My Record Collection
Much like every collector of any sort, people usually ask them the same routine questions once it's unveiled that they're a collector, or in my case, always spamming my personal social media accounts with my records. some insight on my collection:
​
Why did you decide to start collecting records?
​
Listening to music digitally just started to get old for me, I wanted something physical to hold, something more than just an LCD screen to stare at. Mp3 sound files are extremely compressed and fuzzy, so I wanted to not only get the greatest sound quality possible, but to also invest in something that will have a rising value throughout the years. Before I started collecting vinyl, I collected Air Jordans and kept getting annoyed with myself because I would spend copious amounts of money on each pair I bought and I'd never wear them because I was scared about getting them dirty and affecting the value. Needless to say, I sold every pair I owned and used them to finance my last semester of college.
​
What was the first record you ever bought and when?
​
The first record I had ever bought was Let There Be Rock by AC/DC, I had been surfing around eBay and pulled the trigger. 6 years later, here we are, it's only getting started.
​
How many records do you own?
​
In my apartment I have 437 twelve inch records, 22 ten inch EPs and 34 seven inch singles with another 50 or so at my parent's place. So just over 500 in a ballpark estimate.
​
What was the last record that you bought?
​
The last record I bought was a series of the ressie of Spiritualized's debut album, Lazer Guided Melodies on white vinyl, a Rough Trade Exclusive.
​
Which record do you own the most copies of?
​
I own 3 copies of my favorite Beatles album, Rubber Soul, I own a first U.K. press on Parlophone Records, a 1970's U.S. press, as well as a 2017 Parlophone mono press. I also own 3 copies of Tame Impala's latest release, The Slow Rush, all of which are different colored pressings from Germany.
​
Which band do you have the most records of?
​
I own 15 twelve inch Pink Floyd records and 12 Beatles seven inch singles.
​
What is the rarest or most expensive record that you own?
​
The rarest (and most expensive) record I own is a first U.K. press of Pink Floyd's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in mono. These are extremely hard to come by. Black and blue Columbia Records stamp, no "file under pop" on the top right tab in the back in mono; most copies were pressed in stereo format. in 2015, a pristine, archived copy sold for $2,300. A close second place is a deluxe box set of Tame Impala's Lonerism. Limited to 500 copies, it features a turquoise blue double LP featuring a CD, poster, pins as well as a 7" single of two unreleased songs. The cheapest listing on the internet right now as the same condition of my copy is $700.
​
What is your favorite album cover?
​
Limiting it just to the records that I own, it would have the be The Rolling Stones 1967 album, Their Satanic Majesties Request, with the holographic cover. Two honorable mentions would be Standing on the Shoulder of Giants by Oasis and They Came to Conquer...Uranus by Blink-182.
​
Which record do you own that would surprise most people?
​
This will definitely surprise some people; Dopamine by Borns, the singer of "Electric Love," "American Money," and "10,000 Emerald Pools," the dude has an unbelievable set of pipes on him.
​
Which record has the best sound compared to other listening formats?
​
The first time I dropped the needle on Peace Sells But Who's Buying? by Megadeth absolutely floored me, I've never heard a fuller, deeper sounding drum fill on a record like that before, so much so that it's practically a disappointment to listen to the album on any other format.
​
Which records are you looking to buy next?
​
Unfortunately for my wallet, waaay too many to choose from, but if I had to narrow it down to just a few, it would be Feels Like You - Whirr, Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs to - Spacemen 3, Leisure - Blur, and Raise by Swervedriver.