So how big is yours? (Disco record collection)

[maarten]

I knew that subject line would get your attention! No, we are not talking about Marky's "Diamond Member", but about your actual collection.

As Nicky mentioned somewhere that he was re-organizing his collection, I thought it would be fun to start a topic on collection size, and how to store it. Or anything else related to the issue of where to leave all our stuff, or negotiate with loved ones about more space requirements.

To kick off, my collection holds about 1,200 vinyl's (LP is the majority, but there are also about 450 12"s and perhaps 75 7"). In terms of CD's we are roughly at 1,400 now, broken down in singles (about 500), and the rest of them regular CD's (including double/2CD sets).

The records are stored standing in a cupboard that holds just about what I have. The CD's are in cheapo IKEA cupboards that hold 200 each. This means that there are now growing stacks of 'fallen-out-of-favor' CD's across the house.

I have both albums and CD's sorted by artist and/or producer. This is becoming a real pain in the you-know-what. What to do with Michael Jackson or Frank Sinatra who were both produced by Quincy Jones, who also has his own releases. I think I am going to have to go alphabetical as well!

I also have a database but it is still rather incomplete with regards to vinyl.

My wife has no problem with either the amount or growth of this collection. Even though her musical taste is more pop/rock/jazz. One factor is that she is 9 years younger than I am so she missed 'da days' completely! Her hero's were Wham, Duran Duran and she still loves Deacon Blue!

So what's your story?

[markydefad]

Oh gawd, Maarten. You're really gonna make me "COUNT" my collection!!!!!!

I've been avoiding doing this forever.

I've always wanted a total figure, cause people ask me all the time--BUT, I've never had the patience to sit down and actually COUNT, item by item.

Well, I'm thinking about it. :lol:

[The Lord of Flatbush]

Is the clock ticking? OK, I just started my database with my vinyl collection. I will say this, "When I'm finished completing it, I'll get back to you". Approximately 5000 LP's and 12' singles, and forget about the 45RPM's. Bananas!

[jack]

on last count approx 6,000 lps n 12", approx 500 45's, and 400 cd's...i know because i had an entire wall of book cases constructed to hold the vinyl. A quick way to count...1 linear foot equals 80 lps/12". right now all are right in my apt within my reach...but i will soon move 500 or so to a storage space.

[Graham_Start]

Hmmm....

At last count, I've got about 1500 LPs/12"s, 200 7" singles, 1200 CDs (I calculated this as I recently bought new shelves for them)... oh, and several hundred 8-track tapes.

Storage is starting to become a real problem. I've got the vinyl stacked up to the ceiling in these nice sturdy Ikea shelves, which they naturally don't sell anymore. And I only have a small 1-bedroom apartment. I've started thinning out the CDs, although since I seldom buy them anymore, this isn't really that much of a problem. But all these records...

[Funky Dude]

In comparison to the collection you blokes have, mine is piss-weak.

I only have a total of maybe between 200 and 300 records. I have maybe between 100 and 150 LPs, between 50 and 100 7" 45's and between 25 and 50 12" singles. 90% of my collection is in the disco/funk/soul category anf the other 10% is rock/heavy metal of the 1970's and 70's Autralian rock.

As for my CD collection it is between 50 and 100 and that includes my own disco compilations I make from my collection of MP3s and from my records. My MP3 collection is between 1000 and 1500.

Reason my record collection is small is because I've only been collecting since December 1997 and half the time when I'm searching through records especially at the Salvos there's mainly old farts music.

Anyhow how many years have you's been collecting records?

[disco1999]

My collection is not that huge too. Over 600 vinyls, mostly 12" imports from UK, France, US, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Germany, etc. Dated between 76 and 89, mostly early 80's, and very few 90's.

At the record store, when a hit was appearing I rushed to buy the import version rather than the canadian copy because they don't play as loud and clear in most cases. I didn't mind spending 8.98 for a UK 12" than spending 4.98 for the canadian 12".
I have found great deals on records along the years, like Moroder's E=MC2 album (drilled) for $0.49, I bought about 5 of them.
All the records were purchased for my own personnal needs and we never used for commercial purposes, some of them may have been played once of twice, others hundred of times. Most of them still have the plastic wrapping with price tag, I never throw them away, unless it falls off.
My records are neatly stored vertically in a huge mexican styled book shelf, I was getting tired of kneeling on the floor browsing records.

I have about 1000 cd's, mostly albums. But I really care more about the vinyls.

[Mixmachine]

Guys I’ve got to many records!, I’m in the process of remodeling the room holding the bulk of my collection and I need to move to storage at least 5k 12” probably more, and later will need to custom build cabinets to store them all if space allows, right now they are stacked up on ‘peaches’ wood crates and plastic ‘milk’ crates especially designed for LP’s (not available anymore!) but many others are still packed tight and stacked up in cardboard boxes (yeah I know ,not the best way), more 12” and all albums are stored in two 10’ long, two level cabinets I built back in ’77 ( they have got to go now! Ugly!), each one holds around 2k pieces. I would add another 1K 7” or so, most of them I haven’t seen in 20 years, they are stored way up high in a closet very difficult to reach, I’m itching to go through them again but I’ll wait until sometime next year.

Believe or not, before I started to read this board and scan EBay’s ‘disco’ section I was preparing to toss out many un-played 12” promo stuff I never cared for or remembered (many rap and small label stuff among others), even though I didn’t noticed any hits among them, I regret now tossing out about 2k of them before deciding to hold back and go through them once again later, one reason is that the Web has shown me how diverse ‘Disco’ musical taste is around the country(US) and the world and many cuts I considered ‘weak’ others are eagerly looking for and willing to buy/trade online, plus back then I never listened and missed many good songs (or had no use for and forgot) that thanks to the web and this board I have re- discovered. In the coming year(s) I will organize my collection in Alphabetical order and will trade or sell many of my double copies (it’s going to be hard) and all RAP stuff , I’m not planning any DJ come backs any time soon and besides I need the space, but until then, I need a carpenter to build cabinets with lots of shelves. :lol:

[NickNack]

I'm not going to count them anytime soon. But, if I use the linear foot method mentioned by Jack, I can round it DOWN (way down!) to this:

12": 6,500
LP: 1,400
CD: 800

This is only the stuff on the walls in the shelving units Bill and I had built. It doesn't include the 45's (still under the fucking stairs ) and all the vinyl packed away in ten to fifteen professional moving boxes.

Thank god I gave or threw away the same amount of boxes a few years ago after my first weeding session. I'm sure I lost some gems but it was either that or Bill was going to kick me out. The last time we moved I had 47 or so moving boxes (I'm talking AT&T style, not those little square things)full of vinyl. I watched those guys like a hawk.

Now, shall we talk cassettes? Oh, I forgot the records lying around in those milk crates we 'borrowed' back in the day. :grin:

I LOVE, I LOVE, I LOVE... I LOVE MUSIC!!

[Giovanni]

My collection is about 10000 vinyls (5000 LPs and 5000 12s). Plus I have roughly about 500 CDs and a few 45s.
I'm cataloguing everything in access and entered about 6000 titles up to now.
My big problem is that I had to move from my old house to a bigger one because my house was flooded with vinyl. I plan to set up a "temple" room dedicated to music. Hope this will be soon.

[Bernie]

Geez,
I haven't really counted my records and CDs in many years. The last time I did though I believe it was around 4,000+ vinyl and about that same number in CDs. I used to get my CDs at cost so they piled up quickly. Mind you, I have bought much more vinyl and CDs since then!

My collection is varied and broken down as follows,

Vinyl

• Disco 12" & LPs (the bulk of my collection)
• Late 1990s-today's dance 12" & LPs
• HI-NRG/Euro 12" & LPs
• Dance Rock 12" & LPs (New Wave, punk, alternative...)
• Remix services 12" & LPs
• Various artists comp LPs
• Classic Rock LPs
• Soundtrack LPs
• Classical LPs
• 7" 45s (not too many of these, perhaps 60-70)

Compact Disc

• Disco artists A-Z (CD singles & albums of one artist only)
• Various artists Disco compilations
• DJ mixed Disco CDs
• DJ mixed Dance CDs
• Assorted Dance stuff (single artist albums & singles)
• Various artists Dance comps
• International music
• Various artists comps (instrumentals, jazz...)
• New Wave and alternative stuff
• Classic Rock CDs
• Soundtracks
• Classical CDs
• 3 inch CDs (My little passion. I have hundreds of these little guys either mixed in with the above in full size jewel casses or in their mini covers in a huge master box.)

That should do it. Wish I could count them. Maybe soon.

[sammyperez]

After reading some of the posts on this topic, I don't feel so bad knowing I'm not the only nutcase with a major collection and running out of space. I've never counted although my friend DJ Mitch and I always argue that the other's record collection is bigger. He told me recently he thought mine numbered about 10,000 12"s and LP's, but I find that hard to believe. I know it's in the thousands easy and as for CD's that number is around 1,000. My dream is to buy a new home where I could dedicate an entire finished basement room to my collection. The scary thing is I'm still buying records every week. Never enough.

Easy,

Sam "ALL JAM"

[Nano]

I knew this was coming someday... I never had a large collection, basically for money reasons...
-In the good old days I couldn't afford a decent turntable so I was into cassettes. I had hundreds, mostly taped from friends. Then, around five years ago, my house was stolen and all was lost.
-By then I had passed a first CD phase. I was working in a music mag and receiving around 5 free new CDs every week. (Yeah... a nice job! ). Some I kept, others I sold or changed for others coz I didn't like, others I buyed, and I got to have some 300 CDs I wanted to keep.
-Then economy crisis striked in Argentina and I was out of a job for a year. Between other things, I maintained myself selling small chunks of my collection from time to time (that can be PAINFUL, you know?). When I stopped, there were just some 25 CDs left... and yes, around 10 of them were black music.
-After some other hard times, finally I buyed myself a new stereo and rebuild the collection, this time from buys and some copies of other CDs (also some MP3, but very few really). Right now I have around 200, and still some 50 cassettes.
Now, I have so many books! I have them in parts on my house, my sister's house, friends... Don't make me count that, coz there must be probably more than 1,000. Quite some time since I don't see them all together... And right now I'm thinking about sell some...

[Masdefi]

Well, if we take into account only Disco & Funky my collection is around 1000 records (Lp and 12"), 90% original US pressing, and ALL from 1976 to 1981, not later. Some of those records are very rare I have payed a lot and mostly I have waited a lot to put my hands on...I also have about 100 italian records (italian music) but I do not hear them since...years! My collection has also 298 tapes and around 100 CD's.
I think here in Italy we generally hunt for original US pressing, does anybody in the US hunts for italian -or european- releases? In this case I can (and I would to) swap with US pressing..... please let me know if you're interested!
Ah I was forgetting, about 100 7"....



_________________
Let the music take your mind, baby

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Masdefi on 2002-08-02 16:44 ]</font>

[paul]

OK. Mine is not nearly as gargantuan as some of you. Either I'm a little more cheap or a little more selective. Anyway these are rough guesses. About 700 vinyl: lp, 12" and 7" single.
About 250 cd.
About 100 tapes, mostly cassettes with a few 8-tracks.