How to Start a Brag-worthy Vinyl Collection
In the past several years, vinyl has had a major resurgence in music. Of course some people still buy and listen to CD's, but there's something absolutely special about being able to literally hold the sound of something in your hands and think, "these grooves are perfectly formed to make a specific sound when touched with a needle."
I currently work at an independent record label in Brooklyn, NY, and have been collecting vinyl for over six years. While I'm not quite a veteran yet, between my time DJing vinyl, writing about music, and taking a record project from step one to the finish line, I've learned a thing or two along the way. It's not easy to start a record collection, but i'm about to share with you some insider tips on how to make your collection both genuinely yours and totally worth bragging over.
1. Buy what you love.
Don't waste your time or money on records that you think will fit some image of "cool". Buying a record because all of your friends have it, or all the blogs are writing about it will only leave you trying to resell that record (we'll get to that later) for way less than what you spent on it. Buy whatever speaks to you and don't worry about whether it's weird, trashy, or unhip.
Shop this player on: Urban Outfitters
2. Get a vinyl mentor
I had a bit of a shortcut when starting my collection. In my very early 20's I had a mentor in the industry who, in an attempt to purge his collection, gave me a box of about 30 records, most of which I still have today.
3. You're allowed to judge by the cover.
One of the joys of collecting vinyl is going record shopping, and one of the joys of going record shopping is discovering some second-hand records that you've never heard of before, and falling in love. I can't even begin to count how many of my favorite albums were found this way. But when I was starting, it was really hard to get past the awkward fear of not knowing. So, what do you look for?
Judge by the cover. Pick out records that *look* like something you'd like. That intuition is going to be right more often than not.
After looking at the artist name, flip over to the back cover. Somewhere on the bottom, you'll find the record label imprint. If you can get to know your record labels, you'll have a major upper hand on knowing what's what.
Other key indicators of what something will sound like without actually listening to it? The year it was recorded, where it was recorded, and the length of each song.
Pro-tip: Any good second-hand record shop will have a listening station where you can test out any record that's not still sealed.
4. Don't be afraid to start simple.
This is supposed to be fun. You're not out to impress anyone or stress over starting a collection you love. Go ahead and browse the Urban Outfitters vinyl section - it's actually pretty solid for new music. Buy a few things you already know and love, and get used to the way the records feel in your hands. Go to your neighborhood thrift store and buy something for a $1 even if you're not sure what it is. Find the best in your area. LA has Amoeba, New York has Other Music, and London has Rough Trade. There are loads in between. Exploring is fun!
5. A few last words about vinyl...
- LP stands for "Long Player." It means that it's a full album.
- EP stands for "Extended Player." It's usually about three to five tracks.
- A single has one song, but often on the A-side there's the album version, and on the B-side there's an instrumental version or radio cut.
- LPs usually play at 33 RPM (rotations per minute) while EPs and singles usually play at 45 RPM. 45's have deeper, wider grooves, which creates a louder sound. To put a full album on a 45 would take twice as much vinyl and would be very expensive, but some artists do it to preserve the sound quality.
Go out and see what you find! We've only skimmed the surface.
