Collector Types

There are as many types of the collectors in the world as there are items to collect. We as human beings like a classify, quantify, organize and catalog things as a way of providing structure and making sense. Hell your own vinyl collection may be organized by genre, alphabetically or by release year or even, to quote the movie High Fidelity, Autobiographically.

But sometimes, the labels we use can be hurtful; race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, etc., etc., etc. In the vinyl world there are vast lists out there that try and catalog the types of vinyl collectors, many in sardonic attempt at a humorous list of classifications other time, the names used are just plain derogatory. And some of the labels used in these lists are derogatory enough to definitely show that the author of the list has a bias for and against many of the "types" in his or her list.

I am not here to throw stones as I live in a glass house and throwing stones is not worth it.

This is not meant to be derogatory? I am just using as a reference that I can point back to as I continue having discussions.

With that said, let me present my list of different types of collectors; no one type of collector is better or worse than the other, it is really just a classification based on my view of the differences in priorities from one collector to another. There are five basic types of collectors; The New Collector, The Music Collector, The DJ Collector, The Rarities Collector, The Economist Collector.

If I were to classify myself, I would say that I am a combination of a Music Collector and Rarities Collector, because sometimes I fall in love with the cover art or the unique colors of vinyl used in a pressing. But I definitely lean more towards the Music Collector.

Many of us are a mix of the five basic types, but we can all identify primarily with one of the five. Let me define what I mean by these five classifications of collectors so we can work from the same definition.

The New Collector is a person who is just now discovering/rediscovering vinyl. Since they may have only an entry level sound system, they can be torn between spending their money on music or better tech for playing their music. They are also typically focused on picking up the greatest hits from their life; music they know and love.

The Music Collector is a person that focuses on the acquisition of music. The Music Collector doesn't care if it's colored vinyl, bootleg, imports or limited pressings' hell even damaged albums and covers are attractive to the Music Collector because most of the tracks play fine even if the cover is damaged simply because they love music and typically love discovering new music. The music collector loves music.

The DJ Collector is typically looking for specific music to add to the rotation for events. Techno, Hip-Hop, 80's Dance... just about anything that can be considered party music. You won't find many DJ's looking for Nina Simone or Carole King.

The Rarities Collector is the person looking for unique albums; first pressings, bootlegs, obscure bands, colored vinyl, imports and limited editions. The typically take pride in the uniqueness of each piece in their collection. This can easily be confused with the Economist Collector, but there is a distinct difference between the two.

The Economist Collector is a person looking to fund some portion of their future life with their vinyl collection; kid's college, retirement, etc. The buy low, sell high type. Many retailers could be considered Economist Collectors, they just have shorter window for the flip. This type of collector will look for MINT only, typically sealed pressings, that can be sold in the future.

Even though there is nothing wrong with any reason you have for collecting I would warn you against the path of the Economist Collector. The past has shown that this type of collecting rarely pays off... Baseball Cards, Comic Books, Pokemon Cards, Action Figures, etc.

So that is the list. It is simple and complete from my perspective.