Record collecting
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Record collecting is the hobby of collecting
Scope of a record collection
The scope of a record collection may include a focus on any of the following categories:
- genres (or subgenres)
- artists (or producers)[1]
- recording labels (or sublabels)
- periods (or music scenes)
- formats, e.g. CDs, etc.
- specialisms, e.g. unusual physical specimens (odd shapes, colors, sizes, speeds) regardless of recorded content, records having original "stock" generic sleeves identifying the label, variations in the record's label design as issued by particular companies, or imported copies. Demand is usually highest for the "original" or earliest pressings of records, often identified by variations in the label or cover. Avid collectors develop specialized knowledge about such details.
Pressings
One collectible record format is known as a test pressing. Five to 10 initial copies are often pressed for the purpose of checking the mix or levels on a record, or to ensure that the die is cutting properly. Though usually meant for the artist, producer, pressing plant, or record label to keep as reference, they are sometimes placed in special packaging (such as a photocopy of the real record sleeve) and given out to friends or devoted fans. First pressings of original commercial releases usually have higher values among collectors than later pressings. Also collectible are 45s with picture sleeves, and original editions of LPs (and other formats) which often have inserts and other features not on subsequent editions, or tracks or cover art later withdrawn or altered. Subsequent pressings often have the same label and catalog number but can be differentiated from the first pressings by the cover, colour of the label, matrix numbers on the disc itself, etc.
Errors
Records that have been Mispressed [2] and have incorrect content or have Misprinted[3] labels or covers may be more valuable, especially if a very limited number was released to the public.
Promos, reissues and bootlegs
Promotional or "promo" copies are free records, cassettes or CDs sent to radio stations, music journalists, and music critics to announce a new release coming soon from the record company. They are identified by the label, which typically takes the form of plain text listing the name of the recording and its associated credits, as well as markings specifying it as "Promotional", "Audition," "Demonstration" and/or "Not for Sale." Record and cassette promo copies typically come in the form of white label discs and clear cassettes, respectively, while CD copies typically come in the form of CD-Rs with black-on-transparent labels. Because many commercial cassette releases use identical clear plastic and white print, promo copies are oftentimes distinguished solely by text on the J-card specifying them as such. Promo copies of best-selling records can have a slightly lower or higher value than "stock" first pressings. Occasionally promo copies were pressed for records that were never released; include other songs or features not found on the official commercial release (e.g. Talking Heads' 1988 album Naked).
Reissues of popular records can be released by the same label many years later with the same catalog number and cover art, but are often undertaken by a different label, some of which (such as Rhino Records) specialize in reissues and have access to certain labels' catalogs and "vaults" of unreleased master recordings.
"Bootlegs" are illegitimate releases. They vary in value and in sound and pressing quality, and come in several categories. Bootleg LPs, tapes and CDs often feature recordings from live performances or tracks not commercially released (including those never intended for release that were stolen or illegitimately acquired). Some bootleg 45s are re-releases of rare or valuable singles – exact copies of rare records, with the original label graphics and numbers - known in the industry as "counterfeits."
History
Background
Record collecting has been around probably nearly as long as recorded sound. In its earliest years, phonographs and the recordings that were played on them (first wax phonograph cylinders, and later flat shellac discs) were mostly owned by the rich, out of the reach of the middle or lower classes. By the 1920s, improvements in the manufacturing processes, both in players and recordings, allowed prices for the machines to drop. While entertainment options in a middle to upper-class home in the 1890s would likely consist of a piano, smaller instruments, and a library of sheet music, by the 1910s and later these options expanded to include a radio and a library of recorded sound.
After the phonograph cylinder became obsolete, the record was the uncontested sound medium for decades. The number of available recordings mushroomed and the number of companies pressing records increased. These were 78rpm, originally one-sided, then later double-sided, ten-inch shellac discs, with about two to three and a half minutes of recording time on each side.
Growth in the recorded sound industries was stunted by the Great Depression and World War II, when the recording industries in some countries were affected by a restricted supply of raw materials. By the time World War II ended, the economy of these countries began to grow again. Classical music (which was a large portion of 78rpm releases) was slowly edged into a minority status by the influx of popular and new music, which was less costly and thus more profitable to record.
Early collecting
1950s
The introduction of both the 331⁄3 rpm, 12-inch
Ronald D. Cohen relates that the hillbilly-focused Disc Collector magazine was formed in 1951. Various important online library catalogs list copies of Burke's Register of Record Collectors, which existed from 1957 at the latest.
In the
1960s
With the
The pop music scene changed with the rise in popularity of The Beatles between 1962 and 1964. In their wake, thousands of musical bands inspired by their fresh, lively take on rock music with a sharp British sensibility, picked up guitars, and many released records. Many of these acolytes released 45rpm records in small batches to sell at local concerts and to their friends and families. Due to their relatively small pressings, these obscure local records became highly prized and valuable.
One of the famous "collector's items" in record collecting is not a record at all, but merely an
Another Holy Grail for some collectors is Bob Dylan's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, the 1963 pressing that has four songs that were deleted from subsequent pressings, known to fetch up to $35,000 in stereo and $16,500 in mono in excellent condition.[5]
1970s
In the 1970s, the record collecting hobby was aided by the establishment of record collecting publications such as Goldmine, DISCoveries, and Stormy Weather, and in the UK, Record Collector. Price guide books were published, codifying exactly how much certain "rare items" were supposed to be worth. The "grading" of records based upon condition became more standardized across the hobby with the publication of these price guides.
1980s & 90s
With the introduction of the compact disc in the middle 1980s, there began a stratification in the hobby; commonly found vinyl specimens that had been pressed in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of copies became relatively worthless, while the rarest of specimens became ever more valuable. These rare items included 45rpm discs in the genres of blues,
2000s
Even in the 21st century, as music fans have often opted for
Other music genres also have fervent adherents. For instance, fans of folk rock, psychedelia and other genres have become ever more interested in original short-run vinyl private pressings. Even when these have been reissued, the originals can continue to attract high prices.
As of 2011 many pressing plants have been reactivated and new releases in vinyl are appearing on an increasing basis, causing what many have called a revival of the format. The volume of product (9.2 million units sold in 2014, 6 percent of total music sales) confirms a continuing niche interest in the format, while formats such as CDs fail to compete with digital downloads. Sales of cassette music tapes have also increased in recent years (2014-2019) with a cassette tape interest revival almost comparable to vinyl records.[citation needed]
Crate digging
A more intense method of record collecting, known as crate digging, involves thorough searching of record bins to find a recording of interest.
[I]n addition to its practical value in providing the raw material or sample-based hip-hop, digging serves a number of other purposes such as manifesting ties to hip-hop deejaying tradition, 'paying dues', educating producers about various forms of music, and serving as a form of socialization between producers.[14]
While the practice of collecting in general was historically a bourgeoisie phenomenon tied to antiques and the fine arts, the North American hip-hop crate-diggers of the 1980s helped give rise to what material culture scholar Paul Martin calls the "popular collector" – generally interested in "obtainable, affordable and appealing" items and a consequence of mass production. With the rise of digital media in the following decades, this transitioned to the "digital" and "electronic" collector.[14] Concurrently, the demise of physical music stores allowed for websites to emerge as domains for crate digging, including the music review database AllMusic, the streaming service Spotify, and Discogs, which began as a music database before developing into an online marketplace for physical music releases.[12]
See also
- John Peel's Record Box
- List of notable record collectors
- List of the most valuable records
- Vinyl
- Vinyl revival
- Zero Freitas, a Brazilian businessman whose record collection is believed to be the largest in the world
References
- ^ Richardson, Mark (11 October 2020). "A Highly Personal Guide to Record Collecting for Beginners". Discogs. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Top 10 Most Expensive Mispressed Records Ever Sold On Discogs". Discogs Blog. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
- ^ "100 Most Expensive Records Ever Sold on Discogs". Discogs Blog. 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
- ^ "On His Way Down: Williamsburg and the Birth of Record Collecting". Brooklyn Magazine. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Today's Hottest Collectibles at Affordable Prices". Bottomlinesecrets.com. 2003-09-01. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
- ^ "VERY RARE Sex Pistols God Save Queen SOUTH AFRICAN 45 - auction details". Popsike.com. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Believe the Hype: DJ Premier and the Vinyl Revival | O2 ABC Glasgow". Academymusicgroup.com. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- ^ "NOFX DECLINE CLEAR VINYL PUNK KBD MISFITS OCCULT EMO - auction details". Popsike.com. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "dark round the edges". Popsike.com. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Classic Records sell and buy classical lps and other collectible classical vinyl records and classical LPs, such as Columbia SAX, EMI ASD, Decca SXL". Classicrecords.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Holdridge Records. Selling rare and unusual classical vocal and instrumental recordings, primarily from the 78 rpm, pre-1950 era". Holdridgerecords.com. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ a b Buck, David (August 8, 2019). "Vinyl Collecting in 2019". tedium. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ISBN 0822348756.
- ^ ISBN 1317098749.
Further reading
- Langridge, Derek. Your Jazz Collection. London: C. Bingley, 1970. N.B.: Concerns both private and library collections of jazz sound recordings and of literature about jazz. SBN 85157-100-X
- Moses, Julian Morton. The Record Collector's Guide [to] American-[Issued Classical Music] Celebrity Discs. New York: Concert Bureau, College of the City of New York, [ca. 1960].
- Overton, C. David. The Gramophone Record Library. London: Grafton & Co., 1951. 123 p. N.B.: This book is aimed at sound recordings collections in libraries, but much of the advice may be of some use to the private collector.
- Petrusich, Amanda. Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records. New York: Scribner, 2014.
- Rees, Tony. Vox Record Hunter: A Collector's Guide to Rock and Pop. London: Boxtree, 1995 ISBN 0-7522-0720-2, 601p.
- Roach, Helen. Spoken Records. 3rd ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1970.
- Williams, Frederick P. Ideas on Beginning a 78's [i.e. flat sound discs that spin at or about 78 rpm] Record Collection. Philadelphia, Penn.: Collector's Records, 1973.
- Silke, John, Record Collecting in the Digital Age, 2012.