How do you decide whether or not to add a given record/cd to your collection? Are you a completist and collect every metal album possible? Do you collect everything by certain bands, subgenres, labels, etc? Or do you use some other criteria, for example, you must like at least half the songs on the album? Does price play a role? For example, do you refuse to pay more than a certain amount for an album no matter how much you want it? And how do mp3's, cdrs, and cassette dubs factor in? Are you content to have albums you want on these formats?
Just curious; it's kind of interesting to see how different people decide what they will and will not get for their collection. I know some of this has come up in various other threads; hopefully this thread won't overlap too much with past topics.
I'll add my own POV later, for now it's back to work...
How Do You Collect?
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nightsblood
- Posts: 2427
- Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2007 6:11 pm
How Do You Collect?
"I'm sorry Sam, we had real chemistry. But like a monkey on the sun, our love was too hot to live"
-Becky
-Becky
There are a few factors that are important to me when I buy metal LPs:
If a record has one of these, it is 'buyable'. The more factors, the more the record will fit in the collection.
-Good music (the most important factor)
-Cool cover (I'm a sucker for awesome metallic record covers...)
-Rarity (if I don't like it, maybe I can sell / trade it later)
-Nostalgic value (something I used to have on tape when I was a teenager)
If a record has one of these, it is 'buyable'. The more factors, the more the record will fit in the collection.
-Good music (the most important factor)
-Cool cover (I'm a sucker for awesome metallic record covers...)
-Rarity (if I don't like it, maybe I can sell / trade it later)
-Nostalgic value (something I used to have on tape when I was a teenager)
But does it slay witches?
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nightsblood
- Posts: 2427
- Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2007 6:11 pm
I stick to records I really like; if it's just 'ok' or 'average' I'm not gonna add it to the collection (or it's not gonna stay in there long). Rarity is not a factor as long as the music's good. This gets a little tricky when I think the album is better than average but not a flat-out killer.
I tend to like nwobhm and trad/power metal from 'the west' so bands in these (broad) categories catch my interest fastest. I'm just not as familiar with metal from places like eastern and southern Europe and Asia, and what little I've heard hasn't really wowed me, so I haven't followed up on metal from those areas as much as the US, UK, Canada, Germany, etc. Being a typical uni-lingual american, I also don't get as much enjoyment from metal sung in foreign languages, so bands singing in spanish, french, etc don't 'do it' for me very often (exceptions do exist of course).
I'm not a completist in any sense; I have no interest in trying to get every nwobhm single, every Iron maiden release, every metal album with a car on the cover, or anything like that.
Price is of course an issue. There are plenty of expensive records I really would like to own b/c I love the music on them, but buying them is not financially feasible. When I have money saved up/available I will consider spending on a more expensive item. I don't have a set upper limit, but > $200 is pushing it for me under 'normal' conditions. This of course means my chances of ever owning some items is very, very low (maybe I'll find a copy of Solar Eagle at a yard sale for $1 some day, but let's be realistic, those events happen about once per decade at best, at least given my location & job).
Thus, I've learned to be content w/ cdr's/mp3's of many items. Sure I'd like the original someday, but I'm not gonna hold my breath, and I realize the odds are long, so digital formats are fine. I am trying to get rid of my remaining cassette dubs though- not a fan of the tape format
So in a nutshell, I collect albums I really like so long as they don't break me up financially. Hmmm, maybe I should have just said that in the first place before typing all that other stuff
I tend to like nwobhm and trad/power metal from 'the west' so bands in these (broad) categories catch my interest fastest. I'm just not as familiar with metal from places like eastern and southern Europe and Asia, and what little I've heard hasn't really wowed me, so I haven't followed up on metal from those areas as much as the US, UK, Canada, Germany, etc. Being a typical uni-lingual american, I also don't get as much enjoyment from metal sung in foreign languages, so bands singing in spanish, french, etc don't 'do it' for me very often (exceptions do exist of course).
I'm not a completist in any sense; I have no interest in trying to get every nwobhm single, every Iron maiden release, every metal album with a car on the cover, or anything like that.
Price is of course an issue. There are plenty of expensive records I really would like to own b/c I love the music on them, but buying them is not financially feasible. When I have money saved up/available I will consider spending on a more expensive item. I don't have a set upper limit, but > $200 is pushing it for me under 'normal' conditions. This of course means my chances of ever owning some items is very, very low (maybe I'll find a copy of Solar Eagle at a yard sale for $1 some day, but let's be realistic, those events happen about once per decade at best, at least given my location & job).
Thus, I've learned to be content w/ cdr's/mp3's of many items. Sure I'd like the original someday, but I'm not gonna hold my breath, and I realize the odds are long, so digital formats are fine. I am trying to get rid of my remaining cassette dubs though- not a fan of the tape format
So in a nutshell, I collect albums I really like so long as they don't break me up financially. Hmmm, maybe I should have just said that in the first place before typing all that other stuff
"I'm sorry Sam, we had real chemistry. But like a monkey on the sun, our love was too hot to live"
-Becky
-Becky
That's about mine too.tomas wrote:There are a few factors that are important to me when I buy metal LPs:
If a record has one of these, it is 'buyable'. The more factors, the more the record will fit in the collection.
-Good music (the most important factor)
-Cool cover (I'm a sucker for awesome metallic record covers...)
-Rarity (if I don't like it, maybe I can sell / trade it later)
-Nostalgic value (something I used to have on tape when I was a teenager)
I like to collect many versions of my favourite records as well. I'm not so a fan of different pressing that only have different labelnames printed on it for example though. If a favourite album of mine was pressed on different vinyl colours, or covers, I want to get them, and if possible the first CD & Tape Versions as well
now is the madness in hell
we're eat babies flesh
and suck the mothers blood next
we're perverse devils well
we're eat babies flesh
and suck the mothers blood next
we're perverse devils well
Yeah, Tomas brought good points out:
1. Good music (99% of my stuff)
2. Great cover ("Final Command", "Doomed to Hell", "Devils Meat")
3. Rare record ("Die Hard" PicEP)
4. Fave realeases in various pressings (like "Bestial Devastation", "INRI", "Ritual", "Reign in Blood", "Black Metal" etc)
5. Theme of collection: "Early black/death metal" (still appreciating other good stuff too like old Metallica, Solitude Aeturnus, Lester Maddox, The Misfits etc etc)
6. I am into fanzines, memorabilia, pictures too (few chosen bands only).
7. Collection consists of tapes (tape-trade), original demos, LPs, EPs, CDs, pictures, biosheets (few), fanzines/magazines, shirts (few) etc.
Edit: 8. And I certainly do not collect by band (like have-to-have all by Venom, Mayhem, Slayer or MAiden etc stuff).
1. Good music (99% of my stuff)
2. Great cover ("Final Command", "Doomed to Hell", "Devils Meat")
3. Rare record ("Die Hard" PicEP)
4. Fave realeases in various pressings (like "Bestial Devastation", "INRI", "Ritual", "Reign in Blood", "Black Metal" etc)
5. Theme of collection: "Early black/death metal" (still appreciating other good stuff too like old Metallica, Solitude Aeturnus, Lester Maddox, The Misfits etc etc)
6. I am into fanzines, memorabilia, pictures too (few chosen bands only).
7. Collection consists of tapes (tape-trade), original demos, LPs, EPs, CDs, pictures, biosheets (few), fanzines/magazines, shirts (few) etc.
Edit: 8. And I certainly do not collect by band (like have-to-have all by Venom, Mayhem, Slayer or MAiden etc stuff).
Last edited by deathster on Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My criteria:
For starters, I don't purchase any albums that were originally released after 1992. I've already explained why in the past; search if you are interested in knowing...
Secondly, I only purchase original, first pressing CD's or re-issues if it's the first time that specific album has been released on CD. I'm not a big bootleg fan, but do own a few for albums that are vinyl only. I'm actually in the process of clearing out the last 200 or so vinyl albums that I still own and don’t regret it.
Regarding ratings, the album has to be "good" or better in my opinion. If the band released 8 albums pre-1993 and 6 of them are to my liking, then 6 of them I'll purchase.
Condition wise, the disc/inserts have to be in at least VG+ condition. Cutouts, cheap music group pressings, water damage, folds and any kind of writing on the inserts is unacceptable.
To finish it off, I make very few "blind purchases". If I'm unsure, I would rather pass up a possible purchase and wait to hear the album, before forking out good money for something that could potentially suck, and then I would have to re-sell.
For starters, I don't purchase any albums that were originally released after 1992. I've already explained why in the past; search if you are interested in knowing...
Secondly, I only purchase original, first pressing CD's or re-issues if it's the first time that specific album has been released on CD. I'm not a big bootleg fan, but do own a few for albums that are vinyl only. I'm actually in the process of clearing out the last 200 or so vinyl albums that I still own and don’t regret it.
Regarding ratings, the album has to be "good" or better in my opinion. If the band released 8 albums pre-1993 and 6 of them are to my liking, then 6 of them I'll purchase.
Condition wise, the disc/inserts have to be in at least VG+ condition. Cutouts, cheap music group pressings, water damage, folds and any kind of writing on the inserts is unacceptable.
To finish it off, I make very few "blind purchases". If I'm unsure, I would rather pass up a possible purchase and wait to hear the album, before forking out good money for something that could potentially suck, and then I would have to re-sell.
bigfootkit wrote:"Your Steel Is Not True"
stormspell wrote:"I hate all my releases. I only listen to Korn and Limp Bizkit, don't you know..."
I have no criterias, do not follow any strict rules, do what thou wilt and all that crap! I may well buy some shitty Black'n'Blue album for 5 skr if that's the only thing I can find at a flea market... go home, give it a spin, dislike it and keep it! I guess I don't "collect" in a strict sense, but rather gather stuff in my house. Well, that's not all true I guess there are some micro-collections inside my macro-gathering of vinyl, cds, magazines and stuff. But I'm not too fuzzy about it. I like to have complete studio works of loads of artists and bands unregarding if all their stuff is top notch or not. Thus I kind of collect:
Manilla Road, Fates Warning, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Cirith Ungol, Jag Panzer, Judas Priest, Roy Harper, Jethro Tull, Rush, Kansas, Van Der Graaf Generator, Accept, Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, Stormwitch, Picture, Brocas Helm, Vandenberg, Slough Feg, Skullview, Peter Hammill, Raven, Cloven Hoof, Candlemass, Adramelch, Warlord, Buffalo, Witchfinder General, Pentagram, Starz, Scorpions, Trettioåriga Kriget, Kalle Sändare, Budgie, Blue Öyster Cult, Tank, Anvil, Attacker, Tyrant (-s), what-not and the Lords of the Crimson Alliance!
Manilla Road, Fates Warning, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Cirith Ungol, Jag Panzer, Judas Priest, Roy Harper, Jethro Tull, Rush, Kansas, Van Der Graaf Generator, Accept, Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, Stormwitch, Picture, Brocas Helm, Vandenberg, Slough Feg, Skullview, Peter Hammill, Raven, Cloven Hoof, Candlemass, Adramelch, Warlord, Buffalo, Witchfinder General, Pentagram, Starz, Scorpions, Trettioåriga Kriget, Kalle Sändare, Budgie, Blue Öyster Cult, Tank, Anvil, Attacker, Tyrant (-s), what-not and the Lords of the Crimson Alliance!
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Satan is Our Pal
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If it's cheap I'll usually end up buying it. My focus at the moment is NWOBHM tapes and 45's and Ebony Records(just 8 to go with that one) But it's much more fun stumbling upon records than having a wants list as such. Condition wise vg will do me, a battle worn edition if you like. I don't have any CD's.
Battlescarred The Story of Ebony Records
www.myspace.com/476306938
www.myspace.com/476306938
daniel wrote: Mr. ultimate metalmaster.
For conditions, I dont care too much for the condition of the covers. Of course they dont have to be totally torn apart but especially exotic platters can come used. The vinyl should be in a good condition though, that doesnt affect the listening experience much, especially skips are no goes. Also what I really hate are missing inserts and extras, that sure bothers me
now is the madness in hell
we're eat babies flesh
and suck the mothers blood next
we're perverse devils well
we're eat babies flesh
and suck the mothers blood next
we're perverse devils well
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ION BRITTON
- Posts: 6645
- Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:07 pm
First and foremost, i have to like the music. It doesn't have to be necessarily a 10/10 flawless masterpiece in order to buy it, but i have to like it, partially or as a whole. Sometimes only 2-3 yet killer tracks in an album are enough to make me buy something.
Secondly, the price tag. Up to 20 Euros it is OK for me. More than that amount, i have to think about it very seriously. If there's a legit reissue available, i go for the reissue instead of wasting my time and money hunting an original or a first pressing or whatever.
Some cool covers might be a reason too, but again it has got to be within my price standards.
Finally, in case i find a super-rarity for peanuts, i won't hesitate buying it even if i don't like the music. That doesn't mean that if find a PARADOXX copy for 300 Euros i will go for it no matter what. When i say ''for peanuts'' i really mean it.
Secondly, the price tag. Up to 20 Euros it is OK for me. More than that amount, i have to think about it very seriously. If there's a legit reissue available, i go for the reissue instead of wasting my time and money hunting an original or a first pressing or whatever.
Some cool covers might be a reason too, but again it has got to be within my price standards.
Finally, in case i find a super-rarity for peanuts, i won't hesitate buying it even if i don't like the music. That doesn't mean that if find a PARADOXX copy for 300 Euros i will go for it no matter what. When i say ''for peanuts'' i really mean it.
Good against Evil, Evil sure to win
"It really didn't matter if they liked it or not, i was going to give it to them straight down their throats" -John Stewart
"It really didn't matter if they liked it or not, i was going to give it to them straight down their throats" -John Stewart
I try to be a completist of bands & labels (not genres) when I'm collecting.
Right now I'm trying mostly to get everything Venom as possible.
Previously I've (tried) to collect everything from Aussie Bands, Cleveland Bands, Japanese Bands, Killing Joke, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Satan, Rush, Voivod & labels like Neat, Drowned or Wild Rags etc...
Sometimes it doesn't bother me if the music is not 100% amazing, I like the concept of certain labels & bands..
Right now I'm trying mostly to get everything Venom as possible.
Previously I've (tried) to collect everything from Aussie Bands, Cleveland Bands, Japanese Bands, Killing Joke, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Satan, Rush, Voivod & labels like Neat, Drowned or Wild Rags etc...
Sometimes it doesn't bother me if the music is not 100% amazing, I like the concept of certain labels & bands..
Why are a wise man & a wise guy opposites?
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Nightlock
- Posts: 1309
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Well my input that I'll add that's specific to my collecting habits:
If vinyl I like to try and own the original vinyl, re-prints and bonus tracks don't interest me.
If CD I like the version with the most bonus tracks, most extensive booklet, best packaging (Which usually means most recent re-release). Original CD's don't interest me unless it's the only version available. I figure CD's are already an inferior format and visually look pretty shocking why not get the most out of it that you can.
I still like both formats.
If vinyl I like to try and own the original vinyl, re-prints and bonus tracks don't interest me.
If CD I like the version with the most bonus tracks, most extensive booklet, best packaging (Which usually means most recent re-release). Original CD's don't interest me unless it's the only version available. I figure CD's are already an inferior format and visually look pretty shocking why not get the most out of it that you can.
I still like both formats.
"On your knees
Into the night that you'll never remember"
Into the night that you'll never remember"
If there is a vinyl version available I will most likely buy that. I have no problem with owning a CD version though.
When buying vinyl it has to be in decent shape and the cover not falling apart. If I can pick things up cheaply then great. It has to be something "really special" to break the bank open i.e. Danger Zone Victim of Time or Lord Ryur
I don't collect one specific genre but I will always buy anything by Solitude Aeturnus and Darkthrone
When buying vinyl it has to be in decent shape and the cover not falling apart. If I can pick things up cheaply then great. It has to be something "really special" to break the bank open i.e. Danger Zone Victim of Time or Lord Ryur
I don't collect one specific genre but I will always buy anything by Solitude Aeturnus and Darkthrone
Remember kids, only high priced rarities are true...
I go for music. Vinyl is the format, CD if vinyl is not avaible for a good price. But I'm not in a hurry, I can wait for a bargain (vinyl) to pop up.
I don't have a large wantlist, there are few records that I'm looking for (I try to collect Venom stuff (not for crazy prices), complete Devil's Records catalogue and I also keep my eyes open for Neat Records singles (the ones I like), few french albums+singles, missing thrash classics and some US metal stuff+NWOBHM.) but usually I just browse lists/go to stores and pick up stuff that I find interesting (covers, label, I'm familiar with bands name+genre, maybe I have heard it friends place etc.).
So yeah, maybe I go for genres and few labels. But I'm not 100% dedicated to something. And I buy occasionally good death&black metal.
For price there is of course a limit. But it always depends... 40 euros perhaps is the roof at the moment. But then again I would pay more for "Adrenaline" by Voodoo Child for example.
MP3's? I could not live without mp3-player anymore, I need my metal fix on my way to work and back. And everytime I go somewhere. Mostly some demos, cd's from collection and stuff I can't afford.
I don't have a large wantlist, there are few records that I'm looking for (I try to collect Venom stuff (not for crazy prices), complete Devil's Records catalogue and I also keep my eyes open for Neat Records singles (the ones I like), few french albums+singles, missing thrash classics and some US metal stuff+NWOBHM.) but usually I just browse lists/go to stores and pick up stuff that I find interesting (covers, label, I'm familiar with bands name+genre, maybe I have heard it friends place etc.).
So yeah, maybe I go for genres and few labels. But I'm not 100% dedicated to something. And I buy occasionally good death&black metal.
For price there is of course a limit. But it always depends... 40 euros perhaps is the roof at the moment. But then again I would pay more for "Adrenaline" by Voodoo Child for example.
MP3's? I could not live without mp3-player anymore, I need my metal fix on my way to work and back. And everytime I go somewhere.
Mostly some demos, cd's from collection and stuff I can't afford.
I buy most of my stuff blind (deaf?) so the biggest factor for me is price. I always try to get albums for below the going price. How close to the going price I’m willing to pay depends on how many ‘plus’ factors it has (like tomas said above). So, for example, I’d pay top dollar for an unheard of Welsh NWOBHM compilation full of killer songs and sporting a sexy cover. One thing I don’t do is buy multiple versions of the same album. Occasionally I will keep both a vinyl copy and a CD if the CD has bonus tracks, otherwise I just pick my favorite version and forget the rest.