Thanks for the clever product-placement, Andy! When I was doing my collecting ('60s and '70s), it was pretty haphazard, as you know (for new readers, Dad was in radio, and brought home the latest promos from the station...he liked jazz, so I got the rock...I was 10 in '65, for reference).
I'd keep virtually everything he brought home, at least to listen to. Some I liked, some I didn't. I can't remember what I did with the latter, although I do remember a family garage sale, late-'60s, where I added some of my albums to the mix. Speaking of regrets, I remember marking a couple early Beatles albums at $1.50 (with marker on the back😱), and putting them in the sale.
And, these were the U.S. Capitol Records promos, with the "bullet-hole" PROMO in the upper right-hand corner! I, apparently, wasn't very bright as a 12-year-old! Obviously, my selling these had no reflection on the band....plenty of FR&B articles speak directly of my early love of the Fab Four. I suppose I was dense as to the "value of vinyl" as we routinely speak of today!
So, with all the resources out there, today (from "Goldmine" to Discogs to everything on the 'net, along with dutiful scouring and browsing), plus decades of "lessons learned" by those who went before, there's indeed, a wide chasm in the experiences of "rock's early days of vinyl" collectors, and the informed 21st-century vinyl collectors!
The credo for today, then, that I would scribble in your nifty and handy "Brad Ramone" notebook is "If you haven't already, learn from our mistakes! We don't aim to be pioneers for nothing!"💪😁👍
Thank YOU, Brad, for this amazing story! It's golden on so many levels.
It would be easy to judge some of those decisions with all the information and resources we have available today. Yes, you were indeed very young, but also, ALL OF THAT (that specific period in music history) was unfolding in front of your very eyes, LIVE! I mean, you knew about The Beatles before they were THE Beatles (sure, the phenomenon was pretty much instant, but were they THE Beatles as we know them today?).
I also think, and please correct me if I'm wrong as you'll have not just more knowledge and experience but also more context, it's one thing to look at the Beatles discography retrospectively and analyse it as a whole body of work as opposed to seeing the band evolve live.
I suspect (and this is my bold guess) surely some fans were taken aback by the evolution of the band in such a short time. So if someone was, say, fond of the early Beatles, and didn't quite like the more prog/experimental twist of the later years, they would have been more likely to want to get rid of certain records in favour/exchange of others; and conversely, if someone was really into the new sound, they would have perhaps wanted to get rid of the earlier works as they now sounded, to them at the time at least, silly in comparison.
As we say in Argentina "we're all football [soccer] experts with Monday's newspaper" (matches take place on Sundays 😉).
The very fact you were living all of that is indeed worthy of a monument, if you ask me! But I love the cautionary tale you tell at the end as it's incredibly valuable and helpful for younger collectors so we can make sure we think twice before doing certain things!
Thanks, Andy......Add to all of my '60s/vinyl (understandable) naivete, the lack of (and lack of knowledge of) a secondary market! As for my Beatle-selling, I'm sure I was far more taken away by "Ooh, Mommy and Daddy are having a WHAT.....oh, they're selling the garage?! Oh, OK....sure, can I sell this....how about this? That sounds like fun!" kinda thing than any notion of making money, or that anyone else could or would sell their vinyl.
If my tiny noggin was doing any thinking about "what if it sells?", I think I must've rationalized that it's all on the radio all the time anyway!
Counter that with my later-than-it-shoulda-been '70s introduction to "Goldmine." "What's that?" I'm sure I said to whomever showed one to me. "Oh, well, I don't need that! I get my own promos, now (radio, mid-'70s, retail records, late-'70s/early-'80s). Not only was I not interested in buying any vinyl second-hand, I was having too much fun collecting than to think about😱---"I'm sorry...did you say SELLING your vinyl, Billy?"
But, this was also the time (mid-'70s on) when I started to, occasionally, frequent flea markets (and, when I hit L.A. in '80 and beyond) record conventions, and would run across old albums I had missed in Daddy's vinyl largesse, and would pick up just to round out a particular artists' "set" in my collection!
As for Beatles in real time: Yes....when "Sgt. Pepper" first dropped, many jaws did, as well! Even the brief 9 months between "Revolver" and "Pepper" was enough for the latter to be greeted with mouths agape, so novel were its songs, its approach....not to mention the cover!
And, you're right.....the hippies whose first whiff of The Beatles was "Pepper" and/or beyond would reject the early half of their career with everything from disinterest to utter disgust...."nah, my little sister loves that stuff" had to be a frequently muttered yawn. MY easy transition went from "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" to the Top 40, bubblegum and radio pop of the day...."The White Album," their longer and stranger experimental tracks, John's political obsessions, and anything Yoko....well, they quickly began to resemble the band I fell in love with NOT AT ALL!
Picturing me going from The Beatles' pop beginnings to The Monkees, and the "16," "Flip," and "Tiger Beat" mags' late-'60s fare quite easily! And, that's when I discovered the more "Beatley" influences of the other artists who were clearly as moved by them as I was a short 3 and 4 years previous!
Then, around '68 (at 13), I grew up FAST! Dad started bringing home the first (or early) albums by Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Alice Cooper, The Fugs, The GTOs, Captain Beefheart....even if I had thoroughly embraced "late period" Beatles, the rock 'scape was moving..............but, FAST! I decided to hop on!😉
Thank you, Brad! Yes, I totally see what you mean, especially as records were not seen as particularly rare or special back then because it was THE way to listen to music! (My usual healthy dose of jealousy here 😅).
It was very interesting to hear your live Beatles analysis and perspective, particularly both their and then your transition as you, naturally, were growing up too!
I don’t need to tell YOU this but what’s fascinating to me, from my generation, is the amount and the PACE of change in rock music during those years. I mean… who could keep up? And for anyone doubting this, just take a look at any —ANY— list of top 100/500 albums of all time, 1001 or 1,000,001 records you must hear before you die etc…. Look at the years of release of most (if not all) of the records at the top! I mean… today, in 2025, we’re still talking about them!
As you know, I’m a lot more proficient in the soul genre than other genres, but what still amazes me is when young R&B artists are asked who their main influences were.. sure, they will drop the typical “more contemporary” references (Whitney, Mariah, etc. especially for singers) but most will still include the “usual suspects” Aretha, Sam and Stevie! I mean, today! That’s gotta mean something, right? 😉
The pace of change was key, and awe-inspiring! Once The Beatles blew everything wide open, so many artists suddenly realized THIS is what they were born for....to create in THIS musical arena!
Another mind-boggling realization of years being rapidly chewed up....when I tell people I'm the only person on the planet to have seen both Judy Garland and The S*x Pistols live in concert in the same lifetime...those were a mere 13 years apart!😱Garland, 12/65 at Houston's Astrodome, and The Pistols, 1/78 at a San Antonio country-western bar!!
If you heard those names together in that same sentence, you'd be excused for thinking that one might've been in a '50s New York nightclub, and the other was in a '70s British pub a good quarter-century apart (I guess venues for both were as shocking as the close proximity in the dates I saw them, come to think of it)!!!
Wow, yes, I had heard that story, but it bears repeating, and I love that you are mentioning it here, because I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds it fascinating!
You were born at the right time, no doubt about it!
Your point about "Browsing is wisdom" is well taken. You never know what you might find, but it also gives you an idea of what's out there. It also ties in well with what you mentioned about just starting; taking a look through your neighbor's records can be a low-lift entry point into collecting.
Thank you! Browsing is so important. I’m always amazed by how much you can learn about records just by browsing: prices, editions, grading, even demand/supply (at least on a location-specific level).
The notebook has the typical configuration but maybe the mirror effect from the camera and/or the way I hold it (I’m left-handed myself) made it look like it was a left-handed one? I didn’t even know that was a thing!
If you did this, as a southpaw I’d buy two! I suppose it only makes a difference if the pages are lined and there are margins? What exactly makes a notebook suitable for a left-handed writer?
Also (and just to continue our conversation from my last video) I didn't sneeze but I coughed twice (well, the first was kinda repressed; the second, I got so relaxed I forgot I was on camera 🤣). You see when I say I'm a liability 😂
I also own a copy of 'Grace' that I don't spin often but it's definitely an important record to own (I also listened to it a ton on CD so there is that too.) I have a bunch of stuff like that that I don't spin often but it's something I want to have in my collection just because
Thank you! Yes, I’ve learned so much just by browsing—it really is underrated.
I see what you mean, and I can relate to a certain extent—if I feel there’s a reason, however small, that can connect me with the album, for me that’s enough. There were, in retrospect, albums I bought which I still like but I thought I’d end up loving more than I actually do 😂
Love this!! I would probably regret not taking people up on browsing too!
My biggest vinyl regret is selling off a lot while I was in college. Vinyl was the only thing of value I had to sell for food or when I was coming up short on rent or other necessities. I had 2-3 milk crates full (I never counted them). What I have left is one milk crate. I used to have all of The Smiths albums, all of the older Cure albums (I think Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was the first one I bought on cassette). I have one Smiths and one Cure left in my collection. The two I regret selling the most: the original Cyndi Lauper picture disc of She’s so Unusual, and The Beatles Abby Road original (swiped from my mom lol).
Thank you, Kristin! I can totally imagine, especially considering the titles and editions you mention. But what you didn’t gain in spinning joy or resale value over time, you gained in life experience, and you funded your education — all of which is invaluable on a completely different level.
Have you considered selling or giving away the albums you don't feel you need?? It would give you space for 20 MORE albums to buy!
My only regret is not taking better care of the vinyl I DO have. Whether they are full-length albums or 45s, many are scratchy from years of playing, moving around, and not putting them in proper sleeves.
Thank you, Dan! Yes I have thought about it and I think I will at some point but I’m kinda hoping —if a couple of things can fall into place— to get a bit more space which would mean it wouldn’t be as pressing. I would like to sell some of my records at some point though.
I see what you mean regarding cleaning and care. To be fair though there’s a lot more info and resources nowadays so I don’t blame you!
Good use of video on an interesting discussion prompt, Andres. The first regret that comes to me w/ vinyl collecting is just not taking as many risks on cheap used records I didn’t know anything about. Some of my all-time favorite albums are ones that I just randomly took a chance on with no previous knowledge. I would say, though, that I’m actually very careful in my purchasing, instinctively not wanting to take those risks, because the “risk” won’t pay off, compared to something I know I’ll enjoy.
Thank you, Marty! Yes, I totally see what you mean there. It’s a high risk high reward kinda situation, and I get it. I think I’d feel the same way. The feeling when it works out is incomparable, like a proper high, but then again, it can go terribly wrong too… so all things considered, it’s probably best to stick to what you know, but let your intuition decide when to make an exception here and there. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
Hi Andy! I agree with Marty, who wished he took more chances on cheap vinyl. I think it could be a generational thing, as the world of vinyl is so different now compared to when I purchased most of mine. Back then most used record shops had overflowing “dollar” sections — cut-out bins I suppose they are called — and you could often get 25 records for 20 dollars (buy 20 get 5 free). So taking chances on unknown artists wasn’t costly. And if you purchased something that was genuinely unlistenable with a fugly album cover to boot, you could bring it back and they’d maybe give you 10 cents for it.
With new releases today, they cost at least 25 dollars, so the decision process requires much more fickleness (unless one is filthy rich….also, I really should use the word fickle more often). I am a person who struggles to make a decision, so the dollar bins were wonderful for my psyche. That’s why I have two Jim Nabors’ Christmas albums and at least 100 bizarre novelty records, of which I must show you someday. I used to make mix-tapes, so these odd-records, many spoken word, were perfect sample sources for my mixes.
As always, I’m jealous of your on-camera comfort. Maybe you could hire yourself out as video voice-over talent for us shy Substackers?
Thank you, Steve! Glad to see you back here. You were missing in action!
I completely see what you mean about taking more chances and making good use of the dollar bins. Here we call them "bargains" but, in the stores I shop at, they are priced at least at £5 (roughly $6.6) so, with four, you're already at £20. Over time, I've become more selective in terms of what I buy. I'd rather spend more on a really good pressing of a record I adore (even if I already own other editions) and buy fewer (other) records instead. I guess it's also because, nowadays, music to me is less about discoveries and more about developing and growing what I love.
Thanks for your kind words! Maybe it's my acting background (I did drama and acting semi-professionally and was about to go more professional until I chose to go to uni instead) but I'm a lot more comfortable on camera/audio than I am behind the page. I see some writers (yourself included) who just have a way with crafting narratives and for me it's always donkey work--I need to work really really hard for the text to end up the way I want to. I'm 100% more comfortable if you put a camera than a blank page in front of me. Perhaps I can do your audio/video material and you can write some articles for me? 😂
Loved the video Andy! I do have both vinyl and CD regrets.
The vinyl regret is that I gave away all my records in my mid-20s. Not a bunch, probably only 50 to 100. But in that batch was a first UK pressing of The Cure’s first album “Three Imaginary Boys” that I found in a record store in Toronto in the summer of 1987. While it would certainly have good value if I’d properly taken care of it, it’s more so the memories associated with hunting it down and the thrill of actually finding it that I regret losing.
From a CD perspective I definitely regret not curating my collection more robustly. I definitely had a much higher rate of albums that I didn’t listen to regularly and/or regretted purchasing. I’d say at least 5-10% of my collection fell into that bucket.
Thank you, Mark! Glad you enjoyed! Thank you for sharing these lessons you learned as I feel they are very useful and relatable, but they’re not talked about very often — losing the exact pressing you had because of the memories is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.
On the curating side of things, absolutely. This happens more often than we’d think but not everyone will always be ready to admit it.
Anyone who thinks that things turn out for a reason MUST have no idea what "things" and "reasons" are. Because like is random, ain't it?
Okay, my regret. I'm sure you've heard this god-knows-how-many times, but this is for the record (ha!)
I think my record collection (no one ever called it vinyl) from roughly 1970—1980 peaked at about 1500 albums. In there, as you can imagine, were gems of all descriptions. (I can't bring myself to even name some of them, thinking of who/what they were ...) Also, I took very good care of them.
And yes, I have them away when the technology changed. To a church, if I remember correctly. (There has to be a joke in there somewhere.)
Ah, but the silver lining.
I'm getting my turntable this week. I've got about ten records/vinyl that I've purchased, to start, that have deep meaning for me. When I play those, it will be a peak experience, one supercharged with memory and meaning.
You've been a great guide along this road, Andy. Thanks for that.
Thank you so much, John! Impressive collection you had, by the sounds of it, and I can’t get over the irony of YOU giving it away to some church…!!! 😂😂😂 I mean you can’t make certain things up!
Silver lining though: you have MORE than earned your right to say whatever the fuck you want about that institution!
Most importantly though, I’m soooo pleased to hear you’re getting back into it, and I couldn’t be more thrilled and honoured to be playing a part in that journey!
Thanks for the clever product-placement, Andy! When I was doing my collecting ('60s and '70s), it was pretty haphazard, as you know (for new readers, Dad was in radio, and brought home the latest promos from the station...he liked jazz, so I got the rock...I was 10 in '65, for reference).
I'd keep virtually everything he brought home, at least to listen to. Some I liked, some I didn't. I can't remember what I did with the latter, although I do remember a family garage sale, late-'60s, where I added some of my albums to the mix. Speaking of regrets, I remember marking a couple early Beatles albums at $1.50 (with marker on the back😱), and putting them in the sale.
And, these were the U.S. Capitol Records promos, with the "bullet-hole" PROMO in the upper right-hand corner! I, apparently, wasn't very bright as a 12-year-old! Obviously, my selling these had no reflection on the band....plenty of FR&B articles speak directly of my early love of the Fab Four. I suppose I was dense as to the "value of vinyl" as we routinely speak of today!
So, with all the resources out there, today (from "Goldmine" to Discogs to everything on the 'net, along with dutiful scouring and browsing), plus decades of "lessons learned" by those who went before, there's indeed, a wide chasm in the experiences of "rock's early days of vinyl" collectors, and the informed 21st-century vinyl collectors!
The credo for today, then, that I would scribble in your nifty and handy "Brad Ramone" notebook is "If you haven't already, learn from our mistakes! We don't aim to be pioneers for nothing!"💪😁👍
Thank YOU, Brad, for this amazing story! It's golden on so many levels.
It would be easy to judge some of those decisions with all the information and resources we have available today. Yes, you were indeed very young, but also, ALL OF THAT (that specific period in music history) was unfolding in front of your very eyes, LIVE! I mean, you knew about The Beatles before they were THE Beatles (sure, the phenomenon was pretty much instant, but were they THE Beatles as we know them today?).
I also think, and please correct me if I'm wrong as you'll have not just more knowledge and experience but also more context, it's one thing to look at the Beatles discography retrospectively and analyse it as a whole body of work as opposed to seeing the band evolve live.
I suspect (and this is my bold guess) surely some fans were taken aback by the evolution of the band in such a short time. So if someone was, say, fond of the early Beatles, and didn't quite like the more prog/experimental twist of the later years, they would have been more likely to want to get rid of certain records in favour/exchange of others; and conversely, if someone was really into the new sound, they would have perhaps wanted to get rid of the earlier works as they now sounded, to them at the time at least, silly in comparison.
As we say in Argentina "we're all football [soccer] experts with Monday's newspaper" (matches take place on Sundays 😉).
The very fact you were living all of that is indeed worthy of a monument, if you ask me! But I love the cautionary tale you tell at the end as it's incredibly valuable and helpful for younger collectors so we can make sure we think twice before doing certain things!
Thanks again!!!
Thanks, Andy......Add to all of my '60s/vinyl (understandable) naivete, the lack of (and lack of knowledge of) a secondary market! As for my Beatle-selling, I'm sure I was far more taken away by "Ooh, Mommy and Daddy are having a WHAT.....oh, they're selling the garage?! Oh, OK....sure, can I sell this....how about this? That sounds like fun!" kinda thing than any notion of making money, or that anyone else could or would sell their vinyl.
If my tiny noggin was doing any thinking about "what if it sells?", I think I must've rationalized that it's all on the radio all the time anyway!
Counter that with my later-than-it-shoulda-been '70s introduction to "Goldmine." "What's that?" I'm sure I said to whomever showed one to me. "Oh, well, I don't need that! I get my own promos, now (radio, mid-'70s, retail records, late-'70s/early-'80s). Not only was I not interested in buying any vinyl second-hand, I was having too much fun collecting than to think about😱---"I'm sorry...did you say SELLING your vinyl, Billy?"
But, this was also the time (mid-'70s on) when I started to, occasionally, frequent flea markets (and, when I hit L.A. in '80 and beyond) record conventions, and would run across old albums I had missed in Daddy's vinyl largesse, and would pick up just to round out a particular artists' "set" in my collection!
As for Beatles in real time: Yes....when "Sgt. Pepper" first dropped, many jaws did, as well! Even the brief 9 months between "Revolver" and "Pepper" was enough for the latter to be greeted with mouths agape, so novel were its songs, its approach....not to mention the cover!
And, you're right.....the hippies whose first whiff of The Beatles was "Pepper" and/or beyond would reject the early half of their career with everything from disinterest to utter disgust...."nah, my little sister loves that stuff" had to be a frequently muttered yawn. MY easy transition went from "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" to the Top 40, bubblegum and radio pop of the day...."The White Album," their longer and stranger experimental tracks, John's political obsessions, and anything Yoko....well, they quickly began to resemble the band I fell in love with NOT AT ALL!
Picturing me going from The Beatles' pop beginnings to The Monkees, and the "16," "Flip," and "Tiger Beat" mags' late-'60s fare quite easily! And, that's when I discovered the more "Beatley" influences of the other artists who were clearly as moved by them as I was a short 3 and 4 years previous!
Then, around '68 (at 13), I grew up FAST! Dad started bringing home the first (or early) albums by Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Alice Cooper, The Fugs, The GTOs, Captain Beefheart....even if I had thoroughly embraced "late period" Beatles, the rock 'scape was moving..............but, FAST! I decided to hop on!😉
Thank you, Brad! Yes, I totally see what you mean, especially as records were not seen as particularly rare or special back then because it was THE way to listen to music! (My usual healthy dose of jealousy here 😅).
It was very interesting to hear your live Beatles analysis and perspective, particularly both their and then your transition as you, naturally, were growing up too!
I don’t need to tell YOU this but what’s fascinating to me, from my generation, is the amount and the PACE of change in rock music during those years. I mean… who could keep up? And for anyone doubting this, just take a look at any —ANY— list of top 100/500 albums of all time, 1001 or 1,000,001 records you must hear before you die etc…. Look at the years of release of most (if not all) of the records at the top! I mean… today, in 2025, we’re still talking about them!
As you know, I’m a lot more proficient in the soul genre than other genres, but what still amazes me is when young R&B artists are asked who their main influences were.. sure, they will drop the typical “more contemporary” references (Whitney, Mariah, etc. especially for singers) but most will still include the “usual suspects” Aretha, Sam and Stevie! I mean, today! That’s gotta mean something, right? 😉
The pace of change was key, and awe-inspiring! Once The Beatles blew everything wide open, so many artists suddenly realized THIS is what they were born for....to create in THIS musical arena!
Another mind-boggling realization of years being rapidly chewed up....when I tell people I'm the only person on the planet to have seen both Judy Garland and The S*x Pistols live in concert in the same lifetime...those were a mere 13 years apart!😱Garland, 12/65 at Houston's Astrodome, and The Pistols, 1/78 at a San Antonio country-western bar!!
If you heard those names together in that same sentence, you'd be excused for thinking that one might've been in a '50s New York nightclub, and the other was in a '70s British pub a good quarter-century apart (I guess venues for both were as shocking as the close proximity in the dates I saw them, come to think of it)!!!
Wow, yes, I had heard that story, but it bears repeating, and I love that you are mentioning it here, because I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds it fascinating!
You were born at the right time, no doubt about it!
Thanks again!!
Your point about "Browsing is wisdom" is well taken. You never know what you might find, but it also gives you an idea of what's out there. It also ties in well with what you mentioned about just starting; taking a look through your neighbor's records can be a low-lift entry point into collecting.
Also: Is that notebook left handed?
Thank you! Browsing is so important. I’m always amazed by how much you can learn about records just by browsing: prices, editions, grading, even demand/supply (at least on a location-specific level).
The notebook has the typical configuration but maybe the mirror effect from the camera and/or the way I hold it (I’m left-handed myself) made it look like it was a left-handed one? I didn’t even know that was a thing!
They're all too rare! That's why it caught my eye.
On Repeat branded, left-handed notepad? You can’t say I’m not giving you great ideas 😅
Lol. This is true!
If you did this, as a southpaw I’d buy two! I suppose it only makes a difference if the pages are lined and there are margins? What exactly makes a notebook suitable for a left-handed writer?
The binding is on the opposite side.
Also (and just to continue our conversation from my last video) I didn't sneeze but I coughed twice (well, the first was kinda repressed; the second, I got so relaxed I forgot I was on camera 🤣). You see when I say I'm a liability 😂
Love that you’re doing these all in one go!
"Browsing is wisdom" I like that
I also own a copy of 'Grace' that I don't spin often but it's definitely an important record to own (I also listened to it a ton on CD so there is that too.) I have a bunch of stuff like that that I don't spin often but it's something I want to have in my collection just because
Thank you! Yes, I’ve learned so much just by browsing—it really is underrated.
I see what you mean, and I can relate to a certain extent—if I feel there’s a reason, however small, that can connect me with the album, for me that’s enough. There were, in retrospect, albums I bought which I still like but I thought I’d end up loving more than I actually do 😂
Love this!! I would probably regret not taking people up on browsing too!
My biggest vinyl regret is selling off a lot while I was in college. Vinyl was the only thing of value I had to sell for food or when I was coming up short on rent or other necessities. I had 2-3 milk crates full (I never counted them). What I have left is one milk crate. I used to have all of The Smiths albums, all of the older Cure albums (I think Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was the first one I bought on cassette). I have one Smiths and one Cure left in my collection. The two I regret selling the most: the original Cyndi Lauper picture disc of She’s so Unusual, and The Beatles Abby Road original (swiped from my mom lol).
Thank you, Kristin! I can totally imagine, especially considering the titles and editions you mention. But what you didn’t gain in spinning joy or resale value over time, you gained in life experience, and you funded your education — all of which is invaluable on a completely different level.
Thanks a lot for sharing
Have you considered selling or giving away the albums you don't feel you need?? It would give you space for 20 MORE albums to buy!
My only regret is not taking better care of the vinyl I DO have. Whether they are full-length albums or 45s, many are scratchy from years of playing, moving around, and not putting them in proper sleeves.
Thank you, Dan! Yes I have thought about it and I think I will at some point but I’m kinda hoping —if a couple of things can fall into place— to get a bit more space which would mean it wouldn’t be as pressing. I would like to sell some of my records at some point though.
I see what you mean regarding cleaning and care. To be fair though there’s a lot more info and resources nowadays so I don’t blame you!
Good use of video on an interesting discussion prompt, Andres. The first regret that comes to me w/ vinyl collecting is just not taking as many risks on cheap used records I didn’t know anything about. Some of my all-time favorite albums are ones that I just randomly took a chance on with no previous knowledge. I would say, though, that I’m actually very careful in my purchasing, instinctively not wanting to take those risks, because the “risk” won’t pay off, compared to something I know I’ll enjoy.
Thank you, Marty! Yes, I totally see what you mean there. It’s a high risk high reward kinda situation, and I get it. I think I’d feel the same way. The feeling when it works out is incomparable, like a proper high, but then again, it can go terribly wrong too… so all things considered, it’s probably best to stick to what you know, but let your intuition decide when to make an exception here and there. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
Hi Andy! I agree with Marty, who wished he took more chances on cheap vinyl. I think it could be a generational thing, as the world of vinyl is so different now compared to when I purchased most of mine. Back then most used record shops had overflowing “dollar” sections — cut-out bins I suppose they are called — and you could often get 25 records for 20 dollars (buy 20 get 5 free). So taking chances on unknown artists wasn’t costly. And if you purchased something that was genuinely unlistenable with a fugly album cover to boot, you could bring it back and they’d maybe give you 10 cents for it.
With new releases today, they cost at least 25 dollars, so the decision process requires much more fickleness (unless one is filthy rich….also, I really should use the word fickle more often). I am a person who struggles to make a decision, so the dollar bins were wonderful for my psyche. That’s why I have two Jim Nabors’ Christmas albums and at least 100 bizarre novelty records, of which I must show you someday. I used to make mix-tapes, so these odd-records, many spoken word, were perfect sample sources for my mixes.
As always, I’m jealous of your on-camera comfort. Maybe you could hire yourself out as video voice-over talent for us shy Substackers?
Thank you, Steve! Glad to see you back here. You were missing in action!
I completely see what you mean about taking more chances and making good use of the dollar bins. Here we call them "bargains" but, in the stores I shop at, they are priced at least at £5 (roughly $6.6) so, with four, you're already at £20. Over time, I've become more selective in terms of what I buy. I'd rather spend more on a really good pressing of a record I adore (even if I already own other editions) and buy fewer (other) records instead. I guess it's also because, nowadays, music to me is less about discoveries and more about developing and growing what I love.
Thanks for your kind words! Maybe it's my acting background (I did drama and acting semi-professionally and was about to go more professional until I chose to go to uni instead) but I'm a lot more comfortable on camera/audio than I am behind the page. I see some writers (yourself included) who just have a way with crafting narratives and for me it's always donkey work--I need to work really really hard for the text to end up the way I want to. I'm 100% more comfortable if you put a camera than a blank page in front of me. Perhaps I can do your audio/video material and you can write some articles for me? 😂
Loved the video Andy! I do have both vinyl and CD regrets.
The vinyl regret is that I gave away all my records in my mid-20s. Not a bunch, probably only 50 to 100. But in that batch was a first UK pressing of The Cure’s first album “Three Imaginary Boys” that I found in a record store in Toronto in the summer of 1987. While it would certainly have good value if I’d properly taken care of it, it’s more so the memories associated with hunting it down and the thrill of actually finding it that I regret losing.
From a CD perspective I definitely regret not curating my collection more robustly. I definitely had a much higher rate of albums that I didn’t listen to regularly and/or regretted purchasing. I’d say at least 5-10% of my collection fell into that bucket.
Thank you, Mark! Glad you enjoyed! Thank you for sharing these lessons you learned as I feel they are very useful and relatable, but they’re not talked about very often — losing the exact pressing you had because of the memories is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.
On the curating side of things, absolutely. This happens more often than we’d think but not everyone will always be ready to admit it.
Thanks again!!
Anyone who thinks that things turn out for a reason MUST have no idea what "things" and "reasons" are. Because like is random, ain't it?
Okay, my regret. I'm sure you've heard this god-knows-how-many times, but this is for the record (ha!)
I think my record collection (no one ever called it vinyl) from roughly 1970—1980 peaked at about 1500 albums. In there, as you can imagine, were gems of all descriptions. (I can't bring myself to even name some of them, thinking of who/what they were ...) Also, I took very good care of them.
And yes, I have them away when the technology changed. To a church, if I remember correctly. (There has to be a joke in there somewhere.)
Ah, but the silver lining.
I'm getting my turntable this week. I've got about ten records/vinyl that I've purchased, to start, that have deep meaning for me. When I play those, it will be a peak experience, one supercharged with memory and meaning.
You've been a great guide along this road, Andy. Thanks for that.
Thank you so much, John! Impressive collection you had, by the sounds of it, and I can’t get over the irony of YOU giving it away to some church…!!! 😂😂😂 I mean you can’t make certain things up!
Silver lining though: you have MORE than earned your right to say whatever the fuck you want about that institution!
Most importantly though, I’m soooo pleased to hear you’re getting back into it, and I couldn’t be more thrilled and honoured to be playing a part in that journey!
Thank you so much, once again!
Thanks for sharing this I enjoyed it
Thank you, Vince! Much appreciated