I am in the middle of creating a digital spreadsheet of my album collection, at the same time as adding to Discogs. I don’t trust it will not suddenly disappear or somehow get corrupted or altered in Discogs.
It’s super slow going - I’m 200 in on 1500 albums. And I’m adding conditions and “resale value.” But that may be silly because there are too many factors for that and it’s an always changing number.
Speaking of which, what is the best way to estimate what an album might sell for? What I was doing is taking the median sale price on Discogs if available or looking at what comparable recent sales went for.
I think you're wise to sidestep Discogs in the trust dept (really more of a wider 'net/Cloud, etc issue, I would think). As for resale values, again, you're correct to realize they change virtually daily. If you log a value, add the date (if you don't already), just for reference. Over time, you'll begin to see an upturn or downturn in value trend (which, again, doesn't account for what it might be tomorrow)!
Back in the day I had my albums, and we didn't have cell phones....although, that shouldn't have kept me from doing this with my camera of choice! Anyway, I'd take shots with my cell phone if I were you (again, if you don't already), in close enough segments that the spines can be easily read.
That would be helpful for insurance reasons, too, but, it's quick-reference if you're shopping, and can help you remember if you have this album or that! You could maybe color-code each section (in 100-LP chunks, say) with a colored construction paper strip on the shelf edge (like A-D, red; E-H, blue, etc). That might help make it easier to reference a section above and beyond alpha order (assuming that's how you do it).
You might, every month or so (depending on how frequently you acquire albums), change out your photos in the sections you may have added a couple or a few. Thank you for letting me re-live, vicariously, through you (and Andy) the days of owning a record collection!😁
Thank you both for your comments! Brad’s advice is very solid, Steve, and I’ve got little to add other than:
1. Discogs lets you export your data (on browser, you’ll find the “export” tab near the top right corner of the tabs menu, between “drafts” and “settings”). Perhaps you can export it and use that file as your template/back-up database.
2. Definitely specify the condition of your records but unless you’re going to sell imminently, value is something that can be determined later. Plus, you can find the exact same record in the exact same condition selling for $2 and $200 on Discogs and Ebay (respectively and vice versa). Short and complex answer is it really depends. I normally prefer reselling online but buying second hand in person. Typically, record stores will give you less money than some crazy fans online are ready/willing to pay. You should compare not only with other sellers selling the exact same version of the record, but also, and crucially, the condition yours is in and how it compares with what can generally be expected for that specific record. E.g. you may have a certain late 70s or 80s pressing of a certain record that is not particularly rare; however, if yours is in much better condition than the average for that record, you can sell yours for considedably more. Hope this helps!
Yeah, I thought that there was probably an export option from Discogs. That’s probably smarter than doing double duty like I am, although I kind of like my spreadsheet layout more than the Discogs one.
Rank amateur or not in the organization department, you ARE dealing with the reigning gold-medal winner in the OCD Olympics! It's been fun to imagine your (or Andy's) collection is my own, and wrastle with the "how would I do it?" for my little vinyl babies!💿👍
When I had my extensive LP collection, I organised them in strict alphabetical order by band/artist. 12” singles, 7” singles, CDs and CD singles (remember them?) each with their own separate boxes.
Sometimes I was mocked for being obsessive about this but, as you say, it’s the only way to cherish a collection. I’d be using Discogs now, too, if I still had the records. (Why I haven’t is a whole other post I’ll write sometime.)
I have a loose system. Coloured boxes that vaguely correspond to genre, then era. And overall divide into two separate towers. One the guitary/keyboardy singer songwriter or band business, the other the more rhythmically driven stuff.
I like a little bit of variation and search. Stumbling across things i know i have, but don’t necessarily spring to mind. A classic example being the other day i stumbled back across Jeff Wayne’s War of The Worlds. Now i didn’t go looking for it, but there it was. I probably hadn’t listened to it in fifteen years. 15 minutes later i was disco head bopping along in unexpected bliss.
The most interesting version of system i have ever seen was an old mate hip-hop DJ in London, who was heavily dyslexic. He ordered his by the spine colour. It was bloody beautiful.
That’s wonderful. I love that you allow a little bit of mess and mystery to bring this element of the unexpected into the mix.
Organising by the colour of the spine is certainly one of the most (if not the most) original methods I’d heard of. Breaking conventions. Love it! Thanks a lot.
I have mine split. My "regular" records are on one wall, alphabetized by artist. Various artists/comps, etc. at the end. Jazz records are on another wall, alphabetized similarly. I have a small rack on top of that for "new arrivals." 45s are sorted next to my turntable.
I like Discogs, but haven't yet gone through and adding a whole lot. Anytime I order something through the site, I'll add it to my collection on the site, but haven't done a whole lot more than that.
Thanks, Kevin! I have a similar system as in different compartments for different genres, alphabetically within (cronologically within-within), and I also have an in-tray system for "new arrivals". OCD all the way :)
Adding your entire collection to Discogs is a pain, I know, but perhaps you can do it progressively, for example when you spin? That's what I did and, save for one or two glitches, the feeling that "everything is up to date" is hard to beat.
The big problem for me is 78’s - where do you file all the weird things (1916 Ukrainian klezmer, 1940’s norteno, hot Hawaiian etc.) I put in the pop 78’s but foreign records in Cyrillic or Persian are hard to alphabetize and I never remember the artists names... so I have an expanse of who knows what you’ll find (with Cash, Perkins, Hank, and others mixed in...)
Hello from Pasadena, CA! Recent subscriber catching up on old posts - great thing you have going here.
I have a collection of over 2,000 titles in vinyl and maybe an equal number of CDs. All are filed alphabetically by artist. I tried entering everything into Discogs but it got so incredibly tedious I gave up in "E", trying to figure out exactly which pressing this old Gil Evans or Emerson, Lake, and Palmer was. This is without bothering to get into condition of the media, sleeve, etc. I just don't have enough time, and frankly I'd much rather shut off the computer and phone and just listen.
So sometimes I wind up with duplicates. As life's problems go, this one I can manage...
Hello Ken and a very warm welcome! I'm glad to see you are enjoying.
Wow, impressive collection you've got there. I can only imagine how tedious it must be to document everything. If you are not planning to resell, or assess value, the condition of the media and sleeve aren't that important, but still, finding the right version can take hours.
Completely agree with you: sometimes, the more the merrier! 😄
My collection of around 1200 or so albums are stored in alphabetical order by type of record. Rock, blues, punk, and most normal albums are together. Colored vinyl and picture discs are together. 12"dance singles, remix, and extended play are together.
Bryan Adams is under "A", while Jethro Tull is under "J". Actual person versus person's name. Oh, and bootlegs are in their on space. Store everything on 13"x13"x13" shelves.
I am just starting to use Discogs. I would also like to decide how detailed I am going to get on genre when sorting the albums. Do I break out the Punk, what about cross over artist... I maybe overthinking it a little.
Thank you for your comment, Bob! Sounds like you've got a very solid system in place. Personally, on Discogs, I don't categorise. I find it easier to search this way, but you can experiment. Categorising is more time-consuming so I'd rather make sure I add a record to my Discogs collection as soon as I add it to my physical collection (else I might forget), without worrying too much about sub-categories on the page. What I do think is important when adding to my Discogs collection is making sure each item is graded accordingly, and ensuring my grades stay up-to-date as time goes by. It really depends on what your main goal with the page is. For me, in the long run, finding everything quickly and making sure items are graded accurately is more important (e.g. if I ever need or want to resell) than whether the album was under rock or hard rock, for example.
Physically, I organize my LPs alphabetically by artist, with various artists compilations at the end. Digitally, I use Discogs and currently have 99% of my 1,100 or so albums on there, all 350 singles and about 1/5th of my 3,000 or so CDs...tales time but so worth it!
Thank you, Jeremy! Amazing that you manage to keep such a large collection so well organised. That’s impressive. Tims-consuming as well, but so rewarding!
I am in the middle of creating a digital spreadsheet of my album collection, at the same time as adding to Discogs. I don’t trust it will not suddenly disappear or somehow get corrupted or altered in Discogs.
It’s super slow going - I’m 200 in on 1500 albums. And I’m adding conditions and “resale value.” But that may be silly because there are too many factors for that and it’s an always changing number.
Speaking of which, what is the best way to estimate what an album might sell for? What I was doing is taking the median sale price on Discogs if available or looking at what comparable recent sales went for.
I think you're wise to sidestep Discogs in the trust dept (really more of a wider 'net/Cloud, etc issue, I would think). As for resale values, again, you're correct to realize they change virtually daily. If you log a value, add the date (if you don't already), just for reference. Over time, you'll begin to see an upturn or downturn in value trend (which, again, doesn't account for what it might be tomorrow)!
Back in the day I had my albums, and we didn't have cell phones....although, that shouldn't have kept me from doing this with my camera of choice! Anyway, I'd take shots with my cell phone if I were you (again, if you don't already), in close enough segments that the spines can be easily read.
That would be helpful for insurance reasons, too, but, it's quick-reference if you're shopping, and can help you remember if you have this album or that! You could maybe color-code each section (in 100-LP chunks, say) with a colored construction paper strip on the shelf edge (like A-D, red; E-H, blue, etc). That might help make it easier to reference a section above and beyond alpha order (assuming that's how you do it).
You might, every month or so (depending on how frequently you acquire albums), change out your photos in the sections you may have added a couple or a few. Thank you for letting me re-live, vicariously, through you (and Andy) the days of owning a record collection!😁
Thank you both for your comments! Brad’s advice is very solid, Steve, and I’ve got little to add other than:
1. Discogs lets you export your data (on browser, you’ll find the “export” tab near the top right corner of the tabs menu, between “drafts” and “settings”). Perhaps you can export it and use that file as your template/back-up database.
2. Definitely specify the condition of your records but unless you’re going to sell imminently, value is something that can be determined later. Plus, you can find the exact same record in the exact same condition selling for $2 and $200 on Discogs and Ebay (respectively and vice versa). Short and complex answer is it really depends. I normally prefer reselling online but buying second hand in person. Typically, record stores will give you less money than some crazy fans online are ready/willing to pay. You should compare not only with other sellers selling the exact same version of the record, but also, and crucially, the condition yours is in and how it compares with what can generally be expected for that specific record. E.g. you may have a certain late 70s or 80s pressing of a certain record that is not particularly rare; however, if yours is in much better condition than the average for that record, you can sell yours for considedably more. Hope this helps!
Yeah, I thought that there was probably an export option from Discogs. That’s probably smarter than doing double duty like I am, although I kind of like my spreadsheet layout more than the Discogs one.
Thanks for the tips on evaluating value!
Anytime!
Thanks for this, Brad! Super helpful and as usual, thorough! I thought I was hyper organized but I’m clearly a rank amateur in that department!;)
Rank amateur or not in the organization department, you ARE dealing with the reigning gold-medal winner in the OCD Olympics! It's been fun to imagine your (or Andy's) collection is my own, and wrastle with the "how would I do it?" for my little vinyl babies!💿👍
When I had my extensive LP collection, I organised them in strict alphabetical order by band/artist. 12” singles, 7” singles, CDs and CD singles (remember them?) each with their own separate boxes.
Sometimes I was mocked for being obsessive about this but, as you say, it’s the only way to cherish a collection. I’d be using Discogs now, too, if I still had the records. (Why I haven’t is a whole other post I’ll write sometime.)
Thank you, Ian! Keeping things tidy and organised is definitely the way to go. I also have CDs and CD singles in my collection 😊
I’d be curious to read that post of yours when you’re ready/willing to share!
Thanks again for stopping by.
I have a loose system. Coloured boxes that vaguely correspond to genre, then era. And overall divide into two separate towers. One the guitary/keyboardy singer songwriter or band business, the other the more rhythmically driven stuff.
I like a little bit of variation and search. Stumbling across things i know i have, but don’t necessarily spring to mind. A classic example being the other day i stumbled back across Jeff Wayne’s War of The Worlds. Now i didn’t go looking for it, but there it was. I probably hadn’t listened to it in fifteen years. 15 minutes later i was disco head bopping along in unexpected bliss.
The most interesting version of system i have ever seen was an old mate hip-hop DJ in London, who was heavily dyslexic. He ordered his by the spine colour. It was bloody beautiful.
That’s wonderful. I love that you allow a little bit of mess and mystery to bring this element of the unexpected into the mix.
Organising by the colour of the spine is certainly one of the most (if not the most) original methods I’d heard of. Breaking conventions. Love it! Thanks a lot.
I have mine split. My "regular" records are on one wall, alphabetized by artist. Various artists/comps, etc. at the end. Jazz records are on another wall, alphabetized similarly. I have a small rack on top of that for "new arrivals." 45s are sorted next to my turntable.
I like Discogs, but haven't yet gone through and adding a whole lot. Anytime I order something through the site, I'll add it to my collection on the site, but haven't done a whole lot more than that.
Thanks, Kevin! I have a similar system as in different compartments for different genres, alphabetically within (cronologically within-within), and I also have an in-tray system for "new arrivals". OCD all the way :)
Adding your entire collection to Discogs is a pain, I know, but perhaps you can do it progressively, for example when you spin? That's what I did and, save for one or two glitches, the feeling that "everything is up to date" is hard to beat.
The big problem for me is 78’s - where do you file all the weird things (1916 Ukrainian klezmer, 1940’s norteno, hot Hawaiian etc.) I put in the pop 78’s but foreign records in Cyrillic or Persian are hard to alphabetize and I never remember the artists names... so I have an expanse of who knows what you’ll find (with Cash, Perkins, Hank, and others mixed in...)
That’s so cool, though. Those definitely deserve a special shelf/case (maybe even under lock and key!)
Hello from Pasadena, CA! Recent subscriber catching up on old posts - great thing you have going here.
I have a collection of over 2,000 titles in vinyl and maybe an equal number of CDs. All are filed alphabetically by artist. I tried entering everything into Discogs but it got so incredibly tedious I gave up in "E", trying to figure out exactly which pressing this old Gil Evans or Emerson, Lake, and Palmer was. This is without bothering to get into condition of the media, sleeve, etc. I just don't have enough time, and frankly I'd much rather shut off the computer and phone and just listen.
So sometimes I wind up with duplicates. As life's problems go, this one I can manage...
Hello Ken and a very warm welcome! I'm glad to see you are enjoying.
Wow, impressive collection you've got there. I can only imagine how tedious it must be to document everything. If you are not planning to resell, or assess value, the condition of the media and sleeve aren't that important, but still, finding the right version can take hours.
Completely agree with you: sometimes, the more the merrier! 😄
My collection of around 1200 or so albums are stored in alphabetical order by type of record. Rock, blues, punk, and most normal albums are together. Colored vinyl and picture discs are together. 12"dance singles, remix, and extended play are together.
Bryan Adams is under "A", while Jethro Tull is under "J". Actual person versus person's name. Oh, and bootlegs are in their on space. Store everything on 13"x13"x13" shelves.
I am just starting to use Discogs. I would also like to decide how detailed I am going to get on genre when sorting the albums. Do I break out the Punk, what about cross over artist... I maybe overthinking it a little.
Thank you for your comment, Bob! Sounds like you've got a very solid system in place. Personally, on Discogs, I don't categorise. I find it easier to search this way, but you can experiment. Categorising is more time-consuming so I'd rather make sure I add a record to my Discogs collection as soon as I add it to my physical collection (else I might forget), without worrying too much about sub-categories on the page. What I do think is important when adding to my Discogs collection is making sure each item is graded accordingly, and ensuring my grades stay up-to-date as time goes by. It really depends on what your main goal with the page is. For me, in the long run, finding everything quickly and making sure items are graded accurately is more important (e.g. if I ever need or want to resell) than whether the album was under rock or hard rock, for example.
Physically, I organize my LPs alphabetically by artist, with various artists compilations at the end. Digitally, I use Discogs and currently have 99% of my 1,100 or so albums on there, all 350 singles and about 1/5th of my 3,000 or so CDs...tales time but so worth it!
Thank you, Jeremy! Amazing that you manage to keep such a large collection so well organised. That’s impressive. Tims-consuming as well, but so rewarding!