Tips On Starting A Vinyl Record Collection

Collecting records is a journey. It can also be a little intimidating at the beginning. My journey has lasted for well over forty years. I remember when my entire collection could be held between two hands. As a kid, I contemplated the best way to display them in my bedroom. Should I put up shelves and line them up? Was it better to keep them in a box? Should I sort them in alphabetical order or by favorites?  

Since then, my collection has come a long way, and I have different concerns. My main one now is how to handle the overflow since it has outgrown the custom cabinet I had built for it a couple of years ago. I’d left room for additional records, thinking I couldn’t possibly fill it up after all these years. Surely, things would slow down on the record-buying front. How wrong I was. 

I often think about those days when my collection was small, and I couldn’t decide what my next purchase would be. I only had a weekly allowance to work with, and a small one at that, so I had to be picky about what I spent it on. If only my young self could see what that collection has grown into. Left alone for a few minutes, he’d be able to find the records he’d started with. They’re all still there, hidden among hundreds.  

Going back to what I said earlier, it can be intimidating when you’re starting out. I’m sure my younger self would look at my collection and compare it to his smaller one. He might even feel a bit discouraged by it.

I have some advice for him and you, should you also be at the beginning of your journey.

Let’s start with…

Size Doesn’t Matter

Collecting records will inevitably lead you to subreddits or Facebook groups filled with pictures of other people’s collections. Some take up entire walls from ceiling to floor. I asked Google a few years ago what it considered a large collection. It’s a silly thing to care about. Everyone starts small. Some collections stay small, carefully curated by their owner. No matter what the size of your collection is, it’s your collection. It can grow or remain where it is. If you’re ever envious of someone’s wall of LPs, ask yourself how they decide what to play next? I found that even with a collection my size, I play a few records way more than others. There are some I haven’t listened to in years. I remember why I bought them and for what songs, but they fell out of rotation long ago. I doubt some will ever find their way to the turntable again. If they do, it’ll be out of nostalgia.  

This leads me to…

Buy What You Love and What You’ll Listen To

For all the reasons I mentioned above. Think about space, overflow, and money. If someone criticizes your collection’s size or even what’s in it, ignore them. Don’t give them a second thought. As with any hobby or passion, some elitists feel it’s their right to criticize or that they are the “experts”. There are no experts. If you like soundtracks, buy soundtracks. If you enjoy early 90s gangsta rap or 80s hair metal, great. It’s your collection. Buy what you love.

This brings me to…

Support Your Local Record Shop

Find out if there’s a local shop nearby and make it a point to go there. You’ll help keep a small business alive. You’ll also discover a world of music you might not have known existed. You may even find a near-mint used copy of Adele’s latest for half the cost of what it is at Walmart.

There’s nothing wrong or evil about purchasing a record from Amazon, Target, or Walmart. The fact that physical stores allocate floor space to records thrills me. I’ve bought a few records on Amazon and a truckload through Discogs. More often than not, I check with my local record store first. If they don’t have what I’m looking for, I’ll usually turn to Discogs for a deal (go here for my advice on shopping at Discogs).

It’s the local shops that have kept vinyl alive. Let’s show our appreciation and do the same for them.

Also – check out yard sales. You’ll be surprised at some treasures you’ll come across for $1 or less. I’ve adopted records I’ve stumbled upon at flea markets and antique shops. If you do, always clean them before playing them. You don’t want a dirty record to harm your listening pleasure or stylus.

And speaking of listening pleasure…

Buy A Decent Turntable

By that, I certainly don’t mean you need to spend a lot on a turntable. For a fantastic listen, I recommend some here if you’re starting out and budget-conscious. I have a custom one and love it. You can upgrade over time. What I wouldn’t recommend are some of the “suitcase” players or turntables you can find for $70 or less. If the player only costs a little more than the record or two records, I’d avoid it. The sound will suffer, and there’s a good chance your records will too.

In the end, it’s all about you.