Vinyl Grooves: An honest in site for novice collectors.

So you have decided to start collecting records. What made you come to that decision? Do you enjoy listening to albums? What kind of budget do you have to purchase records? Do you have a record player and the other stereo equipment? These are all important questions you must ask yourself before getting into this hobby of collecting vinyl.

In the last five years vinyl’s have had a big growing boom. You see more and more establishments carrying them. I have even saw Winner’s and Marshal’s carrying vinyl’s this past Christmas season, but there selection was very limited. It goes to show you even big companies like these see the growth and potential vinyl’s have in this current market.

Most people start collecting records because they see close friends or family with their own collections and a very nice setup of a sound system and record player. I have always believed it a good conversation starter and also a very pleasant art piece as well. One of my biggest suggestions to an individual about to start collecting vinyl’s ask your self are you an album person or a singles person? What I mean by this is do you buy an artist music because you like there top charting billboard hits or do you have an actually appreciation, a connection with the artist and the songs they have written and sing? If you are the person who buys individual songs, record collecting is just not for you. If you have a deeper connection to music and enjoy an artist billboard hits but what to experience them as a whole and fall in love with that song that is special to you rather being told this song is good based on the media’s input. Then my friend record collect is for you.

Your next big step is collecting the records piece by piece. What is the best way to go about this you may ask? It’s simple “Have a Budget and stick to it!” This is a really important aspect of collecting. When you first start you don’t want to dive right in, you just want to get your feet wet. I keep it simple myself with a $20-$30 weekly budget. Since the current prices of new records can range anywhere from $20-$100’s making these choices can be quiet difficult. My suggestion is to start off with used records. Most places that sell used records have an idea how the market is and what the consumer is willing to pay. Most used records range from $1-$20 typically, you will find the odd rare and collectible album that will be a bit pricey. BE CAREFUL some places will price stuff based on popularity instead of actual condition, don’t make a poor judgement call and purchase a used album that has a ton of scratches on it.

So you have purchased a handful of albums and now you need a record player to listen to them. Do you spend a lot of money on a good system or do you buy a system that’s lower end but does the job. The correct answer is buy a record player and sound system that is lower end but reasonably priced. Most people who start a hobby such as collecting vinyl’s stop collecting after 6-12 months later. Why you may ask, the main reason is it can be too expensive and overwhelming. This is why the budget record player is the best bet for someone just starting out. If you are still collecting on a regular basis six months to a year later, you can always browse around and upgrade your system.