20 Months in Since Going Vinyl: My Journey to Starting a Record Collection
.. And How It's Rekindled My Love For Music
Before I go any further let me clarify; I still stream. I have nothing against it as I still constantly use my Spotify to find new music & make playlists. It is especially convenient in the gym, outdoors, while driving and sharing music with your friends (I am completely aware most people don’t own the means to use physical media).
.. Alright, now that that’s out of the way. Vinyl Rules!
What Intrigued Me About Records
20 months ago I decided to purchase my first record player (a cheap brand from Amazon that real audiophiles would scuff at) to try and collect my favourite albums in physical form that I can hold and treasure forever. Main reasons being:
Recapture an old feeling
Nostalgia can be a beautiful thing. Some of the highlights of my teenage years was saving money to buy a new CD I was anticipating! Not just that, but the entire feeling of exploring music stores and finding new bands to listen to. The conversations, the overall vibe, down to the smell, it was enthralling even when I didn’t have any money. Think of it as the blockbuster video days for music nerds!
A new hobby
3 some years ago I sadly had to sell off my entire retro video game collection as I needed cash being a broke part-time writer at the time. Since then, that exciting feeling of a hunt for my personal collection has been void.
Then about 2 years ago I was fortunate enough to get back on my feet financially and wanted to get back into the hobby of collecting. And the point above of missing finidng music in physical media intrigued me to recollect all of the CD’s I loved but in vinyl form this time.
Overwhelmed by streaming
Millions of songs hit streaming daily. And I was this music nerd that tried to keep up with EVERYTHING. My main genres were in the punk/metal genres, but even within those subgenres alone, it was impossible to keep up!
I will forever be an “Album” type listener, and I look forward to new drops every Friday new releases. But it got to the point that I was consuming so much, getting a quick dopamine rush but forgetting what I heard cause algorithms are built into us to always be looking for the next content. I hardly revisited albums to get a different perspective of them if I didn’t enjoy them instantly, because there was always the “Next” thing available in a hit of a button. It felt like a never-ending chase of trying to keep up with what I was being suggested.
Appreciation for the Art
As cliche as that sounds, we really take that for granted the fact that music is an art. It can take artists, producers, audio engineers, and writers hours on end to produce just one 3 min song that our attention spans train us to consume only the first 15 seconds because, again, the “next” button was ever readily available if it isn’t catchy by that time. Within that short time, we feel we have enough to judge the entire song, the artist’s entire catalogue and how we feel about them.
Being a musician in the past (will be covered in future blogs), the streaming age was so frustrating for me as a creator. I wanted to create full-bodied work, songs that change emotions throughout to tell a story, and not just capture that 15-second hook.
We stop thinking of consuming art as a “privilege” and rather treat it as fast food. Now, in physical media, using your hard-earned cash to buy the music, that all changes. And I can remember buying CDs or being gifted them. I listened to them daily till I memorized the lyrics, I stared at the album art, read the credits and searched for their other projects. Even when I didn’t like the album at first, when I just spent $15-20 on it I was going to keep listening to it ‘till I learned to love it. And that is exactly how I got into some of my favourite bands today! Not all by way of being blown away by first impression, but the curiosity the artists gave me and the choice I made to chase it.
How Record Collecting Has Changed Me
Thus leads me to the whole point of this blog, collecting records. Since then I’ve noticed many positive changes in my life, here’s to list just a few:
The Thrill for the Hunt
When I go out, especially when I travel, there’s nothing like discovering a record store. Digging crates, seeing what that store in particular has, and being surprised by what I find, it’s an entire experience.
The Sense of Community
Going to record shops lets me meet like-minded enthusiasts. Even when we don’t listen to the same genre, other’s passion for music is just contagious! It’s comparable to streaming whatever movies Netflix has available on your own to going to a video store and asking/giving recommendations to the staff and other goers.
A Creative Outlet
I have since created an Instagram/TikTok account to journal my record collection (username: dangerpxp on both). On there, I document each record’s condition, variant rarity, as well as write my own review on the music itself (also big on the presentation btw). This not only helped me process what I own and share my thoughts but also helped me meet other collectors online that I can deeply talk music with.
Enjoying Music Like I Used To
No longer do I get overwhelmed like I used to trying to keep up with what’s coming out on streaming. I enjoy a single or two that I hear, I would search for the record to own. I take my time with the album, without listening passively as well as I just spent $20-$50 on them, spinning them has become a ritual for me. Listening to new music feels more like an event or an opportunity again. It’s an exciting thing to look forward to that night with me and my wife, or sometimes with friends I like to share the experience with.
I have vinyl nights where me and friends would pick albums to spin whilst we did a puzzle and had drinks to. Have conversations about each record picked which helps me find new music and learn more about the person who shared them.
From CDs to LPs: Worth Every Penny
20 months in my growing collection, and I have no regrets. I love every record that I own (even the bad ones lol) and plan on revisiting them whenever the mood strikes.
I wanted to shed light on the positives in my first blog about this topic, but the costs of this hobby are definitely a scary thing for anyone wanting to get into the hobby! If you have the means however, and you have a passion for understanding music, I hope that I’ve convinced you. As with any hobby, you get what you give. But it’s given me a level of enjoyment and appreciation that I haven’t had for music since I was a teenager collecting CDs to play them on my Discman, headphones blaring, being lost in the music like how we’re supposed to feel.
If you want to hear about my specific music selection, reviews and thoughts about different genres and artists, I don’t really know how substack works so I guess. Umm.. Let me know? By way of like comment, reshare or whatever haha.
I can relate to what you're writing here. I too have just recently begun collecting/hunting for records (and I also got a record player that sounds just like the one you described, and it works great). The physical form is my preference every time over streaming and searching for the records is a huge part of the fun like you said. Look forward to hearing more about journey with this.
I totally identify with this. I too have got tired of the short attention span-encouraging Spotify. I find myself listening to radio more. And like you, getting more vinyl over the last few years. Like anything, making that little bit more effort reaps rewards that streaming can't offer.