Geek Out on Vinyl
Record Collecting for Girls:
unleashing your inner music nerd, one album at a time. OK, so I kinda
lament the "for girls" part – but this book is a great gateway for
opening record collecting for women/girls. Totally a boys club, this
book gets you into the lingo and how to identify that Mint Mono Japanese
pressing LP.
I started record collecting because I love thrift stores. Lots of great, dirt cheap finds – it was only a matter of time until I fell down the rabbit hole. How? I went to buy a turntable from a garage sale, asked the woman if she also had any records (since she was selling the tt). She brought out two boxes of LPs full of 1960s British invasion (The Kinks, The Who, Lovin' Spoonful) that were all in mono – and great condition. Although I had no idea how awesome & lucky I was, I knew this was a golden streak of luck. With those records, I started my adventure of record hunting in thrift stores.
My very first record was from a church yard sale. It was The Velvet Underground and Nico. Pretty racey for a church yard sale, originally bought it for the Andy Warhol cover…but discovered the music was incredible.
Are you into records? What's your first record? What are you collecting?
Along the lines of fighting your way, here's a great round up of Infuriating Things People Say to Women Musicians. And why it's so frustrating going to music stores…garrrr.
Two graphic novels with record collectors:
17 thoughts on “Geek Out on Vinyl”
Toronto Reference Library has close to 17,000 vinyl LPs, lots of classical and jazz, along with folk, traditional and Canadian titles. We’re the only library in the GTA that still has vinyl, and we have spiffy new turntables to listen to them on. Check it out!
Did you know that the Toronto Reference Library still has LPs / Records and also record players – over 20,000 – yes you read right – twenty thousand records – all available for your listening pleasure…..
Come visit us at TRL – 5th floor Arts Department – 789 Yonge Street – just north of Yonge and Bloor – and it’s free to listen to the records (we also have 21,000 Cds for your listening pleasure!).
bill v.
New turntables? Awesome. So glad Toronto Reference Library (Bloor/Yonge) has the vinyl. It’s the most stable medium for sound preservation – and is truly a wealth of music that can’t be found on CDs or isn’t available digitally.
Love that the vinyl is at TRL.
Like!
Looking for vinyl in the TPL catalogue?
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Ntt=vinyl&N=33183&view=grid&Erp=20
Just add ‘vinyl’ to your search term and limit it to Toronto Reference Library. I’ll be coming by to check out some rarities!!
Do you have any favourites from the TRL Vinyl collection?
What are your favourites from the TRL Vinyl Collection? Any you’d like to highlight?
Much of the joy in buying vinyl, back in the day, was the amazing artwork and liner notes that accompanied this large format. Tiny CD covers never quite “measured up”!
Check out these books on Album Covers: http://tinyurl.com/mhl97co
As a kid my first vinyl was a smaller 45rpm single, less colourful, but I still remember the labels of Beatles singles on Apple Records, Canadian singers on the True North label and fabulous R&B on the Motown label.
For more on 45 rpm vinyl check out these: http://tinyurl.com/k6dnrda
Awesome! Thanks for the links. Indeed, so many album covers are incredible. I love the posters and fan-club sign ups that were included in the old ones. Today, a lot of new vinyl releases contain a digital download too, which is fantastic.
It is preposterous to suggest “girls” are in any way inhibited from record-collecting.
I’m afraid the only thing I know about records is from the references to them in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Cool.. Does the Toronto Reference Library carry any vinyl classical rock or even the new vinyl versions of the CDs of today that are being produced because of the vinyl record re-insurgent and demand from the public? Funny how vinyl has gotten a rebirth in this tech world of today.. but it’s kinda Cool! 3D printers are even printing them ..Old tech make New ..
I don’t know much about records at all…I don’t even owe a single one.
The collection leans toward old-time, folk, blues, country-blues, classical and a potpourri of items from other genres. There are some classic rock albums from the era of when vinyl was king. http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Erp=20&N=37929&No=160&Ntt=Rock+music.&view=grid
Agreed, it’s amazing what 3D printers can do!
Also, lots of oral poetry in the vinyl collection.
I do not know a lot about records. However, I have always found them interesting and for some reason… really cool! I want to get a turntable and then start collecting records soon.
Cool. Go for it. There are some nifty all-in-one turntables at places like Sonic Boom – they help make jumping into vinyl easy. High five.
I don’t use records either but I discovered in our last move 2 years ago my mom still did. She has Stayin Alive, Grease, Bee Gees The Beatles and some other little ones. We don’t have a way of playing them but my mom refuses to get rid of them. She says even when she looks at them it reminds her of a time when things were easier.