Your Music Collecting 'Rules'

That attitude is probably more common than you think, but most people won't cop to it.

I used to buy a lot of albums because I thought I "should". Sometimes due to historical relevance, sometimes because I owned other albums by the same artist and wanted to own everything. I wound up with a lot of albums that I never listened to.

About six years ago, I moved 700 miles away and sold something like 4/5 of my vinyl collection. Since then, I've started collecting again, and my most important rule is Buy only albums that I want to hear, not because I think I "should". It's amazing how many times I still break (or almost) break that rule, though. I have to remind myself before I check out to go through my stash and return any albums that got pulled because I "should" own them and not because I actually want to listen to them.

My only other rule is Don't buy any albums that I've owned previously and sold but TBH I break that one a lot.

 

This is good advice. A few years ago a forum member PM'd me apologizing for taking so long to send the box set that I had no recollection buying.

 

1. If it’s by Dylan and I don’t have it, I’ll probably buy it (unless ridiculously overpriced)

2. CDs in extremis only. If so then ripped to an external HD,

3. On Record Store Day at least try to stick to some self-imposed limit

4. Keep all stickers which were on the shrink wrap and all inserts (download codes generally but back in the 90s it was all sorts of record company and fan club stuff).

 

I have five simple rules:

1. Try not to buy anything online that would potentially be delivered on a day when my wife arrives home before me, so I can conceal yet another music purchase.

2. Never get rid of records, regardless of whether they ever get played. The goal is to see how much weight the floor can sustain before it crashes through the ceiling below.

3. Buy everything by bands I like -- even albums I clearly don't enjoy -- plus every terrible solo album and side project -- because they exist. Buy multiple copies of those albums on multiple formats, because....well, just because.

4. Do not catalog or make any notes about what's in my collection, because that spoils the enormous fun of accidentally buying something I already own, and clearly didn't have any pressing need for in the first place.

5. If it says "limited edition", buy it immediately as to not be shut out. The mortgage payment can wait.

 

1. Try and control my spending on CDs (all I collect these days)
2. I do not need every last variant pressing of Bowie/Floyd
3. Just because the back of a CD doesn't have a barcode on it doesn't mean I have to buy it. Ditto if the CD is a black face/red face/blue face/target/half target/black triangle.

 

1. Listen before you buy
2. No duplicates
3. Listen to your newest purchases at least 3 times each before buying something else

 

Well, this sentiment kind of sums me up, too. ;o)
I only buy cd's and sacd's (I've got nothing against vinyl, I think vinyl sounds great, but I made the switch years ago and at my age and financial standing, I'm not going back) and prefer to buy new but will buy used when I can look over the item myself. When I see very htf used stuff on ebay I read the description of condition and if I'm still not sure, I'll email and ask then make a decision.

 

It's amazing how much music people will arbitrarily cut themselves out of by refusing to buy/listen to 45s.

 

First rule /vinyl

Seek original pressings.

First rule cds.

Deluxe cds Bonus Tracks.

Seek eighties pressed cds

So get both basically.

 

• Don't buy what you haven't heard yet.
• Don't buy music you already have.
• Don't buy stuff you don't like.

 

It depends on the price. Interesting looking, unknown items for cheap can be the best buys you ever make.

 

If I have some cash in my wallet and I'm in a music store I should buy stuff so that it equals the amount of money I have

 

That’s a lot of rules

 

Not really. Studio albums on CD for everyone, other stuff as well for some, then a bunch of checklists for artists I love!

 

It’s all relative

 

Fair point. "Must get the original non-promo Australian CD version" is probably more specific than I realize.

 

My rules for collecting:
- I purchase physical product only - no downloads*
- I prefer CD over LPs.
- I purchase a newly manufactured LP only if the sound quality is purported to be better than the CD version (example: McCartney's Egypt Station). Only in those cases do I purchase both the CD (for a pristine digital copy of the music) AND the LP (to make a needledrop that should have better dynamics than the CD).
*exception to the "no download" rule: I will purchase the download if the only physical version is a vinyl record that was sourced from another vinyl record (i.e., when no tape source was available and the label decides only to reissue the title on LP and download).

 

Search SHF for feedback and opinions before buying any new vinyl release

 

Spotify on high quality

Any major differences will be obvious right away. If it's more subtle, I sometimes download a lossless copy from.. places.. to compare.

 

I've moved to streaming (well, still with some downloading for things I really want to hear that aren't available on streaming), but my only rule was "nothing too expensive, and the cheaper I can get something the better."

 

I don't have the patience for 45s, and great compilations such as Las Vegas Grind, The Lavender Jungle, or Technicolor Paradise save me the hassle.

 

Depends on the band.

 

No rules. Just love.

 

I buy stuff.

 

I only buy cds, I'm just to lazy to turn a record over every 12 to 16 minuets.
I have to like their singing or at least the tone in their voice.
I don't want computerized drums and keyboards if I can avoid them.
Mostly Jazz, Americana, and Blues.
Have not liked pop music for years, they seem to be more concerned about how it looks and then fake the sound.
I'm at a point where any new music I buy must be good musicians.
No brickwalled sound
No autotuned vocals, either you can sing or you can't.
I allow myself so much spending a month on music. If
I buy an expensive cd then it's the only cd for that month.
I try to not purchase junk, my wife says "$hit is $hit even if it's on sale".