I enjoy physical media and creating a collection so it’s a fun hobby if you’re into that. Where I’m at we have kind of a community of collectors so it’s definitely a social thing too. If you get into it I recommend going to swap meets and vinyl nights. Stick to the albums you’d play on repeat. You can always resell if you get tired of them. But if you don‘t like the act of collecting and curating I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s also hard if you move around a lot they take up a lot of space. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and have the time, check out estate sales for older stuff, and local record shops for used newer ones.
May 18, 2025
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you really gotta rethink your relationship with music. I started buying records when I was a teenager and built up a pretty decent, curated collection over the years, but it’s really only worth it if you buy the albums you truly love and want to revisit over and over again. If you treat it like an extension of Spotify, where everything is available instantly, you will be broke and disappointed.
The other thing that people don’t tell you about buying vinyl is that it takes a lot of time. Buying used records is the cheapest way to build your collection, but that means rummaging through a lot of junk. This is fun! But it is also time consuming.
May 16, 2025
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PROS: vinyl is such a great medium, it sounds amazing, the feel is great, it’s tangible and you get amazing large artwork with it. It also feels more special to have it as an item you can hold. It also looks pretty in a shelf and makes a physical space for the record, making it feel even more special.
CONS: The price - it’s a money vacuum, and depending on how you consume music, you’ll probably never ever feel like you have enough. You could literally never stop buying, and you’ll still need to listen to Spotify or buy other mediums, even if just to listen on the go.
THOUGHTS: it’s truly a quality over quantity format. its an exercise of patience and slower consumerism. it’s best for people who appreciate physical and analogue media, and get joy out of things that are visual and tangible. It can be really rewarding, but is purely for passion, rather than practicality.
I’d say if you’re saving up money for something or don’t have spare cash, don’t - however if it brings you a really great amount of joy, start small and build over time.
If you do start, start with records that you really love and that you enjoy listening to from start to finish. Ones that you know you will put on at home and can sit with. And keep an eye out on second hand shops, though be weary they’re not as cheap as they used to be and may not be a bargain, even if they seem so.
Hope that helps!
May 17, 2025
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I generally don't spend $40+ on a vinyl, however I have a pretty extensive collection that I didn't spend much on individually. I think part of the fun of it is finding an album you love for a few bucks at an antique or thrift store (my best find was Marty Robbins' Gunfighter Ballads in a $1 bin at a local shop). sometimes you do see an album you love but it's wayyyyyy overpriced and you just have to walk away and hope that you can find it elsewhere. there are several elusive albums that I've been searching for for a few years now and for me, the hunt is part of the fun of collecting them. I don't get a new one all the time but if you know where to look you can have a pretty big collection after a few years. but if you want physical media without the inflated prices due to vinyl being more trendy at the moment, Id go for CD's
May 17, 2025
Top Recs from @kateskates
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I can’t think of a specific moment because I’m an endlessly awkward person. I think a lot of times when we’ve said the wrong thing upon meeting someone, or have a tendency to put our worst foot forward, we get too caught up in our own thoughts about it to recover. Let other people hold the awkward feelings for you, if they feel weird that’s their problem. But you don’t have to feel weird for trying to connect to others in your own way.
May 19, 2025
May 31, 2025