Thanks for another informative and insightful article Andres! As you know, my wife and I are retiring shortly and relocating to the UK to live in January, at which point I may begin building a vinyl collection.
Suffice to say that with my addictive personality, the obsession and compulsion that has emerged with other forms of collecting, and my insatiable desire for instant gratification, I’ll need to tread very carefully and set some tight and disciplined parameters if/when I start collecting and your advice here is as valuable as ever.
Thank you, Mark, for your kind words. I am excited about the adventure you will soon embark on.
Yes, resisting the temptation is key. In my view, the more you read/browse/search... in essence, the more you know, the easier it is to decide what to buy, and when, and how. A lot depends on what type of collection you want to build and whether you're fussy with sound (and if so, what kind of sound you prefer).
Sometimes the choice is overwhelming, particularly for classic/best-selling albums (think Thriller, Songs in the Key of Life, etc.). But... that's what we're here for! :)
Big smile on my face. I didn't know you were a gym and workout devotee, Andres (there is your photo of course which does strongly hint that you might be!) and this is fun and interesting to learn. Nice article. Thanks for writing.
Thank you! Apprecitate your kind words. Fitness is a very important part of my life. I don't usually talk about it on here, but it just occurred to me there are commonalities with many of the topics I tend to cover (consistency, perseverance, etc.). Glad you enjoyed!
I'm so glad you included online browsing! Halfway through, as you're mentioning brick'n'mortar (not the Borscht Belt comedy team from Vaudeville), you mention Discogs (and wherever else one can dig these days)! But, I knew you'd be on it! But, that's the difference in the centuries! We couldn't browse anywhere else BUT a building!
But, while making browsing easier (adding online to on-floor), the added volume of sellers (and their wares) has grown exponentially! Plus, you now have to factor in the Led Zep IV you see in a store vs. the one you see online, and realize you're the one who'll have to pay for shipping, and factoring that into the equation (along with not being able to see the actual record, too)!
Great topic, and well-delivered, Andy! Now, about that OF...........😉
Thank you, Brad! Of course, I think online browsing is actually more important than in-store browsing nowadays, mainly because there is, as you wisely point out, more competition, which typically means lower prices.
In other words, you will always (or almost always) pay a premium at a physical store, because store owners have more overheads, plus, as you rightly point out, they let you see the record and will have already “shipped” it for you, but also (and this might be a London thing) they capitalise on “casual” or spontaneous purchases (tourists, nostalgic/impulsive folks etc).
I think browsing everywhere is important, but nowadays, browsing online gives you a clear indication of how low you can pay for certain records (minus shipping, of course).
Thanks as always for taking the conversation up a notch.
Now, talking about taking things up a notch… who would’ve thought that an innocent Vinyl Room survey could get some subscribers… how should I put it… excited 😳 All this time, I always assumed my main audience consisted of the typical straight middle-aged American dude: the dads and husbands of your US of A… well, turns out the audience is a lot more colourful (and vocal!) than I thought 🤣🤣 Whatever floats their boat, and I admit I was misguided, so this came as a surprise. I might have to do something a bit more risque if and when I get to 1k, though 🤣 🤩
I'm glad to see the current generation taking advantage of the internet and how it's impacting record-buying....both new and secondary market! We, of course, didn't have that handy element. As for your survey, I'm afraid you've already committed yourself, to your readers, to giving them what they want, judging by your Vinyl Room's rapid growth! So, there you have it.......you've, as they might say, made your bed!🛏😊
Yes, absolutely. Interestingly though, there’s a certain counter-cultural (for lack of a better word) movement among some youngsters who make a point of not checking online and buying the latest Swift album in-store at the price quoted. I’m sure you would have loved back in, say, 1973, to be able to quickly check whether you might have been about to overpay for the latest Bowie offering at your local store! But, as they say, the grass is always greener…
Oh yes, I know I’ve only got myself to blame, and don’t get me wrong, the attention is appreciated, but still… it was funny and, admittedly, a little bit unexpected, so I thought I should say something about it!
Now (and this might be the wine talking… you will excuse the tangent: tomorrow also happens to be a bank holiday this side of the pond): if and when I get to 1000k, I might suggest I do a phoroshoot with my kit off, holding a vinyl record to cover my decency! LMAO 🤣🤣
I'm reminded of a time in the '60s (and, this may be the coffee talking).....me and a friend would take turns playing "ring toss" using old 45s to toss onto the spindle from a couple feet away! That's called a non-sequitur, and has nothing whatsoever to do with what your were saying. Nothing. Honest. No, really. Nothing.😃
Great read, Andres. It’s funny I tend to have the opposite reaction in that I think I browse too much that I have to enforce discipline to spend time doing things other than something related to record shopping (literally my wife asked me what I was doing this weekend other than something with records lol). What I do need to be better at is having more discipline also at what is deemed unmissable - how rare is rare. It’s definitely a muscle I’ve been training a lot more and understanding prices and condition and getting better at grading is a muscle you have to work out too. You’ve also inspired me just now to go on a run so thanks! 😊
Oh, and in terms of what is unmissable: I tend to go by a simple metric: scarcity/demand/price. It’s very simple, and of course there are nuances, but it tends to boil down to this. Discogs is useful to see how many users have/want a specific item.
Thank you, Kadrian! I hear you: sometimes it can get to a point where we, or our loved ones, might suffer from a little bit of vinyl fatigue or saturation 🤣 Especially in your case, as a collector ANd seller, you must feel like your life ends up revolving in 33⅓ RPM 😂 We all need a break from time to time. Enjoy the run!!
Very good article! And you’re right, discipline is important when shopping for vinyl. I’ve never been the type of shopper that buys stacks of records at one time - usually one, two at most.
What often happens with me, (not intentionally) is that I go through peaks and valleys with my vinyl purchases.
There’ll be a period of time when I get on a roll and I’m just finding every title I’ve been looking for. Then soon after I’ll get an email from an online retailer advertising a special edition of another great album coming out and I end up pre-ordering it before it sells out.
But then there’ll be other times where I’ll go weeks without buying anything. I’ll just enjoy the collection I have or try to restore some of my older records I’ve had since I was a kid.
Don’t know why it happens that way. But it does.
I also use Discogs. It’s been extremely helpful in pricing vinyl as well as cataloging my current collection.
Thank you, Chris! I can somewhat relate with what you describe. I pin it down to fluctuations in how receptive v. reclusive we are with our collection. Sometimes I feel I need to listen to my existing records more before I add new ones. Other times, I’m all for adding and adding, especially records I’ve wanted for a while. Kinda like a cycle.
Yes, Discogs is great as reference material! I use it a lot as my starting point as well.
I'm honestly not sure I could go into a physivcal store an not buy anything, but I 100% agree with you about the need to build a habit/discipline/frame of reference regarding the fair price for any given title.
A lot of sellers think they have gold on their hands and price accordingly. Others are trying to capitalize on the vinyl resurgence. Some are doing both.
Not for nothing, I went to a garage sale yesterday, and the seller had a LOT of records out. Almost all were under $1.00, and he even had a box of free records(!). It was a refreshing change.
Thank you! Yes, the point you make about pricing is spot on: some people are misguided and think all vinyl should be expensive. Some sellers are of course being a bit cheeky (British way of saying fucking fraudsters 🤣).
Of course some records are valuable and should be priced accordingly, but sometimes there seems to be this perception that everything should cost a fortune, when we know it’s not the case.
This is why I make a point about browsing, because so long as people keep paying ridiculous prices without questioning them, those prices are not going to go down.
I sooo want to meet that seller from that garage sale!
Thanks for another informative and insightful article Andres! As you know, my wife and I are retiring shortly and relocating to the UK to live in January, at which point I may begin building a vinyl collection.
Suffice to say that with my addictive personality, the obsession and compulsion that has emerged with other forms of collecting, and my insatiable desire for instant gratification, I’ll need to tread very carefully and set some tight and disciplined parameters if/when I start collecting and your advice here is as valuable as ever.
Thank you, Mark, for your kind words. I am excited about the adventure you will soon embark on.
Yes, resisting the temptation is key. In my view, the more you read/browse/search... in essence, the more you know, the easier it is to decide what to buy, and when, and how. A lot depends on what type of collection you want to build and whether you're fussy with sound (and if so, what kind of sound you prefer).
Sometimes the choice is overwhelming, particularly for classic/best-selling albums (think Thriller, Songs in the Key of Life, etc.). But... that's what we're here for! :)
Big smile on my face. I didn't know you were a gym and workout devotee, Andres (there is your photo of course which does strongly hint that you might be!) and this is fun and interesting to learn. Nice article. Thanks for writing.
Thank you! Apprecitate your kind words. Fitness is a very important part of my life. I don't usually talk about it on here, but it just occurred to me there are commonalities with many of the topics I tend to cover (consistency, perseverance, etc.). Glad you enjoyed!
I'm so glad you included online browsing! Halfway through, as you're mentioning brick'n'mortar (not the Borscht Belt comedy team from Vaudeville), you mention Discogs (and wherever else one can dig these days)! But, I knew you'd be on it! But, that's the difference in the centuries! We couldn't browse anywhere else BUT a building!
But, while making browsing easier (adding online to on-floor), the added volume of sellers (and their wares) has grown exponentially! Plus, you now have to factor in the Led Zep IV you see in a store vs. the one you see online, and realize you're the one who'll have to pay for shipping, and factoring that into the equation (along with not being able to see the actual record, too)!
Great topic, and well-delivered, Andy! Now, about that OF...........😉
Thank you, Brad! Of course, I think online browsing is actually more important than in-store browsing nowadays, mainly because there is, as you wisely point out, more competition, which typically means lower prices.
In other words, you will always (or almost always) pay a premium at a physical store, because store owners have more overheads, plus, as you rightly point out, they let you see the record and will have already “shipped” it for you, but also (and this might be a London thing) they capitalise on “casual” or spontaneous purchases (tourists, nostalgic/impulsive folks etc).
I think browsing everywhere is important, but nowadays, browsing online gives you a clear indication of how low you can pay for certain records (minus shipping, of course).
Thanks as always for taking the conversation up a notch.
Now, talking about taking things up a notch… who would’ve thought that an innocent Vinyl Room survey could get some subscribers… how should I put it… excited 😳 All this time, I always assumed my main audience consisted of the typical straight middle-aged American dude: the dads and husbands of your US of A… well, turns out the audience is a lot more colourful (and vocal!) than I thought 🤣🤣 Whatever floats their boat, and I admit I was misguided, so this came as a surprise. I might have to do something a bit more risque if and when I get to 1k, though 🤣 🤩
I'm glad to see the current generation taking advantage of the internet and how it's impacting record-buying....both new and secondary market! We, of course, didn't have that handy element. As for your survey, I'm afraid you've already committed yourself, to your readers, to giving them what they want, judging by your Vinyl Room's rapid growth! So, there you have it.......you've, as they might say, made your bed!🛏😊
Yes, absolutely. Interestingly though, there’s a certain counter-cultural (for lack of a better word) movement among some youngsters who make a point of not checking online and buying the latest Swift album in-store at the price quoted. I’m sure you would have loved back in, say, 1973, to be able to quickly check whether you might have been about to overpay for the latest Bowie offering at your local store! But, as they say, the grass is always greener…
Oh yes, I know I’ve only got myself to blame, and don’t get me wrong, the attention is appreciated, but still… it was funny and, admittedly, a little bit unexpected, so I thought I should say something about it!
Now (and this might be the wine talking… you will excuse the tangent: tomorrow also happens to be a bank holiday this side of the pond): if and when I get to 1000k, I might suggest I do a phoroshoot with my kit off, holding a vinyl record to cover my decency! LMAO 🤣🤣
I'm reminded of a time in the '60s (and, this may be the coffee talking).....me and a friend would take turns playing "ring toss" using old 45s to toss onto the spindle from a couple feet away! That's called a non-sequitur, and has nothing whatsoever to do with what your were saying. Nothing. Honest. No, really. Nothing.😃
🤣🤣🤣 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 You’re my idol, Mr Kyle!
Great read, Andres. It’s funny I tend to have the opposite reaction in that I think I browse too much that I have to enforce discipline to spend time doing things other than something related to record shopping (literally my wife asked me what I was doing this weekend other than something with records lol). What I do need to be better at is having more discipline also at what is deemed unmissable - how rare is rare. It’s definitely a muscle I’ve been training a lot more and understanding prices and condition and getting better at grading is a muscle you have to work out too. You’ve also inspired me just now to go on a run so thanks! 😊
Oh, and in terms of what is unmissable: I tend to go by a simple metric: scarcity/demand/price. It’s very simple, and of course there are nuances, but it tends to boil down to this. Discogs is useful to see how many users have/want a specific item.
I never considered the Discogs demand. That’s a great idea
It doesn’t tell you the whole story of course, but as a general guideline, it works a treat!
Thank you, Kadrian! I hear you: sometimes it can get to a point where we, or our loved ones, might suffer from a little bit of vinyl fatigue or saturation 🤣 Especially in your case, as a collector ANd seller, you must feel like your life ends up revolving in 33⅓ RPM 😂 We all need a break from time to time. Enjoy the run!!
Haha everything in balance always
Very good article! And you’re right, discipline is important when shopping for vinyl. I’ve never been the type of shopper that buys stacks of records at one time - usually one, two at most.
What often happens with me, (not intentionally) is that I go through peaks and valleys with my vinyl purchases.
There’ll be a period of time when I get on a roll and I’m just finding every title I’ve been looking for. Then soon after I’ll get an email from an online retailer advertising a special edition of another great album coming out and I end up pre-ordering it before it sells out.
But then there’ll be other times where I’ll go weeks without buying anything. I’ll just enjoy the collection I have or try to restore some of my older records I’ve had since I was a kid.
Don’t know why it happens that way. But it does.
I also use Discogs. It’s been extremely helpful in pricing vinyl as well as cataloging my current collection.
Thank you, Chris! I can somewhat relate with what you describe. I pin it down to fluctuations in how receptive v. reclusive we are with our collection. Sometimes I feel I need to listen to my existing records more before I add new ones. Other times, I’m all for adding and adding, especially records I’ve wanted for a while. Kinda like a cycle.
Yes, Discogs is great as reference material! I use it a lot as my starting point as well.
I'm honestly not sure I could go into a physivcal store an not buy anything, but I 100% agree with you about the need to build a habit/discipline/frame of reference regarding the fair price for any given title.
A lot of sellers think they have gold on their hands and price accordingly. Others are trying to capitalize on the vinyl resurgence. Some are doing both.
Not for nothing, I went to a garage sale yesterday, and the seller had a LOT of records out. Almost all were under $1.00, and he even had a box of free records(!). It was a refreshing change.
Thank you! Yes, the point you make about pricing is spot on: some people are misguided and think all vinyl should be expensive. Some sellers are of course being a bit cheeky (British way of saying fucking fraudsters 🤣).
Of course some records are valuable and should be priced accordingly, but sometimes there seems to be this perception that everything should cost a fortune, when we know it’s not the case.
This is why I make a point about browsing, because so long as people keep paying ridiculous prices without questioning them, those prices are not going to go down.
I sooo want to meet that seller from that garage sale!