How did we get into this crazy hobby?

I was never really interested in music growing up. I listened to shortwave radio as an early teenager and other than buying a few albums over the years I mostly listened to FM radio. Finally bought a stereo when I was 23, shocked my then GF now wife. Cheap pioneer/technics tt/kenwood speakers set up. Around the age of 31 I became friends with a bunch of folk blues musicians out of NYC that settled in Bloomington, IN and they (anyone know of the Dorkestra and Carrie Newcomer?) introduce me to folk and blues and I got to meet musicians like Jon Svetky, Ellis Paul, and many others through them. So 16 years later after a crappy year at work last year (I teach Comm. College) I read about an Ipod tube amp and one of my instructors had an old McIntosh mono amp she asked me about which made me curious and I took the plunge into tubes and vinyl.

I setup a very low-key system with stuff off of Audiogon and have started to upgrade a bit, first the cheap pawnshop tuner and now going from BW DM602's to Triangle Speakers with some tweeks here and there. But man, nothing like listening to vinyl even on a simple system like mine. Rediscovered all this vinyl I bought over the years but never listened to.

I'm 52. During vacation in the 6th grade, I had $5.00 to spend at the end of a week vacation with parents. We stopped in a Grace Dept. store in Raleigh, NC, 130 miles before we got home. Figured I should drop the bucks somewhere and this was it.

$.88 each got me a Rolling Stones "Between the Buttons"
(Mom hated their appearance on Ed Sullivan and even better, this one had "Let's Spend the Night Together" on it, but I'd never heard anything by these guys except "Satisfaction" on AM radio). I almost didn't, but the cover of "Fresh Cream" was too cool and I'd heard this guy in there was pretty good with a guitar, so I dropped the big money on that, too.

We got home and the first thing I drop the needle on is "I Feel Free". To say my world, at that moment, changed is an understatement. No more Monkees albums for me: I had to dig that old guitar out of the attic. Christmas that year was more Cream, Hendrix and even Grandma bought me a Stones album!!

37 years later of trumpet (major) and guitar and bass, music has been indispensable. (I'm taking a short break now). Music keeps me sane while I practice law.

That was MUSIC. Now "Stereo" (as we called it) was quite different. I was shopping for new horn for High School graduation and in that Music Store were some type of panel speakers by Fisher and a 504 reciever (SQ 4-channel, anyone?) Some "Brothers 4" or other "collegiate" type group was singing a version of "Never my Love". That was when the emotions of a system (even not so good) related to my life (gorgeous new girlfriend, etc.) The Bach trumpet stayed (I got a ton of them and others later), but a Fisher 304, a Quad 1218 turntable and Shure M91 cartridge, with KLH 33 speakers were the ticket. I've moved, erratically, due to school and family, etc., up-market ever since.

Every once in a while I need to ask that question that you did...when the "resolution thing" or the "imaging thing" are praying on my mind and my wallet, I need to ask "how did I get into this crazy hobby?"

Music then and now takes me places I otherwise would never go or have gone. College without Steely Dan? Law school without Arrowsmith? Love without Phil Collins? (Just kidding. Wondered if you were still with me or not!) How about love without Michael Franks and "Sleeping Gypsy" or at times, Ted Nugent?

If don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne suis pas.

It was fun reading the replies to this thread and forced me to think back. You all have some vivid memories! Some moments I can recall...

Sitting on a little wooden stool between the buclet seats of my Dads 1967 Chevy pickup, staring at an 8-track player he bolted under the dash, with the same 8-track always plugged in, CCR.

It seems like I spent almost every summer night staying over at a friends house and I remember us purchasing a headphone splitter so we could both use our own headphones off one jack on his radio. ...listening to WGRD in Grand Rapids, MI.

My dad purchased a jukebox and put it in our basement, we still have it, although not working. It had a large glass front and when selecting a song you could watch the "rack" spin to the record, select it, pull it out and set it down. We played that juke box a lot! ...enjoying pool (billiards) as well.

It seems like a special time for playing music back then (70's).

Unlike Chris, I have always liked the radio, for whatever reason.

This is the best thread I have seen thus far on audiogon. It is great to get the personal history angle.

Chashmal, I vaguely remember Beggars Tune, and I positively remember Sound World. Is this Appleton? Sound World was where I heard the best system I had ever heard, and it changed my life.