Tips for storing your record collection

When you start a vinyl collection (or any collection for that matter) there are several things you need to consider. The space you need, the costs you are going to make, the time you are going to spend on it, etc. There are a few things to consider:

Why do you want vinyl?

Vinyl feels much more personal and valuable than a CD or Download, for example. A record sounds warmer and you are really involved with the music through your turntable. Whether you are alone or with friends: playing vinyl gives a unique feeling! There is little as nice as coming home after a hard day's work and putting on your favorite album. De-stressing with the warm sounds of vinyl and a cover with great artwork in your hand. You can easily spend hours taking one record after another out of your record collection. Discovering new things. Being involved with music in a very interactive way...

What should I listen to my records on?

There are a lot of possibilities. From cheap suitcase turntables to the most expensive high-end equipment. Just start with an affordable turntable. Look for something that suits you: a turntable often has a prominent place in your living room and is therefore a part of your interior.

Also adapt the turntable to the audio equipment you already have. If your amplifier does not have a phono input, you can choose a turntable with a built-in preamplifier or you can place a separate preamplifier in between. Before you buy a turntable, check whether you can connect it correctly!

If you don't have an amplifier and separate speakers, you can also opt for a suitcase record player. There are enough affordable models on the market with built-in speakers. These suitcase record players look nice and often have a great sound (don't buy the cheapest ones, they are often disappointing!). Suitcase record players naturally do not have the performance that an audiophile wants to hear, but they are fine to start with or to have as an extra record player that you can take with you on holiday, for example. Note: Suitcase record players can damage your LPs over time. This is due to the poor quality needle and the fact that you cannot adjust the seam pressure.

Buy records

You can buy your records in many places. At record fairs, flea markets, marketplaces, online record stores or 'real' record stores. You can contact other vinyl freaks in a store, or surf the internet at home on the couch (with a record on your record player). Buying new LPs is risk-free, with second-hand vinyl you have to be more vigilant. Not everyone treats their vinyl the way you would. For example, if you buy on marketplace, be careful not to buy a pig in a poke. Many sellers on marketplace do not know anything about LPs and do not know what to look for when they offer them. If you buy something on marketplace, it is therefore wise to pick it up yourself instead of having it shipped. This can prevent a lot of disappointment. Also always clean records that you buy second-hand before you play them ( TIPS )!

If you buy second-hand LPs online, it is better to do this at a real webshop, at a store where people know about it. At Bob's Vinyl, all records are inspected and priced according to condition. In addition, all LPs are professionally cleaned if necessary. So also pay attention to whether there is an assessment of the condition of the LP at webshops. Some webshops do not do this, and so you actually do not know what you are buying. At Bob's Vinyl we have a rating system for the condition of second-hand LPs.

What kind of space do you need?

When you start collecting, you don't need a lot of space. You can store your LPs in a nice crate or something like that. But... (and I speak from experience) it can go fast! Look here for tips on storing your vinyl collection .

What are you going to collect?

The most important thing: What are you going to collect? It is very tempting to buy cheap LPs or buy lots where 'there is something nice in there'. Be careful with this. Before you know it, you have a closet full of LPs that you never listen to. STICK TO WHAT YOU LIKE! For example, it is great to collect the entire discography of certain bands that you like. Don't try to complete that collection right away, but wait for the right opportunity: a record in good condition, for a good price!

Thin out your collection regularly. It will turn out that you never listen to a part of your collection. What do you do with it then? You will keep some records for sentimental reasons, or for the artwork, but the LPs that you have no use for are better off getting rid of. Make a friend happy with them or sell them! With the proceeds you can buy new records that you will listen to!

Enjoy your hobby!