[carlo]

yeah this has been discussed numerous times before but i'm reviving it for the sake of new insight, friendly debate, and feedback.

so a new friend comes over tonight and sees my collection of music, then comments on how large it is. i mentioned that since i've been moving a lot lately about half of my collection is in storage and whats here is pretty much the stuff that defines my time and place. of course this led to her and i having the whole "how can anyone listen to that much music" deal that quite honestly i was tired of participating in. but in the course of our talk i think i figured something out and now have renewed interest in it:

its been a long time since i've been impressed with people who have high title counts: all it means is that they have the money and space for it. it does not suggest that they have any taste. i have the same respect for a relatively small collection (lets say 200) completely made of great stuff than i do a large collection (lets say 1k+) that has 200 quality titles. in other words, title counts don't mean anything.

if i don't see myself ever listening to a certain album again i'm not going to keep it, i'm going to trade it in towards more music. i don't have a lot of titles for the sake of it, i have a lot of titles because i like a lot of different albums. i think this is the critical point thats lost on some people, and why those same people just don't get why a serious collector/music lover would have so much media.

note: i'm talking about title counts. having multiple pressings of the same title is a completely different thing that i enjoy doing.

i'm dropping the ball here, someone pick it up and run with it.

carlo.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

I generally don't have a very large collection (under 200 titles) for a few reasons.

Reason the first: cost. CD's are pretty expensive, so I don't buy all that frequently.

Reason the second part a: amount of possesions. I prefer to keep my possessions down so that if I have to move, I don't have to rent a big truck and haul all the collected detrius of my life around town.

Reason the second part b: amount of possessions. I think those people who are archivists and maintain extensive collections because they are students of a particular style or genre can and should have extensive (1000 titles +) collections. For myself, I only buy records that I listen to on a regular basis, and in a way I feel selfish if I am hanging on to music that I have not listened to in a long while that someone else could be enjoying. So, I cycle out music frequently to keep my collection fresh and more in tune with what I am feeling at the time, and to keep the music that I don't listen to circulating so that others can enjoy it for a cheaper price than new.

Since people in the US have a very high standard of living, it is easy for many people to amass large collections of anything, including music. I don't think this is a good thing, since it tends to keep us focused on possessing things than acutally using things. Music was meant to be listened to and enjoyed, and I believe in sharing the wealth.

 

[DanG]

I keep a collection of no more than 100 CDs because my single CD rack holds that many. And I have a hard time filling that rack... stocking from my music and my family's classical collection. I generally have a rotation of about 2-5 discs -- but usually 3 --that are sitting on top of my soundcard's breakout box for steady rotation into my CD-RW drive (Meridian's not here yet). I listen to these CDs for a long time, with one usually being rock, another one or two being jazz, and then a couple more classical CDs. Right now I have three of the discs from Rubenstein's complete Chopin cycle, Basie meets Bond, Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy, and my Russian classic singer/songwriter compilation CD (all performed by a chorus, how tacky and bland). Chopin's been seeing the most work recently.

I don't even need all 100 CDs all that much -- many of them still don't get listened to. If I had thousands of CDs they'd likely be just sitting there and I'd almost never take them out of the rack.

 

[kerelybonto]

I really only started buying music less than a year ago. At that point, I thought it would be impossible to find over 100 or so albums that I really wanted to own. I didn't and still don't buy and album unless I like the whole thing -- but now I'm sitting at about 85 and I could (and eventually will) easily triple that by just fleshing out the careers of the artist I really like. I have in mind (as in sitting in an online shopping cart or on a list somewhere) at least 50 more specific albums.

And this is all music of relatively narrow genre breadth. I started getting into jazz a while ago, and there's tons of albums that I haven't even heard that I'll probably eventually want to own.

I don't know -- my perspective has definitely changed. I would have laughed at the though a year ago, but I think it's definitely possible to own a thousand or so great albums. Listening to all of them regularly is another thing. ...

kerelybonto

 

[mikeg]

My total number of CDs is about 100, which includes classical, jazz, Andean, pop, etc. It's mostly because of my involvement with this Head-Fi group, and all that I learned about music styles and gear, that my taste broadened beyond classical. What I'm doing with my collection is to begin listening at one end of the cd stack, and work my way toward the other end. I guess that's what I'll do on a rotating basis for the time being. I also record choice CDs from the library as CD-Rs. Buying some SACDs, and recording some library CDs, that's how I slowly expand my collection.

 

[gloco]

I've stalled at 600 or so cds. I haven't really purchased anything new in quite a while. I've been buying cds since '92 so i guess at first it was an explosion of buying new cds as i was replacing tapes and Lp's. As for taste, thats all subjective, you know that carlo!

 

[Tuberoller]

I love music,period.I listen to it all day,every day.It is easy for me to amass a music collection of the size I have because I buy whatever I like.When people come to my house they are first impressed with the size of the collection,they are then further impressed with the music.I have to have any music that I like.I can't stand hearing something somewhere,liking it and not having it to play whenever I want.It's about the music.If you collection is large or small,if you have the music you love then it is all great.

 

[DarkAngel]

Well since we all have different tastes, no one will agree with what a "quality collection" is. I have now 900 rock/alt Cds and 500 classical Cds, but have tried and sold many others. Half.com is a fabulous resource "greatly" reducing the cost of acquiring Cds (rock music) and making maximum value of your sales.

If I try a Cd that is only so-so or sound quality is poor I will sell it because I have too many other good Cds to listen to and can't waste my time or dillute my collection. I probably sell 1 out of 4 Cds I get, the ratio would be much higher but thanks to many sound samples on the web I can pre-screen ahead what I will likely keep and should buy.

I am getting close to the point where it won't make sense to get much bigger since I can't listen to them all enough, and will probably sell some out of favor Cds to make room for new ones.

 

[Braver]

I have about 80 CDs now, but at the lately, just as many CDs left my collection as I added. and I'm thinking of losing another 5 or something, but those go to a secondary stack for a coupla weeks to see if I really don't listen to them anymore. I'm picky, and CDs have to be really good to stay. trading five old CDs for one new CD isn't totally economic, but fun anyway

and who needs so many CDs anyway?

 

[andrzejpw]

I only recently (year and a half ago?) got into this hobby, so I don't have all too many cds. I, personally, have around 30. My family, on the other hand, has around 300. I'm slowly building my collection up. Lately, I've been buying a cd a week.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by andrzejpw I only recently (year and a half ago?) got into this hobby, so I don't have all too many cds. I, personally, have around 30. My family, on the other hand, has around 300. I'm slowly building my collection up. Lately, I've been buying a cd a week.

Ya know, sometimes i wish i could go back and start again! There's so many great albums out there, you can't imagine what a long road you have ahead of you. Not necessarily of confusion, but lots of fun and joy finding new artists you like as your tastes change and grow.

 

[SRV]

If you have a huge collection of cds you may not listen to all of them regularly, but man when you get the jones to hear that one song from a cd you bought three years ago and only listened to twice it completly validates owning it(at least to me). Even if you put the cd back and don't pull it back out for another three years.

 

[mikeg]

I think that an old saying applies - "He who dies with the most CDs wins."

 

[mlchang]

Quote:

Originally posted by SRV If you have a huge collection of cds you may not listen to all of them regularly, but man when you get the jones to hear that one song from a cd you bought three years ago and only listened to twice it completly validates owning it(at least to me). Even if you put the cd back and don't pull it back out for another three years.

I totally feel this statement.

Michael

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by SRV If you have a huge collection of cds you may not listen to all of them regularly, but man when you get the jones to hear that one song from a cd you bought three years ago and only listened to twice it completly validates owning it(at least to me). Even if you put the cd back and don't pull it back out for another three years.

That's what I'm talkin' about.I also love to play the "try to name a song I don't have" game when I have guests over.I always loose,but it is fun to amaze people with the vastness of the music I have.