Anyone else scaling back their buying these days? Has anyone actually given up the game/quest/hustle to pursue more in life?
I wanna hear those stories, especially since I've been really cutting back and barely digging (compared to 3 years ago, etc).
WHY (does) RECORD COLLECTING SUCK(S) IN '06?
I wouldn't consider myself a digger, my game in raers surely is nowhere near most strutters on here...
Been cutting back on buying a lot of vinyl since being married and even a little before that, when responsibilities made record shopping less of a priority. I do however, like to go through dollar bins and used sections to grab breaks I could use on a mixtape or older hip hop that I may have missed out on. Only problem with going through my vinyl is seeing a buncha crap that I'll never use for anything.
There are a couple of great record stores in my city - seems a lot of djs here have switched to Microwave, so recently I've been coming up on a lot of 90s hip hop. Sometimes I can't pass stuff up.
And "estate sales" (i.e. garage sales of nicer houses, I guess) are dope too - I remember last year finding a bunch of 60s 70s jazz records and soul records...45s, etc...If I see a sign for an estate sale or garage sale in a bad part of town, I'll def U-ey to hit the spot.
Hard to quit the game/quest/hustle. I think you'll always have a little of that in you depending on how much it means to you.
Hard to quit the game/quest/hustle. I think you'll always have a little of that in you depending on how much it means to you.
See, this is why I dread these "no more crate digging for me" threads. They're almost as bad as the "Soul Strut Analyzes The Weekly News" threads.
Once it stops being lookin' for fine, obscure, out-of-print sounds and starts becoming "the game/quest/hustle/searching for a ten-second breakbeat on a thirty-minute album," your shit is fucked. No one told you you had to stop enjoying life when you started collecting records, fool, just put the shit in its' perspective, remember Joe Tex's advice that "too much of anything ain't good for nobody," and live on!
because material possessions are a thing of the previous milenium. Mp3s collecting it's where is at. Mp3s are like the soul of music. Records are the mortal remains. I collect spirituality in the form of mp3s.
I really gotta disagree with this...especially because there comes a point in digital where I've had tracks get dithered...or like metallicy sounding...sometimes it just breaks down and all the sudden it's like a skipping record but...no fix :/
I would say that my digging has seriously decreased...but, I still seem to find really nice stuff whenever I go out...which for me...is what makes it enjoyable...because I love music...plain and simple...I'll listen to it on any format...(I have the feeling that the lack of digging will change though..cuz, I have had the urge to dig more...making more music lately and I love the inspiration new sounds provide
I'd rather have the actual record to fall back on...as opposed to a possible problem with a file...granted it's a heavy price to pay (literally...I hate carrying all those records...moving was tough!)...but...then again for me a lot of that weight comes in the sound of those grooves...something about that...lots of body/sound-biteables in that wax....
to me its basically opportunity knocking or not knocking - unless i suddenly go broke for the first time in 5 or so years, which i dont see happening for the time being, ill buy tall stacks of good shit, if tall stacks of good shit present themselves. but sometimes theres just nothing going on, so im not buying much. and like some others in this thread, time is valuable too - if i see a juicy garage full of stanky boxes, theres my day, but if i see 20 tired dog eared racks in a popular spot, i might just have to flip a few and bail out early.
but i do note a shift as i drift thru my 30s - a few years back id be happy looking at anything, and id buy a lot of doubles if cheap even if they were rough, just because i was intoxicated by the records. loved to hold em, listen to em etc. the more copies the better! But 4-5000 records later, ive got a much better collection overall, and i am getting a lot pickier - condition and content wise. going only for clean originals of the commoner stuff, and rejecting more not-that-unusual stuff. going thru my collection and noting weak non-og or non-clean stuff that needs upgrades.
still buy boatloads if they present themselves affordably though.
Whether it's actually digging for records, maybe doing research on records on the InForMaTiOn superhighway (reading those wiki files), every day I dedicate at least something to it, whether it's listening to that one break a little diff I didn't flip right last month, going through those joints where I stopped listening @ B4... I hate the saying no days off, but damn that's kind of how it is for me. I'm a real dedicated guy to this. Maybe when I'm married and the old lady doesn't want to hear my favorite Alan Hawkshaw mix anymore, or listen to me tell her about how cool this one Change song is, I might kick it back a notch in front of her to ensure that fluid exchanges still occur. But now? I still go out and look, it's relaxing/rewarding/entertaining. Records are a very big part of my life
The biggest difference is I'll mail order records and keep myself busy with the music blog instead of waking up at the crack of dawn on a saturday to view a magnificent array of thrashed issac hayes records at the flea. If there was shit there to buy, I'd be there, but I just don't have patience. If I'm in the mood and have time I'll walk on by, but if I don't, I'm not losing sleep over it.
I really gotta disagree with this...especially because there comes a point in digital where I've had tracks get dithered...or like metallicy sounding...sometimes it just breaks down and all the sudden it's like a skipping record but...no fix :/
Well, just as I used to clean my records on a record cleaning machine, I treat my mp3s with the same dedication. I run "scandisk" and "defrag" on every single mp3 I own.
Well, I still get records and all that, but i was always more into the music then i was about collecting the records. I dont really have that collector impulse. Mabye with shoes, but even then im wearing them all out not keeping them ds in the closet.
In college i definitely had more time to go through tons and tons of random crates looking for those gems. These days i would kill for a Good records or a TSL where i could just drop dough and be done with it though.
Don't you see that all the tech-gadget-schnitt is destroying the old theories of digging faster than C-list is killing newspaper classifieds. The march of progress is a one way street.
Yeah... maybe i'm at that age, but I can't stop digging. I got records seeping out the pores, and I don't see an end in sight. I love technology, I'm ever learning more and more and acquiring even more. As far as technology destroying, I'm seeing it as helping there become more and more knowledgable listeners. I'm fine with Craigslist killing the classifieds, and i'm fine with whatevers next to kill craigslist. Ebay, has been my only major thorn, but unless your a sucker there's always ways around ebay.
fuck all the bullshit....diggin has been as good or better than it ever was for me. even when i have less time to put into it, i find more stuff. the strong persevere, the faint of heart find excuses to sleep in. SUCKERS!!!!
haven;t read the entire thread because i don't have the time, but that has more than a little bit to do with why i've personally been moving on, scaling back. i also feel like there's a certain generation that comprises the majority of the headz on soulstrut and we're all at that age (correct me if i'm wrong...) 28-35+, where real world moves are for real. and dropping money on records to increase an already large collection isn't the first place the money needs to go. and if you're younger than that you probably didn't grow up listening to vinyl anyway, so how much of you're heart is really in it? not to sound depressing, but everything comes to an end. i fucking love records and i love the music, but they're still not who i am, or reflective of what i do, and what i'm trying to be. i guess that sounds corny, but shit is true. i'll take what i can get, but as you get older, time gets more and more expensive. am i still trying to spend it trying to track down that elusive shit i've never seen let alone heard? or am i trying to make ends meet and fulfill my purpose on this planet? unless djing/selling records is how you make a living, you're eventually going to start heading down a different path. doesn't mean you love it any less, that's just the way of things.
haven;t read the entire thread because i don't have the time, but that has more than a little bit to do with why i've personally been moving on, scaling back. i also feel like there's a certain generation that comprises the majority of the headz on soulstrut and we're all at that age (correct me if i'm wrong...) 28-35+, where real world moves are for real. and dropping money on records to increase an already large collection isn't the first place the money needs to go. and if you're younger than that you probably didn't grow up listening to vinyl anyway, so how much of you're heart is really in it? not to sound depressing, but everything comes to an end. i fucking love records and i love the music, but they're still not who i am, or reflective of what i do, and what i'm trying to be. i guess that sounds corny, but shit is true. i'll take what i can get, but as you get older, time gets more and more expensive. am i still trying to spend it trying to track down that elusive shit i've never seen let alone heard? or am i trying to make ends meet and fulfill my purpose on this planet? unless djing/selling records is how you make a living, you're eventually going to start heading down a different path. doesn't mean you love it any less, that's just the way of things.
Well, who told y'all to let it consume your life in the first place?
It's only entertainment, people - a diversion. No disrespect intended, but just keep the shit in perspective, and we wouldn't be doing these moaning-n-groaning, killjoy "goodbye crate digging" threads where we all Assess Our Metaphysical Purpose On The Planet. Just think of the shit as something to help you get through the week and your planetary purpose will work out just fine. You won't need all this mystical mumbo-jumbo to rationalize what you do - Heading Down A Different Path, or whatever you wanna call it.
I buy the records. The records don't buy ME.
(I may eat these words later, if my collection ever winds up stolen or missing or I have to sell it, but that's the way I'm feelin' NOW...thought I'd better cover my ass! )
haven;t read the entire thread because i don't have the time, but that has more than a little bit to do with why i've personally been moving on, scaling back. i also feel like there's a certain generation that comprises the majority of the headz on soulstrut and we're all at that age (correct me if i'm wrong...) 28-35+, where real world moves are for real. and dropping money on records to increase an already large collection isn't the first place the money needs to go. and if you're younger than that you probably didn't grow up listening to vinyl anyway, so how much of you're heart is really in it? not to sound depressing, but everything comes to an end. i fucking love records and i love the music, but they're still not who i am, or reflective of what i do, and what i'm trying to be. i guess that sounds corny, but shit is true. i'll take what i can get, but as you get older, time gets more and more expensive. am i still trying to spend it trying to track down that elusive shit i've never seen let alone heard? or am i trying to make ends meet and fulfill my purpose on this planet? unless djing/selling records is how you make a living, you're eventually going to start heading down a different path. doesn't mean you love it any less, that's just the way of things.
How dare you make such a level-headed post.
Seriously tho I agree. Music will always be there. But the rest of life may not be.
haven;t read the entire thread because i don't have the time, but that has more than a little bit to do with why i've personally been moving on, scaling back. i also feel like there's a certain generation that comprises the majority of the headz on soulstrut and we're all at that age (correct me if i'm wrong...) 28-35+, where real world moves are for real. and dropping money on records to increase an already large collection isn't the first place the money needs to go. and if you're younger than that you probably didn't grow up listening to vinyl anyway, so how much of you're heart is really in it? not to sound depressing, but everything comes to an end. i fucking love records and i love the music, but they're still not who i am, or reflective of what i do, and what i'm trying to be. i guess that sounds corny, but shit is true. i'll take what i can get, but as you get older, time gets more and more expensive. am i still trying to spend it trying to track down that elusive shit i've never seen let alone heard? or am i trying to make ends meet and fulfill my purpose on this planet? unless djing/selling records is how you make a living, you're eventually going to start heading down a different path. doesn't mean you love it any less, that's just the way of things.
Well, who told y'all to let it consume your life in the first place?
It's only entertainment, people - a diversion. No disrespect intended, but just keep the shit in perspective, and we wouldn't be doing these moaning-n-groaning, killjoy "goodbye crate digging" threads where we all Assess Our Metaphysical Purpose On The Planet. Just think of the shit as something to help you get through the week and your planetary purpose will work out just fine. You won't need all this mystical mumbo-jumbo to rationalize what you do - Heading Down A Different Path, or whatever you wanna call it.
I buy the records. The records don't buy ME.
(I may eat these words later, if my collection ever winds up stolen or missing or I have to sell it, but that's the way I'm feelin' NOW...thought I'd better cover my ass! )
I agree--these threads are completeley ridiculous. Dudes are behaving like it's a choice between being into records and living life. If that's the case for you, then it's a problem with your personality, not with the records.
i also feel like there's a certain generation that comprises the majority of the headz on soulstrut and we're all at that age (correct me if i'm wrong...) 28-35+, where real world moves are for real. and dropping money on records to increase an already large collection isn't the first place the money needs to go. and if you're younger than that you probably didn't grow up listening to vinyl...[/b]
I'm 25 and I spent most of my life listening to records. I also have deal with a lot of bullschitt in the real world. With all that said, I don't forsee giving up on record collecting.
This is a great post!! I love to see the motives emerge and the philosophies change with time. Here is something to add, for lack of better terms; When the digging gets tough, the tough get digging.
Just pretend that somebody you have animosity for was talking shit, saying that you dont step up to the plate in the world (how their mp3s reign supreme over wax), show these weaklings that while they are projecting their frustration and openness to cutting corners you are focusing, shrugging off the distractions, and doing what you do to send your VINYL PLAYERS into overdrive.
Comments
I wouldn't consider myself a digger, my game in raers surely is nowhere near most strutters on here...
Been cutting back on buying a lot of vinyl since being married and even a little before that, when responsibilities made record shopping less of a priority. I do however, like to go through dollar bins and used sections to grab breaks I could use on a mixtape or older hip hop that I may have missed out on. Only problem with going through my vinyl is seeing a buncha crap that I'll never use for anything.
There are a couple of great record stores in my city - seems a lot of djs here have switched to Microwave, so recently I've been coming up on a lot of 90s hip hop. Sometimes I can't pass stuff up.
And "estate sales" (i.e. garage sales of nicer houses, I guess) are dope too - I remember last year finding a bunch of 60s 70s jazz records and soul records...45s, etc...If I see a sign for an estate sale or garage sale in a bad part of town, I'll def U-ey to hit the spot.
Hard to quit the game/quest/hustle. I think you'll always have a little of that in you depending on how much it means to you.
If you don't enjoy diggin', you're on the wrong forum.
Take that shit to www.ChattingaboutTheOC.com
See, this is why I dread these "no more crate digging for me" threads. They're almost as bad as the "Soul Strut Analyzes The Weekly News" threads.
Once it stops being lookin' for fine, obscure, out-of-print sounds and starts becoming "the game/quest/hustle/searching for a ten-second breakbeat on a thirty-minute album," your shit is fucked. No one told you you had to stop enjoying life when you started collecting records, fool, just put the shit in its' perspective, remember Joe Tex's advice that "too much of anything ain't good for nobody," and live on!
I really gotta disagree with this...especially because there comes a point in digital where I've had tracks get dithered...or like metallicy sounding...sometimes it just breaks down and all the sudden it's like a skipping record but...no fix :/
I would say that my digging has seriously decreased...but, I still seem to find really nice stuff whenever I go out...which for me...is what makes it enjoyable...because I love music...plain and simple...I'll listen to it on any format...(I have the feeling that the lack of digging will change though..cuz, I have had the urge to dig more...making more music lately and I love the inspiration new sounds provide
I'd rather have the actual record to fall back on...as opposed to a possible problem with a file...granted it's a heavy price to pay (literally...I hate carrying all those records...moving was tough!)...but...then again for me a lot of that weight comes in the sound of those grooves...something about that...lots of body/sound-biteables in that wax....
but i do note a shift as i drift thru my 30s - a few years back id be happy looking at anything, and id buy a lot of doubles if cheap even if they were rough, just because i was intoxicated by the records. loved to hold em, listen to em etc. the more copies the better! But 4-5000 records later, ive got a much better collection overall, and i am getting a lot pickier - condition and content wise. going only for clean originals of the commoner stuff, and rejecting more not-that-unusual stuff. going thru my collection and noting weak non-og or non-clean stuff that needs upgrades.
still buy boatloads if they present themselves affordably though.
you live in the wrong city?
His mans is making that money right back on t-shirts. They are bros.
How much $$$ will it take to make you stop doing this?
Paypal transfers can be made.
Truth.
But I do have about 100 LPs I about to sell...Sadik Hakim, James Conwell...stay tuned!
Well, just as I used to clean my records on a record cleaning machine, I treat my mp3s with the same dedication. I run "scandisk" and "defrag" on every single mp3 I own.
"Look at the Diggers!!!"
"Look at the Diggers!!!"
In college i definitely had more time to go through tons and tons of random crates looking for those gems. These days i would kill for a Good records or a TSL where i could just drop dough and be done with it though.
Yeah... maybe i'm at that age, but I can't stop digging. I got records seeping out the pores, and I don't see an end in sight. I love technology, I'm ever learning more and more and acquiring even more. As far as technology destroying, I'm seeing it as helping there become more and more knowledgable listeners. I'm fine with Craigslist killing the classifieds, and i'm fine with whatevers next to kill craigslist. Ebay, has been my only major thorn, but unless your a sucker there's always ways around ebay.
- spidey
not to sound depressing, but everything comes to an end. i fucking love records and i love the music, but they're still not who i am, or reflective of what i do, and what i'm trying to be. i guess that sounds corny, but shit is true. i'll take what i can get, but as you get older, time gets more and more expensive. am i still trying to spend it trying to track down that elusive shit i've never seen let alone heard? or am i trying to make ends meet and fulfill my purpose on this planet? unless djing/selling records is how you make a living, you're eventually going to start heading down a different path. doesn't mean you love it any less, that's just the way of things.
Hahaha
Well, who told y'all to let it consume your life in the first place?
It's only entertainment, people - a diversion. No disrespect intended, but just keep the shit in perspective, and we wouldn't be doing these moaning-n-groaning, killjoy "goodbye crate digging" threads where we all Assess Our Metaphysical Purpose On The Planet. Just think of the shit as something to help you get through the week and your planetary purpose will work out just fine. You won't need all this mystical mumbo-jumbo to rationalize what you do - Heading Down A Different Path, or whatever you wanna call it.
I buy the records. The records don't buy ME.
(I may eat these words later, if my collection ever winds up stolen or missing or I have to sell it, but that's the way I'm feelin' NOW...thought I'd better cover my ass!
How dare you make such a level-headed post.
Seriously tho I agree. Music will always be there. But the rest of life may not be.
I agree--these threads are completeley ridiculous. Dudes are behaving like it's a choice between being into records and living life. If that's the case for you, then it's a problem with your personality, not with the records.
I also have deal with a lot of bullschitt in the real world.
With all that said, I don't forsee giving up on record collecting.
When the digging gets tough, the tough get digging.
Just pretend that somebody you have animosity for was talking shit, saying that you dont step up to the plate in the world (how their mp3s reign supreme over wax), show these weaklings that while they are projecting their frustration and openness to cutting corners you are focusing, shrugging off the distractions, and doing what you do to send your VINYL PLAYERS into overdrive.
NO ONE QUITS DIGGING IF THEY ARE FINDING RECORDS.