Some Revelations I had about Women Vinyl Collecting

I was surprised to see my last video about women vinyl collectors reach so many people, I received 6k views and hundreds of comments. I wanted to share some of those insights and thoughts.
Shout out to ‪@abigaildevoe‬ ‪@fathommusicnz‬ ‪@cordesrecords‬

[@jimdonoghue7808]

Thank you for the smart discussion . Art of listening is an important point . Good listening to you . Regards . 😊

[@MonieMuse]

@@jimdonoghue7808 thank you! I was so surprised at how deep this question got, it was a great conversation ☺️

[@natalieonstott4961]

Thanks for making this video! I am a millennial and have been collecting since I was 14 years old when you could still find records at the thrift store. I have almost 1500 records and even was a local vinyl dj for 2 years. We’re out here!

[@MonieMuse]

@@natalieonstott4961 wow! Amazing to hear you started collecting so young, I was 26 when I heard my first record 😂 before 2020 I was able to find so many records at the thrift store too. So happy to met you!!

[@arzabael]

Thank you for mentioning and showing love to CDs too! Collecting music is so important, in all formats !!

[@MonieMuse]

@@arzabael oh yeah I’m a big cd fan, it’s really about the love of music

[@arzabael]

@@MonieMuse yea I like to consider it all under the description “Music Collecting”

[@MonieMuse]

@@arzabael I like that 🥰

[@TheVinylRecordMission]

Hi Monie 😊 Congratulations on the great response to your video! There are so many different degrees in which one can be considered a record collector. Record Expos are (Mainly) for the hardcore record enthusiasts/collectors/dealers, especially when they travel by plane across the states and rent a hotel room in order to attend an annual record show. I’m not that kind of record collector but I still consider myself fairly hardcore, having owned a brick and mortar record store and currently digging through nearly 100,000 records. There are a few good record shows/expos in Southern California. You could get your feet wet at The Orange County Record Show and/or PCC record swap meet. When I was a kid, (which is when I believe one’s love for music is established) there was no social media or intense video games. Ok now that you know I’m really old. Our forms of entertainment did not include cell phones with an array of sensory overloading socialization options. No we had to play outside, watch tv, read a book or listen to records. I’m a strong believer in the theory that social media and the need to be connected to a concept, a group, community or a feeling of belonging have replaced the the pastimes and hobbies of the past. It’s really much simpler than our psychology and personality. Our brains (and hearts) have been manipulated by handheld computer technology they call phones. I’m on one right now 😂 but I also have a vinyl playing in the background lol. The art of Nostalgia and the Nostalgia of art is left to a select small group of individuals to interpret and keep alive. New and future generations will continue to redefined what is considered art and entertainment.

[@MonieMuse]

@@TheVinylRecordMission very true, culture has changed because of technology, and how we socialize and now being entertained. I am finding I am no longer watching movies and tv shows which I use to love to do, I just really have time for 10mins here and there . Oh I think I heard of the oc one, I gotta try that one!

[@bigedhaaheo]

Aloha MonieMuse, Great follow up video on this subject. Hope more women will express their self & share their love for this hobby on KZbin. Thank you Monica for sharing your videos. Looking forward to watching your next video. Mahalo Ed

[@MonieMuse]

Thank you Ed for being a great encouragement , it encourages us creators to keep on sharing our passion .

[@MonieMuse]

Here’s a little part 2- I received great comments on my last video, had to share the thought w you 😊

[@davidellis5141]

Really glad that people were overwhelmingly constructive & interesting in their comments & replies. Congratulations !

[@tudormiller887]

I'd recommend watching a female audiophile KZbin channel Geraldine Hi-Fi. She has such an amazing vinyl, CD, cassette tape, 8Track cassette collection. Plus her turntable, CD player, speaker & amp set up is really impressive. A lot of it is from the 1980s. 👍

[@manofmiracles]

I agree with you I started my channel 14 month ago and enjoy it but it is mostly men definitely need more women sharing their collections 😀🐸

[@MonieMuse]

lol yeah the guys show up, little by little the women are starting to be part of the party, its cool to see and be part of it

[@citizenscriv]

Some great points made

[@MonieMuse]

@@citizenscriv ❤️

[@robertquesada1136]

Collecting has to be a Hobby. Having a hobby keeps your mind busy. Not necessarily an obsession but an interest of some sort. Also a Hobby can be a learning experience so you can share with other's that are barely learning the same thing.

[@MonieMuse]

@@robertquesada1136 yes! Love that! It’s been a fun journey learning about music and everything that goes with it

[@robertmitchell6015]

Hi Monica Australia is watching you as well

[@MonieMuse]

YES you're so right!! I forgot to mention Australia!

[@davidellis5141]

Hi Monie - I thought you'd like Abigail Devoe & glad you do. She catches grief from some jealous VC guys but they should do what she does & you do make interesting well researched videos & interact with the legitimate supporters. I don't get it when people are unpleasant on music channels. If you want to engage in disputes go to the news channel & opine on politics or the innocence or guilt of someone on trial. The music channels should be a place for people to engage in discussing their passion for music. You keep doing what you are doing Monie because you are awesome 👌 !

[@MonieMuse]

Beautifully said! I agree, all are welcomed in the music space and when one channel succeeds we all win, it’s very hard to grow a channel about music because we can’t use MUSIC 😂 I’m thankful to see others doing so well

[@ericelliott227]

I "collect" music to enjoy it. I grew up with vinyl records so I naturally have that extra connection to them. I have seen very few women in the wild at record fairs and such, but the few I have seen and some of them I have spoken with really know what they are doing, rather impressive! I think women are just better at research or something than men. I had a blog/E-magazine on audio back in 2014-2018 and I got tons of comments from around the world, in fact, I met my soulmate through that, but the rest of that history is still a complete mystery, so she and I say "it's the universe". (I didn't know what a soulmate was before I met her). She is not a collector of anything, but loves languages and music. I got my share of nasty comments as well, mostly from self proclaimed audiophile men in the US. I noticed 99% of the kinder comments and constructive comments and respectful came from outside the US, South Korea, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Russia, you name it. My magazine was never monetized and I never even got "the industry courtesy discount" on anything, but my biggest reward was running into readers at audio shows. There is nothing more humbling and the pay gets no better! These days I am trying to create a never to be monetized you tube channel just to share, but having a very rough time of it, so I may stop soon as it is starting to do damage to me. It is not worth it. I have about 800+ CDs and about 840 vinyl records. I enjoy both. I never sell and I do not buy records for monetary value. I'm sort of a historian, I'm also a record custodian so I buy records for a more rounded reason. To me records are meant to be played and enjoyed and the story is both the music and the artwork if you will. I'm not an audiophile, I'm far too much a music enthusiast for that. High fidelity doesn't have to cost a million dollars or what have you. It is not about the gear, that is just an ends to a means. For me, it is the music and the memories, the societal history stories and the emotional or soul feeding, which is where the memories come from. To see how powerful music is, look at how it effects Alzheimer's / dementia patients. I wonder if it is still being studied, but it has been studied how music effects them. There have been instances where the patient becomes more lucid after listening to music, especially familiar music. I think an aspect that should be looked at is how music may be able to mitigate or slow down dementia in long time listeners. Yes, in the US at least, we have almost completely gotten away from really listening to music. I partly blame social media, smartphones and streaming. It is really attitude. Yes, I also have streaming, I personally use it for background noise and research and I use records and CDs for formal listening, but that is just personal preference. However, if one only has streaming, that is no excuse to not sit down and listen to music. Music and how it effects us doesn't care about format or the equipment it is played on. It is about what the artist is trying to convey on a deeper level, which comes through if one pays attention regardless of how it is delivered.

[@MonieMuse]

@@ericelliott227 ok that is amazing to learn, you comment was so beautifully written I had to highlight it and share it. Is your blog still up? You have a KZbin channel? So cool you met your soul mate from sharing your passion for music!!

[@ericelliott227]

@@MonieMuse Yeah, I saw that, it was a little weird for me, but no worries and no foul. No, I took my blog down at the beginning of 2018 because I was being threatened as I was countering the agenda of audiophile clubs and starting to get more readers than the big names like Stereophile in particular. I was showing how to get great sound at an affordable cost and sharing science data as well as writing about music. Apparently that was a big enough threat. I also saw the writing on the wall and I had gotten into a very bad living situation, not by choice. I am not sure I would still be around were it not for my soulmate. She is in Russia and we communicate via Skype. We have known each other now for 10 years. I am half Russian myself. She prompted me to look at that as well by the way. There is a ton of stuff I have learned from her, such as true friendship, etc. We know every little nuance about each other, no secrets. I send her special music from time to time as well. She helped me through a very dark rough time. By the time I thought about maybe climbing back into the saddle as a journalist, print media was all but dead. Everybody wants video. I had no interest in that until end of last year. I though about it and came up with something different from what I did before, no more gear reviews and the like, just sharing music and talking about setting up gear and demonstrating what I studied for two years solid (custodianship) and the like. The problem was that I can't be on camera for safety concerns and it could effect my job in a negative way amongst other things. I also do not have enough time to really commit to it and I do not know how to edit videos. I can edit audio all day, but video is foreign to me. Starting in Jan 2024 I decided to try to go with a faceless YT channel. I'm still learning and it is taking longer than I thought even though my idea is ridiculously simple. It is also far and away harder than anything else I ever attempted! It seems almost impossible. I do not at present have a channel and I'm not sure I will at this time. I'm still trying to learn basic editing and it is not going well. I have had requests to do a YT channel from folks, including a manufacturer. I'm trying, but if I can't get some content going by end of August, I need to walk away as it is very stressful and I'm not going to monetize and I am not interested in perfect, let my videos be super bad, I say. I'm not looking for subscribers or "likes", I don't even understand all that stuff. I was just looking to share.

[@MonieMuse]

@@ericelliott227 you’re a great writer! I so appreciated your perspective. Glad to hear you were able to make life beautiful again

[@ericelliott227]

@@MonieMuse Funny, I never wanted to be a writer at all, but I got so fed up with self proclaimed audiophiles attacking and misleading folks, including me (attacking every music choice, every choice of gear even if previously approved the day before, etc.). I just had to step in because I recognized decades ago that most people had stopped listening to music and I wanted to bring that past-time back. Sadly, to this day it has still gained very little traction. Al we can do is keep plucking on that note.

[@cordesrecords]

Oh thanks for the shoutout!! Super sweet! I love being a female Australian vinyl collector and especially like being a bit older than most (hahaha).

[@MonieMuse]

you're welcome, it was so neat to connect with your channel. looking forward to hearing about your collection!

[@petekutheis3822]

Your personality lends to everyone would really want to help you!

[@MonieMuse]

aw so sweet!

[@ConJesusenelCamino]

Love it! Thanks Monie ;) I do love listening to music, and I choose what to listen depeding in the mood I'm in that moment or what I need to do, like work (from home) or prepare dinner. Very interesting things you have mention thou. Mabel H.

[@MonieMuse]

thats so beautiful, it makes work and preparing dinner so much more enjoyable.

[@antwanalston4572]

Amazing part 2 your videos are so entertaining I love watching em a lot and as a collector of cds cassettes vhs tapes dvds and blu rays and vinyl records physical media is always king moniemuse keep up the great work I smash up the likes take care and have a great Friday

[@MonieMuse]

Oh thank you!! Oh physical media is just so cool, I’m glad I returned to it. I managed to keep a few dvds and blu rays too.

[@richardwhite2344]

Thanks for sharing Monie, LOve your channel, and I agree with you

[@MonieMuse]

Thank you, it was a really fun discussion

[@groovingyourway]

4:03 Monie-Webster

[@MonieMuse]

😂 took me years to figure this out

[@groovingyourway]

@@MonieMuse or Monica-Webster. your choice 🤣

[@charlesf2804]

I don't know any women (except my upstairs neighbor) who collect vinyl, but I do know some who are very much into music. It's not a coincidence, probably, that they are some of my best friends. Our conversations, when we get to have them, are always intelligent, fun, and often enlighening. I have taken them to more than a few jazz concerts, with dinner beforehand so we could chat. Never a dull evening! And it's been interesting to see this mini-series on women and vinyl you've put together. If I were to ever have a wife or girlfriend, it's OK if she's not into vinyl collecting or stereo equipment, but she'd better be into music or it won't work. Period.

[@MonieMuse]

Thank you, I loved how you pointed out your friends through they don't collect, enjoy music, and that is the important part of it all. Being able to enjoy music with someone special is necessary, sharing songs can be part of falling in love. Thank you Charles for sharing your experience.

[@scottwheeler2679]

Collecting is definitely connected to childhood

[@MonieMuse]

:)! YES! My mom is from a family of 12 kids, she only had one doll growing up, now she doesn't let anyone play with her special dolls lol not even the grandkids

[@MortenAastad]

Interesting points and thoughts Monie. And questions. At my favorite record shop half the staff, 4 or 5, are girls/women. But the customers? Not so much? I have had a couple of concert experiences this not unlike that which you reffer to here, very loud personal conversations, seeming to drown out that annoying band on the stage.

[@MonieMuse]

I never understood the people who talk loud during concerts, but now I get it, they're not connecting with the music at all. I haven't been to any concert recently.. are now people just on their phones? oh that would be awful

[@MortenAastad]

@@MonieMuse Well these girls were hanging back to have their shouting conversation, and be near the bar. I noticed others also more into talking, but perhaps less of the cellphone stuff? 🤔

[@rodolfob8468]

Keep doing what you're doing. Saying hi from Miami.

[@MonieMuse]

🥰 thank you! I’ve enjoyed connecting with so many who are passionate about music too

[@bosco7837]

I see a lot of polarised behaviours around women sharing their love for music on KZbin, they occasionally get heavily criticised, which is awful, but more often they get lavish praise and gifts and all, which is equally as ridiculous. There are a number of great channels run by women out there, but I feel I'd find them more enjoyable if I didn't read the comment section. Men tend to get a bit too over enthusiastic.

[@MonieMuse]

@@bosco7837 I am seeing more female vinyl channels and see it in itself is a genre or niche , I don’t know why KZbin does that- i had to search female vinyl collectors, why not just mix them . Yeah I read some of the comments on other channels lol and was surprised how people respond - I don’t know lol as for gifts I get a lot of free music myself . I’m glad the men in the community do too so I don’t feel as strange as it first did. I use it as content and see it as a way to support and keep the channel going. But only music lol no other gifts .

[@marksantucci4230]

Yeah it makes no sense having everyalbum from that artist if they made 25 albums not every one is 4 or 5 stars!!! some bands that have smaller discography's like the Beatles , Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix that's different. I have Kiss albums but just there 70's ! There are some woman that make videos on you tube music related. I was in Ohio from July 19th till the 26th one day me and my friend went to the hall of fame and there were lot's woman as well as men. I did see a girl wearing a Ac/dc shirt same shirt I had on. now you ask does she like music or was it that she was with her travel partner that had on a Iron Maiden shirt not sure I can tell you theres lot's of woman that like music and collect vinyl and cd's and there are also lazy woman that just use the dumb phone!!!! do you go into a FYE, Barnes and Nobles, New bury comics do you see woman buying music?

[@MonieMuse]

When I use to go to concerts I would see an equal amount of men and women there.. when it comes to records and buying, I think women don't spend as much money as the men might, and I think more girls do use their phones a lot and probably enjoy most of their music there. Over all, there out there.. I am even seeing more FEMALE vinyl collectors here on KZbin. its very nice to see a new generation collecting and enjoying music. I forgot about Barnes and Nobles - they always have sales. And I do see women there looking at the records. :)

[@Xtalllll]

Guys gatekeep and gals ridicule. That's my experience.

[@MonieMuse]

@@Xtalllll I’m so happy the people around me shared their records w me, reminds me to do the same when I hear someone is new to the record life

[@vinylrecordplayer]

Well. If what you're saying is that you don't use a $15,000 Signal Processor as a secondary in your home system? Consider me UNSUBSCRIBED. 😅 Seriously, though. You're a solid VC Legend, Monie. The videos? Always excellent.💯 Cheers! 🤘😁

[@MonieMuse]

lol I can't even afford to think about owning anything that cost 15k . Thank you!

[@rascal211]

Dolls and Nick Nacks women collect, not records.

[@MonieMuse]

@@rascal211 I’ve heard stories of people’s grandmothers having an amazing collection of records, when I ask to see them though they don’t wanna share 😂

[@rascal211]

Another thing when they do collect you hardly ever see them collecting 45's. They will just collect LPs.

[@MonieMuse]

YESSSS SO RIGHT LOL I have no interest in 45s.. in fact I have some questions on why people enjoy 45s.. First.. Why do 45s not have a designed cover, I often see them in those white papers. Also are 45s like an EP?

[@rascal211]

@@MonieMuse Many great songs are only on 45s. That's why

[@MonieMuse]

@@rascal211 ohhhhh! maybe it’s time to be open to them 😆