Your record collection

[Roehre]

"The library contains more than 25.000 recordings of classical music, music written between ca.1300 and ca.2000."

Hm, I like the idea of a merger :)

[StephenO]

1,097 CDs at the last count, although that includes quite a lot of doubles and about 75 boxed sets. Haven't got round to working out how many actual discs that makes. I gave most of my LPs and tapes away but still have a number of old (and increasingly distorted) spoken word cassettes lying around in drawers. I'm afraid the CDs are all neatly arranged in alphabetical order of composer!

[Ferretfancy]

About 6500 CDs and about 1200 LPS, the latter still get frequent playings. It's a fairly even distribution of types, with orchestral and symphonies forming a slightly larger proportion than the rest. Why do I sometimes wonder what to play? I've now decided only to buy exceptional versions or fill gaps.
Has anybody made a clear decision about passing their collection on when they acquire their heavenly harp? I've thought of my old school, but who knows? Everything might be as obsolete as Edison's phonograph by then.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I have a mixture of LPs, cassettes, CDs and downloads on my ipod, I've got every work by every composer I have listed on a database with the timings (average if I have more than one recorded version of a work), if I put this all on one continual play without stopping 24hrs a day 7 days a week. it would last around 7 months.

[Petrushka]

I've never got round to counting mine and suspect that the answer would astonish me and probably all of you as well. Family members say how can you listen to all that lot? The answer is that I don't but it's there for when I do.

Incidentally, has anyone thought of a figure for insurance purposes? I must have several thousand pounds worth here many of which are irreplaceable.

[maestro267]

I have a mixture of LPs, cassettes, CDs and downloads on my ipod, I've got every work by every composer I have listed on a database with the timings (average if I have more than one recorded version of a work), if I put this all on one continual play without stopping 24hrs a day 7 days a week. it would last around 7 months.

So, with a month's break either side of the Proms, you're good for the year, then.

[Curalach]

Incidentally, has anyone thought of a figure for insurance purposes?

As far as insurance is concerned, I have photographed all my shelves and made a rough average calculation at £10 per CD. An astonishing amount of money.

[rubbernecker]

Incidentally, has anyone thought of a figure for insurance purposes? I must have several thousand pounds worth here many of which are irreplaceable.

It's a tricky one. You will need to agree the value of the collection separately with the insurer, you can't just include it in general household items as they will impose a limit on it if you ever needed to claim. It will substantially increase your contents premium but if you do a proper inventory and agree a reasonable price like £5 per CD there will be no arguments come claim time. It gets difficult with the increasing numbers of CDs that are deleted. These can be worth a lot more, and you can't put a price on the sentimental aspect.

With LPs it's trickier still. I have six boxes (300 LPs) of collector's items (early Decca and EMI stereo, violin records etc) which I keep separately (in a different house) from my main collection. They range in value from £50 - £250 per LP. Hopefully they will appreciate still further and help see me through retirement!

[Estelle]

RE #23:
A different house for your LP collection. Now that's the ticket!
Many of us wish for a special storage area for our music collection. I have a friend with an enormous collection of dolls who bought two office-trailers just to store them in--in their original boxes!

[BBMmk2]

In thoughytn thyat to. A different house. Now, hmm!! At the present count, I have over 2000 cds.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Frau Alpensinfonie wants me to get rid of my LPs. :(

[BBMmk2]

Don't EA!! They are yours and yours alone!! Do niot get rid!! Some of them could be quite valuable!!

[Roehre]

Don't EA!! They are yours and yours alone!! Do niot get rid!! Some of them could be quite valuable!!

Seconded. And my LPs have survived Mrs Roehre's pushing, I know what you are going through

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

...looking at it all after reading this thread makes me feel queasy and somewhat guilty, did i really spend that much?

.... physically box loads of cassettes and lps and shelves full of cds [000's] and itunes informs me that a continuous play would take 95 days ish ...

i am torn between the answer i gave my sister when she asked how many cds i had - 'too few', and the thought that if i was not so old i might have to get a life ...

[Martin]

Frau Alpensinfonie wants me to get rid of my LPs. :(

Put them in the loft, EA. Still available, but out of the missus's gaze.