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Building the Perfect Record collection
So, you want to start spinning records, eh? Maybe you've already picked up a few treasures that are the envy of your friends, and now you want to get serious about building that collection into something more glorious. Well you've come the right place for that. Time to get yourself initiated.

Buying Records is an Investment in yourself
Truth is, there's no right or wrong way to collect records. Any dolt could tell you that. But given the fact that you're likely to spend time and money on this hobby, we feel you should take your first record pretty seriously. Think about it, one thing that'll define your whole experience in a huge way is the first record you loved. It's the same as your first car, your first gaming console, your first baseball bat.

The smell, the feeling, the artwork on the cover and the way it first sounds when the needle first touched down on it's glorious vinyl surface. It'll pretty much define your relationship with vinyl altogether.

Maybe you'll go to an indie music festival, end up having the best time you can humanly remember, and really wanted to remember that night for the rest of your life, because it brought out everything in yourself that meant something. They might be selling vinyls at the door or gate if it's an outdoor event and you'll just know you have to buy one of those gems to relive that single moment in time.

Or say you were big into The Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" and want to keep that memory alive every now and then. Your musical interests might go back even further in time to the the Beat Generation, even if you're young. And let's face it, Charlie Parker will never lose his relevance. Some like to slip on a record which tells a story. A literal story, involving a poet like Jack Kerouac reading "On the Road". Then of course, there's the whole pull factor of limited editions.

Limited editions rule
If you're into limited edition records where, for instance only a couple of thousand have been pressed, then you're the perfect candidate for starting a record collection. That can be an expensive route in the short term but you'll have two good reasons to hang on to them for the long term. And in the days of ebay and second hand record stores, it's possible to find something worth holding onto.

Either way, you should give some thought to the direction of your collection. Each piece represents the genre of music you're in love with. The art of the collection has a lot to do with the art on the cover. Nothing beats a full collection of beatles albums, and when things get a little hard in life, there's always Jack White or Nirvana, best listened to on vinyl of course. There's no question about it.

Some Templates for Beginners
Of course there are many different tastes and any kind of advice that limits you to a particular genre would be defying the whole point of this article. That said, there are a couple staples in each genre if you need to find some direction for your collection: What pop collection would be complete without Michael Jackson's Thriller, Prince's Purple Rain, or the already mentioned Beatles' Abbey Road?

Rock n Roll, Indie and Folk have their mainstays too, not least of course is Nirvana's Nevermind, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon, David Bowies' The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust or Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde.

For modern fans, there have been more than a few high points of modern listening. Take Daft Punk's Homework or MGMT's Congratulation. The great thing about these albums is that they're feel like they should have been released on vinyl to begin with. And that takes us to one of the important points of vinyl collection: Building a world of essential classics of our times is for some of us at the heart of it all.

The Joy of Obscurity
The trouble with lists and advice columns on collecting vinyl in general is that they're often so darn prescriptive. So moving steadily on from these generalized pointers, let's get onto one of the more exciting aspects of vinyl is collecting.

Deciding on which pieces to collect is hugely personal, rather like building up a composite artwork. And that's the point of many indie shops around the world which have sprung up to cater to the very particular itch that many vinyl owners have developed: To find and curate unique music that many people have never even experienced, or will have a hope of ever owning. Indie bands as far away as Edinburgh, or as close as Portland have a special space in that market, with independent shops – both online and physically - holding vinyls that cater to a new level of customer.

Many of these are specially pressed vinyls made specifically for the task of pleasing those among us who have moved beyond the basic stereotypes of music. Music is after all a personal experience, and there's much to be said about keeping a collection that expresses the unique facets of your personality.

Some Points to Ponder on
Record collecting, whichever way you look at it is an art form. But since it's more than anything an expression of your love for music, the best place to start is with the stuff you can't live without. Your record player is one of those things. After all, music will never be remembered quite the same as a collection of digital information. Record collecting is about the joy of living, and it's one sure way to warm up your apartment or give put a musical spell over your room that your future great grandchildren will probably still dig. Like a collector of any art, you'll have your own way of going about things, and as long as it adds joy to your life, you'll know you're doing things properly.

Latest additions to BaseVinyl.com

TRON: Legacy (Daft Punk) [2 LP]

Double vinyl version of the classic soundtrack containing seven bonus songs not available on the CD version.Original soundtrack to the highly anticipated 2010 motion picture, composed by the multi-platinum Electronic duo..

Punk Rocksteady

Shrink-wrapped..

Homework [Vinyl]

EU LP pressing.Shrink-wrapped..

Everything Sucks [Vinyl]

Descendents Everything Sux LP---Hot Topic exclusiveShrink-wrapped..

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Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (3LP Gatefold 180g Vinyl) - The Who

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Jack Rabbit Blues: The Singles 1958-1960

Companion to SECBX025 Ike Turner-That Kat Sure Can Play Every one of these tracks features Ike Turner on guitar, piano &/or vocals. Also includes 10 vinyl repro of rare TUNE 78 single plays at 45rpm. Features Little Ann,..

Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998 - 2016

'Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016' is the definitive Jack White songwriting collection, spanning his 20+ year career. It includes White's acoustic-based recordings with the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and his ..

Journey's Greatest Hits

Disc 11.Only The Young2.Don t Stop Believin'3.Wheel In The Sky4.Faithfully5.I ll Be Alright Without You6.Any Way You Want It7.Ask The Lonely8.Who s Crying NowDisc 21.Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)2.Lights3.Lovin , Touchin ..

KEXP Presents: Raw Power - A Tribute to Iggy & The Stooges (Record Store Day 2016)

LIMITED EDITION RECORD STORE DAY 2016 VINYL On August 23rd 2015, Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Duff McKagan (Guns n Roses), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees) performed a free live show on the rooftop..

King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime (2016 Remaster)(2LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

Following the Grammy nominated album Angel Dust, Faith No More returned in 1995 with KING FOR A DAY...FOOL FOR A LIFETIME. Recorded at Bearsville Studios near Woodstock, New York, it was the first without longtime guitar..

La Dispute Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair Color Vinyl

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Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (180gm vinyl)

(2-LP set) Originally released in 1997 (on the same day as OK Computer), Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space is the 3rd album from Jason Pierce's post-Spacemen 3 project, and his most brilliant work to date. A ..

Led Zeppelin III (Remastered Original Vinyl)

John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant came together in 1968 as Led Zeppelin. Over the next decade, the band would become one of the most influential, innovative and successful groups in modern music, ..

Leonard Cohen Live at the Isle of Wight 1970

This double LP contains Cohen's entire performance on 180 gram audiophile vinyl. All tracks are previously unreleased (sans bits of "Suzanne" which were featured in the documentary Message to Love). Included are live ver..

Let There Be Rock [Vinyl]

Originally released as Atco 36151 on June 23, 1977. Tracklist A1 Go Down 5:31 A2 Dog Eat Dog 3:34 A3 Let There Be Rock 6:06 A4 Bad Boy Boogie 4:27 B1 Problem Child 5:24 B2 Overdose 6:09 B3 Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be 4:..

Licensed To Ill [LP][30th Anniversary Edition]

This 30th anniversary LP edition of Beastie Boys' debut album Licensed To Ill is cut from original production masters and presented on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl. The album is back-to-back classic Beastie Boys anthems in..

Live At Abbey Road Studios

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Live at Carnegie Hall 1970

RSD Exclusive Release, Previously only available on CD and digitally as part of the now-deleted 2010 special edition of the album Stand Up, recorded 11/4/1970, this is its debut on vinyl. From the now deleted 2010 specia..

Live at Jittery Joe's

Jeff Mangum 'Live at Jittery Joe's' is the first live recording of Jeff to be released to the public. The solo acoustic show took place at a local coffee house in Athens, GA in 1997 and was recorded onto high 8 video by ..

Live at Shea Stadium [Vinyl]

Very limited LP pressing.Shrink-wrapped..

Live at the Moore

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