I can sort of understand the appeal of having records just as pieces of art/decoration or saving them for a future record player. The latter is how I started collecting too because I just happened to discover one of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes at the flea market. Instant snatch! As for using records as decoration, maybe that's just like owning coffee table books? Plenty of people don't read but keep a few pretty tomes in their space. With the difference that books don't require any additional devices to be read...
This comparison between books and records and, crucially, what you say about books not requiring any specific device is so spot on. Plus books are mobile or at least easier to carry than vinyl. But yes, both can be used as decorative objects to create a cosmopolitan/urban/bohemian vibe. I just find it sad that some people don’t seem to have any interest in playing/reading them!
This is really surprising! Yes, what ARE they doing with those records if they have no way to play them? I have noticed vinyl is often used as "decor" in Airbnb's these days, often without a record player.
millennial with records and no record player here! i use spotify 99.9% of the time because i’m always on the go in one way or another, i love playlists, and i like song- and artist-hopping; when i’m home, i have a good-quality portable bluetooth speaker.
i buy albums for “one day…” when i a) have the extra cash to buy a good turntable, b) have narrowed down which model i want because i’m picky about features (which i’m sure you all can relate to), and c) locate and carve out a little area in which to put my set-up. as it is now, i’m in no rush.
p.s. if it makes you feel better, i’m in a music-related chat room, and when the others (who are 20-40+ years old) post their set-ups, i almost always see a record player! 😀
Thanks a lot for your comment, Valerie! Can I ask, do you tend to collect records of your favourite artists only, or do you also buy records for other reasons?
I see what you mean about your set-up. If and when you do decide to add a turntable, bear in mind that the more sophisticated it is, the more stuff you will need to add (amp, pre-amp, possibly different speakers if not bluetooth compatible etc.).
right now, i’m only planning to buy albums that 1) are all-time favorites that i’ll repeatedly revisit, 2) have “no skips” for me, and 3) that i think might sound particularly good with some vinyl flair. space and funds are limited, but i would not be opposed to picking up good deals that don’t fit that exact criteria!
and thank you for your help! i’ve been debating it all for so long i haven’t decided on what constitutes as a pro or con to me! do i want to use my bluetooth speaker or do i want speakers or do i want an all-in-one unit? do i want something cheap until i figure out if I’ll actually use it then splurge? where will i put it? who knows?! not me! not yet, anyway. (these questions are rhetorical haha!)
Thanks for your reply! I think your collection strategy makes a lot of sense. If and when you start playing vinyl, you’ll have records you know you enjoy from start to finish, and you’ll keep using streaming platforms as you do now. Contrary to what people might assume, I use streaming a lot. I use it as my inbox for new music and to filter stuff. I only buy the record on vinyl if I know I really like it.
If I were you, considering you are happy with your bluetooth speaker, I would go for an entry level turntable with bluetooth capabilities that can be connected to your speaker. This will be less daunting than going full steam ahead with an amp, new speakers, and a more advanced turntable (which would require grounding, calibrating etc.). This way you would keep costs low, and you would be able to switch from turntable to streaming and back and forth quite easily depending on your mood/needs.
Your speaker will have a certain lifespan, so in a couple of years, when it’s time to replace it, you can then maybe look into upgrading your turntable and getting an amp etc.
In my humble view, you don’t want to be taking your first steps with your dream turntable, as you’ll make lots of mistakes at first (not just YOU -- anyone who says they didn’t make any mistakes when they started is lying). Vinyl is beautiful, and very rewarding, but it’s a lot easier when you take it one step at a time. Hope this helps!
I think some people are using them as decor. I have a 3x3 grid on the wall above my collection that I swap albums into/out of. AirBnBs have them, and staging companies have started using them when getting houses prepped for sale.
Others are buying them as an "investment." There's no shortage of posts on Reddit or even FB where people are asking about LPs that "hold their value," or why RSD releases aren't worth it any more. There are also people buying up tons of RSD releases, to resell them on places like Discogs.
Thanks for your comment, Kevin! Yes, I suspect the same, a bit of decor and investing/reselling. Vinyl as an ornament and/or commodity, regardless of sound. I am biased, but I find it bizarre (and rather sad) that some folks don’t seem to have any interest in playing the records they buy. I think the more you spin the better you can invest and resell.
Thanks for the hat-tip, Andy (and your grad pic....you're tough to recognize without that mega-watt smile😁)! Nice analysis of a true vinyl conundrum...I'm gonna take a stab, and try to grok these new millennial kids: If the numbers are relatively accurate, I'm gonna say that Tasha and Cyndi all trundle down to Randy's house, bring a few discs, and gather at the house of the only one of their friends with a contraption they hear-tell is called a "turntable" (or something)!
Where we of a certain age each had our own 'tables, "these kids today" are so used to communal (albeit, they're usually alone while doing it, granted) activities via websites, apps, social media, etc, they might find it more fun and infinitely more affordable to simply gather and experience records en masse. If that's the general scenario, I gotta hand it to 'em! It keeps them off the streets (with any luck), too!
I also gotta think these vinyl forays often lead them to dig for deeper gems as they move across the room to Randy's laptop to look up more tracks on Spotify, or live versions on YT! I'll accept that. But, the good news is their journey is beginning in The Vinyl Room!💿😉
Thank you, Brad, for bringing this news to my attention first!
It’s possible that they all gather and use one sort of “communal” turntable. I think they don’t care about spinning them though, sadly -- I feel they can’t be arsed or bothered with the whole hassle and they would rather stream. They buy the vinyl record only as a souvenir and/or to have something tangible. But your theory gives me more hope!
Oh, and my grad pic... 😁 you know, I had to dig sooo hard to find it! My stuff from that “transition” period of my life is a big fat freaking mess! Old computers, random folders, stuff in storage, stuff I left behind, stuff I don’t know in which country or even in what language to look for in the first place. Some day (I always say this) I will tidy up/recover/organise my photos/records from that period... but I never get round to it, and it’s more than ten years ago now!
Oh, I get it........and my moves were only always inter-state, and mercifully, within the same country! I mean, the wondering if "my plugs will fit in the new country's wall sockets" dilemma alone would bedevil me!!
Absolutely! You know, when I landed in London for good (I say for good because there was a lot of back and forth leading up to it... no drama fortunately, just logistics-wise!), I promised myself I would never move transatlantically again. It’s a lot more stable now fortunately, but trust me, my computer files, paperwork and just generally my belongings all looked like the tracklist of a Shakira album (or her Twitter): randomly and incoherently switching from one language to the other 😂 No fcking way you’re ever going to be able to find anything important!
You lost me at Shakira.....the first thought I had when I saw "the tracklist of a Shakira album" was a sea of 84 songwriters listed for each "song"! I recall that phenomenon during karaoke a decade ago, when new songs were sung (and the final screen came up listing the title and songwriters)......the newer the song, the more dozens of songwriters, for some reason, were attached! I can't recall if Shakira, in particular, was guilty of such shenanigans, but that wouldn't have stopped me from thinking she was!😈
😅😅 That’s funny. I think she is (or at least was, back in the day) good at writing pretty much alone (with one, maximum two co-writers), but things may have changed (so much has changed, anyway!).
You may be right....I actually have, in my general universe, some teen types (a small handful subscribe, and they're in town); I'll have to have it in my back pocket to ask them about vinyl in general, and how they interact with it, specifically. Kind of an unofficial survey, but it might give us a real-life peek into their vinyl usage beyond our guessing and pontificating......which, regardless, we won't stop doing, kids!
First of all, I did not know that!
I can sort of understand the appeal of having records just as pieces of art/decoration or saving them for a future record player. The latter is how I started collecting too because I just happened to discover one of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes at the flea market. Instant snatch! As for using records as decoration, maybe that's just like owning coffee table books? Plenty of people don't read but keep a few pretty tomes in their space. With the difference that books don't require any additional devices to be read...
This comparison between books and records and, crucially, what you say about books not requiring any specific device is so spot on. Plus books are mobile or at least easier to carry than vinyl. But yes, both can be used as decorative objects to create a cosmopolitan/urban/bohemian vibe. I just find it sad that some people don’t seem to have any interest in playing/reading them!
Definitely! Vinyl is so much more than decoration, it's a shame.
This is really surprising! Yes, what ARE they doing with those records if they have no way to play them? I have noticed vinyl is often used as "decor" in Airbnb's these days, often without a record player.
Yes, I’ve seen that too! The mere thought of leaving even some of my records “unattended” and at the mercy of strangers would make me sweat! 😅
millennial with records and no record player here! i use spotify 99.9% of the time because i’m always on the go in one way or another, i love playlists, and i like song- and artist-hopping; when i’m home, i have a good-quality portable bluetooth speaker.
i buy albums for “one day…” when i a) have the extra cash to buy a good turntable, b) have narrowed down which model i want because i’m picky about features (which i’m sure you all can relate to), and c) locate and carve out a little area in which to put my set-up. as it is now, i’m in no rush.
p.s. if it makes you feel better, i’m in a music-related chat room, and when the others (who are 20-40+ years old) post their set-ups, i almost always see a record player! 😀
Thanks a lot for your comment, Valerie! Can I ask, do you tend to collect records of your favourite artists only, or do you also buy records for other reasons?
I see what you mean about your set-up. If and when you do decide to add a turntable, bear in mind that the more sophisticated it is, the more stuff you will need to add (amp, pre-amp, possibly different speakers if not bluetooth compatible etc.).
Any questions, you know I’m here :)
right now, i’m only planning to buy albums that 1) are all-time favorites that i’ll repeatedly revisit, 2) have “no skips” for me, and 3) that i think might sound particularly good with some vinyl flair. space and funds are limited, but i would not be opposed to picking up good deals that don’t fit that exact criteria!
and thank you for your help! i’ve been debating it all for so long i haven’t decided on what constitutes as a pro or con to me! do i want to use my bluetooth speaker or do i want speakers or do i want an all-in-one unit? do i want something cheap until i figure out if I’ll actually use it then splurge? where will i put it? who knows?! not me! not yet, anyway. (these questions are rhetorical haha!)
Thanks for your reply! I think your collection strategy makes a lot of sense. If and when you start playing vinyl, you’ll have records you know you enjoy from start to finish, and you’ll keep using streaming platforms as you do now. Contrary to what people might assume, I use streaming a lot. I use it as my inbox for new music and to filter stuff. I only buy the record on vinyl if I know I really like it.
If I were you, considering you are happy with your bluetooth speaker, I would go for an entry level turntable with bluetooth capabilities that can be connected to your speaker. This will be less daunting than going full steam ahead with an amp, new speakers, and a more advanced turntable (which would require grounding, calibrating etc.). This way you would keep costs low, and you would be able to switch from turntable to streaming and back and forth quite easily depending on your mood/needs.
Your speaker will have a certain lifespan, so in a couple of years, when it’s time to replace it, you can then maybe look into upgrading your turntable and getting an amp etc.
In my humble view, you don’t want to be taking your first steps with your dream turntable, as you’ll make lots of mistakes at first (not just YOU -- anyone who says they didn’t make any mistakes when they started is lying). Vinyl is beautiful, and very rewarding, but it’s a lot easier when you take it one step at a time. Hope this helps!
I think some people are using them as decor. I have a 3x3 grid on the wall above my collection that I swap albums into/out of. AirBnBs have them, and staging companies have started using them when getting houses prepped for sale.
Others are buying them as an "investment." There's no shortage of posts on Reddit or even FB where people are asking about LPs that "hold their value," or why RSD releases aren't worth it any more. There are also people buying up tons of RSD releases, to resell them on places like Discogs.
Thanks for your comment, Kevin! Yes, I suspect the same, a bit of decor and investing/reselling. Vinyl as an ornament and/or commodity, regardless of sound. I am biased, but I find it bizarre (and rather sad) that some folks don’t seem to have any interest in playing the records they buy. I think the more you spin the better you can invest and resell.
Thanks for the hat-tip, Andy (and your grad pic....you're tough to recognize without that mega-watt smile😁)! Nice analysis of a true vinyl conundrum...I'm gonna take a stab, and try to grok these new millennial kids: If the numbers are relatively accurate, I'm gonna say that Tasha and Cyndi all trundle down to Randy's house, bring a few discs, and gather at the house of the only one of their friends with a contraption they hear-tell is called a "turntable" (or something)!
Where we of a certain age each had our own 'tables, "these kids today" are so used to communal (albeit, they're usually alone while doing it, granted) activities via websites, apps, social media, etc, they might find it more fun and infinitely more affordable to simply gather and experience records en masse. If that's the general scenario, I gotta hand it to 'em! It keeps them off the streets (with any luck), too!
I also gotta think these vinyl forays often lead them to dig for deeper gems as they move across the room to Randy's laptop to look up more tracks on Spotify, or live versions on YT! I'll accept that. But, the good news is their journey is beginning in The Vinyl Room!💿😉
Thank you, Brad, for bringing this news to my attention first!
It’s possible that they all gather and use one sort of “communal” turntable. I think they don’t care about spinning them though, sadly -- I feel they can’t be arsed or bothered with the whole hassle and they would rather stream. They buy the vinyl record only as a souvenir and/or to have something tangible. But your theory gives me more hope!
Oh, and my grad pic... 😁 you know, I had to dig sooo hard to find it! My stuff from that “transition” period of my life is a big fat freaking mess! Old computers, random folders, stuff in storage, stuff I left behind, stuff I don’t know in which country or even in what language to look for in the first place. Some day (I always say this) I will tidy up/recover/organise my photos/records from that period... but I never get round to it, and it’s more than ten years ago now!
Oh, I get it........and my moves were only always inter-state, and mercifully, within the same country! I mean, the wondering if "my plugs will fit in the new country's wall sockets" dilemma alone would bedevil me!!
Absolutely! You know, when I landed in London for good (I say for good because there was a lot of back and forth leading up to it... no drama fortunately, just logistics-wise!), I promised myself I would never move transatlantically again. It’s a lot more stable now fortunately, but trust me, my computer files, paperwork and just generally my belongings all looked like the tracklist of a Shakira album (or her Twitter): randomly and incoherently switching from one language to the other 😂 No fcking way you’re ever going to be able to find anything important!
You lost me at Shakira.....the first thought I had when I saw "the tracklist of a Shakira album" was a sea of 84 songwriters listed for each "song"! I recall that phenomenon during karaoke a decade ago, when new songs were sung (and the final screen came up listing the title and songwriters)......the newer the song, the more dozens of songwriters, for some reason, were attached! I can't recall if Shakira, in particular, was guilty of such shenanigans, but that wouldn't have stopped me from thinking she was!😈
😅😅 That’s funny. I think she is (or at least was, back in the day) good at writing pretty much alone (with one, maximum two co-writers), but things may have changed (so much has changed, anyway!).
You may be right....I actually have, in my general universe, some teen types (a small handful subscribe, and they're in town); I'll have to have it in my back pocket to ask them about vinyl in general, and how they interact with it, specifically. Kind of an unofficial survey, but it might give us a real-life peek into their vinyl usage beyond our guessing and pontificating......which, regardless, we won't stop doing, kids!
That would be really interesting! I would looove to know what they actually do with all the vinyl they purchase!