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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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Never Mind the Bollocks: Here's The Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols' only studio album, 1977's Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols was called 'just about the most exciting rock & roll records of the Seventies' in Rolling Stone's original review. A quarter-cent..

Night Visions [LP]

Vinyl LP pressing. 2012 album from the Las Vegas-based Alt-Rock quartet. Imagine Dragons harnessed the restless energy of the city that never sleeps with two EP's in 2009, earning a string of local accolades including Be..

Nirvana

No synopsis available.Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging..

No Earthly Connection

Limited vinyl LP pressing. Digitally remastered edition of this album from the British prog legend. Released in May 1976, No Earthly Connection is the sixth solo album released by Rick Wakeman after his departure from Ye..

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 [Vinyl LP]

First released in 1972 on Elektra Records, the compilation is among the only various artists' titles to consistently wind up on published lists of all-time top albums'. Nuggets spawned more than 200 like-minded collectio..

Offend Maggie - Record Store Day 2016 Exclusive

Record Store Day 2016 Limited Release. PRC-292 (C) (P) Polyvinyl Record Co. deerhoof.net polyvinylrecords.com Under exclusive license from Kill Rock Stars Poster with lyrics; made in Canada by Americ Disc.Dual-screen con..

Oh My God [2 LP][Explicit]

His fifth one-hour HBO special, Oh My God will now be available for the first time on CD and Double Disc Vinyl. Includes 12 minutes of bonus content not included on the current digital audio version.A Three Time Emmy-win..

OK Computer

Radiohead's third album got compared to Pink Floyd a lot when it came out, and its slow drama and conceptual sweep certainly put it in that category. OK Computer, though, is a complicated and difficult record: an album a..

On Avery Island [Vinyl]

Jeff Mangum creates a world of his own on this amazing debut; trombone, keyboards, overdriven acoustics, beautiful songs. Available on high quality 180gm vinyl for the first time! Includes coupon for MP3 download of the ..

OUR ENDLESS NUMBERED DAYS [Vinyl]

On his second full-length, Sam Beam "...launches balloons of sweetly whispered regret over trance-inducing backwoods string arrangements and watches them float away, his heart in tow"--Entertainment Weekly. "Equally assu..

PARACHUTES (VINYL)

Debut 2000 album from the UK chart-stormers! Includes their smash hits "Shiver", "Yellow" and "Don't Panic".Pop, Rock..

Pixie Queen

Famed Circa Survive and Saosin vocalist, Anthony Green will be releasing his new album Pixie Queen on September 9th, 2016. This will be Green’s fourth solo album release and he has partnered with long time friend and Pro..

Pixies Trompe Le Monde

This classic album is available on vinyl for the first time in years. Pressed on audiophile quality 180-gram vinyl. "Trompe Le Monde" has scanned over 335K RTD.Shrink-wrapped..

Plays Prog Rock Classics

SIDE A1. ELP Suite: Tarkus / From The Beginning / Tarkus (Reprise)2. Comfortably Numb feat. Ian Bairnson3. Thick As A Brick feat. Richard Harvey4. Focus II feat. Thijs Van LeerSIDE B1. 21st Century Schizoid Man feat. Gav..

Pop Ambient 2016

Power, Corruption & Lies (180 Gram Vinyl)

U.S. 180gm vinyl repressing of this 1983 album from the Manchester quartet. New Order were one of the most successful and consistent bands of the '80s and beyond. After the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis, the three survi..

Prisoner Of Conscious [2 LP][Explicit]

Prisoner of Conscious (P.O.C.) features Miguel, Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Melanie Fiona, Marsha Ambrosius, Seu Jorge and more. The album includes production by J Cole, RZA, Harry Fraud, Symbolic One ..

Psychedelic Pill

2012 Release/ This 3-LP set us pressed on 180 gram black vinyl. Side B of the third disc will contain an etching. The first album of original music from Neil Young and Crazy Horse in almost a decade, including over 85 mi..

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