The Seven Types of Record Collector- Which One Are You?

Vinyl collecting is an incredibly rewarding experience, where you can give back to those artists you love by holding their work in physical form. It pays them a lot better than years of streaming would too, meaning you can get the satisfaction of really helping the artists you love to get by. There are so many reasons for loving the physical aspect of vinyl.

We thought we'd take a look at the different types of vinyl collectors that you may find throughout your time scrolling through record stores.

 

The Hoarder

Photo credit: Eric Krull

You may have met someone before who seems to have an enviable amount of vinyl. You think you've seen them all, but they lift up their bed and they have another ten boxes under there. You don't know how they got these records, were they inherited? Are they laying on top of a secret pile of cash? The hoarder remains a mystery to everyone you know, who knows how many of them are actually any good.

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The Casual

Photo credit: Lopsan (Pexels)

This person definitely bought their record player for an extortionate price from Urban Outfitters. They thought it'd be a cool thing to have in the corner of their room and it'll be the right colour to blend in with their home aesthetic. They'll have plenty of albums from "indie" artists who are all signed to major labels but they don't care about that anyway.

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Limited Edition Obsessive

 
Photo credit: Eduardo Romero (Pexels)

Rarely will the limited edition obsessive stoop so low as to buy a normal vinyl. They will either go for the super rare editions of old albums or if they're more into new music they'll go for the most extra looking special variant they can find. Blood colour, fluorescent pink, one shaped like a saw blade, you name it, they'll buy it.

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Best New Music Fan

Photo credit: Clay Banks (Unsplash)

This is a tribute to the new music fan in your life, they won't buy a single album that was released earlier than the day they started collecting. They have tunnel vision for the future and pick up as many of the latest releases as their bank account will allow and proudly display them on their wall.

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The Snob

Photo credit: Mike (Pexels)

Unfortunately, there comes a time when we have to meet a vinyl snob. No matter what you do, no matter what they have, their vinyl will always be better than yours for some arbitrary reason. They prowl record stores wearing a murky brown corduroy shirt and you can almost feel their disdain following them around like bad BO. 

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The Trader

Photo credit: Blocks (Unsplash)

The trader is an undisputed legend. If they've got something you want then they'll probably do a swap with you. For some reason they aren't as attached to their collection as most people and are up for doing a bit of swapping, a rare but appreciated trade. We love this kind of person.

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The Veteran

Photo credit: Aleksandr Neplokhov (Pexels)

This person has been collecting vinyl records since before you were born, they were there when vinyl was in its prime, when it dropped off during the rise of digital media and is still kicking about now that vinyl has come back into popularity. They likely have an amazingly curated collection of their favourite artists.

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