Congratulations to fellow forum member Tim Neely on the Publication of his book Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1975. His collection of over 20000 LPs must be quite a sight. The stuff that dreams are made of. Cheers BC
He'll be passin' out the freebies any moment now... Congrats on finally getting it done and out, Tim! When I have an opportunity, I'll check it for errors Best, ED
Thanks guys. I appreciate it. By the way, I always make a public appeal for more information, whether they be for additions, corrections or questions, in the introduction of that book. Each new edition inspires hundreds of people to write, call or e-mail. I couldn't do each successive volume without all those eyes looking at the books for things I missed or screwed up. And even with a combined LP and 45 collection of over 20,000, I almost literally add to it weekly. I've had many passions over the years: the top 20 on the Billboard charts, #1 country hits, the Beatles and the British Invasion, soundtracks, just to name a few. My current collecting passion is Christmas music, especially on LP. I'll buy Christmas music any time of the year, and depending on what mood I'm in, I might even listen to it any time of the year! I've still got a couple boxes full of holiday LPs that I bought in October that I need to add to my database.
You can find it in most well-stocked Barnes & Nobles and Borders book shops. Look in the "Antiques and Collectibles" section.
Since you asked.... You can call Goldmine 800-258-0929 item # REC3, $34.95 plus shipping. Or order on line www.krausebooks.com I swear.... I do not work for Goldmine or get a commission. BC
Tim, I use your book all the time. It is indispensable. Thanks for the hard work and meticulous research.
Hi Tim, My compliments for your post and attitude! I have found that most people do not deal well with criticism of their work. Unfortunately, it is very rare anymore for someone to REQUEST and DESIRE constructive criticism. Most of us let our ego's get in the way of improving our work. Obviously, you do not! -Jeffrey
Tim, did you write that Goldmine Christmas Music guide that came out a few years ago? If you did, I might be able to provide you with the titles and catalog numbers for a couple of various-artists comps that weren't included in that book (if you're planning to do an updated edition in the future).
That was my work. In fact, I began collecting Christmas LPs in earnest because it was the best way to compile information on them (no one else in the past really seemed to care that much about holiday music). I'd always had Christmas records, and I'd made Christmas compilation tapes for friends and family for years. But that book helped my collection to grow almost exponentially. Even though no new edition is planned at this time, I always appreciate new information. At the very least, it could help with my own collecting! By the way, I know a LOT more about Christmas records than I did even then, and I continue to be amazed by what I find.
I don't know it all. I will never know it all. I make typographical errors, which sometimes go through a couple layers of proofreaders (and sometimes a couple editions of the same book -- ack!) and aren't caught. When I'm putting information into the database from a long list, sometimes I put the right number with the wrong record and skip one entirely. And there are some areas where all my accumulated knowledge comes from what others have found for me. With over 150,000 records listed in the Standard Catalog, I can't scrutinize every single listing every single time. So I ask the reader, the buyer, the consumer to help me. When I was a reader and not the author of price guides, I found errors and omissions. I never wrote to the authors, thinking I would be wasting their time. I want my readers not to fear me, not to think that they are an imposition on me. Thus I encourage them to correspond. Even if I don't or can't answer their letters or e-mails, I read every one I get. I investigate the material I am sent, and I make changes or additions as warranted. Sometimes it might take a while to get to them, but I eventually do. I aim toward perfection in my books, knowing that I will always fall short. But I've learned to live with that. If each new edition of a price guide is better than the one before it, that's what matters. Simply, they would not be better without the help of the people who spend their time and/or money with them.
