As we contemplate relocating, I've been dreading the thought of hauling along some of my collections that I haven't looked at it in ages, things that I value, but no longer hold any tangible value and are "taking up space." I happened on a store the other day, Rediscover Records. This is where I tell you that for 40 years, I have amassed a fairly large collection of vinyl, most of it rock and roll, everything from Carly Simon and James Taylor to AC/DC and Black Sabbath. I have eclectic tastes. As I talked to the proprietor, we discussed Supertramp and how nobody knows who they are anymore. I have a real connection to most of those records, and while I hate to part ways with them, realistically, I haven't put one on a turntable for probably at least ten years. I'm telling myself I'm supporting local business by donating my collection (or collecting a small consignment fee - thank you, Rich).I went through a phase where I was trying to digitize my collection so I would have all those records that you can't find anymore. Anyone ever hear of the New Seekers? Not to mention Rick Springfield's first two albums which I'd bet he wishes no one still had copies of. I don't think even the record store would be interested in those albums. Transferring vinyl to digital was a time intensive project, and when the digital phonograph broke, I decided it probably wasn't worth the effort. How many of those songs did I really HAVE to have? And the rest? I could get on digital. No physical storage woes.
This collection represents 40 years of my life. No, this isn't an easy process, but did I mention I am NOT a pack rat? And my desire to not store "stuff" is outweighing my sense of nostalgia. With that being said, I did find some records I don't think I can bear to part with. There must be some way to salvage them, to play them. Maybe I need to try digitizing one more time.
One collection that will follow me wherever I go, one I am NOT parting ways with - my books. Sorry, but every book on my bookshelf has a permanent home. They have earned that spot as "a book worth re-reading" and as such, are a functional part of my life. They are doing more than just taking up space.
So I wave nostalgically at my record collection as I support +RediscoverRecords. I hope the vinyl finds a new home with someone who will love it as much as I did. If you're looking for vintage rock and roll, Rich has a great collection, and now he has most of my old favorites, too.
Our kids took all our vinyl. I do remember transferring some of them from records to cassette tapes. (I'm that old.) When we made the cross-country move, we hadn't any idea of where we were going to live other than "Colorado" so we minimized what came with us. I did cull my book collection, but we still shipped about 100 cases of books to our daughter to keep for us until we had a house.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of books!
DeleteI try to get rid of stuff I think I'm not likely to need in the foreseeable future, but my partner finds it hard to let go of anything. Just last week, the espresso maker packed up, and even before I'd gone to the web to research possible replacements, she'd requisitioned the water tank (for storing kitchen utensils) and the little scoop that measures coffee grounds (because apparently you can never have too many little scoops for measuring things, even if you don't know how much they measure).
ReplyDeleteMy DH doesn't like to part with the odd thing, either. Seems there's always a use for it somewhere down the road.
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