# How much did you spend on music so far in 2014 for personal use.



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I counted up my Amazon purchases (classical and non-classical, including DVDs) and got about $375. Add probably $25 at Ebay, $40 at the local music store, and $20 on concert tickets, then I have spent about $460 on personal music in 2014. I hope to make it the rest of the year without buying more music and so have put a couple items on my Christmas list for others to consider buying for me, including Bach's B Minor Mass.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

That sounds like more than I spent. My Amazon order history shows about 25 CDs, DVDs/Bluerays for 2014. Another 50 or so from used bookstores. Most of my purchases are second hand. I've been good so I'm going to buy a bunch more music around holidays.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I estimate about 1/3 of what I spent in each of 2013 and 2014. I project a slight decrease for 2015, as 2014 was spent primarily topping up a few stragglers.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*I am too embarrassed to admit*

Between all the CD's I have purchased, the music festivals my wife and I have traveled too and the money I spent having my bassoon serviced I would be to embarrassed to admit. Most would probably consider it excessive.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

arpeggio said:


> Between all the CD's I have purchased, the music festivals my wife and I have traveled too and the money I spent having my bassoon serviced I would be to embarrassed to admit. Most would probably consider it excessive.


Don't be. Thank you for supporting classical music industry :tiphat:


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

About 40 secondhand elpees at an average of, say, 1,50 euro's
2 new vinyl albums, one was €28, the other €24
A new Shure stylus, €35
Chipamp, €48
Tickets for G. Carmignola at Concertgebouw A'dam €27
Grand total of €222

Oh, forgot the €16 for a new set of guitarstrings, hardly used this year....

Then there is pianolessons for about €800 per year and the annual service and tuning of the instrument, €65. 
Last 2 are not personal, although I enjoy the playing (most of the time....)

Cheers,
Jos


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I've spent about £650 - all through Amazon and its marketplace. The p & p would account for quite a bit of that, of course. Looks like my most expensive purchase was the Ligeti Project 5-disc set (£17.26 inc. p & p), but I still consider that quite a bargain.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> I've spent about £650 - all through Amazon and its marketplace.


So that is about $1020 USD. One benefit to buying through Amazon, if your house/apartment burns down and you lose all your CDs, the records for insurance reimbursement are right at your fingertips on Amazon.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I genuinely don't know and I don't wanna know.
Makes life much easier :lol:


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

CDs, tickets for concerts and opera, Sheet music, violin lessons, week long music camp..............


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

I average $30 a month.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Florestan said:


> So that is about $1020 USD. One benefit to buying through Amazon, if your house/apartment burns down and you lose all your CDs, the records for insurance reimbursement are right at your fingertips on Amazon.


Maybe I should print out my purchase pages and store them in a fireproof tin in case the laptop gets fried as well!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> Maybe I should print out my purchase pages and store them in a fireproof tin in case the laptop gets fried as well!


But it all is on Amazon's site in your purchase history, right? So no need to print out as you can access from any computer.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I also made a lot of trades and purchases at local used record stores. I never count these acquisitions in my expenditure totals, since they are serendipitous: I have to select from what they have and cannot show up with a shopping list. There are occasional purchases from other (non-Amazon) used record sellers, but my favourite one seems to have pretty much dried up in 2014. I checked them regularly, but not once did they have anything. Perhaps less CDs are being traded in and old stock is now sold?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

We have a pretty good used classical selection at my local store, Dearborn Music, Dearborn MI. But yeah, can't necessarily go with a shopping list, though once I got the desire for a Cherubini Mass and they had the exact one I had been eyeballing on Amazon, and price wise there was no advantage to Amazon because of the shipping charge.

When my son wanted a Brahm's German Requiem, we went to Dearborn Music and they had about 5 different used copies. Nice.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

In 2014, I spent roughly $900 USD on about 200 recordings (with multi-discs sets counting as one). 

These were mostly CDs, but also a good number of LPs. No downloads.

Factored into the above: my wife's father unloaded a large number of books at a large used book & music store. My father-in-law then gave the credit to my wife, who subsequently gave it to me for my birthday. So I was able to get about FORTY CDs for no cost.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

Florestan said:


> We have a pretty good used classical selection at my local store, Dearborn Music, Dearborn MI. But yeah, can't necessarily go with a shopping list, though once I got the desire for a Cherubini Mass and they had the exact one I had been eyeballing on Amazon, and price wise there was no advantage to Amazon because of the shipping charge.
> 
> When my son wanted a Brahm's German Requiem, we went to Dearborn Music and they had about 5 different used copies. Nice.


Buying music at music stores is fun. (Even if online is usually more practical!) 

EDIT:
Florestan, since you're in Dearborn, you'd probably know: Isn't there a great, famous music store up in Ann Arbor? I seem to recall reading about it in a story about America's best record stores.


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## Kibbles Croquettes (Dec 2, 2014)

I guess I didn't spend any money on recordings! But I do use the public library a lot - not just because they have a free WC (it's terrible that one should have a rare coin (like 50c) on hand when one has to go) - and I tend to be quite absent minded and forgetful, so I have probably supported at least one librarian's job with all the overdue fees that I've paid. 

On the other hand, I did buy some music related technical equipment: microphones, cords, piezoelectric elements, mono jacks and such. And, yes, I did go to two classical concerts during the autumn. Just two, but I'm very picky and I find the concept of listening to music "jointly" somewhat disturbing. A little bit like those parties where people gather together to ********** in crowds. 

Oh, and I bought two music related books. 

Does money spent on alcohol count? 

At first I thought I my answer would have been "none at all" but it turned out to be quite different from that. Music, indeed, is a hobby that takes a lot of time and money. Would it be too late to chance my choice?

P.S. I tried to be as discrete as possible in my language, but it seems the forum software cencsored me anyway. My apologies for the extra computing needed to insert *'s in my message. I'll be even discreter in the future, I promise!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

JACE said:


> Buying music at music stores is fun. (Even if online is usually more practical!)
> 
> EDIT:
> Florestan, since you're in Dearborn, you'd probably know: Isn't there a great, famous music store up in Ann Arbor? I seem to recall reading about it in a story about America's best record stores.


It is great fun to browse the racks looking for gems and I have found things at my music store that I can't get on Amazon. I don't get out to Ann Arbor but for occasional concerts at Hill Auditorium. However, I remember Liberty Music near the main campus of U of M. Back in the mid-1980s I got my first Messiah set on vinyl there. I went there with a music student friend who bought the set for me. Our criteria was a good coloratura for the Rejoice aria. They had booths you went in and could play the records to see if you wanted them. I ended up with the Westenburg Messiah, which I now have on CD. I'd love to go back there. As I recall Liberty Music was classical music only, but even if it was I suspect that they would have had to expand into non-classical in order to survive in the present music sales environment.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

I just added up my Amazon purchases alone and it's over $2,500 USD. I'd estimate another $500 in concerts and store front purchases. I'm certain that number will go down as I'm more about filling in gaps and grabbing preferred recordings these days. I still make the occasional impulsive purchase but the worst should be behind me.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

scratchgolf said:


> I just added up my Amazon purchases alone and it's over $2,500 USD. I'd estimate another $500 in concerts and store front purchases. I'm certain that number will go down as I'm more about filling in gaps and grabbing preferred recordings these days. I still make the occasional impulsive purchase but the worst should be behind me.


You keep spending like that and you wont be able to afford those big, expensive cigars anymore.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Florestan said:


> You keep spending like that and you wont be able to afford those big, expensive cigars anymore.


:lol: I know right. Thankfully my humidors are stocked and it's too cold out to smoke more than the occasional cigar. And unlike cigars and Scotch Whisky (another thing I spare no expense on) music is a non-perishable item. Someday I may even slow my spending down enough to enjoy what I own.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

CDs and music DVDs £633 across all genres but mainly classical.

Books about music £60

Audio equipment £130

A few days away watching two orchestral concerts, one opera, a Spanish song recital, jazz concert and an organ recital, all in about £300

Total for year about £1,100. Hours spent listening to music, about 2,000.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Perhaps close to $1000. I don't count.


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2014)

Don't have a clue. But I do know it is significantly more than my wife is happy with, and significantly less than I would like.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

About $200. I've cut down dramatically -- only focusing on 'essential' purchases. These were my last two purchases for a total of $32.78...


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2014)

I thought every classical purchase was "essential."

I have to explain to my wife just how important it is to have multiple recordings of the same work. She doesn't get it.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Perhaps close to $1000. I don't count.


You don't count because "why bother", or you don't count because you can't count?


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

For sheet music, next to nothing - I get all of my organ scores from IMSLP (public domain)

For CD music, I don't spend enough. Most of my recorded classical collection is on LP's.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I was thinking in the shower this morning that I should try to restrain my 2015 purchases to about 20 percent of what I spent in 2014. That would limit me to $100 or a little under $10 per month. Oh that is so austere. Maybe 50% is more reasonable, a tad over $20 per month. Ha, but later this am I heard Sutherland sing Amina from La Sonnambula and it was so beautiful I thought I have to buy Sonnambula with her on it. That would bring my Sonnambula collection up to 4 CDs and a DVD. ..... Hey! It would also boost my monthly for next year if I get this last purchase in yet this year.:lol:


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Pugg said:


> I genuinely don't know and I don't wanna know.
> Makes life much easier :lol:


Quite agree! What with sheet music, cds, concerts, festivals, lessons, transport and accomodation -


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

It's my ambition to spend about a third of my disposable income on cultural hard copy and events annually, something FWIW I've yet to achieve as there's always money left on my "Culture Account" each year, but as I'm avidly against saving I donate the "remainder" to two organisations that give grants and/or commissions to Young Composers!

/ptr


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

This brought back a ten year old memory for me I thought I'd like to share. I was in Seattle for a conference, and in the evening I bought a last minute ticket to see the Seattle Symphony. I don't remember what they performed. Somehow I ended up in the box seats at Benaroya Hall, sitting next to two older ladies, well dressed and clearly with some money. One said to the other that she had just commissioned the composer in residence of the Seattle symphony for a brass instrument concerto. I think she outspent me that evening, as I got a cheaper last minute deal. And she definitely outspent me in 2004 for music.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

At least a few hundred. I spend a lot of money on music and books, but luckily my parents say those are the two things they really don't mind splurging on.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I am failing in my attempt to not buy as much music in 2015. So far this year I have purchased:

Sonnambula Opera with Eva Lind (2 CD)

MARIA CALLAS:
Sonnambula 1955 (2-CD)
Sonnambula studio (2-CD)
Anna Bolena (2-CD)
100 Best arias (6-CD)
Live in Paris
Unknown Recordings
Sings Beethoven Mozart and Weber
At Covent Garden DVD
Live in Concert (2-CD)
Live in Atene
Five Heroines: Highlights from Norma, Lucia de Lammermoor, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca (5 discs)


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

I know exactly how much I spend on CDs and DVDs since I use catalog software to track all my music purchases. In 2014 I spent close to $3100, mostly on Amazon and Discogs purchases (including some non-classical music as well). I purchased several Opera Rara boxsets (Meyerber ones) and several out-of-print boxsets as well (for example original Tell with Bacquier, Gedda and Caballe and original Philips boxset of Tristan und Isolde with Behrens and Hofmann), a couple of rare collectibles - hence the high total price. I will definitely try to purchase a lot less this year, I promise!


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2015)

I would guess around $2000-2500.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I managed to peg back my spending to just under £40 during January so I'll try and keep to within that when I can.


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