The Downsizing Dilemma - My plan to shed 3,000 records and create a collection I'm in LOVE with!

#vinyl, #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #recordcollector
I've been thinking a lot about this subject, and it makes me uneasy! Will I ever have enough time to listen to all I've collected? How much of this is about the object rather than the music? Do I really need multiple copies of the same pressing? Would a smaller, more curated collection bring more enjoyment? In this video, the first of several, I go down the rabbit hole of learning to be ok with less.
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[@whitey7998]

I’ve been “downsizing” for the past 12 months Scott. Sold a number of records on Discogs and given many away. Trouble is I’ve bought more new ones than I’ve got rid of!

[@ThePressingMatters]

Well I forgot to mention that aspect! New records coming in at a steady clip makes this even more of a challenge. For instance, I've been buying up new all analog jazz reissues, and most of the music is new to me. I expect to be keeping all of that, as it will be something to explore down the line, and the quality is so good. I think it's going to be somewhat easy eliminating stuff at first - opera sets, broadway and soundtrack records I bought when everyone was practically giving them away or donating them to the thrifts. Sure I imagine I'll keep a few of the best opera sets, a couple of key Broadway shows but the majority of things like that can go. Things that are not in top shape will go too.

[@darrenterry9211]

Hi Scott, here’s my first comment on one of your videos. I’ve only discovered your videos over the past week as have been exploring Classical music which is a new avenue (rabbit hole) to my record collecting and enjoyment. I had started to watch some of your other videos and really like your content and openness of your whole experience. I watched one of your system updates from Feb 23 and it really resonated with me, and now am partly through watching this downsizing video. I felt compelled to comment, as I have probably around 2000 albums, I don’t need them all, I know this! Your line of what music brings you joy…and that music being your collection, time being precious etc…all this is helping me start to think and develop a new way to approach, remove records and purchase records…and then to put this into action. I’m looking forward to watching your curating videos next. Your videos for me so far are a breath of fresh air amongst the so many videos and KZbinrs out there which are covering both systems and record collecting content. Your videos bring in an more human aspect which is so important. Keep doing what your at your doing, I’m really enjoying watching.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Darren! I'm so happy you found the channel and are finding the topics, particularly this one relevant to your own experience. Thank you for the kind words and encouragement. This topic of downsizing is one I'll be returning to because I simply want to feel lighter and not carry around any record that is not something I can truly say I love. I have focused my buying and that's working, but I still need to let go of what I no longer need. I may not always have the luxury of space I have now, and I want to be confident I've got it down to the things I'll return to again and again. It's not easy but I'm glad to have you on the journey too! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Take care!

[@robsantry9772]

Hi Scott, before I read the comments section, I think I will share my thoughts on your topic of downsizing without comparing my downsizing scheme with others. Yes, I truly take to heart what Marie Kondo writes about only keeping things in your life that bring you joy. So, I have also been on a quest to keep my collection to a reasonable size. I no longer play any of my classic rock titles and have not in years so I decided which records are tied to wonderful memories of my youth, and kept those. So out of 600 titles, I am down to 279 (according to my discogs). I think spinning a record is an intentional act. I am choosing to play a record now, for example. It is also a ritual that I go through. It is the same ritual that we all had to do in the 70's as this was the only way to have music in our lives, besides fm radio. Now, back in the day, we would have the radio on while we did our chores or studying. But we also had times when we sat and enjoyed our favorite bands with friends. That was the intentional act. We shared. Today, we can Spotify our music, put on a cd, turn on the radio, etc. as a way to have music be a part of our day. I never spin a record for this. Never use them while doing chores, or talking to family on the phone. The records are that intentional act, or ritual to sit and enjoy music. I have surprised myself through this downsizing of my record collection. Gone are my first pressings of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and quite a bit of the psych rock stuff. I now have a Spotify playlist for that. Anyway, I think you are not alone in the quest to bring the beast under control. Funny, my magic number is close to yours, which is 1700. Regards, Rob Grants Pass

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Rob, I was so glad to read your comment and it made me realize I have to get on with this. As you saw in the video, a lot of the stuff in the garage will be an easy pass. I've decided now that the weather is better to do a big garage sale for the LPs that remain out there. I'm not super attached to most of them and the vintage favorites I do have there must be less than a fourth of it. Last time I did one I raised about $600 which I could use right now for sure, to offset the cost of my phono pre upgrade. I'm also going to let go of a bunch of sealed audiophile stuff I have inside through eBay. These are all doubles so no pain there, and I should get a bit more towards my goal with no hardship. Inside the house, I've started resleeving my absolute favorites and starting a new shelf as I mentioned in the video. So these will grow to form my "permanent collection." I feel a real urge to let go these days and my goal of a smaller personally curated collection is strong in my mind. When I look at how the revenue can finance long overdue upgrades, it becomes much easier. I'd much rather have a better system than a sprawling unmanageable and rarely listened to collection. If I can narrow down to 1,700-2,000, that's more than enough. The peace of mind and space will be nice, and it will be a joy, and an event to be treasured to sit and hear my treasured discs on my upgraded system, fully organized with no clutter! Great minds think alike! Enjoyed reading your take on it. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.

[@ConcertBuddie]

Feeling you on this one Scott. I’ve been working on simplifying my life through minimalism (reading Joshua Becker & the Minimalists both) for the past 18 months. I’ve done really well except two areas: shoes and records. Both I posses in abundance, but both bring me joy on different levels, for different reasons. Time is truly our most valuable commodity & resource both, so we should invest it wisely. That said, I think you know where you can try to trim the fat (ex. the show tunes you mentioned at the top of the video). I wish you well in this endeavor sir!

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you, I had a feeling the topic might resonate with others in both record collections and other aspects of life in general. I've always felt best in simple, uncluttered and minimalist environments. I want that feeling again. I've done it with clothes, electronics and other excess possessions. I think I can do this. Hope you'll check in on me in a future update!

[@CatDadChris]

A friend of mine rolls dice to select what he plays from his collection. He rolls 3 dice, takes that total and rolls one die to subtract from the total so it's possible to get 1 (also negative rolls are 1). He then counts down the line (the collection is organized alphabetically without genre divisions) and plays that record. If he lands on a record he doesn't want to play he gives it 2 or 3 times and he sells it. I have bought so many records over the last 10 years that I hardly ever play a record twice. I would really like to purge a few thousand LPs as well.

[@ThePressingMatters]

I used to have a similar selection method. Close my eyes and run down the line and pull something. I'd give it a listen and decide on further action.

[@CatDadChris]

@@ThePressingMatters I would like to try his method but my records are broken down in to genres and my overflow is about as big as my main collection, so yeah it's a bit overwhelming. I get it.

[@leonhardtart7163]

To my mind 1000 really essential records are enough. And a very good point: even when I have theoretically time to listen, mostly too tired in the last two years...

[@ThePressingMatters]

1,000 is a good number also. I chose two thousand because that will fit into my four Kallax shelving units. This will kind of force me to listen to stuff I haven't heard in a while (or at all) and decide whether to move it on to someone who will enjoy it.

[@leonhardtart7163]

@@ThePressingMatters As a mix DJ from the early 80's, I like to choose visually and use these mf-cases to have better access, even for the Maxis. 4 cases mean about 300 records for an evening to choose - that's more than enough for a longer session of enjoyment and / or a party ... I known the IKEA furniture, still not sure if it's better for an archive then for a easy pic up of records to play. Only in the case of listing to a complete album a shelf bases solution is without any disadvantage to my mind. A faster random access in the case of Maxis or 7" Singles is not fully provided.

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@leonhardtart7163 Now that's a rabbit hole I have yet to go down, but I love the dance music from that era and have collected 12" singles of some of my favorites. I bet I could learn a lot from you. Being in clubs all the time, that music is ingrained in my soul.

[@leonhardtart7163]

@@ThePressingMatters 🙏🏻👍🏻🎼🎵🎶🕺💃🙋🏼

[@sidesup8286]

I would downsize only if there is a real reason for it, like to make more room if you think you desire more room, to get more money if you need money more than the records, to lessen the clutter, if the look of it bothers you. If you want to concentrate on just records you love, you can choose to listen to them, out of no matter how many you have. If getting rid of mass quantities of records will get you a room back that you now use for LP storage, and you think you would enjoy the room for itself more; that would be another good reason. De-clutter experts go into people clothes closets and tell them to get rid of clothes they haven't worn in 6 months. Maybe some record collectors should consider getting rid of records they don't play once a year or so.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Another thing is that I'm not in a permanent home of my own, so moving a collection is a big consideration. Last time was a big chore and some of it hasn't been listened to since, about 7 years. So many new record coming in all the time is another factor.

[@crispincrunch2453]

“Hold on tightly, let go lightly”. Sounds like a sensible plan getting rid of the items ya don’t absolutely love to make room for the concise, curated collection that radiates a light feeling and elicits engagement: actually listening to the music that fills a soul with happiness. Sure, there’s merit in completists collections but they’re also a burdensome weight. Best of luck in the coming weeks & months

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you, and I couldn't have said it better. I'm very excited to start this process.

[@crispincrunch2453]

@@ThePressingMatters I’m sure other subscribers are having a similar feeling: the more comments ya make with details about the collection, the more I’m keen to buy up stuff!! 🤤. Hoping ya consider sharing the Discogs account. 4K subscribers and likely more VC vinyl heads that watch videos regularly… ready to pounce on any opportunity to buy more vinyl 🤤😆

[@AndrewBell]

You are exquisite! What a mature topic. I found I liked my records more once I retired a few

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you! I need to do an update on my progress!

[@AndrewBell]

@@ThePressingMatters meant to thank you for your defense of the Abbey Road half speed mastered records. I just got their pressing of Brothers in Arms and it's impeccable like most of their others

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@AndrewBell Hi Andrew, I haven't heard that but every one that I have heard impressed me. I don't have the digital bias that many audiophiles have, I just want to have a great sounding record. The pressings also better many more expensive offerings. I'll be covering more of them soon.

[@RobPhil34]

Wow, this video hits me right at home. I'm in the same mental spot as you, I'm looking at my collection, having a difficult time purging. I know why I bought every single one, not always for a good reason, thinking about the time I have left on this planet and it's overwhelming. Your initial thoughts are sound, but yeah it would take forever to even find your faves by playing through all of them. I've done that with my clothes, primarily t-shirts: don't launder until you've worn every single tee. If you look in your drawer and just can't put on a certain tee, out it goes, even if you think that you're gonna lose the weight or if you think that it's a souvenir of a special time. Some of the records I've purchased were because I was bored, had FOMO, believed the hype, felt the Completist Compulsion... and I've purged my records and CDs (and books and comics) at least six or seven times over the last thirty years, so rationally I know that I can get it back in my life when I really want it again. Thanks for sharing: this is great therapy for me and hopefully for you too.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you, I'm so glad you got something from it. I identify with all the points you made. A lot of the stuff I want to shed really isn't important to me. Things I just picked up cheap in thrift shops and such. My main collection is all nice pressings, near mint, clean jackets and great performances. I have a feeling it might not be as hard as I think. I did that with my clothes. Forced myself to go through them by not washing the keepers. It's an excellent way to do it but with music that means playing thousands of records. And if I want to clean them - forget it. You'll see in the follow up how I'm doing and what I'm moving on. Thanks for watching!

[@londonrecordlover965]

Oh man. Great video! I feel your dilemma. Here’s how I would look at it. You want to shed 3,000 records. That’s a lot. You need to accept that, in going through that process, you are going to make a few mistakes, i.e. once you have finished there will be a few records you regret disposing of. Let’s say 1 in 100, assuming you are very careful about the process (and something tells me you will be!). As you are shedding 30 hundred records, that means to get rid of 2,970 records you no longer want, you may lose 30 records you do still want. Can you live with that ratio? You might even allow yourself to buy back the missing 30 records, if that is viable, when the process is complete! Good luck…

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you, maybe 3,000 is a bit ambitious, as I've only pulled 50 so far. That was easy. You'll see why in an update video. You make a good point though. The times I've sold off stuff in the past was because I had to, and it was good stuff I'd love to still have. This time it's junky stuff, so it should be no regrets. We shall see, Thanks for watching and commenting. Stay tuned for a follow up on my progress.

[@jameshogg11]

I can see this is a real source of anguish for you Scott. I have just under 300 records and I'm already looking to cull some!! I can't imagine having several thousand! 🤯

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi James, yeah I guess I looked a bit anguished! It'll be interesting to document the process. Hopefully people will tune in for future updates! Thanks for watching!

[@lorenzbroder4107]

Hi Scott, love your channel I find that I enjoy your calm relaxed approach in your presentations , easy to watch , always informative !! I have about 750 records And there are ones I’ll never listen to , so I will have to make the painful decision what to part with 😩 anyway , best of luck going forward 🇨🇦

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@lorenzbroder4107 Thank you so much Lorenz. It's great to get some feedback on how I come across in my videos. That's how I try to approach the presentation, like a conversation between friends. Im really looking forward to this project and documenting it for a few follow up videos. I suspect it will be amusing to watch! I appreciate your support, thanks again.

[@sidesup8286]

I think if I had that many it would be. 1. Bad condition ones I don't like FIRST. 2. Bad condition ones I do like SECOND. 3. Less preferred pressings of doubles and triples. 4. Ones I don't like, but have some demand and value, that I could get $$ for. 5. Ones I do like moderately, but could bring me some money, and I'd rather the money. The last ones I'd part with: 6. Ones I didn't get to know well enough yet. 7. Ones whose value seems to be rising. 8. Ones I love. 9. Ones I love that are rare & would be hard to replace

[@ThePressingMatters]

You hit the same criteria I have been thinking of exactly. May I use your list in the follow up video? It's perfect!

[@sidesup8286]

@@ThePressingMatters Yes, you can show the list. If I was doing the same thing with my compact discs, the first ones I'd get rid of are 2 discs in particular that blew out some tweeters. When you put an LP on, you at least have a hint of its volume level by the surface noise and sound of the stylus lowering onto the lp. Some of these cds are dead qiiet, they start off with soft sounds and then after many minutes into the cd, the enormous crescendo comes out of nowhere and there goes your tweeters. This happened years ago several times. If cds all have such different volume levels, why cant there be some quick series of tones at the beginning so your can guage the volume. Its ridiculous, and I'll bet some people out there have blown more than just tweeters.

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@sidesup8286 Wow that has never happened to me. I'm thinking of getting back into CD/SACD, so I'll remember what you said.

[@sidesup8286]

@@ThePressingMatters I modify CD players for myself. I can tell you that after nearly 25 years of learning how to really do things right inside a CD player, that digital signature or digital sound is not the discs, its the players. I think my modded CD players, once warmed up, have no audible digital sound or digital distortions. The ones I mod are not expensive CD players either. They are vintage players, that you can pick up on ebay for under $100. They sound pretty mediocre at first. I might modify about 70 or 80 things in there. There's a lot of things inside a CD player. Which gives tweakers much more possibilities. There isn't brittleness or hardness, or lack of openness. If there is still edge exaggeration, its subliminal. You can get as much warmth as you want from anything, including CD playback. Cables, subwoofer, choice of amp etc. There was even some companies whose CD players had a few tubes in them, like the old California Audio Labs Company. Remember them? I never heard their tubes CD players. CD is such a viable music medium. It sounds better than any streaming I've heard. Streaming, like FM, as far as sound quality, is not like playing prerecorded music in your home. The Audiophiliac on his channel mentions that often.

[@tturner12341]

I don’t have as many records as you do. I’m going to keep mine because they bring me back to a certain point in my life. Plus with the kind of music I’ve collected over the years. Most are out of print. Like underground House and Disco. I never collected Rock, Jazz or classical.

[@analoguecity3454]

I wish I had 3000 record's! I don't play all of those, but it's nice to know there there in case I get in the mood to listen to them! That's my take!

[@ThePressingMatters]

Sure, I wouldn't mind 3,000 records I love, but in my case I bought anything and everything when people were dumping their records for pennies. So a good chunk of that is just thrift store stuff. You'll see what I mean when I show you what I'm hauling away! My prized stuff probably comes to about 2,000. I also used to sell records so a lot of the stuff was not things I'd personally want in my permanent collection.

[@davidkipperman5218]

I feel your pain. Two car garage and storage unit full of records.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Ok so you definitely know! I did one purge to get rid of the storage space, now it on to the garage. The first box wasn't so difficult. Mostly thrift stuff. I'll be covering the progress in an update!

[@tturner12341]

And I thought I bought a lot of records and CD’s let’s not forget about those. Which I’m sure I could declutter. But, I never bought anything that I didn’t listen to. I just found all my Mariah Cary CD’s. So I played them. She didn’t have a lot of vinyl releases in the 1990’s. She’s just recently released some of her albums on vinyl.

[@Matasky2010]

I think it’s a great idea, and a principle you can apply to life in general. Simplify and minimalize. I did the same with my vinyl, ‘cut off the fat’ from my collection- down to approx 600 which seems pretty reasonable…quality not quantity..still buying way more than I’d like, but try to balance it by selling some as well. I’ve also limited my music to streaming and vinyl only, makes collecting so much simpler. This hobby is so easy to get carried away with, it’s supposed to be about the music right?! Do we need to pay a premium to squeeze out that extra 5% from every album?

[@ThePressingMatters]

yes I feel like I would like to shift my focus off the collection to making improvements on my system and room. For a long time I put off the system upgrades preferring to sink money into new records which were of course "limited" so I had better get them first! And with so much new music coming in, the 'dead wood' became much more intrusive. Cant wait to start. I'll be showing my first few boxes from each end - the "must keep" and the "going out tomorrow"

[@lokitio]

It's funny, in the wine world, collectors are often disparaged by real wine lovers for hoarding wines that should really be enjoyed, often well past their peak. I've found in the VC the bias is more towards collecting than perhaps it should be. For some, like Ken Micallef, the act of collecting is a passionate learning journey and has intrinsic value, regardless of whether records are subsequently shed towards the end of that journey. But for many others it feels like it's more like a desperate race to acquire new reissues to keep up - the epitome of a fear of missing out. I like your shelf idea and look forward to hearing more about it.

[@sharonevans6864]

Let me just say good luck to you in this undertaking! I am in the process of doing the same thing in several areas and I love your idea of starting with the things you love first and make that a collection to die for. Thank you for this inspiration! Take care.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Sharon! I'm so glad you found that useful! I'm actually enjoying the process so far. Fun putting aside the good stuff! And putting together boxes of junk!

[@happyhippythevinylguy]

I've been thinking about doing this for a few weeks yesterday I watch this video . And I went out and Purge like 30 of my albums... I'm really glad I did I got store credit and I got three really good jazz albums I've been wanting for a very long time. ✌️

[@dennisdemark8151]

I have approximately 10,000 records and still counting...yes there are some well many I don't listen to, but I would never part with them...I share his situation like multiple copies of records and space. this video hits home.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Denis! I'm still stuck - had parted out three boxes but there still here! I got to donate them and continue!

[@paulaidenmusic]

Entertaining video, love your honesty on this one. I have a “to sell” shelf and some of those records I absolutely plan to sell sometimes make it back downstairs and I really find joy in them again, some really do stay on the shelf and I find hard to sell here in Australia (was easier in London!) One warning I will give you with jazz is that sometimes I’ve bought records that I didn’t fall in love with straight away and found after maybe the 4th listen sometimes years after buying they really click with me so be careful not to sell any of those possible future gems.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you and that's very good advice regarding jazz - most of my jazz is new reissues which I've been buying a lot of and I know I'm not going to get them in first few listens, but I recognize they are important titles for my collection. No, those will stay forever, and I look forward to more time with them. I'm very cautious not to let anything go that I will regret. I've done that a few times in my life.

[@garagegeek4863]

I had to do it too (actually still doing it) - it was tough. I made some decisions and I’m sticking to them. It sounds like you have a real space need - you have to do it. Plus we often buy way more than we will actually really listen to. Your downsizing system sounds like it’ll take a long time. I understand why.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Yeah I realize I'm going to have to approach it from both ends - save the best but at the same time keep boxing up unwanted stuff. Should be easy to do the latter, I know there's a lot of thrift store finds I don't really need, genres I don't listen to, poor condition stuff out there in the garage.

[@gainstage4497]

I’m at about 3k in my personal collection here at home, I’m currently going through older bins and separating out stuff I don’t want to keep… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with thinning the heard every few years… Cheers

[@ThePressingMatters]

I think 2-3,000 is perfect. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy doing it. I'll definitely show you how it's going!

[@leon9021]

Since Ive started to digitize my collection I find it easier to let things go as I still have them in some capacity and sounding just about as good as the real thing. Duplicates of pressings I find inferior especially get easier to let go.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Leon, I don't yet have the setup to do that but it makes a lot of sense. Do you do any de-click process as you do the transfer?

[@leon9021]

@@ThePressingMatters No, just a raw capture. Dont feel the need to on most records but if I do I can just do that down the line. All I needed to be satisfied was some RCA and USB cables and an ADC connecting my Phono stage to my PC with Audacity.

[@gainstage4497]

@@ThePressingMatters - I leverage various DAW plugins to De-Click, De-Noise after a high sample rate digital capture. I’m an old recording engineer so I have those tools available. But to be honest it’s really quite cost effective to get those tools if you don’t have them. The most expensive part of the process is finding the right A/D converters. Cheers

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@gainstage4497 Thanks for the info, it is something I definitely want to look into.

[@dank.6942]

Great video(s)! I feel seen! lol when it comes to our thought processes. I have a small, very curated, collection and yet still have all these dilemmas! Decluttering is as mental as it is physical in its "cleansing" ...and with records it's borderline psychedelic, dealing with time and space. "Do I have enough listening time? ...to justify having one, let alone multiple versions, of this record I rarely play, taking up my space?"

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Dan, thank you! I imagine even with a smaller collection I'll still be thinking way too much about this. Lol. But at least I'll have gained some space and cleared the 'stuck energy' making room for new ideas and energy to flow in. At least that's the theory! Thanks for watching and stay tuned!

[@tturner12341]

Scott. I bought my records to listen to. I remember when I bought my George Michael albums, my Prince albums and my Madonna albums. Which I still play. Speaking of Madonna. Tomorrow her Finally Enough Love album comes out. 50 # number one songs. On so many different versions I can’t even tell you about all of them. Did you buy a version of this album?

[@Jonny_C73]

I cull my collection about once a year. Same issue….limited space, need to keep it to about 2000. I’ve only ended up missing a few titles here and there.. It’s a good feeling to see available space to buy records again 😁

[@ThePressingMatters]

I've already started with about 50 titles, mostly junk from thrift shops that I was picking up just because. That first box was easy. Looking forward to another pass this week!

[@greenalishi222]

Its kinda fun and constant for me. Always culling. If I don t like it I trade it at Aomeba. Jump in its enjoyable. My collection is my hall of fame.

[@ThePressingMatters]

I like that, my Hall of Fame! Every item carefully considered. I'm doing it!

[@davidpetersen7091]

You need to read the book...The Paradox of Choice." Mr. Pete--------> aging hippie

[@-elijahriggs-]

I kind of wanna see the storage area.

[@sidesup8286]

Your criteria basically should be what albums you would miss the most. Believe it or not when I think of that, Christmas albums keep popping up in my mind. Certain ones are so tied in with the holiday, that it wouldn't really seem like the holiday without them. They are albums that are played at a certain time and my mind associates them being there, played at a certain time and becoming an important part of that time. Also interesting, if you had to make the choice between keeping an album that isn't recorded that well but you really like the music vs. one that is a sonic spectacular, that you ike the music also, but not quite as much. Which one goes; which one stays? Of course there is always storage, but that costs. As far as having a day off and not feeling like playing music. If it's a nice sunny day, why not enjoy the outdoors. Listening to music can be at night. I find I enjoy music more at night. I listen with the lights out usually, with only a little illumination from the equipment itself. But sometimes you just don't feel like listening to music. You feel like doing something more cerebral, or nothing at all. I just thought of it, but having so many records can actually make you feel indebted to yourself to listen to them. I have gone many months at times not listening to anything on my stereo. Like a sabbatical for the right hemisphere of your brain. The left hemisphere is involved with words, logic and analytical functions. The best solution? Realizing that it could just be procrastination or inertia. Slap on a record that you might think you could stand to hear. Getting started is always the hard part. You'll probably be playing many more before too long.

[@ThePressingMatters]

I went out to the garage and started rummaging and put together one box of stuff I can easily donate. I had to sift through a lot to get that one box but I'm sure it will get easier over time.

[@sidesup8286]

@@ThePressingMatters I'm not sure, but I think it will get harder over time if you have to do a second or third round, to cut it down further. Have you ever bought a record and the music was so bad that you didn't even bother to listen to side 2 ? I can only think of one, but there was more. When I was a teenager I bought Tales Of Mystery & Imagination by Then Alan Parsons Project. I think he was trying to put Edgar Allen Poe stories to music. It struck me as a cacophony. Now that I'm much older and my music tastes have changed, I actually would like to hear that record again.

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@sidesup8286 I do have that record and it struck me the same way. I did hold on to my MOFI reissue of it but I don't think I've played the second side either. Still I don't want to let that one go.

[@sidesup8286]

@@ThePressingMatters He wasn't exactly Ravel on that one. Of course the first time I heard Bartok, I got nearly the same reaction and I now like Bartok. I have the Reiner RCA Bartok Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta on a JVC XRCD and it is so great for sound and performance. Some people like the XRCD's as well as SACD, and you don't need a player with SACD decoding to play them. Just a regular CD player. What made it infinitely worse when I bought that Alan Parsons lp, was I was a teen and had to save up to buy it. I was hoping it would be something like them album I Robot, which was an amazing Parsons album, and so well recorded. It was probably the album I used to impress people with my stereo back then. I just found a super synergy combination tonight. I never tried my Grado headphones with tape before. Their slight brightness is offset by tapes slight dullness and warmth. It comes out absolutely perfect. I had heard Grado headphones sound great with tubes. I am limited in volume level here, where I live.

[@koenraaddm2582]

If you listen to one record a day and you have 3650 records, you need ten years to listen to it once. That's insane :-) I think people like us with collections are kind of neurotic, that's why we collect. And that collections makes us more neurotic. :-) It's going in circles and circles. But the empty shelve is a great idea. My vinyl collection is small, but I had it with books. I wanted to see every book, so no row of books behind a row of books. So I decluttered. Feels liberated. But now I still need to read 70 books from my library. :-) I studied creative writing, and one professor said: I have 1000 books, if there is 1001, some book has to go. And I didn't study creative writing in English. So my English is not native :-)

[@ThePressingMatters]

Ha, yes a book behind a book would give me anxiety lol. I tried it once and immediately combed through my books to those that I loved and could fit comfortably. I don't even remember what I discarded any longer. Don't miss them! What I kept I love! Same principle to be attempted here.

[@benhartzberg671]

Either way it’s a tough task. You can find an emotional decision to keep them all. Good luck!

[@ThePressingMatters]

Nooooo LOL, I have to at least get a start on it. I think I can put together a couple of boxes of the ' garage collection' that I will document donating to the thrift shop! There about 40 boxes out there!

[@EddieJazzFan]

Oh man, I struggle with this all the time. For some reason, even though I realize that I will never have time to listen to all the records in my collection, it's still hard to purge. And the irrational aspect of this is what bothers me more than actually getting rid of the records. I have so many albums, yet when I pass by a record store I still get excited. It doesn't make sense. Look at it this way: if this is the only big problem in your life, your doing pretty good.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Yes that's true. I've conquered far worse vices than amassing records. Still, I'm excited by the challenge. Even if I can drop a few boxes in each pass, it's movement in the right direction. I actually did a garage sale a few times last winter (in Miami, remember) and all the stuff out there was available. So I guess I'm not really that strongly attached to that group of records. I made pretty good money, even though I was letting stuff go for a couple of bucks each.

[@davebarrow9954]

I make myself cull every 5 years or so, and it's much along the same lines-what am I actually playing. I have a 5 shelf bolts rack with box sets on top, but new purchases pile up on the floor-so a maple shade crate was added to keep it all "tidy"- I suppose it's time to cull some more.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Dave. I'm doing good so far. I'm actually trying compiling a list of the 2,000 keepers, rather than moving stuff, cleaning etc. Started with classical and am up to 275. Still lots of titles to fill in the remaining 1,725! Clearing out the old stuff is going much slower, I've only put together one box of 'no value to me or anyone" titles, mostly thrift store stuff I picked up for nothing. I'll be doing a follow up soon. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Great to have your input here!

[@joemorgan4740]

Hi scott great video and timing for me too . I feel your pain it’s horrible feeling. Ive just moved bedrooms with my daughter and this room is smaller and all my vinyl doesn’t fit and is no longer alphabetical which is very worrying for me I didn’t have time to arrange alphabetically into this room . I would say i have over 3,000 lps but lots of boxsets . I have got rid of a few doubles and pressings I didn’t want but then I’ve brought more in so no benefit im finding it hard to sort as I’ve got five large tubs with around 75 to 100 in each in living room to find a record i want to play its like going to a very did organisation record store and time consuming i do remember where some are but beed to alphabetical them . I like your shelf idea on your most loved albums but i think id ad more than I should. Its a dilemma. Hopefully you will inspire me to sort and eventually downsize. Take care joe

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thanks for your comment Joe. I'd go crazy without alphabetizing, but I've been there, I know. Same here, smaller room, and a silly amount of records. Going to work on it this week and give you guys an update with visual proof! Out the door!

[@primeanalogrecords]

You really look perplexed! But I do like you plan about culling And keeping only the ones that bring you joy and happiness! I believe that’s what and how I curated my collection! I hand-picked everything in there and I have about 600 or so albums that bring me joy at times I feel joyless lol 😂

[@primeanalogrecords]

Also I called you out on my latest video!

[@ergloo6660]

I regard my records as time capsules and links to memories where was I who was I with when I first heard it or bought it. The only thing I get rid of are duplicates and modern reissues I'm not fond about.

[@ThePressingMatters]

I totally understand and identify with your thoughts about your history with particular records. I remember where and when for most of them. Still, going to try and clean it up a bit. Let's see how it goes!

[@ergloo6660]

@@ThePressingMatters Remember the road to hell is paved with good intentions 🤣😂🤣😂

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@ergloo6660 Lol yes I will remember that as I cart out my Engelbert Humperdinck records!

[@louissilvani1389]

The fun of the hobby is the hunt Donate them to the Goodwill and write it off on your taxes .

[@ThePressingMatters]

Probably exactly what I'll do. Let someone else have the joy of finding a good stash of new arrivals at the thrift. I used to LOVE that!

[@razorback-mark]

I do not have nearly as much as you but I want to downsize also. I have a bunch of records that I only like one or two songs so I bought a pioneer reel to reel and have been making compilations so to speak. Most are psychedelia and classic rock, country etc…., I want to keep all my jazz and audiophile pressings….good luck!

[@ThePressingMatters]

Mark, I have a Pioneer reel to reel sitting in the garage waiting for me to get it back to operating condition. And a receiver, and an amp! I really would like to get these restored but I haven't gotten around to it. Good idea to record those types of records. Thanks for your comment!

[@taralewis9916]

My collection is around 750 LP's and I listen to no more than 30 percent of them. I am not buying any more MFSL's. From this point on maybe an UHQR here and there

[@ThePressingMatters]

750 is a good manageable amount. And yeah, MOFI won't be getting much more shelf space from me.

[@brianlewis5042]

Wow. That’s a question I still have a hard time figuring out in my head. Ken Micallef Jazz Vinyl Audiophile about a week ago posed a similar question. When it is time to let it go? The duplicates are probably the easiest to start with. As for myself I haven’t arrived at the point of purging. I hope you start with those Broadway show recordings first. Lol 😂. Good luck my friend because one day you will look up and just start getting rid of those records.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Are you sure you don't need The Sound Of Music or The King and I? Might have to do a giveaway!

[@sidesup8286]

There's a lady selling a really nice Nitty Gritty vacuum record cleaning machine in the local Buy/Sell newspaper. I used to have a Nitty Gritty. They're great. It still looks like it has the bottle and all the accessories that came with it. She said he husband hardly used it. She wants $185 for it. Do you have a vacuum record cleaner?

[@ThePressingMatters]

Yes I have the VPI 16.5 for about 30 years!

[@robertpannullo5687]

I agree with the premise 100% .. how are you going to guide your future purchases? That’s tough as well

[@ThePressingMatters]

Well I will but things I think I'll like or want to explore but once I reach my number it will be one has to leave when a new one comes in. So I think I'll automatically be more discerning.

[@taralewis9916]

You only wear 25% of the clothing you own.

[@ThePressingMatters]

And I only wear black t shirts (just kidding, simplifies my in screen wardrobe selection)

[@analoguecity3454]

Yeah, but it's nice to know it's there in case you wanna wear it!

[@taralewis9916]

@@analoguecity3454 But will you

[@lucullus6127]

“Quality...you know what it is, yet you don’t know what it is. But that’s self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There’s nothing to talk about. But if you can’t say what Quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn’t exist at all. But for all practical purposes it really does exist.” Quote from : Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig. ( 1000 records+/- , in my collection , and if a new one comes in, an older one has to leave !

[@ThePressingMatters]

Thank you for that but if wisdom! Good quote, I had forgotten it, as I read that a long time ago. The one in, one out tule will be applied as i pare it all down. I think that's the key to this not happening again!

[@tturner12341]

Me again. I believe you bought music for all the wrong reasons. I bought music because I..well liked the songs. You, correctly me if I’m wrong….for how the songs sound. That never mattered to me and I have really good audio equipment. I have since I was 18 years old and now I’m in my 60’s and I love playing my collection. It’s fun playing a old Cher album my mom owned or a Elton John album that reminds me his concert in 1974. You need to start loving your music. Forget about..oh, I love the way the bass sounds. Or it doesn’t have any pops on crackles. I hope this helps you. From a lifetime vinyl lover.

[@ThePressingMatters]

Hi Terry, I don't think you understand - when I used to sell records I bought large collections and a lot of junk came with them. These things I want to dump were never things I personally was into. Just kept them around. Now it's time to go. I do appreciate your advice. Yes sometimes I get too focused on sound. And it spoils things in a way because you never have perfection.

[@tturner12341]

@@ThePressingMatters I didn’t know you sold records. Sorry I misunderstood. But, I do stand by my comments about why I bought music.

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@tturner12341 Yeah, so I bought all kinds of things that I would never consider for my personal collection. You'll see what I mean when I do the follow up. You're gonna laugh! Thanks for your comment - you made several good points I think anyone can relate to.

[@tturner12341]

@@ThePressingMatters thank you. I didn’t want to sound like a know it all.

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@tturner12341 Of course not, I love all your comments. Always lots of interesting history and personal viewpoints.

[@VagueRANT100]

I swapped my OG BEATLES album collection for the very laptop I am using right now! I really missed them at first....I get far more enjoyment from my laptop than I ever got from those records....Stay Strong Scott

[@ThePressingMatters]

Isn't that amazing? Something we thought we couldn't do without turns out to be not so important and was actually taking space that something truly useful or beautiful can occupy. Thanks for the support. Hope you check in on my next update on this. Should be entertaining!

[@VagueRANT100]

@@ThePressingMatters I lived with that collection basically for half a century and parting was like a minor bereavement of sorts!....of course I still have the music on CD which helps.....I think you will manage quite well Scott....though I do worry about Michael 45RPM Audiophile....he is accumulating at an ever increasing pace....surely he cannot love all those purchases.....

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@VagueRANT100 Yeah I was just thinking about Micheal and how he possibly has time to give anything but one listen. I was headed that way as well, but not on such a scale. When you have a channel such as ours, you want to report on the latest this and that release, but I had to take a step back and be more discerning about what I'm purchasing.

[@VagueRANT100]

@@ThePressingMatters I am about to make a video regarding this situation....no names will be mentioned to avoid embarrassment

[@ThePressingMatters]

@@VagueRANT100 I'm subscribed so I'll be notified of it. Should be very interesting!

[@taralewis9916]

If you buy an LP and play it once. What's the point

[@ThePressingMatters]

Really there is none but that's what happens when you have too much to listen to. That's why I want to get back to basics. Going to assemble my first box of stuff to go this week.

[@taralewis9916]

@@ThePressingMatters I did a few month ago with about 30 Lp's and got 70 bucks from my local record shop

[@davidfromamerica1871]

Try uploading some of your collection to YT..👍😎 Like Tens of thousands of collectors around the World have done for about a decade😎🤗👍 Most people have no idea. YT is the largest music storage site in the World. YT over 80 Countries and 150 Languages Globally. It’s the largest music streaming platform in the World 👍 Some are uploading their entire music collections on YT before they die.

[@sidesup8286]

Do you do much headphone listening? Most headphone guys have a collection of headphones, from trying to get better and better sound. Do you have a headphone collection or do anything with headphones?

[@ThePressingMatters]

No I haven't had headphones in years, hardly even use earbuds!

[@sidesup8286]

@@ThePressingMatters If you've ever heard a REALLY great headphone, you realize that you can just hear so much more detail, and detail without room coloration and a flat frequency response. I've never met a room with a flat frequency response. Also headphone drivers are lighter than speaker drivers and have the potential for superior transient delineation. The drivers in headphones do not have to make big excursions like drivers in speakers, and they usually sound cleaner because of that too. They don't image like speakers with the sound in front of you like speakers, and the instruments sound way smaller with headphones. But they're really fun and priceless for evaluating when I modify. Just as long as you realize they're something different and your are not expecting a loudspeaker experience.

[@latheofheaven]

*BROADWAY SHOWS...??!!!* 😳 WTF?!! Yes! Give away your Broadway Shows! Seriously though, I can see you are in 'pain' with the issue, so I do hope you find a good way to deal with it. But, my brother, I have never had and will never have that issue. You know why...? Because I have *ALWAYS* been very judicious about which records I buy. It is very simple my friend: *DON'T F'n BUY RECORDS YOU DON'T LIKE AND WON'T LISTEN TOO!* 🙄 I have nearly 2500 albums AND they are all in my bedroom (you should let me send you some pictures 😊) And, I have absolutely no need to 'get rid' of any. Yes, over the last several years there were a handful of albums that I bought years ago where I have better versions, but they still were worth a little something (like a pristine Japanese pressing of Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same - easily replaced by the current 4-LP remaster, MAN what an improvement!) But, I'm happy with what I have, and again... *I ONLY BUY WHAT I LIKE AND WILL LISTEN TOO!* 😁

[@vinylmine]

Invite me over. Problem solved. 😁

[@dgross2009]

Let me know the date and address for the garage sale

[@ThePressingMatters]

Lol seriously, I have done that!

[@ThePressingMatters]

Miami! You can have a private browse!

[@jamesmilton-willmott7593]

I think you should stop being such a drama queen. For Christ’s sake, I’ve been collecting for years now and I’ve never counted but I’d be surprised if I had more than a few hundred because I can’t afford more than that. Getting stressed over the fact you have too many records is outrageous. Give them to me, I will take them with open arms. There have been soooo many releases that I’ve had to ignore because food and rent are more important.

[@ThePressingMatters]

I almost spit out my coffee when I read your description of me lol. Perhaps there's some truth to that, but I brought this up not to boast about having so many records. You have to understand, most of the stuff I'm talking about cost me very little money. I was collecting when people were dumping for CDs. There was so much stuff in thrift shops, garage sales and so forth that most of that I bought for .50 or 1.00 or two. Buying new records is a more recent development, over the last 20 years. It's simply a bunch of records in questionable condition that no one is clamoring for. It's extra weight I don't want.