So You Want To Start A Vinyl Collection

There is a lot of information out on the internet about recording collecting, a lot of which is nothing more than personal opinion. I am going to attempt to write a beginner's guide to record collecting that takes the opinion out, or at least as much of the opinion out as I can.

So where does one start with a beginner's guide to collection records?

How about we start with motivation.

* Motivations

You need to be honest about your motivation for collecting records, even if your honest with nobody else, at least be honest with yourself.

If you are getting into vinyl because it's cool right now, that's alright. If you are getting into vinyl because you remember listening to your dad's turntable with headphones on... that's alright as well. If you're getting into vinyl collecting because you see an ability to make a buck flipping, you might be misleading yourself, but that is alright as well. Regardless of what your motivation is, just be honest with it and remain true to it because it is your motivation that will drive your collecting habits.

Think of your motivation as your mission statement. It defines what and who you collect.

And just like any aspect of our life, our motivations will change over time, because as human beings, we grow, we mature, we change. So while being true to your motivations, don't be so rigid to them that you stifle your growth.

* Expectations

You need to know a few things that come with record collecting. Records takes up a lot space; weighs a lot; it isn't all that fragile, but does need to be handled and stored with care. Things like that are important to know.

Records are big; nearly 13" x 13" and can be up to an inch or two thick (boxed sets). 100 records, properly stored, like in the image to the right, will take roughly one or more feet of linear space to store. I say one or more, because gate fold albums or double/triple LP releases and boxed sets will take more space than a single LP release.

You need to have the space to store these records properly.

The next thing you need to consider; records are heavy. The same 100 records that will take roughly a linear foot to store, will weight roughly 33 pounds, or for my European friends, about 15 kg. If that doesn't sound like much, imagine a 4' long shelve stacked with records, roughly 400 records. This would weigh in at over 132 pounds (60 kg).

Not every shelve can handle that kind of load. So make sure you have storage that can handle the weight of records.

If you are worried about building a shelving unit that can store the thousands of records you will eventually have, but will look silly now because you only have 20 records, there are modular storage solutions; modules that you can add to as your collection grows, essentially growing your storage with your collection. But, you need to know this; no single event, except for maybe a house fire, can damage an entire collection faster than the event of a shelving unit collapse resulting from the storage unit's inability to handle the very heavy load vinyl brings with it.

Lastly, records need some care used when handling and storing, but they're is not as fragile as some think. The most dangerous things for records is heat and humidity. Heat can warp, bubble or if hot enough, melt records. Humidity can destroy the paper-based covers, labels and sleeves and both heat and humidity bring with it mold. So store your records in dry, relatively cool places. Don't leave your records in the car on a hot summer day, don't store your records under a window that allows sunlight to blast through.

You need to know that records take more than just a turntable to collect. You need space, structure and and an understanding of the basic care that records need. This little bit of knowledge can save you from a big disaster later on. Other than that, keep your records clean and don't be careless with them and your records can last well past your lifetime.

* Turntables

I teach photography and the single question I am asked the most is, "What is the best camera for me?"

My response, whether I am talking with a professional photographer or a first time camera owner, is always, "The one you have with you." Inevitably the follow up question that comes back at me is, "Yeah, but what camera should I buy." And, once again, my response is always the same vague way, "What kind of photographer are you and how much money do you have."

My answer for the same questions posed regarding turntables, is just about the same.

The best turntable is the one that you have now that spins the records in your collection.

It isn't? Funny you should disagree. Is a better turntable any turntable that you don't own; a turntable that you can't put a record on right now and give it a spin?

Hmmm... I personally don't think so.

But to answer the question a little bit better; the best turntable for you will really depend on what you need from it. Are looking for a turntable that is mobile, meaning one that you can take with you, or one with a small footprint? Maybe a briefcase turntable is the best for you. Or do you have space that you are willing to devote to a turntable, amplifier, equalizer, speakers, isolation of the turntable plus room for all that vinyl you plan on getting?

Do you collect LPs, or singles or old shellac 78s or wax recordings... or all of the aforementioned?

Maybe you need a couple of turntables to play the variety of mediums in your collection. Maybe you can get away with just one that does most of it.

Do you want to be able stack several albums or singles and have an extended playlist while you just sit back and soak in the music?  Some turntables have short stubby spindles that all you to play one record at a time, others have extended spindles that allow you to stack and play one or more records one after another.

It is all about what you need.

There are tons of options out there in the world, some of them you should avoid like the plague, Crosley as a brand for example. But, the end, it is about what you are looking for, using it for and your personal tastes. In some cases Crosley may be all you can afford; at least you have turntable. For some, McIntosh is the only way to go, while McIntosh for others is so far outside of their budget, it's not just outside of the ballpark of the budget, it's outside the solar system of their budget. For others, vintage systems from the 70s and 80s is where it's at.

Decide what you need and then get what you need. Read reviews for products that fit in line with your needs and your budget. Don't just read what the industry papers say about it, read real people's reviews. See what their experience was with the unit; sound quality, assembly, product quality and lifetime of the product.

In the end, you have to remember; records are like fuel for a car. You can't put premium, high octane fuel in a Ford Pinto and expect it to perform like a Lamborghini, but also you don't need a Lamborghini to drive to the corner store every now and then.

* Wiring
If you are going for a component system, you need to understand how inputs and outputs work. For example, you don't connect a turntable with a pre-amp built into it to a traditional "phono" input on a receiver. How will you know if your turntable has a pre-amp build into it? 99.9% of the time if the turntable is a USB capable turntable, it has a pre-amp. For turntables that may not have a USB interface, but have a pre-amp, the RCA cable won't have the third, grounding cable.

For turntables without pre-amps built into them

Amps and pre-amps with traditional phono inputs will have a ground wire post, like this one

Equally important, if your amp doesn't have a ground connector for the turntable, don't plug your turntable that has a grounding wire into it.

Everyone has a friend that understands wiring component systems together, even if it is just your parents. Give them a call and ask for help if you are unsure.

* RPMs

Some may think that this is something that everyone should know, but you'd be surprised.

RPM is revolutions per minute, or how many times a record completes one complete revolution, turn around the turntable, per minute. Earth's own RPM is 0.000696. Records RPMs are quite a bit higher.

RPMs are important. If you have a modern turntable chances are that it's likely switchable from 45 and 33 1/3 (commonly referred to as 33) RPMs. A few of these modern turntables will include a third speed of 78 RPM and rarely even as low as 16 RPM.

Now, most standard, 12" albums are recorded at 33 1/3 (or 33). Most 7" singles, called 45s, spin at 45 RPM. Older shellac records from the 40s and beyond (older), are recorded at 78 RPM. Some, very unique recording are recorded at 16 RPM.

These speed/size combinations are considered the norm. There are instances where the speed/size guidelines are broken. Some 12" records are singles, or short albums, and are recorded at 45 RPM and some even at 78 RPM.

The image on the left is an example of the rule breakers. This is a 12" single, recorded at 45 RPM.

RPMs are important for three reasons;

1. If you play a 33 RPM record at 45 RPMs the sound you get will resemble the Alvin and the Chipmunks on crack.
2. If you play a 12" record (commonly recorded at 33 1/3 RPMs) but it was recorded at 45 RPM and you use an auto play function, the needle may automatically drop in the middle of the album. On most automatic turntables the speed setting, 33/45 is also directly tied into the record size, 12"/7".
3. If you play a 78 RPM record at 33 RPMs your result may very well sounds like something from the bowels of hell.

* Shopping

My last bit of advice is in the realm of shopping for records. It is a big market out there and with so many options available here are my personal rules for shopping for records.

First... create a buy list that you keep with you. This is a list of records that you must own. Make sure to have the band names and album names. This makes it easy to remember what it is that is a priority for you when you are standing in a sea of records at your local record shop.

1. Don't shop trendy geek shops. Shops like FYE, Hot Topic and Spencer's may have records in stock, but I found their stock is either limited to a select few trendy music choices (whatever is hot/hip today that will sell the next day) and/or they are so overpriced on their new and used selection it's almost criminal. 
2. Don't shop online. I know, I know... my gray hair really shows in this post, but so much can go wrong with shopping for vinyl online. From a bad seller (see the photo above/right, of a seller adding a box to the mountain of packages ready to ship; disorganized, ripe for damage), bad packaging, damage in shipping including heat and cold damage (you do realize that freezing temps in winter are just as bad for vinyl as heat in the summer and that airplane freight holds are not always climate controlled). Most importantly about this advice; it is difficult to explore the personal relationships between yourself and a seller if you shop online. 
3. Explore your local market place. Read reviews of local record shops, most big towns have more than one local record store. Customer reviews will usually let you know if you are getting ready to walk into Championship Vinyl (watch High Fidelity for the reference) where the staff are tools who treat customers as inferior human beings or if you are getting ready to walk into a haven where you will be welcomed with open arms. Keep your eye on second hand stores; there are absolute treasures that can be sound there. You can also talk with other collectors in your area about where they shop. 
4. If the record is used, make sure you inspect each record you buy. I covered what to look for when inspecting records in a post called Art of the Vinyl Hunt. 
5. Be wary of the impulse buys. These type of buys from shops/stores that aren't your local record digging locations. Department stores can be way over priced and not a real value.

That's it; my nearly opinion free beginner's guide to starting a vinyl collection. Enjoy your voyage into vinyl. I will leave you with one last bit of bonus advice... think of it as a p.s. to the new record collector...

Don't compare your newly started collection with the collection of others. Nothing can be more disappointing than comparing your collection of 20 records with the collection of of someone who has been collecting for several years. If you are looking at someone else's collection, look at it to see if there is anything in there you may want to add to your buy list. Ask the person questions about their collections or pieces in there collection. Ask to listen to some of their collection. I am sure that most collectors would be happy to spin some vinyl for you.

Just don't belittle your collection because it doesn't "measure up" to their collection. Be proud of your collection and enjoy your collection.