Make Every Record Count

Your most powerful tool as a vinyl collector is in the palm of your hand

Hello vinyl lovers! Please hit the Play button above for the full experience. Expect suspense, cliff-hangers, unlimited amounts of sass, a penchant for vocal dynamics, and the cheekiest remarks this side of the Atlantic.

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What’s a record collector’s most valuable asset?

A rare and highly sought-after gem?

Audio technology skills?

The ability to find good deals?

I see where you’re coming from, but nothing is as crucial as having an effective collection strategy.

Collecting vinyl without a strategy is like going to the gym without a programme. Sure, you may enjoy the experience and get a bit of exercise done, but you won’t make any real progress without a plan.

Strategy is key

Many vinyl lovers believe they don’t need a strategy because they are not in it for the money. They simply want to enjoy their records without paying too much attention to things such as resale value or audio technology hacks.

Funnily enough, these collectors tend to make some ill-informed decisions which, while not necessarily bad per se, are inconsistent with what they want to achieve.

They grow bitter and resentful over time and end up giving up under the false impression that vinyl is “not for them”.

Bullshit. There’s no such thing as bad collectors. Only bad strategies.

Even if you only buy records for your own personal enjoyment, a vinyl strategy is key if you want to make the most of your passion with the resources you have available within the finite lifetime you have been given.

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Aim higher

The starting point is being able to articulate your motivation.

Why do you collect vinyl?

You love music and need a closer, more tangible connection with your favourite records than a bunch of computer files can provide.

I get that. We invest in music because it makes us happy in ways other things can’t.

However, you need to be more specific. Consider this question:

Why, exactly, would you spend two of your most limited resources —time and money— browsing, buying, choosing, cleaning, looking after and, above all, enjoying your records?

Simply put, what do you want to achieve with vinyl?

Write it down

If you’re not clear on your motivation, you don’t know what you’re aiming for. Many collectors fail to devise an effective strategy because they can’t define the objectives upon which their strategy should be based.

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Pinning down your goals can be harder than you think. Some common aims include:

• Connecting with like-minded people

• Expanding your music knowledge

• Leaving a legacy to your kids or loved ones

• Reaping the rewards of value appreciation

• Developing your skills in the field of audio technology and high-quality sound

• Emancipating yourself from the unreliability and impersonal nature of streaming platforms

• Showing true appreciation for your favourite artists through the collection of their work

This list is by no means exhaustive.

You can’t have it all

Often collectors go all guns blazing trying to tick multiple boxes at once.

There are way too many records out there and, fortunately, inceasingly more diverse places and ways to get them.

There are as many styles of collecting vinyl as there are personalities, age brackets, preferences, needs and budgets.

If you feel you are spreading yourself too thin, list your aims in order of priority. This will help you focus your energy and optimise your resources.

Strategies inform habits

Once you are clear on your objectives, you can design your strategy accordingly.

Think of your strategy as the steps you will take in order to incorporate specific habits which, over time, will get you where you want to be.

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Your strategy will inform, for example:

• what, where, how, and how often you buy

• whether you should aim for early pressings, reissues or a combination of both

• whether you should prioritise online or physical stores

• your degree of improvisation and spontaneity when choosing records

• your specific browsing/buying ratio

• whether you should aim for quality over quantity at all times

Careful with the last one! Most of us will gravitate towards the quality camp because it’s more socially acceptable and it makes us look better.

However, quality over quantity also means spending copious amounts of time and money on one rare pressing in pristine condition whilst neglecting other records in your wantlist.

If you don’t intend to resell, and unless you are focusing all your vinyl energy on a few artists only, would this quality over quantity at all costs approach make sense?

This is why you need to be specific and honest with yourself. Nothing is ever absolute. What works for one collector may not work for another.

Knowing what you don’t want is as important as knowing what you really want.

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Not too rigid

While focus should be your closest ally, please allow some flexibility in your approach.

Serendipity, gut feeling and occasionally jumping at the unexpected are hugely important aspects of vinyl collecting. You don’t want to become too rigid as you’ll be missing out on great opportunities which could help you grow.

Your priorities and preferences may change over time. You should be able to fine-tune your strategy as circumstances change.

Know what you want and build consistent habits. However, if and when that little voice in your head urges you to make an exception, trust your intuition and go for it. Discovering what we didn’t know we wanted is also part of the adventure.

What’s your vinyl strategy? See you in the comments.

Thanks for reading/listening. Happy spinning!