Thanks for this. I suppose the golden rule for such as RSD (my local shop/dealer abhors it) is if it is marketed as a collector’s item, it isn’t, or at least very short term.
Not all RSD releases are worth ‘investment’ this is where knowledge really comes into it. Bandcamp, test pressings, signed pressings etc are an ongoing source for this kind of speculation
I hate this side of recent record collecting as the whole point was to buy then to listen.
Yet I can find myself not wanting to play certain records due to there value,even though compared to many here,they are probably cheap.
I only have around 500 records,and I doubt I play more than 20% of them. Can’t imagine how you even pick a record to play when you are into thousands
Collecting is weird and strange thing. That MM Blue Notes I was getting was down to me wanting to get good quality Blue Notes from that era which 2nd hand were silly expensive, these were cheaper and probably better sounding (from a geeky hifi perspective).
However, they got criticised because they were gatefold and on two records which, obviously, the originals weren’t, but they weren’t pressed at 45rpm. For me part of the enjoyment was Wolff’s photography which was used for the inside of the gatefold. I love his photography from the recording sessions, but to a serious collector, this wasn’t really on, they were a “new” product so the appeal was more to a someone like myself than to a serious collector.
As well as the already frequently mentioned Blue Note, I wouldn’t mind owning everything recorded/distributed by Island. Such a broad range of material and genres.
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Stamp collectors don’t post their stamps, car collectors sometimes don’t drive their cars, Wine collectors don’t drink the wine. It’s about acquisition, the fetishisation of the ‘thing’ (Artifact). People who go down these routes are getting a kick from meaning / taste / sentimentality / security / the list goes on.
Whilst it’s easy to knock this illness, I don’t know a single collector who doesn’t have a monetary regard, no matter how small, even if it’s just to trade / swap with other collectors - It’s really hard to remove the £ from collecting unless you are very very well off in which case the financial consideration only kicks in with your will.
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Feels like it is a more recent thing with records as I don’t remember it in the 70s. Of course just because I don’t remember it doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.
Yes it’s definitely about ownership as you say with the other examples of collecting. Guess half the fun is the chase after that elusive stamp,record,bottle of wine etc. As soon as you have it,it’s on to the next elusive item.
It’s a time thing too. There were serious collectors in the 70’s (Think Northern Soul) and hugely in the 50’6/60’s/70’s with Pre War Blues 78’s and classical mostly from the audiophile brigade.
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Also reggae soundsystems with their exclusive plates with the label scratched out. Northern Soul went out of the other end of collecting and started to manufacture its own product.
I remember Robert Elms (when GLR existed) was a serious Flying Dutchman label collector.
I suppose it makes sense if you have the ‘collector’ gene to find your niche rather than try and collect in a huge area.
I was a collector of punk in 77,but stupidly sold it all for £18 to a dealer in 1980.
Darent look at what it would be worth now.
Saw a stranglers collector on Facebook a few years ago,and he had virtually ever single,12” and lp ever put out from each country. Was highly impressive. I struggled to fill my panini football sticker books up in the 70s.
The ‘complete run’ angle of collecting is attractive if: you like a challenge, a treasure hunt etc. I know a guy who completed a run of UK Chess both LP’s and singles in mostly VG+ condition. He sold the lot and started again, this time with the proviso everything must be NM.
There is no accounting for the lengths people will go to. Many classical collectors I know will go through 3-5 copies of the same record constantly ‘minting up’.
Recently I’ve been working with a few guys who are fairly new to collecting. They want to put together strong collections and have asked for help. I ended up asking myself if I were starting again what would I do? What would I avoid?
Eventually I thought about a really well curated collection weighted at 60% classics (comprising of 50 odd % re issues with the remainder as investment quality originals) with 40% deeper but excellent records either as reissues or originals. We’ve made a start and both have started lusting after first presses only 6 months in (They have also bought into several hyped records which will fall from the sky in the next year or so) I think I’ve saved them some money and certainly secured better condition records than they would have found online or walking into shops but even so their respective tallies are quite shocking really.
Ah, that’s how you met @Ruprecht 
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Would you be interested in some crusty 90s techno 12"s? 