# My cd collection is offically finis, 35 yrs in the making



## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

Finally, after 35 long and gruling years of working hard on making sure I locate and purchase the finest in performances, I can now announce to you, my cd collection is now complete,,,Just have to pay off my amazon $500 acct and that settles my purchses.
Its a good feeling, not having to spend any more money on cds. Sure took some trial and errors. 
Guess I've spend, oh, $20K past 35 years. 
I have way less than 1/2 the cds I purchased over the yrs. 
Maybe kept like 40,,,no make that 30% of all purchases. 
Not bad eh?
How is your collections coming along?
Share your stories of heart breaks of losing bids on ebay, receiving amazon cds which were defective and /or had the wrong cd in the case,,,like my Hahn/Schoenberg, had some odd cd in the case,,,did not send back, as it was only $6+ ship,,just ordered another for like $5. 

You see in the early days, we did not have many YT uploads, so we bought on recommends, guesses, and pot luck chances.
I was known as the *1 minute clip review/critic dude*..I got pretty good at figuring what to expect ,,as I made compares with my other cds. 
Worked sometimes, others not so good.

How has your journey gone forth?
Yiu can make it happen, like I made it happen. 
But it will take time and cash. 
Some of us are shot on both


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

paulbest said:


> Finally, after 35 long and gruling years of working hard on making sure I locate and purchase the finest in performances, I can now announce to you, my cd collection is now complete,,,Just have to pay off my amazon $500 acct and that settles my purchses.
> Its a good feeling, not having to spend any more money on cds. Sure took some trial and errors.
> Guess I've spend, oh, $20K past 35 years.
> I have way less than 1/2 the cds I purchased over the yrs.
> ...


Will you sign up with Spotify or one of the other streaming services to listen to the new releases?


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

I' running something about 13000 titles (about 1000 LPs included) and I'm counting. I see no signs of giving up… Enjoy your freedom, my friend!


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

I’ve been saying that for 15 years. Just ordered a dozen yesterday.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

For anyone who's still building a collection, I'm now reducing mine radically and will soon be advertising right here. There will be a great load of music, for which I'll ask little more than the cost of listing, packing and shipping it to you. 

This should happen in just a few weeks. Stay tuned.


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2019)

I have thousands. My collection habit peaked 5-10 years ago and has declined dramatically. Almost no new purchase of established repertoire, but the occasionally discovery of a new composer.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

_How has your journey gone forth?_

I used to think there were times that I "balanced" my collection properly or otherwise did things that helped me determine my collection was "complete." It never happened.

I started buying and collecting LPs about 1970 then went onto reel-to-reel tape, cassette, the occasional 78, CDs and downloads. I estimate I bought, sold and gave away most of 12,000 products over 45-plus years. My collection at home now is about 400 which includes downloads in my computer. Everything I listen to is in hardcopy form; if I buy a download to keep I'll make a CD of it for my use.

But I don't have 11,000 records and CDs at home because I only ever kept about 5-10 percent of what I bought. I either sold the rest to resale shops, gave them away to friends or the library, or junked them. This was mostly in the days before it was possible to try out everything before buying.

A phenomenon I see today is I re-buy recordings I owned in the past when reminded of the music they contained and can't find an equivalent or better collection out there.

I still subscribe to a couple magazines but don't often read reviews online any longer. I also don't care much for new releases; I've done this long enough to know just about nothing new is better than something from the past. It may or may not sound better. About the only new releases I care about are those of favorite music that isn't recorded much, like Rossini's Mess di Gloria, or rarely recorded music I may like that I don't know much about, such as a disk of Mozart's masonic music I bought last year.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

haydnguy said:


> Will you sign up with Spotify or one of the other streaming services to listen to the new releases?


 Interesting, but I'm not mucha comp geek, not sure how it works,,besides with YT, anyone can access just about anything,,I hope one day to figure out how to upload a cd and post it on YT, might have to pay a comp geek to teach me. I havea few rarities and such.

I read Dimace has 13,000 cds + LPs. 
Now that is close to a world *record* 
I never had more than 500 cds at any one time,,,perhaps my $20K is a bit exaggerated , maybe like $10K++...I just paid amazon/ebay off like $1K+ last few months, mostly CD's.

Here is a few of my last cds I just ordered, 2 arrived today.

Henez/Stenz/Koln Radio Orch/OEHMS label,,I've had some bad experiences in the past with OEHMS,,all, poor poor (2X's poor) perfs. 
Yet here with Henze, I knew it really would not matter, how the perf came out.
Why?
With Henze, there is no such thing as *definitive*. His music is such as escapes defining,,
Now I have like 4 recordings of the 7th. 
Yes I ama completeist in a few composers.

I have no time to make any compare of the 4. It is on as I type. It might be a bit *sloppy*, better say, not as refined as others, as I say, not important.,
Now any other composer, sloppy would see the trash can quick fast,,,,I usually give away to my brotherinlaw *trash cds* as the prices on amazon are just too low to dump for any profit.

But with Henze, *unrefined* means less than with any other composer
, as his music has wide range of *interpretation*

There is one amazon reviewer who does have valid comments on some Henze 7th performances,,I am sure he would not give this Koln 4 stars, only 3. 
But to me, its zany, wild, and I give it 5 stars,,,veey liberal of me, as I say with every rule there are exceptions.

I never gave any cd 5 stars, if I knew well it was 4,3,2 stars. 
I just gave a comment on the Vermeer/Naxos release of Bartok's SQ. I gave the set 2 stars,,thats all they deserve..
I have searched all my life for a 5 star Bartok set,,I do not believe one exists. 
I've heard them all. 
I think the problem is more with Bartok...

Why could he not write one superior SQ, playable, acceptable,,as did ravel with his masterful single SQ?

Not to say I am not fond of Bartok's SQ;s. I love them of course,,Just have not fou8nd one which delivers in all aspects.

I heard Vermeer on YT and felt,,wows,,manybe this is the one...Seems the older I got, the less gooda criric I've become. I madea error,,but only paid $10 for the 2 cd set,,,so off it goes to brotherin law,,along with a rare Italian release of Dallapiccola The Prisoner/Gracias conductor, = zero stars,,got it for $6 off ebay,,,had scant listing info, took a chance.

Also just arrived. Dallapicolla Vol 2 Chados orch works/ Noseda/and the great BBC Phil. 
Dallapiccola is a 2nd tier composer,,and would only say to newbies,,,concentrate on all 1st tier composers,,then later on you can ck out minor composers.
as far as CD purchases go.

I note woodduck is basically giving away some of his *excess*.

Gentleman and a scholar for this kind offer.

Hopefully some of the old pros around here can give tips on how to manage cd budget and other tips on finding bargains..
I have many newly discovered ways of locating budget cds.

More later...…………...


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

larold said:


> _How has your journey gone forth?_
> 
> I used to think there were times that I "balanced" my collection properly or otherwise did things that helped me determine my collection was "complete." It never happened.
> 
> ...


WOW
what a amazing testimony!!!
I follow your lead, but to such a extreme.
I agree, in yrs earlier,,we had no access to YT/clips,,,we bought blind/bad recommends,,,,,so we could do 2 or 3 things with the cd,
resell, for a few $'s. = not worth the trouble
give away,,which I did to Tulane Music Library for super cheap,,after Katrina flooded out the basement yo the library,,where,,,,yes,,,all the LP/s,CD's were shelved.....I am sure Lenny to this day will take any donations,,as he is still trying to build up what he had pre disaster.

,,last option, is,. yes, 
trash it,....with gusto and pleasure ,,as I would not want others to be subjected to such a performance.

I have some cds recently purchased, late 20TH C,,which will see the trash can,,when I dig them out the pile in my desk drawer . 
lol.

won't mention names, as I am on *best behavior*

another new cd arrived today...Bavouzet's complete Debussy piano.

I finally , with patience got a good price on amazon, under $40!!!! + ship,,,I am happy,,i did not want to pay the asking $60 months ago...sometimes patience pays off,,,,,,,


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I've got at least 10000 Classical CD's, and probably about the same in non-classical. I love my collection, I have the space for it, and I have absolutely no intention to trim it down. It's my..... preciousssssssss....


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

How do you store thousands of CDs??


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

later on, you might alter your opinion.

It has happened to all of us. 
Larold mentions he only has 5-10% of what he purchased,,,,. wow, now that's a lot of *downsizing*. 
I never clicked purchase unless I was at least 80% confident it was a *good buy* = a keeper. 


What I just learned few months ago is this. Do not use amazon's search engine. 
No.

Some months back I cked amazon for the Henze 10 sym set from Wergo, 
*UNAVALIABLE*,,,so I had to buy mostly single releases.....
then weeks later,,,i tried google serach engine
*Hezne syms/wergo/amazon*

There was the AVALIABLE listing,,,for like $80.

I now go to google 1st and hardly ever use amazon's search, only for books. 
Amazon's serch for cds is broken/dysfunctional.

also note,,amazon is dragging reviews, all 5 star comments from one cd release, say Bernsteins Mahler 5th sym,,and place it in another Mahler 5th cd release...
I think amazon is trying to pump up cd sales in listings which do not have enough 5 star comments. 

others have filed a complaint as well about this tactic of amazon.



No I can't see me hanging on to cds that either
I've outgrown the composer/or the perf is not at least 4 star, or other reasons, as to why I should rat pack the cd. 
I do not like hording.
I am older now and looking to be as minimalist as possible. 
take Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov..I think at one time I had 3 cd sets,,now I may have 1,,and honestly,,not sure why I should hold on to the lone survivor,,,as the 2nd part seems a bit too weak to hold my interest...
so its debatable, should I keep a opera for only 1/2 of the work?

Yet the 1st half is a sunning masterpiece..

More than likely I will hold on to it,,as the opera speaks so archetypally of The Impoverished in *mother Russia* and her dark past.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

I stopped buying CDs, mostly, when I learned of the joys of streaming. I was a long time hold out, but joined a couple of years ago. Sometimes I think about going back, but streaming is just so blessedly cheap and convenient.


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## ericdxx (Jul 7, 2013)

larold said:


> I also don't care much for new releases; I've done this long enough to know just about nothing new is better than something from the past. It may or may not sound better.


I'm still waiting for the definitive performance of Holst's Planets

edit: recorded on cd


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Open Book said:


> How do you store thousands of CDs??


Many dedicated cabinets.


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> For anyone who's still building a collection, I'm now reducing mine radically and will soon be advertising right here. There will be a great load of music, for which I'll ask little more than the cost of listing, packing and shipping it to you.
> 
> This should happen in just a few weeks. Stay tuned.


I'm looking forward to that. I'm one of the dinosaurs who still buys, burns, and listens to CDs.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

No matter how big one’s CD collection is, there’s a publically available online collection that extends almost into infinity except for perhaps a few rare items … and without requiring physical storage. While I still have some discs, I no longer collect them and do not consider them a good investment since the music has been devalued over the years other than perhaps the enjoyment of them, which of course counts for a lot. But for some, their collection may represent thousands of dollars in losses, unless they just don’t mind and have money to burn. It’s the golden age of recorded music but most likely not as a financial investment because there are so many discs flooding the market and so readily available at a cheap price. Still, those who have big collections will continue to enjoy them and that’s heartening to know about, and the sound quality is superior to music that’s streamed, at least for now. For the serious collectors, I doubt if their collection is ever finished because there’s always something new under the sun that can attract them out of curiosity.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

_I'm still waiting for the definitive performance of Holst's Planets_

The one I enjoyed most was Boult's in mono from the 1950s. It sounded like you were on the podium when listening.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

_ It's the golden age of recorded music but most likely not as a financial investment because there are so many discs flooding the market and so readily available at a cheap price._

I think that may have been true 10 years ago but today I'm not so sure. It is becoming harder to find rarities, even some stuff that isn't rare.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Bluecrab said:


> ... I'm one of the dinosaurs who still buys, burns, and listens to CDs.


Here's some shelving ideas for you. (I use these to remind me of who -- or what -- I am, too.)


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I started collecting cds in 1984 - never expecting it to get so out of hand. But it did, and some 12,000 later I don't know if it will ever end. So much music, so little time. Regrets? None at all. I look at it several ways:
1) By buying these recordings I've in some small way contributed to the bottom line of the record companies which allows them to keep making more. I deeply believe in the value of classical music and want to encourage its continuation.
2) I don't live in a place blessed with several top-quality orchestras, visiting orchestras or whatever. I might spend $300 a month on new recordings, but it's a pittance compared to traveling to other places to hear live music, and even if I lived there, it's cheaper than buying tickets.
3) I can hear music that I would never otherwise get to hear. Who is ever going to play the complete symphonies of Raff, Rubinstein, Bax, Schmidt, Bendix, Stanford, Parry and so many other obscure composers? Heck, even the symphonies of Nielsen, Prokofieff, Vaughan Williams, and Bruckner are pretty rare in the US.
4) It looks cool. I have a wall in my studio measuring 20 ft x 10 ft. Floor to ceiling shelving. Looks impressive and holds all of them (so far) except those weird shaped sets that come out sometimes.

The only question bothering me: what the heck happens to them when I croak? Hopefully, this site will still be active and there will be younger people out there who might want them. But let's wait 25 years....


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Interesting.

Those of you who have huge collections, financially speaking - have a massive pile of dead weight. 

Your investment has depreciated several fold maybe worth just 5% of what you paid or less, and many you listened to just once or not at all.

You should have clung to your collectible LPs in the 80s instead of jumping off the cliff with all the others and letting them go for a song.

Now look at you - your flats and houses overloaded with all that silver tonnage and yet you can hear virtually anything at the click of a mouse button.

At least if you had kept your precious LPs you would have something of monetary value to pass on in your will.


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## rice (Mar 23, 2017)

As a relatively new listener, I'm still at the starting point of my collection.
Although in this few years we're blessed with many big box sets that are very reasonably priced and collection friendly,
I found myself keep hunting for out of print rarities and paying sizable markups for them 
I'm a light audiophile too so I can't compromise myself to youtube quality.
The veteran collectors here must have collections that they think don't worth much, but would make people like me drool all over the place.


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## HistoryJoe (Mar 12, 2019)

larold said:


> A phenomenon I see today is I re-buy recordings I owned in the past when reminded of the music they contained and can't find an equivalent or better collection out there.


Funny you mention that. I was listening to one of my recordings of Beethoven's Violin Concerto and realized it wasn't quite digging in satisfactorily. I tried to remember that old LP I listened to over and over again when I was a kid and couldn't think of the soloist or anything. A quick image search of the piece with "LP" and the third image was it! HvK with Ferras on DG. Downloaded it and, yep, brought me right back. I guess that performance was so burned into my psyche that nothing else quite does the trick.

In the same vein, I had an old cassette of Brahms 4th that I must have listened to a thousand times back around the same time and did the same kind of search: James Levine and the Chicago Symphony. I'd settled on Klemperer as my go-to in the last 30 years but as soon as I heard the Levine again, it felt like I was back home.

Amazing how one group of artists on a particular day so long ago speak to me so distinctly all these many years later. It's awesome that we have the search engines and download possibilities now that never existed before! I'm very glad I had good visual memory of the album covers - not sure I would have had the patience to listen to sample after sample.

As far as "finishing" my record collection.... hah!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

rice said:


> The veteran collectors here must have collections that they think don't worth much, but would make people like me drool all over the place.


As a veteran collector, I only care how much my collection is worth to me - and it's worth a great deal.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

stomanek said:


> Interesting.
> 
> Those of you who have huge collections, financially speaking - have a massive pile of dead weight.
> 
> ...


I agree with your points about CDs especially given streaming alternatives now (much as I understand why people accumulated them in the first place), but holding onto LPs would have resulted in an even worse situation. Most of them are not cconsidered collectibles and don't bring in much money on places like eBay.

And the thing about collectible classical LPs is that, even if one had a few of them in the collection, one wouldn't know it until much later. I was underwhelmed by how much I would make when I looked into trying to sell my LP collection.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

stomanek said:


> .
> 
> Your investment has depreciated several fold maybe worth just 5% of what you paid or less, and many you listened to just once or not at all.


Maybe. But I'm looking at how much my friends are paying to see legacy acts like Paul McCartney, Queen, and the like. Just the cost of those three concerts with a significant other and dinner and parking is the cost of my entire CD collection. And I get to keep the performances.


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

I don't understand the notion of thinking of music as an "investment." Who cares about the resale value? The value in a CD purchase for me comes in listening to the music. 

I have only been seriously collecting/listening for the past year and a half or so. In that time I have purchased around 200 discs, 10 albums or so from HDTracks.com, and sold perhaps 120 of the discs back on eBay (one of these was a 78-disc box set). I listen primarily to ripped FLAC files using my DAP and NC headphones.

I do not regret any of the purchases, even when I cannot sell them off. The only thing that gives me pause is the carbon costs of shipping. But the things I want generally are not available in high quality downloads (I want CD quality or better). I buy hi-res when I can, but the catalog just isn't there.

I don't like streaming. I hate the idea of paying a recurring fee and not owning anything when I cancel. I listen to recordings dozens of times or more.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Storage of so many discs isn't the hard part. It's organizing them so you can retrieve what you want.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Open Book said:


> Storage of so many discs isn't the hard part. It's organizing them so you can retrieve what you want.


True. Mine are just shoved into boxes more or less in the order that I purchased them. But I rip them and have them organized on the computer. Also, on the computer I can search for what I am not finding.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

DaveM said:


> I agree with your points about CDs especially given streaming alternatives now (much as I understand why people accumulated them in the first place), but holding onto LPs would have resulted in an even worse situation. Most of them are not cconsidered collectibles and don't bring in much money on places like eBay.
> 
> And the thing about collectible classical LPs is that, even if one had a few of them in the collection, one wouldn't know it until much later. *I was underwhelmed by how much I would make when I looked into trying to sell my LP collection.*


You are correct - few collections that I bought in the 90s when I was a dealer yielded more than 50p per record. So my whole argument is pretty much debunked.

I have my Brilliant Classics Mozart set - for car listening - for the rest I seem to find youtube satisfactory.


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

paulbest said:


> WOW
> what a amazing testimony!!!
> I follow your lead, but to such a extreme.
> I agree, in yrs earlier,,we had no access to YT/clips,,,we bought blind/bad recommends,,,,,so we could do 2 or 3 things with the cd,
> ...


If you gave them to a library all at once they very well may take them and you could get a tax deduction for them. Then, if nothing else they would sell them which would help the library.


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

I wish that the record companies would start selling each others records. Then they could compete on price and offer subscriptions or single sales. The problem is that if I go to one music website I'd like to be able to not have to go to others, at least for the more popular ones. No one could claim they were creating a monopoly because of Amazon. I would much rather support the record companies than Amazon.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

For most of the CDs in my collection, I paid less than 10 euro. Often much less than that. A great investment, since every one of them gave me hours of pleasure. Resale value or lack thereof is completely unimportant to me.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

My music collection will NEVER be complete. Always something new to hear and collect. If I know I'm gonna croak I'll be contacting a number of people on here to offer them first dibs on my collection.


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

For me, buying CD's are not an investment. The money I spend is disposable income. Probably when I pass to another life someone will take all my CD's and dump them in the trash. No one in my family cares about classical music. 

There is a lot of talk about the "end of classical music". I dare say that online streaming from the tech companies are not going to help. The traditional record companies have a tradition with classical music dating way back. These new online services do not. If traditional classical doesn't make enough money they very well might come out with people like Andrea Boccicelli. What serious listener wants that? Let's put it this way. We all condemn classical music becoming so popular that it ends up crossing the line to mediocrity. But are we not hastening that end by solely listening to YouTube? Can a record company afford to record big orchestras on the money that Spotify pays them? What we are doing is putting another middle man in the mix who doesn't have an appreciation for classical music.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Yes, it isn't about (financial) investment. For me it is partly about hearing performances. If I lived in or nearer a big city I would probably go to concerts instead. The real cost is storage - not the cabinets and wracks but the space. Housing in Britain is expensive and rooms tend to be small. I lived in a wide variety of countries (in Asia and Africa) before returning to Britain and I will never get used to the smallness of our living spaces.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Enthusiast said:


> The real cost is storage - not the cabinets and wracks but the space.


I've been lucky. When I took early retirement in 2012, we moved to Kampen and bought a house that included a shop and storage space on the ground floor. We opened a gallery at the ground level to display my wife's paintings. In 2015 we found that we really needed a bigger space for the gallery, so we bought one just 50 meters from our home. That made the original gallery/storage redundant, so we converted them into a dressing room for my wife (back) and a mancave for me (front). Oodles of space for CD's, chairs, and a computer corner.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

haydnguy said:


> For me, buying CD's are not an investment. The money I spend is disposable income. Probably when I pass to another life someone will take all my CD's and dump them in the trash. No one in my family cares about classical music.
> 
> There is a lot of talk about the "end of classical music". I dare say that online streaming from the tech companies are not going to help. The traditional record companies have a tradition with classical music dating way back. These new online services do not. If traditional classical doesn't make enough money they very well might come out with people like Andrea Boccicelli. What serious listener wants that? Let's put it this way. We all condemn classical music becoming so popular that it ends up crossing the line to mediocrity. But are we not hastening that end by solely listening to YouTube? Can a record company afford to record big orchestras on the money that Spotify pays them? What we are doing is putting another middle man in the mix who doesn't have an appreciation for classical music.


All of this may be true, but I'm not sure how much purchasing a CD over streaming the same CD actually helps the bottomline. If one is actually concerned about the financial state of Classical Music, then donating money periodically to performers and ensembles would probably be the best thing to do. While also still either streaming or purchasing albums, of course.


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## rice (Mar 23, 2017)

ECraigR said:


> All of this may be true, but I'm not sure how much purchasing a CD over streaming the same CD actually helps the bottomline. If one is actually concerned about the financial state of Classical Music, then donating money periodically to performers and ensembles would probably be the best thing to do. While also still either streaming or purchasing albums, of course.


Just think of the numbers, spotify is $12 per month and that's cheaper than one regular priced CD.
I don't know the algorithm but I'd imagine one playback with streaming is not going to net the performer more than a cent, perhaps much less.
Buying a CD certainly would gives a more substantial contribution than streaming.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

rice said:


> Just think of the numbers, spotify is $12 per month and that's cheaper than one regular priced CD.
> I don't know the algorithm but I'd imagine one playback with streaming is not going to net the performer more than a cent, perhaps much less.
> Buying a CD certainly would gives a more substantial contribution than streaming.


I'm not denying that buying a CD gets more money to the performer. I was just suggesting that if one's concern is the financial health of Classical Music, then I'm not sure if just buying CDs is the best tactic to take.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

haydnguy said:


> If you gave them to a library all at once they very well may take them and you could get a tax deduction for them. Then, if nothing else they would sell them which would help the library.


For most people, itemizing and charitable-donation deductions such as the above have gone away with the new tax law.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

larold said:


> _ It's the golden age of recorded music but most likely not as a financial investment because there are so many discs flooding the market and so readily available at a cheap price._
> 
> I think that may have been true 10 years ago but today I'm not so sure. It is becoming harder to find rarities, even some stuff that isn't rare.


There is a dealer on amazon japan, who seems to know whena cd will go thin/rare/OOP/= has value,,,he sells rather high, but if you want the cd , have to pay the piper. 
I've bought 1 from his site, takes 2+ weeks to arrive, but worth it.

I figured if I don;'t buy now,,will have to pay more later and/or *Unavaliable*
The fact I can't geta cd, even at high price, gets on my nerves, as I have to spend time cking the availability.

One set I think may see a higher price is 
The Henze DG complete 16 CD set. 
I can see it going at retail next yr = no low offers = nothing under $100,. Still 16 cds at $100 ain;t too shabby.
Another set that will never ever come down is the Schoenberg String Quartets, with the now retired Schoenberg SQ on Chados. 
The set is never offered under $60+. 
No one is selling,,another set not likely to fall in price is the 
Bryden Thompson, RVW syms on Chandos,. No one is selling = no low offers. ..= Its a keeper, as it is the overall finest complete set on record.

any others?


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

ECraigR said:


> I stopped buying CDs, mostly, when I learned of the joys of streaming. I was a long time hold out, but joined a couple of years ago. Sometimes I think about going back, but streaming is just so blessedly cheap and convenient.


Until the internet fails!


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Merl said:


> My music collection will NEVER be complete. Always something new to hear and collect. If I know I'm gonna croak I'll be contacting a number of people on here to offer them first dibs on my collection.


Remember I'm just along the road and will be happy to collect!

I hope this post finds you in good health Merl


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

I realised things were beyond the point of sillyness when I inadvertently bought the same recording in a different edition. 
Have I stopped .......... I think you all know the answer.

In my defence I have slowed down.


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

At 2002, I was crazy to buy a Porsche. I sold my entire collection to another collector and I bought the FFFing car. (I regret it...) From 2004 (I sold the car) until today I made my collection again. What I know is that a collection is an entity and not a number of CDs or LPs We are talking for the overall quality. If you have gut quality, you have also a good value. If you have Naxos, Teldec, Telarc, Brilliant etc. the overall value is not good. I know a lot of people are earning their lives by selling music. They are bringing from South Africa, Egypt, India, ex USSR, Japan firsts with OBIs etc. You can't make money with DG, because is mainstream...

Not to forget>>>>> Never unsealed a rare CD or LP. Show some discipline. You can always listen the content in the YT...


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## Bourdon (Jan 4, 2019)

Malx said:


> I realised things were beyond the point of sillyness when I inadvertently bought the same recording in a different edition.
> Have I stopped .......... I think you all know the answer.
> 
> In my defence I have slowed down.


Well,that sounds familar to me and I also try to better my life


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

Dimace said:


> .....
> *Not to forget>>>>> Never unsealed a rare CD or LP. Show some discipline. You can always listen the content in the YT...*


Oh boy, I totally disagree with you on this, though I completely understand your point. If I decided to start collecting Barbie dolls as an investment I most certainly would NEVER open one up, but we're talking about music here. *For me*, a collection of CD's has its value in its utility, its ability to transport me, inspire me, elate me. Having a collection all sealed up in the original plastic wrap from the manufacturer just won't cut it. But then again, I've never had any intention of using my collection as a source of wealth or income.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

Art Rock said:


> For most of the CDs in my collection, I paid less than 10 euro. Often much less than that. A great investment, since every one of them gave me hours of pleasure. Resale value or lack thereof is completely unimportant to me.


amazon and Ebay have been a blessing, as we can usually pick up some used cds on the cheap,,,,I've bought a few bargains over the past yrs,,,but lately, the used prices are a bit higher and with some ship going @ $5 now ...though sometimes I see in my cart,, FREE SHIP offered, so I take it. 
Lately, that's all gone.

In our early days we had Tower and other retail shops,,,all full retail,,,most at $12+.,,along with tax at 9% here in new orleans, back then (today Orleans parish is 10%),,but no ship fees, then again limited recordings = at times we bought for convenience. 
= we ended up with a lot of so-so performances = Not happy campers, as the cd budget was blown.


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

Joe B said:


> Oh boy, I totally disagree with you on this, though I completely understand your point. If I decided to start collecting Barbie dolls as an investment I most certainly would NEVER open one up, but we're talking about music here. *For me*, a collection of CD's has its value in its utility, its ability to transport me, inspire me, elate me. Having a collection all sealed up in the original plastic wrap from the manufacturer just won't cut it. But then again, I've never had any intention of using my collection as a source of wealth or income.


Totally agreed, my friend! This post has NOTHING to do with our love (the music) but it is an answer to previous posts in this thread, where they have been said matters about the value of our buys. The last 15 years I have never sold a single title and I'm not intended to make the same mistake again, selling my music to buy something else or to make some cash. But, when we are starting to talk about music and, suddenly, we are arguing about money, as a collector, I can say one-two ways to protect our ''babies''. One of this ways is to choose wisely what we are buying. The second is to keep our collection in pristine condition. More pristine than an unopened CD I don't know... Thanks for the your beautiful, full with love for the music, comment!


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

DaveM said:


> For most people, itemizing and charitable-donation deductions such as the above have gone away with the new tax law.


This brings up the question, does a contribution to a symphony orchestra allow for a non-profit tax deduction? I assume they were set up that way in the past. If it doesn't allow for a tax deduction that may be a reason why orchestras are struggling, at least a contributing factor.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

*Its not over til the fat lady sings*

Just arrived
Schnittke's SQ's/Molinari/ a Canadian SQ, IMHO the finest performance on cd

A few Dallapicolla, a 2nd tier composer,,with a few interesting works I perfer his Ulisse over his The Prisoner
The Ulisse opertta is rare/OOP, live recording in Paris some decades back. 
I snagged a copy for $58/ebay dealer. The few on amazon go for $80++.
My guess this set will go higher as Dallipoccola completeists seek the set.









His orch works 2 vol set/Chandos,, vol 2 is recommended, vol 1 , not.

Have several on order.
The New Hungarian SQ in bartok's SQ.s
Ordered last night, 
Boulez conducting Ravel 3 cd set from DG.


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## Mifek (Jul 28, 2018)

DaveM said:


> For most people, itemizing and charitable-donation deductions such as the above have gone away with the new tax law.


How come your local tax law would affect *most* people in the world?


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

Mifek said:


> How come your local tax law would affect *most* people in the world?


He was responding to what I had posted. I had suggested that people could give their CD collections to a local library and then could get a tax deduction. That would only apply to the U.S. because I have no idea how that works in other countries.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

haydnguy said:


> He was responding to what I had posted. I had suggested that people could give their CD collections to a local library and then could get a tax deduction. That would only apply to the U.S. because I have no idea how that works in other countries.


That is if your local library has a music collection. Mine got rid of it about a decade ago.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

paulbest said:


> Finally, after 35 long and gruling years of working hard on making sure I locate and purchase the finest in performances, I can now announce to you, my cd collection is now complete,,,Just have to pay off my amazon $500 acct and that settles my purchses.
> 
> How has your journey gone forth?
> Yiu can make it happen, like I made it happen.
> ...


Do you expect us to believe you're never going to be tempted, ever, to buy a single CD again?


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## Mifek (Jul 28, 2018)

haydnguy said:


> He was responding to what I had posted. I had suggested that people could give their CD collections to a local library and then could get a tax deduction. That would only apply to the U.S. because I have no idea how that works in other countries.


I knew that. What I find a bit annoying is that neither of you has ever mentioned that this is about a situation in your specific country, which looks like you consider the United States to be a kind of a "default country" on this international forum. I feel similar discomfort when some people here mention "our president" or "our government" without even trying to make clear whose president or whose government they really mean (and this is not obvious from the context). Not surprisingly, this never happens when Canadians, Europeans or people from other continents talk about their own situation. So all I would like to ask our forum members from the U.S. is to be less Americentric and keep in mind that people from other countries may have a completely different perspective on certain issues.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

what really should happe is that all orchestra members should be free of any tax.
why? you ask..quite simple, if not obvious.
the pulpits have kept the souls starving and thin, on rations of stale crumbs of bread and rancid liquids. ..whereas you and I both know, 
CM is the only thing now (besides our books and loved pets) that can feed and nourish the soul and spirit. 
Tax free, as CM is the only thing now that can heal broken lives. …,,,,maybe there would be less crime if we have havens of healing where CM could rearrange the mind and help break old thought patterns.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

wich is how i wish my collection and stereo to end up, as part ofa institute for shattered broken lives,,somewhere in the southwest...i have some really nice music in my collection, and believe this music has helped bring succor to my afflictions and neurosis.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

Just order a bunch of CDs. 
Bartok PC's 1-3
2 recordings
Bartok VC's
2 recordings. 

Schnittke Chamber/with The Borodin SQ
Schoenberg chamber/Schoenberg String Quartet /Chandos ($65) ……...


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

deleted as I misread an earlier post


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## vmartell (Feb 9, 2017)

Cannot agree more, @haydnguy - I do believe the convenience of streaming trumps all good reasons to avoid it.

I avoid it. But it seems to me that people for some reason feel smart when declaring to have replaced substantial collections with streaming... hrmm - the value of my collection as per discogs is substantial - I do believe is much higher than they can get for their carefully curated tidal/qobuz/spotify/youtube libraries which is zilch, of course...

People - reject streaming - it is time you support the musicians and artists that perform and create the music you say you love. Buying a CD might not give a lot to the artists - yet it would take thousands and thousands of listens for the artist to get that buck... better yet - buy vinyl. Artists gets even more.

Youtube!... for Crisssakes people. We are not cash strapped teenagers here... Youtube... sad.

v
(that was a rant - ah well - had to get it out)



haydnguy said:


> For me, buying CD's are not an investment. The money I spend is disposable income. Probably when I pass to another life someone will take all my CD's and dump them in the trash. No one in my family cares about classical music.
> 
> There is a lot of talk about the "end of classical music". I dare say that online streaming from the tech companies are not going to help. The traditional record companies have a tradition with classical music dating way back. These new online services do not. If traditional classical doesn't make enough money they very well might come out with people like Andrea Boccicelli. What serious listener wants that? Let's put it this way. We all condemn classical music becoming so popular that it ends up crossing the line to mediocrity. But are we not hastening that end by solely listening to YouTube? Can a record company afford to record big orchestras on the money that Spotify pays them? What we are doing is putting another middle man in the mix who doesn't have an appreciation for classical music.


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## ericdxx (Jul 7, 2013)

larold said:


> _I'm still waiting for the definitive performance of Holst's Planets_
> 
> The one I enjoyed most was Boult's in mono from the 1950s. It sounded like you were on the podium when listening.


Great performance but Jupiter is way too upbeat and uptempo IMO.


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## paulbest (Apr 18, 2019)

vmartell said:


> Cannot agree more, @haydnguy - I do believe the convenience of streaming trumps all good reasons to avoid it.
> 
> I avoid it. But it seems to me that people for some reason feel smart when declaring to have replaced substantial collections with streaming... hrmm - the value of my collection as per discogs is substantial - I do believe is much higher than they can get for their carefully curated tidal/qobuz/spotify/youtube libraries which is zilch, of course...
> 
> ...


Tech apps for music maight be 1 reason why cd sales are sluggish,,which is good for me, or lets say ,,WAS good, as my CD buying is done...as to why many cds go cheap = under $10.
YT has been both a blessing anda curse for CM artist. Has allowed others to come to CM easily, with no $ out of pocket,,,but then the artists on the CDs are cut out the cd sales.

I have a super hi fi system and so cd is the only way for me. 
Ipods and MP3, are not accessible for hifi systems.

Remember the old days when everyone had huge hifi systems. ,,,man those days are gone. ,,the only ones left are us old timers with ever evolving systems. 
My amp is 80 lbs. feels like 100+ when you are lugging it around. 
Heats the entire home up in winter.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

MatthewWeflen said:


> I don't understand the notion of thinking of music as an "investment." Who cares about the resale value? The value in a CD purchase for me comes in listening to the music.


Absolutely. I came late to collecting CD's (1990's) as I couldn't afford a player and, when I finally got one, could only really afford to buy cheap label CD's. Therefore I still have some 145 Naxos CD's, several Arte Nova, some Regis/Alto and even some Stradivarious / Zyx.
As time went on and into this century, I discovered eBay and bought many CD's from there; then in the last 5-10 years as CD's have dwindled in the their popularity I buy from charity shops, second-hand stores and car-boot sales. So it's very rare in all that time that I buy full-price premium label CD's. 
I still buy CD's, though not very often, and recently got the Sony box-set of Nielsen symphonies (E-P Salonen) in the Presto sale, and second-hand CD's of the Beecham recording of Goosens 'Messiah' re-orchestration and Sir Andrew Davis' 5-CD Elgar box on Warner.

By the way, my definitive 'The Planets' is Tortelier / BBCPO on BBC Music (also bought cheap from a charity shop).


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

techniquest said:


> Absolutely. I came late to collecting CD's (1990's) as I couldn't afford a player and, when I finally got one, could only really afford to buy cheap label CD's. Therefore I still have some 145 Naxos CD's, several Arte Nova, some Regis/Alto and even some Stradivarious / Zyx.
> As time went on and into this century, I discovered eBay and bought many CD's from there; then in the last 5-10 years as CD's have dwindled in the their popularity I buy from charity shops, second-hand stores and car-boot sales. So it's very rare in all that time that I buy full-price premium label CD's.
> I still buy CD's, though not very often, and recently got the Sony box-set of Nielsen symphonies (E-P Salonen) in the Presto sale, and second-hand CD's of the Beecham recording of Goosens 'Messiah' re-orchestration and Sir Andrew Davis' 5-CD Elgar box on Warner.
> 
> By the way, my definitive 'The Planets' is Tortelier / BBCPO on BBC Music (also bought cheap from a charity shop).


I find your signature interesting. Indeed, what if Google stops making YouTube free? I think what will happen is we're all going to be "subscription-ed" to death. So we'll have to make a choice as to which subscription to sign up with. Each subscription will have pluses and minuses but at the end of the day we're poring money into a bottomless pit. With nothing to show for it.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

haydnguy said:


> I find your signature interesting. Indeed, what if Google stops making YouTube free? I think what will happen is we're all going to be "subscription-ed" to death. So we'll have to make a choice as to which subscription to sign up with. Each subscription will have pluses and minuses but at the end of the day we're poring money into a bottomless pit. With nothing to show for it.


youtube ad revenue will collapse if google put up a paywall

they wont do that


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

stomanek said:


> youtube ad revenue will collapse if google put up a paywall
> 
> they wont do that


Ad revenue from YouTube is not as much as you might think.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

haydnguy said:


> Ad revenue from YouTube is not as much as you might think.


2018 youtube ad revenue from usa market

$3.36BN


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

stomanek said:


> 2018 youtube ad revenue from usa market
> 
> $3.36BN


To Google, $3.36Bn is peanuts.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Open Book said:


> How do you store thousands of CDs??


With difficulty (and opposition from your wife!)


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

DavidA said:


> With difficulty (and opposition from your wife!)


I have an oppressive number of CDs though nowhere near the 10K's some people have. I lose track of them physically. I guess I need to catalog them on a spreadsheet and mark their location, but some are in haphazard piles that move around. Worse, some discs are in the wrong case.

Streaming keeps you from the oppression of a mountain of CD clutter. No one's CD collection is going to net them much money, the discs will have to be be sold piecemeal on ebay with much effort and they'll sit there for months or years. Might as well donate them.

Streaming is portable. No jogger/walker that I see carries a portable CD player even though they exist.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

paulbest said:


> In our early days we had Tower and other retail shops,,,all full retail,,,most at $12+.,,along with tax at 9% here in new orleans, back then (today Orleans parish is 10%),,but no ship fees, then again limited recordings = at times we bought for convenience.
> = we ended up with a lot of so-so performances = Not happy campers, as the cd budget was blown.


Tower was a latecomer. In Cambridge, MA was the great Harvard Coop years ago. Carried student supplies for Harvard U., and a great selection of classical music, because that was a necessity, too. Musically knowledgeable staff. And in the area were several great used record stores as well.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

haydnguy said:


> To Google, $3.36Bn is peanuts.


*To Google, $3.36Bn is peanuts.*

whether its peanuts to google or not

the question is over whether they can net a higher profit by charging a fee to use YT

since paywall's at news sites generally kill off 75% of the traffic - advertisers are going to find YT a much less attractive platform and will pay maybe just 1/3 of what they pay now.

This is the reason they have not gone for a subscription service. Traffic is everything to YT and indeed many sites that exist of advertising.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

My music collection will probably never stop increasing, until I'm dead.

I can't even imagine that being possible. 

There are so many great contemporary composers, composers from the last century that I haven't explored fully, new pieces, etc. And that is only within classical.

Jazz and prog, which I also listen to, are constantly evolving music forms, so there is also and almost endless supply of great new artists and bands to discover.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I've collected for over thirty years, on and off. Almost twenty years ago I almost culled my entire classical collection, but it wouldn't have been more than 150 items (200 at the most). I started collecting classical again around 2009, and by 2013 had amassed nearly 1,000. I started a culling project for many reasons, the following among them: 

- to declutter (both space and my mind), 
- feeling I had reached saturation point, 
- to focus on what I actually want to listen to as opposed to what I should be listening to, 
- to listen to music that matches my overall mood and temperament.

I've done the cull in stages, the largest I culled at a time would have been about 200. I've come to the endpoint, now I've got around 350 classical and aim to cull further to at least 300, maybe 250.

The process has yielded benefits, for example I feel that I am able to get back somewhat to the situation when classical was fresh to me. I feel less pressured to listen to music all the time, but when I do I enjoy it more. I can focus on what I like, rather than owning a whole lot of music that I have little to no chance of getting to know in any depth.

Another aspect that has influenced my change in lifestyle has been coming across various reports in the media on how silence - or what amounts to it in terms of urban living - has many psychological benefits. Reading up on and trying to practice mindfulness techniques have also been important to me, even the views on John Cage on how recordings fill up our lives with what he called "ego music," thus limiting our ability to get in tune with our own selves and the world around us at a deeper level.


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## ericdxx (Jul 7, 2013)

techniquest said:


> By the way, my definitive 'The Planets' is Tortelier / BBCPO on BBC Music (also bought cheap from a charity shop).


I agree it's probably the best recording of The planets but it's not the definitive "The planets" recording IMO. It's too "layered", it's difficult to explain but I wish the sound would blend together more and not feel like "layers" if anyone knows what I mean!?


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## Boychev (Jul 21, 2014)

I wouldn't spend my money on buying physical music. To each their own, but even something as pointless and mind-numbing as a night of drinking beer out sounds better than adding more clutter to my life. Having a bookshelf full of books is already depressing, just the thought of owning a thousand CDs makes me anxious.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

Boychev said:


> I wouldn't spend my money on buying physical music. To each their own, but even something as pointless and mind-numbing as a night of drinking beer out sounds better than adding more clutter to my life. Having a bookshelf full of books is already depressing, just the thought of owning a thousand CDs makes me anxious.


This is a completely foreign sentiment to me. I own over a thousand books and continue to get more. I find them to be far from depressing, quite the opposite. But to each their own, I suppose.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Yeah, when I look at my storage cabinets full of CD's, I always get a happy feeling.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm in the more than 10k albums group (all physical, either CD or LP).

The only problem I have with my collection is wanting to sell off thousands of duplicates from having bought large box sets that included so many of my individual recordings that I no longer need.

I will never stop buying physical media. People talk about streaming but I can't stream in most places I am throughout the day. I'm lucky if I can make a phone call or receive a text message during my 30 minute drive into work each day let alone try to stream something. I also can't find 1/2 of my collection on YouTube or Spotify or Google or Itunes or Amazon. Why would I pay for a streaming service that doesn't allow me to listen to exactly what I want to, when I want to, or have to search to find a service that has a particular recording when I can grab an MP3 player and take my collection with me or walk up to a shelf and grab what I want whenever I am at home?

I don't see any of mine as clutter, I have a whole wall in the basement dedicated to shelves and cabinets for media (Books, Movies, Magazines, CD's, etc.) What would I do with that wall if I didn't have that stuff? Put up posters? Bounce rubber balls off it? Put boxes of crap up against it? If I lived in a 1 room apartment that would be a different case, but right now I have no other use for that wall other than to put things I enjoy on shelves or in cabinets.

As for money, you can't take it with you. I have no kids to leave it to. Earlier it was mentioned about it being a losing investment which I wouldn't care about anyway, but I would also add that half of my box sets have now doubled and tripled in value as they have gone out of print. I saw one I paid $42 for now selling for $1,000 so they are definitely not worth nothing if for some reason I wanted to sell them, but why would I? To spend money on another hobby? I'm more than happy to explore these recording, along with my books and films for the rest of my life while relaxing with my Dog and Cats and my better half.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Well said, realdealblues!


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## billeames (Jan 17, 2014)

I have maybe 5000 to 6000. I have given away some. But I have gotten some of them back, having regretted offloading them. I have culled 8 boxes worth. 

I just bought 2 complete beethoven sets (DG and Warner). Overkill, but a good kind in my opinion.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

billeames said:


> I have maybe 5000 to 6000. I have given away some. But I have gotten some of them back, having regretted offloading them. I have culled 8 boxes worth.


"Culled" is a nice way of putting it - I prefer "dumped". I've likely dumped around 10 cd's, the ones I can't tolerate.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I just don't count, I know crazy but I like it.


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

I've winnowed my LP collection down to about 1,200, and my CD collection stands at about 750. Most of the LPs came from the post-lp era and cost 0 - $1.00 each second hand. I've bought a nice custom LP cabinet that holds about 600, and my goal is to get down to near that number. Some day all of the CDs will be downloaded onto a hard drive and disposed of. I already have over 200 as FLAC files on my computer and in my Sony Walkman, but I'm lazy.

For a long time I hunted for LP recordings of performances I wanted that never made it to CD. Mono LPs in particular were slow to be reissued on CDs for many years. But in the last 15 years or so, it's remarkable how nearly all of the classical catalogs of the major labels, or even of older small labels later acquired by the major labels, have been issued in CD form, including the early monos, though some are available only in Europe or Japan or otherwise hard to find, and of course many classical CDs are out of print at this point.

Like the OP, I have no regrets. I love the music and have enjoyed the hunt for recordings.

I very rarely buy LPs or CDs nowadays.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Rogerx said:


> I just don't count, I know crazy but I like it.


Ditto, but it's gotta be in the hundreds by now. I don't organize them at all either. There are stacks and piles of them on my desk, on bookshelves, on my coffee table. It's gotten out of hand. My girlfriend hates me for it. Getting it all organized, and cutting back on my buying habits, is a new year resolution.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

fluteman said:


> Some day all of the CDs will be downloaded onto a hard drive and disposed of.


If at all possible to store the CDs there is a future benefit. When a person leaves this world, likely all their digital music is going nowhere, but at least with boxes of CDs, someone can take them to the library and donate them or sell them bulk to a brick and mortar store. That way they are made available again for future listeners. This is one of my justifications for my wild CD buying habits. I don't listen to 95 percent of them more than a couple times, but someone else will someday benefit.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

flamencosketches said:


> Ditto, but it's gotta be in the hundreds by now. I don't organize them at all either. There are stacks and piles of them on my desk, on bookshelves, on my coffee table. It's gotten out of hand. My girlfriend hates me for it. Getting it all organized, and cutting back on my buying habits, is a new year resolution.


Mine are all stuffed into plastic storage cases and cardboard boxes, sometimes grouped, but moreso just in the order purchased. I would love to have space to put a bunch of CD shelves and then organize them all, but there is no space and no time. Maybe some day, but in the end so long as I enjoy listening to them, that is the main thing.


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

Fritz Kobus said:


> If at all possible to store the CDs there is a future benefit. When a person leaves this world, likely all their digital music is going nowhere, but at least with boxes of CDs, someone can take them to the library and donate them or sell them bulk to a brick and mortar store. That way they are made available again for future listeners. This is one of my justifications for my wild CD buying habits. I don't listen to 95 percent of them more than a couple times, but someone else will someday benefit.


Yes, I agree completely. By "disposed of", I didn't mean tossed in the trash. Libraries take donations, for example. And CDs often came with booklets that had much more information and photos than you ever got on an LP sleeve. That's a major plus we've lost in the download and streaming era, and should be saved for future generations.


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

I don't understand why people are buying 5,000 ... 10,000 classical music CDs when you can save all your money and purchase this:


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I have nearly 3000 thousand classical discs plus over 1000 non-classical discs. I don't listen to them. They have all been ripped at CD Quality level or better and stored in binders or the original boxes when that is more space-efficient. I have all the booklets (except for the one I dropped in the toilet).

I have a growing number of CD Quality or better downloads, many from Presto. When people complain about Presto's shipping charges or delivery time, I just smile to myself.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Rach Man said:


> I don't understand why people are buying 5,000 ... 10,000 classical music CDs when you can save all your money and purchase this:
> 
> View attachment 128289


Is there any Rachmaninoff on that disk?


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Is there any Rachmaninoff on that disk?


Of course. Would this be the only classical CD you need without Rachmaninoff?


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## Oakey (Nov 19, 2017)

Art Rock said:


> For most of the CDs in my collection, I paid less than 10 euro. Often much less than that. A great investment, since every one of them gave me hours of pleasure. Resale value or lack thereof is completely unimportant to me.


Hear hear

Fully agree, have over 600 classical CDs and about 2500 pop CDs and continue to enjoy them and buying them (although to a lesser extend than maybe 20 years ago). Most I buy used for pocket money.
What I do not like about streaming is the non-selectivity of it. Since everything is available, what will you listen to?

Don't know in which regions libraries still take donations of used CDs. Not in my country at least, they are disposing of all CDs. And when I die in who knows 30 or 40 years, certainly no library will be interested in my CD collection. So be it. They will be tossed in the bin, together with all of my other belongings. Who cares.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Rach Man said:


> I don't understand why people are buying 5,000 ... 10,000 classical music CDs when you can save all your money and purchase this:
> 
> View attachment 128289


And Mozart on the front is not using a CD player? I'm assuming this is indestructible too, hence the title? This is all I really need... satisfaction guaranteed? I will pay hundreds I will pay thousands. I'll give up my year's wages to the magic bean salesman. Please be real.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Rach Man said:


> I don't understand why people are buying 5,000 ... 10,000 classical music CDs when you can save all your money and purchase this:
> 
> View attachment 128289


I am afraid the title of this set is rather hypocritical considering that if it were true the same company would not be putting out these other sets, several I found in short order, so surely there are many more:


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I am afraid the title of this set is rather hypocritical considering that if it were true the same company would not be putting out these other sets, several I found in short order, so surely there are many more:


So we do need CD'S after all. 
:lol:


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Rach Man said:


> I don't understand why people are buying 5,000 ... 10,000 classical music CDs when you can save all your money and purchase this:
> 
> View attachment 128289


Maybe - but more important, can you find the Ninas?


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

billeames said:


> I have maybe 5000 to 6000. I have given away some. But I have gotten some of them back, having regretted offloading them.


That is the problem with offloading/dumping/culling. You never know which ones you will suddenly turn out to like after all.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Oakey said:


> Don't know in which regions libraries still take donations of used CDs. Not in my country at least, they are disposing of all CDs. And when I die in who knows 30 or 40 years, certainly no library will be interested in my CD collection. So be it. They will be tossed in the bin, together with all of my other belongings. Who cares.


There have been times when I've gone to a used book store and they suddenly had a large collection of cds because of a donation or cheap sale as relatives cleared an estate. Assuming used bookstores continue to exist (a risky assumption, probably), that seems like a great way of ensuring that the disks will find an appropriate home.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Blancrocher said:


> There have been times when I've gone to a used book store and they suddenly had a large collection of cds because of a donation or cheap sale as relatives cleared an estate. Assuming used bookstores continue to exist (a risky assumption, probably), that seems like a great way of ensuring that the disks will find an appropriate home.


My life has been one series of overpurchasing after another. I used to get onto a topic and buy a lot of books and then dozens of books would sit unread when I tired of the subject. I only recently got wise and when I had a surge of interest in Joan of Arc I read a fistfull of books, all from the library. Now Joan is only a curiousity, but I did buy two DVDs.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

The idea that my music (CD and other formats) will ever be finished, is an anathema to me. 

There are so many great new composers and new pieces being recorded all the time. 

Hell, I just purchased several CDs by composers I've previously been unaware of, this week.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Ah, this collection habit.

I agree with _all _of you.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Blancrocher said:


> There have been times when I've gone to a used book store and they suddenly had a large collection of cds because of a donation or cheap sale as relatives cleared an estate. Assuming used bookstores continue to exist (a risky assumption, probably), that seems like a great way of ensuring that the disks will find an appropriate home.


The trouble as I understand it is that the market is saturated and slow. You can buy collections of 100 classical CDs (many of them notable and most recommendable) for very little on eBay. Individual items may cost a bit more but very few businesses can survive selling used CDs. I once tried to sell some CDs - all widely praised - on eBay and even though I was offering them at the cheapest price I could see online (often less than £1 + postage, of course) I only sold one in six months. The case is the same for most classical vinyl LPs these days - the market is flooded with offers but very few are buying. The older ones are sometimes still desirable.

For second hand shops the case may be a little different but the overheads are high. It is a long time since I found something in a shop for a price that competes with online prices. Books may work better with shops but this may be largely because the shipping costs for books are higher than for CDs (so online shops selling for 1p per book still have to charge than a charity shop would).


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

Friend of mine recently bought a new car. He didnt realize until a few days after he took it home that it didnt have a CD player.


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## Rtnrlfy (Apr 26, 2016)

Pyotr said:


> Friend of mine recently bought a new car. He didnt realize until a few days after he took it home that it didnt have a CD player.


I've solved that with an FM adapter and a portable CD player in mine.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Pyotr said:


> Friend of mine recently bought a new car. He didnt realize until a few days after he took it home that it didnt have a CD player.


Probably has a slot to play music off of a USB drive.


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## Faville (Sep 15, 2012)

I started collecting around 37 years ago with Columbia House LPs (seven for a penny!) and basically haven't stopped the slow accumulation of LPs, cassettes, and CDs, although my purchasing has slowed way down over the past few years. I have done some culling but still have quite a bit. This past year however most of my purchasing has been primarily used discs and digital downloads. I've slowly started to appreciate digital downloading since my space is limited. My time is also a lot more limited and I've realized that all the information/lyrics/cover art/booklet stuff I used to pore over I just do not look at any more. Last week I received a Spotify subscription as a gift, and judging by what I've found on it so far, plus the massive Classical CD collection at my local library, I'm set for a long time.
I used to love browsing the music/book/movie sections of local stores after work as de-stress personal time but they've almost all gone away.


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I am afraid the title of this set is rather hypocritical considering that if it were true the same company would not be putting out these other sets, several I found in short order, so surely there are many more:


Good point, but I must point out in response that there is an important distinction to be made between the only classical CD one ever _needs_ and all the classical CDs one _wants_. As those celebrated musicians and philosophers, The Rolling Stones, once pointed out:
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well, you might find
You get what you need


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

Soon as new recordings stop coming out, my CD collection will finally be finished.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Rach Man said:


> I don't understand why people are buying 5,000 ... 10,000 classical music CDs when you can save all your money and purchase this:
> 
> View attachment 128289


The longest track is *Arthur Rubinstein* playing the Adagio sostenuto from *Rach*'s *Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor*, clocking in at 11:51.

Evidently none of us need anything longer.

Four of the tracks are from *Arthur Fiedler*: *William Tell Overture, Blue Danube Waltz, Clair de lune* and the _*Andante*_ from *Elvira Madigan* piano concerto


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Open Book said:


> Storage of so many discs isn't the hard part. It's organizing them so you can retrieve what you want.


Yeah, I've noticed that, especially with compilation CDs of various composers and conductors and orchestras.

Generally I sort by composer, but then you get star performers performing a setlist of various composers. Or even worse, one composer. So where do I stash my *Emmanual Ax* Chopin Ballades and Mazurkas or the *Claudio Arrau* Chopin Preludes CDs?

And do I put Immortal Beloved soundtrack with the film scores, or with Chopin?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I file the CD's alphabetically per composer, but I also maintain a catalog because otherwise I might not remember that e.g. Smetana's Moldau is on a CD with Dvorak's 9th and therefore resides under Dvorak. For 3 or more composers, I reserve a separate part of the physical (and computer) filing system. It looks like this (when mentioned under a composer, it is filed under that composer in the cabinets).


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

I file my CD collection chronologically.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

pianozach said:


> Yeah, I've noticed that, especially with compilation CDs of various composers and conductors and orchestras.
> 
> Generally I sort by composer, but then you get star performers performing a setlist of various composers. Or even worse, one composer. So where do I stash my *Emmanual Ax* Chopin Ballades and Mazurkas or the *Claudio Arrau* Chopin Preludes CDs?
> 
> *And do I put Immortal Beloved soundtrack with the film scores, or with Chopin?*


I would file _Immortal Beloved_ soundtrack under Beethoven.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

vtpoet said:


> I file my CD collection chronologically.


Which is not unlike continuing to add them to the stack. Mine is a mix of stacked (boxed) chronological and some limited attempts at clustering so that I have some boxes filled with a particular work or singer, but then more are purchased and end up in the chronological stack. Everything is amiss. If not for MP3 on my computer, which is relatively well organized (and has a search feature), I would be most pathetically lost like in the movie where the last man on earth was a far-sighted bookworm whose spectacles shattered as he rushed to the library to revel in books. I don't remember the name of the movie that I watched some 40+ years ago (or was it a Twilight Zone episode), nor do I know if my description is all that correct, but it is a good analogy anyway.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

SONNET CLV said:


> I would file _*Immortal Beloved*_ soundtrack under Beethoven.


Oh, right. *Beethoven*, not Chopin. Forgot. I must have been thinking of *Impromptu*, which is mostly music by *Chopin*, but also includes a few *Liszt* pieces as well. Mostly Chopin, some Liszt. File under _soundtracks_.

I have a place in my collection for Broadway and Film, and if I had Immortal Beloved, it would probably end up there.


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