Do you miss any, or do you enjoy the remainder all the more? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
morgenholz
inna
7,304 posts
 
Elizabeth, perhaps you also want them to rescue you.
I listen for about 500 hours a year, that includes what was recorded in digital. Collections of this size are incredible.
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morgenholz OP
61 posts
 
My region seems to produce much of the usual suspects for the used bins. Like Elizabeth, I can't help "rescuing" mint common stuff that I like for 50 cents or a dollar just because it doesn't deserve to go out that way-- That's why I have six early-press copies of Aja and five mint copies of Learning to Crawl and four copies of Reggatta de Blanc. I do have two young daughters who express some interest in the arcane art of vinyl spinning, and one of them shows some technical facility, so there's hope for my Golden Years. I've bought them some Rickie Lee Jones and Stray Cats and Michael Jackson and other stuff they like, all under a dollar a pop. I have these in their own crate, so they don't count. Just move on, folks, nothing to see here.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
I am always finding new people to give any extra copies of items I 'rescue'. First I gave them to my five children, along with a spinner. Then the eight grandchildren grew up and are now getting rescued copies, and of course a spinner to play them on. Since a great grand child has recently showed up, I now have another excuse to continue in 'rescue' mode. The 'beat' goes on.
lloydc's avatar
lloydc
755 posts
 
I have cut my record collection in half several times, due to moving into progressivley smaller spaces. Got rid of things I had outgrown and thought I would never want to listen to again (e.g, Gentle Giant, Roxy Music, Tangerine Dream) There are occasional pangs of regret (e.g., shouldn't have thrown out the Keith Jarret.) Hard to decide on some I might listen to, but probably won't (12-tone Schoenberg?) But since there are still 4 or 5 thousand, more than I will ever listen to, and I still don't have enough space and need to divest more, I don't feel bad about the occuasional error. It makes no sense to keep everything. Can't find the title I'm looking for often enough, as it is.
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