about how many albums do you own?

[Duds]

I am pushing the 3000 mark for cds. it's really out of hand!!!

I got a PM from someone who suggested that they might have a problem locating a specific cd. Not sure if this a quantity issue or an organization issue . Anyhow, people I work with think I have such a huge music collection, but I'm guessing that I'm on the low end of the spectrum as far as the "typical" RR geeks music collection goes.
last time I counted (about a year ago) I still had not eclpised the 1,000 mark. Am I an amateur geek?

[BinFrog]

Not counting the tapes I had growing up:

I think I have around 1200 CDs, maybe 50-60 SACD and DVD-A discs, and a few dozen vinyl albums. I have a ton of bootlegs (mostly Pearl Jam, Phish, Pink Floyd and Rush) on CDR.

[Mr MidFi]

My equally expensive interest in international travel has helped to keep my disc-buying expenses in check. I think I have about 500-600 regular CDs, about 75 comps I've made myself, about 150-ish comps that others have sent me, about 150 cassettes, two milk-crates of vinyl I haven't played in a decade, about 30 concert DVDs, and around 120 downloaded MP3 songs.

And my iPod is currently holding about 2300 songs, and growing every day.

NP: The Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia

[jack70]

I have to say that I'm kinda stunned (so far) from this thread. I thought my own music collection would be way below the average here, if only because the people here are such enthusiastic music fans, and generally pretty serious about sound (hi-fi etc). Heck, in my own circle of (local) friends, I see myself as a relative piker, so I expected to be an even smaller minority here, when it comes to albums (er, the amount of crap I've accumilated). I expected more to have lists like Troy's.

I bought a fairly small number of 45's during the mid 60's when I got started listening to music. Nothing extravagant, as I was only a 12+ yr old kid (although I had a paper route, which allowed me a little more "freedom" than my friends at the time). I got some rarer 45's at the end of the decade, when UK import 45's became possible to get (rare cuts always). 45's kinda died out around 71, except for the occasional import obscurity. In the mid/late 70's I started getting 45's again when the indie & punk movements re-invigorated R&R. Lots of 45/EPs with hand-printed artwork off small Ltd-press issues, often made in garages etc... it was (complete home production of a music product) a premonition of the digital revolution, still a decade or so down the road. 45's from new bands like REM & Devo... Alley Cats, Black Flag, Pere Ubu, X-Ray Spex... all before any signed national contracts, but most bands ya never heard of (nor had I). But my 45's number only a little over 1K. That's mere chump change compared to others I know who have 20K+ 45 collections.

For CD's, I'm getting near 5K, but since I've cut back new stuff of late, that might take a while longer to reach than it appeared a few years ago. But I'm a binge buyer, so who knows. I just wish I could get full value returns for 30+% of those... CD's that'll never get played again. That's what happens when you buy stuff sight-unheard, which is the true sign of any obsessed collector. For LPs, I stopped counting in the late 70's when it was around the 10K mark. It wasn't too long after that I started getting CDs instead, although I was very late to fully embrace that new technology & get a player. In retrospect, the early high prices, especially of import CD's, which was the only way (Japan & Ger) to get ANY music that was NOT a pop/big seller artist, still reminds me today it was a bit of an "overpriced" technology. (but that's the subject for another thread).

I've kept the habit of writing each new 45/LP/CD down in a series of notebooks... a chronological list. I started doing that when my LPs got to around the 100 mark back in the old days... a number that seemed VERY big at the time, LOL. But there's no way I could ever transfer such info to a digital form without spending literally months & months of 8-hr days typing in the data... as much as it might be cool to have. Time-cost benefit is WAY against even considering that. Life is too short.

I consider my collection rather average sizewise.... even though I always get a kick out of "normals" (a Bonzo reference) seeing some of my overflow upstairs... staring agape, and not knowing how to react (is this way cool... or way weird?). But if I'd lived in a city instead of out in the boondocks, I'd probably have 3-4 times that amount, simply from my few experiences delving through certain museum-like stores (you only find) in such areas of big populations. I'd also have a much bigger collection if I'd spent any considerable time (gaining seniority) at radio stations, something I did only for a brief semester my freshman year... it just took too much time away from studies. I have all of 1 or 2 LPs from that experience. If I'd had the ego to aspire to become a station manager or something, I can easily imagine an alternative future where I'd need another house just for such "bonus" aquisitions. I'm actually glad I don't, as life is messy enough... LOL. What did George Carlin say... "home is where you leave all your stuff (crap?)... while you go out & get even more crap".

One reason my own collection is a bit more valuable (than some) is because it's (mostly) in such good condition. Most albums are like new, and sleeved as such. I never cease to be shocked at just how cavalier most people treat their LPs & CDs. And I'm hardly any warped Felix Unger type. As for rarities... a mixed bag. Of course, a lot of that always depends on one's taste & wants. I also have a few hundred cassettes, a few dozen reel-to-reels, and even a few 8-tracks left from when I worked a summer job fixing them. (never had a car player myself though).

[Monkey Bones]

Yeah, go check out this format called "8 track"...it's the next big tech craze, you'll love it Bones!

Yeah, I had one of those new fangled 8-track recorder thingies when I was just a little monkey. That's the sota guy I am (get it? sota instead of sorta? state of the art? funny, eh? heehee ).

But if ya wanna more serious answer, I've got about 1000 CDs and about 1200 LPs that I call my own, although most of my CDs are in storage and all my LPs are boxed up. So I really only have about 50 or 60 CDs. So I have the smallest collection of all you insane music geeks!

[Slosh]

My best guess is $20,000 worth. You do the math

[newtrix1]

So I really only have about 50 or 60 CDs. So I have the smallest collection of all you insane music geeks!

Yes, you do seem to have the smallest one so far, but size isn't everything, right?

[Monkey Bones]

Yes, you do seem to have the smallest one so far, but size isn't everything, right?

That's right, I'm confident my collection is of the highest quality. We were talking about bananas, right? Sometimes I have a hard time following your detours in logic.

Don't you feel guilty engaging in such childish banter with me after reading those historical novellas that Brad and Jay and Jack write? Yeah, me neither......embarrassed but not guilty.....

[newtrix1]

That's right, I'm confident my collection is of the highest quality. We were talking about bananas, right? Sometimes I have a hard time following your detours in logic.

Don't you feel guilty engaging in such childish banter with me after reading those historical novellas that Brad and Jay and Jack write? Yeah, me neither......embarrassed but not guilty.....

I spun some Journey on my drive home tonight. You got any of their stuff in those 50-60 albums?

P.S. your banana's small too (but quite active).

[Dave_G]

I have about 1200 real cd's and about 400 cdr's.

But my collection is pristine and is loaded with MFSL and imports. Keepa ya hands away.

I used to have 2000 + lp's but now have maybe 200. Sold 'em. Or threw 'em away. Yup. Threw away a LOT of vinyl. I had so much crap from working in 2 different record stores that it was ridiculous.

Cassettes? 1. A tape my mom and dad made, their history.

I do want a few MFSL cassettes tho for the hell of it as I have a high dollar cassette deck.

I love collecting music, tho, like most of you.

I just got off of ebay:


Camel - The Single Factor
Camel - Rain Dances
Camel - Stationary Traveller
(cool old DERAM cd's from Germany)

Kino

Went to the used store the other day, got the new Cure on lp (2 lp's, sealed. 14 bucks),

I'm in the market for cool oop stuff. Need a copy of Wall of Voodoo "Dark Continent" cd.

Not a copy, but the real thang.

Dave

[KEXPMF]

probably 1500-2000 cds.

also, lots of vinyl including a huge 45 collection but I haven't seen it in many, many years sadly and can't even remember what's there. When I find it... ebay here I come!

Someday... I plan to start collecting vinyl again.

[BradH]

At last count:

350 lps
460 cds
180 comps from you guys
280 bootleg cdr's

The boots will eventually overwhelm everything.

I've got a foot high stack of slimlines on my computer desk but I'm pretty sure it's all backup shn and flac files on data discs.