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5,000 LP classical vinyl collection looking for a GOOD home

5K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  PlaySalieri 
#1 ·
Just posted this to my most favoured download site "Diabolus in Musica" (located in VietNam), "From Miles to Mozart" and "Meeting in Music" - thought it might be worth posting to your site for comment and suggestions.......... Also posted to RMCR forum.


"....just about to finish my trawl through my collection of 5,000 vinyl LPs – mostly classical. Is there anyone out there, less than 45 years old, who might like to take over the collection from me? No lists, no mailing – must collect."


I've already contacted universities, colleges, schools of music - no interest whatsoever.

There apparently is a very "niche" market for vinyl collection, but in my experience it seems to be within the popular music sphere.

Any thoughts about where else to post this message? I would ideally like a much younger person (hence under 45 years old) to have the opportunity of owning and appreciating all the music that I have collected over a lifetime - do not want it to go into an rubbish tip when they clear my house!!

Not sure if it is safe to include a contact email or phone number - as there are so many crazy people out there (and occasionally on this blog also).

Hope to receive some constructive and helpful comments.

Thanks in anticipation.

Cheers,

Douglas (UK)
 
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#7 ·
Thank you for your comments.

No serious expressions of interest in "my collection" so far.

Do not want the hassle of contacting dealers, charity shops, ebay, etc to sell the LPs piecemeal.

I'll leave instructions in my will for the "executors" to contact local 2nd hand dealer and Oxfam to dispose of them all.

They have become a millstone around my neck - but I still love seeing them nicely arranged on shelves around my rooms.

Cheers,

Douglas (UK)
 
G
#12 ·
Thank you for your comments.

No serious expressions of interest in "my collection" so far.


I'll leave instructions in my will for the "executors" to contact local 2nd hand dealer and Oxfam to dispose of them all.


Cheers,

Douglas (UK)
That may be the best idea, then at least some of them will remain in circulation.

Have you considered splitting the collection? I have 5 or 600 LPs and that is as much as I want to have due to space constraints. Say you could offer it in blocks of 500, then you may get more interest and also be able to share the music with more people.

Otherwise, you are probably looking at an ebay dealer or the like.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Best of luck - whatever you decide for. It´s somewhat surprising - and disappointing on behalf of the no doubt valuable content of the collection - that there´s been no relevant response, but maybe give it some time, or do some further research, perhaps you´ll pop into someone of merit ... TC members for example are quite scattered round the globe. 5000 items do take up a lot of space, but though prices for second hand items are going down, I´m sure that some of the more knowledgeable dealers/shops would be interested.

I´m old enough to have these considerations myself, about what will eventually happen to my own, "old media" collection, and whether someone who´s interested in these subjects will be around, to sufficiently appreciate any connoisseur content. I´d certainly prefer that, rather than the collection to be be sold to dealers for little, and then scattered into single items.
 
#9 ·
Thanking you for your understanding and sympathetic response.

I do like seeing all the LPs nicely arranged in rows on the shelves around the rooms - but then I look at all the CDs, again 5000 of the damned things - when did I put a CD on last?

Just too much music and so little time to listen to it.

And all the digital downloads that I have - the only way to listen to these is as background music (by random tracks all mixed up - nice in its own way).

Gave up concert going a long time ago - other people are so irritating and intrusive - spoilt the magic.

But I am beginning to find music not to be as exciting as it used to be - surfeit - "overkill"?

Perhaps I should't grumble and be happy that I have such a marvellous collection of music.

Cheers,

Douglas (UK)
 
#13 ·
My second hand shop has just cleared out a house from a diseased and there where 3000 LP alone.I am going to help him organize the lot , the most expensive will be around €4.00 sale price, so you have to have good stuff for making money.
I'd wear a face mask and some rubber gloves if I were you!
 
#15 ·
Some good ideas to ponder on.

Still not completed my listening trawl through the vinyl collection - then sort out duplicates - then see what recordings I already have duplicated on CD. That should result in quite a lot of vinyl that will be surplus to requirements........and....

PONDER AGAIN.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Cheers,

Douglas (UK)
 
#16 ·
Thank you for those suggestions that various persons have proffered - very much appreciated.

Much to ponder on.

Reluctant to supply additional information about my collection.

Just how much information is needed? Could be endless. I cannot list each album in the collection. If information needed - ask a very few specific questions.

But here are a few snippets:

*mostly orchestral operetta and opera
*very few chamber, instrumental, art songs
*adam to ziehrer
*very scanty JS Bach
*very many complete operas
*big collection of Reader's Digest and Time Life box sets
*very many Concert Hall and World Record Club
*big collection of folk and world music
*very little pop and rock
*little other genres

*mostly in excellent condition
*played on hi end turntables and cartridges/styli throughout the vinyl's existence - Pioneer, B&O, Ortofon, Shure
*always used dust bug and carbon fibre record cleaner

*total volume for shipping 44 cu ft or 1.22 cu metres

The collection will not be available for a least a couple of months yet - I need to finish my listening traversal, then do my final arrangement on shelves, then sort out vinyl duplicates, then recordings duplicates and then finally decide on what and if I keep any for myself.

Immediately available FOR COLLECTION are about 100 duplicates that I seperated whilst recently listening to the collection.

Please have some patience - it will be well worth waiting a little while for them, if I do not decide to just take them to the amenity dump.

Cheers,

Douglas (UK)
 
#18 · (Edited)
Good luck with finding a home for your collection, I am a big fan of vinyl but not for classical music. I go to vinyl record stores and larger markets a lot and that makes clear the vinyl comeback mainly affects the pop market. Classical records are only worth anything if they are collectible and in pristine shape. That means looking at individual pressings, labels, catalogue numbers etc. Nobody will take a lot of 5000+ records without knowing which labels, artists and orchestras it contains. And keep in mind, labels are more important than composers!

Also keep in mind that second hand record stores and charity shops (presuming they ar selling classical records in the first place) are filled with premium opera vinyl box sets, for which there is little demand. it may be hard to find a home for them (also as they also take up much space). Instrumental works are easier to sell (for used record stores), yet still it's very much a niche market.

The non-label issues (Reader's Digest etc) are worthless, sorry to say. As unsellable as records by James Last, Neil Diamond and Music for the millions samplers, as there is no demand for them at all, not even for charity shops.

This may be a useful quick and dirty guide for determining the value for classical vinyls: https://revolutions33.co.uk/classical_records_wanted-html/ If your collection contains many of these in-demand items, then there may be interest from local record buyers/dealers (just advertise with these labels), if not, it's probably best to keep them all or throw them out. I know you do not want to make money, but records that are not in demand will be hard to give away either (think of it as boxes full of VHS cassettes; the first edition Star Wars VHS releases will be of interest to a few collectors, the rest is plastic junk).
 
#19 ·
OP I was a dealer in classical LPs in the 90s mainly - the boom years - so I know a thing or two.

Dealers are a useful way of passing a collection on - seriously dont expect someone to take on a 5000 LP collection when maybe only a fraction will be of interest.

A dealer would most likely take your collection off you for £100 and do the slavish work of selling what he can and finding somewhere for the rest.

Most dealers will frown at the thought of an opera heavy collection - and groan when you say there is little chamber/instrumental - as this is where the money is for the right items. And if you bought concert hall you probably also bought ace of clubs, WRC, allegro and other budget labels that have no value. But even premium labels from the 60s (decca sxl, hmv asd and columbia sax) are not worth much at all - bar some highly sought after items - Kogan playing on SAX for example.

Do not leave your relatives with the headache of shifting this lot - call up a dealer and try to get rid before its too late - even for nothing.
 
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