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Thanks to Anne and Tom for being the first to appear in our Collectors Corner. We are really happy to have met them and look forward to sharing a beer again soon!
What do you collect and why?
We collect Vinyl records (LPs and 7”s) of music we like. Mostly this consists of Classic Rock, Indie/Punk, Metal, and Country. We also have a bunch of records in other genres. There are a number of reasons why… First of all, we will still be able to play them after the apocalypse on hand cranked players (has no one seen Beyond Thunderdome?!?!) Secondly, I (Tom) am a collector by nature, and I love to sort and organize stuff (I am a librarian…). Third, the hunt is part of the fun. Fourth, vinyl is much more fun to play with than any other format. It has better art, and I like touching it, flipping it over, setting the needle down etc. Fifth, collecting vinyl is something that Ann and I enjoy together, we both had collections before we met, and it is fun to share a hobby.
How big is your collection?
Our catalogued collection consists of 4,100 records, and we probably have about 800 other records that are not yet catalogued (mostly classical, children’s, & schlock)
What do you think it is worth?
We honestly have no idea. A lot of the records we have are not expensive. Most of them cost us between 0 and 5 dollars, and were probably worth it. Some were bought new, and some were bought used for more than bargain prices, but we rarely pay a lot of money for anything. If we are gonna spend more than 15 – 20 dollars on something, it has to be super special. So, back to the question, I dunno, do the math. Between 10 – 20 grand if we sold it as a lot, more if we took ages to do it piecemeal on Ebay, lots more if we were to replace everything now (insurance value).
How and where do you store it?
We have a few Expedit shelves from Ikea. These are a record collector’s dream shelving. They look smart despite being rather plain, but their value lies in their strength. We got the first shelf almost 6 years ago, and despite having large amounts of weight on it for all those years, there is no bending or sagging. Go out and get some, they are worth it. We have these lining the walls of our living room and dining room on the first floor of our house. Upstairs in an extra bedroom we have some other less listened to records on heavy-duty metal and wood industrial shelving like you find at Home Depot. This holds up well, but is not as pretty.
What was the first record you remember buying?
Tom – the first record I ever bought with my own money was Men at Work’s Business As Usual, soon followed up by Michael Jackson’s Thriller. I was a kid and those were hot on early MTV, which I watched a lot of.
Ann –sadly, "Going Coconuts" by Marie & Donny Osmond. I remember thinking that it sucked and being disappointed. Perhaps it was a good choice in that it subsequently drew me toward the dark side.
What's the rarest, most unusual, most valuable item in your collection?
The rarest is probably the test pressing that we have for Superchunk’s No Kitty for Pockey.
The most unusual is a cool Devo picture disc single in the shape of a space helmet for Beautiful World. Also the WASP picture disc with the bloody circular saw cod piece (take that, Devo!).
I don’t know what the most valuable is, according to the ridiculous prices one sees on Ebay once in a while, it is probably some obscure indie 7” that I picked up at a show and have no idea is valuable.
What elusive gems are you still looking for?
Tom – I am currently into getting indie rock from the early 90s lots of this is pretty rare, but luckily much of what I like is not so popular now, and is fairly cheap. I suppose Bastro LPs are what I am looking for now.
Ann – Guy Clark "Old No. 1" and the 1st few Thin Lizzy albums.
What find has given you the biggest thrill?
Tom – This is hard to answer, nothing is a clear leader in the pack. The biggest thrill was probably not something that I found, but that Ann found online and got me for my birthday last year: Codeine’s Frigid Stars. This is probably my favorite record by my favorite band.
Ann – Although not a record, perhaps my favorite Platterpus score was the Iron Maiden "county fair" (we'll go with that) mirror that was hidden in back and that I begged off of you. I've been thrilled too many times by record finds to recount...it's all just a beautiful blur.
What's your favorite record shop?
Platterpus is of course awesome, we love going to their sales and digging through the hordes of stuff. As far as more traditional stores go, we most frequently go to Reckless and Oak Park records. Reckless has the best selection of new and used Indie, Punk, Metal etc. in Chicago. Oak Park is run by a really nice guy and has a good selection of used stuff, as well as some new. We mostly get classic rock there but he has lots of Jazz and R&B too. While I’m at it I should also give a shout out to Old School in Forest Park. The owners are good people, and they have a really great selection of new and used stuff, we don’t go there enough.
Favorite place online to find vinyl?
Online we mostly get new things directly from record labels, or sometimes if we are weak we shop on Ebay. I hate Ebay because the prices are almost always too high, and I often end up buying more than I should, but it is pretty great for tracking down something specific.
How often do you listen to your collection?
We listen to vinyl at least 3 or 4 times a week. And at least one of those times is for multiple hours. We have a section for new acquisitions, and each record that enters the house goes there until it is listened to and can then be filed. There are certainly records that never get more than that first listen, but sometimes we’ll close our eyes and just grab something from the stacks and discover a lost gem…
Do you have a record cleaning regiment?
We clean every record that we get unless the record is brand new or just looks super pristine. We have a cleaning machine that helps you scrub them, and then it sucks the solution off with a vacuum. We got it used of Craig’s List or Ebay, and it is great. We used to do it by hand with cloth. It the cover is nasty we will lightly wash that too. Once everything is dry, we put them all in bags from Bags Unlimited.
What's your favorite record today regardless of it's value or rarity?
Tom – My favorite record of all time is probably Codeine’s Frigid Stars. My recent crush is Jesu’s Conqueror. But this question is unfair, and I could list a dozen at least.
Ann – I agree with Tom, no fair. But recently I've been digging old country albums the most. Also, I have pledged eternal allegiance to High On Fire, and am always happy to hear their 1st album, The Art of Self-Defense.
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