Vinyl Collectards VS Video Game Collectards

[voltronbadass]

Was watching one of the vintage tech dudes on youtube and he said an interesting thing “41% of people who buy vinyl do so with the intention of never playing it.”

I was like whoa wtf. Did some googling and found stuff like “48% of people who actually buy vinyl don't even listen to the records, according to just-released stats. But this gets even crazier: of the 48%, 41% have a turntable but choose not to use it, while 7 % don't even own a turntable”.

I find this even more egregious than video game collectards, because at least we have flash carts and fpga options so that people whom actually play can stay out of that physical market entirely.

But with vinyl, you need the vinyl for that experience, it cant be reproduced with cd’s or streaming. So the people who actually use vinyl are forced to compete in the same market as collectards and apparently thats nearly half the people buying this shit and it really grinds my gears.

Thoughts?

 

[SignOfGoob]

I await the deals that will come when the vinyl thing blows over.

 

[FAT$TACKS]

I can understand someone buying a record because of the art on the cover and wanting to display it but not really play it. I've seen a lot of albums I was tempted to get just because the cover art was so cool. Picture discs and things like that are pretty much display only I think.

I am curious what the percentage of the people who don't listen to their vinyl buy it from places like Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn.

Also, It would be interesting to see how many people buy books they never read. There is a local place that you can buy books based on the color of the covers for decorating with.

 

[Dr Shroom]

I listen to mine (except when I buy just to flip them later )

 

[kernow]

I listen to mine, have a lot of expensive first pressings too

 

[Late]

I listen to mine as well, been at it since I was a teen. That said, the vinyl boom has been a shit show for any smaller labels or bands when the factories are backlogged with Sony, EMI, etc. pressing thousands of copies of Metallica remasters or something. Also, Record Store Day is just a scam to sell overpriced garbage.

 

[fake]

Before I had a turntable, I bought albums, knowing I would get one in the future and that I'd be supporting the bands. But I would only buy stuff released by my top 10 bands or so. That's actually still the case for the most part. I only get my favorite stuff on vinyl, unless I come across something unexpected IRL. I also collect singles from the '80s that I like that were released as Japanese 7"s. And I prefer citypop stuff on vinyl.

 

[RAZO]

I listen to mine but not as often as streaming. I've purchased brand new sealed records that had factory defects causing skips in the music so buying them sealed and never listening to them might not be a good move. You might have a dud in your collection

Also when listening to vinyl in my case, I stay in the room and listen to the whole album. With streaming, I'll usually just put it on play and go do something else around my house. It's just easier to go back and listen to whatever you missed.

 

[skate323k137]

@RAZO I have one record I got at retail that sells for like 300 dollars now but mine has a factory defect skip on one track if I was a flipper I'd be pissed but I didn't care at the time and don't care much now. I buy them to listen to too.

I saw an article on discogs that was like "if you suspect your record has never been played, don't play it." Fuck that. Maybe if it's a hand numbered /100 white label with nobody else recorded on discogs as having it, but even then, clean it, rip it, and listen to it IMO.

I DJed with vinyl for years but compared to most DJs I treated my records very well. None of the ones I bought new are worse that VG and most are close to VG+. A lot of the UK electronic I got at the time for next to nothing is worth a fair amount now. I'll sell some day but I didn't intend on ever getting a return.

 

[Snake_Pliskin]

i feel as if i'm being caught red handed here... am i guilty of listening to high fidelity audio? yep ) my turntable is dustier than my vagina tho

 

[voltronbadass]

I think intent is the key, its 40% of people buying with no intent of playing thats the fuck shit.

Maybe they should just start printing empty sleeves for people?

 

[Tarma]

I don't really understand the mentality of anyone who buys anything with zero intention of using it for its intended purpose - espcecially with any kind of analog / digital media (including videogames).

 

[Takumaji]

No use comparing collectards, they're all the same.

 

[terry.330]

I see these idiots all the time in the couple vinyl FB groups I'm in and it's infuriating. People collecting sealed vinyl don't seem to understand that it actually damages them. It causes the sleeves to get seam splits, impression rings, bent corners and can even warp the record itself.

It seems to happen the most with people who collect soundtracks. A lot of hipsters are into soundtracks. I know for a fact that almost nobody is listening to all those video game soundtracks that people are so crazy for. Same thing with movie and anime soundtracks. Most of those people aren't really music fans they are just average nerds with no individual taste who have an addiction to buying everything related to whatever embarrassing shit they pretend to be fans of.

Just more shit to post pictures of on social media for validation.

Also people saying they buy them just for the cover art and keep them sealed are missing out on 50% of the art because most of them are gatefold.

Then you have the idiots that are afraid that playing the records will wear them out. Sure if you're an idiot who can't take care of things or you're running a shitty stylus with too much weight. I have records that are 50-60 years old that are perfectly fine.

Then again most people are too stupid or lazy to clean their records or their stylus.

Don't even get me started on people that buy every color and cover variant of a single album. The companies know that and purposefully release 8 variant color pressings with 3 different covers.

Then you've got the picture disc guys...

 

[ggallegos1]

I see these idiots all the time in the couple vinyl FB groups I'm in and it's infuriating. People collecting sealed vinyl don't seem to understand that it actually damages them. It causes the sleeves to get seam splits, impression rings, bent corners and can even warp the record itself.

It seems to happen the most with people who collect soundtracks. A lot of hipsters are into soundtracks. I know for a fact that almost nobody is listening to all those video game soundtracks that people are so crazy for. Same thing with movie and anime soundtracks. Most of those people aren't really music fans they are just average nerds with no individual taste who have an addiction to buying everything related to whatever embarrassing shit they pretend to be fans of.

Just more shit to post pictures of on social media for validation.

Also people saying they buy them just for the cover art and keep them sealed are missing out on 50% of the art because most of them are gatefold.

Then you have the idiots that are afraid that playing the records will wear them out. Sure if you're an idiot who can't take care of things or you're running a shitty stylus with too much weight. I have records that are 50-60 years old that are perfectly fine.

Then again most people are too stupid or lazy to clean their records or their stylus.

Don't even get me started on people that buy every color and cover variant of a single album. The companies know that and purposefully release 8 variant color pressings with 3 different covers.

Then you've got the picture disc guys...

There's so much truth in this.

 

[neo_mao]

I never bought vinyl but many years ago I was a member of Pearl Jam’s fan club and they used to send out a record around Christmas to all their members. They were actually pretty cool, but I had no interest in getting a record player and got rid of them long ago.

Kind of regret it but not enough to buy them back now I suppose

 

[terry.330]

Also keep in mind a lot of younger people didn't grow up with physical media, all of their music was mp3 on an iPod or phone with earbuds. So they don't even know what a CD let alone a record is supposed to actually sound like. They also don't understand the concept of a full album, just singles. The internet has raised an entire generation with zero impulse control and even less of an attention span. They are incapable of putting on a record, sitting down and just enjoying the experience.

If they do get a record player it's usually a plastic piece of shit from Best Buy or Walmart with crappy powered book shelf speakers. Even worse one of those record players in a box with built in speakers.

The entire idea of listening to music properly isn't something they understand or have the ability to appreciate.

 

[kernow]

I see so many teens buying $40 records from HMV to ruin on their $80 crossley. Quite saddening really when they could buy the same record used down the road for less than half that.

But it sounds so much better!
Yes, if you spend about 8-10 times more than your digital

 

[terry.330]

Yup, I see those Crossley's all over the place here, right next to Megan the Stallion, Billie Ellish and the Eagles greatest hits at Walmart.

Tons of dudes on YT with the Crossley and a little shelf of gimmicky records in the background as props.

Oh you bought a 2021 "remaster" of Changes with the shirk wrap still on it, how cool...

Fucking guys buying shit like the 36 Chambers 45 boxset... ffs

 

[NeoSneth]

even worse. I follow some VGM vinyl scenes, and these people will buy anything videogame vinyl related even if they've never heard it.

 

[kernow]

Video game soundtracks = goobvinyl

 

[skate323k137]

Yea I'm super wary of still shrinkwrapped backstock, seen a lot of warped records come out of freshly opened shink.

 

[terry.330]

even worse. I follow some VGM vinyl scenes, and these people will buy anything videogame vinyl related even if they've never heard it.

Literally anything.

NES soundtracks on vinyl and the tracks aren't even looped so that's like a dozen minute and a half long tracks and a bunch of sound effects. But it's Nintendo and it has game art on it...

Nobody sane is going to sit down and listen to the fucking the Mario 2 soundtrack on vinyl.

 

[Lagduf]

Funny you post this thread, Techmoan on YouTube just released a video about a couple songs he got from a new band on an Edison cylinder:

He definitely collectedly points out that this stuff (tape, vinyl to some extent) is merely lovely merchandise.

 

[Viewpoint]

I never got into collecting records myself. My brother who's been doing DJing since the late 70s until now with weddings which is his main thing outside of his government work, has amassed a huge catalog of records from 40+ years ago. He used to have to haul a chunk of those to his gigs in milk crates so while he doesn't use them anymore due to easily having everything he needs digitally, he still picks up a few from retro stores from time to time.

I don't even want to imagine the value of what he's got since a lot of it is original prints from the 70s and up. A lot of stuff I've glanced at is old death metal covers, Stuff like Rush, and early rap albums.