Your record collection

[Don Petter]

But his loft is full of cylinders.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have a "cupboard under the stairs" (having moved Harry Potter out if it) where the LPs are hidden unobtrusively. Except that I live in a bungalow.
The hi-fi cabinet lid is "permanently" closed as Frau Alps likes to put a lamp on top of it, making the playing of vinyl discs somewhat complicated. I'm heartened by the understanding of other members. :)

[Martin]

Move the lamp, EA. Put it on top of her knitting!

[Uncle Monty]

One hates to be a sexist swine, but, as George Bush would say, irregardless of that. . . they just don't understand, do they?

Mrs Monty has a violent hatred of "anything with a wire attached". This does tend to make [my] life a bit tricky at times

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Martin, I think you must know her.

[Idamante]

I did a count-up of my CDs recently & found I had a little over 700 classical and about 200 'other.' There is very little of this that I've not listened to at least once.

So, judging by other people's replies, I appear to have my record collecting habit well under control

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Are we collectors a bit silly really? There must be so many CDs that are given a test playing and then are forever left on the shelf.

[Uncle Monty]

No need to be smug. What's so special about being under control, anyway?

"The road to wisdom is paved with excess", etc.

It's a genetic thing, and can't be fought. Some of us simply have squirrel DNA, that's all

[Uncle Monty]

Are we collectors a bit silly really? There must be so many CDs that are given a test playing and then are forever left on the shelf.

That's true. I know I have some that I decided on one hearing were absolute stinkers. But one has a vague intention of going back to them to check, one day. . . Oh for a couple more lifetimes . . .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Philips Berlioz set (the one with the same performance of Romeo & Juliet twice) I have listen to only once. It's a perfectly good set, with vintage performances form Sir Colin Davis, but nothing drives me to take the box off the shelf again.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Going by the 2010 Proms I would rather make sure that July-September was covered! I actually started listening to my collection alphabetically in September 2006 and have currently reached Verdi. Trouble is I've bought over 300 CDs and downloaded others from itunes since then so averaging 3-4 hours a day listening, it would probably take me 12-13 years if I started from the beginning again once I've finished. Something for when I retire maybe in 20 or so years, however by that time I wouldn't have enough years left in my life to do them all! My next plan is listen to all the symphonies I have in date order starting from c1800, I've got around 1300 at present so that should take a couple of years or so!

[Nick Armstrong]

What about your collection, Caliban? I understand you have a fairly large one.

You flatter me, rubberknockers.

Well I missed out the LP era (bar a few Shostakovich LPs, plus Prokofiev "Romeo & Juliet" (Previn), to play on the parental record deck when living at home). I started collecting with cassette tapes ... Anyway, they got me through university... I must have a fair few hundred left, never played nowadays, save in the car which has a cassette slot as well as CD.

But I hit my stride mid-80s as CDs came in - the allure of the silver disc was irresistable... I reckon I have around 2500.

The rate of purchase is MUCH less now, and has been for the last 5 years I guess. However CD Review and La Tribune des Critiques de Disques can have me reaching for the wallet still (supplemented by amazon or iTunes downloads if really instant gratification is required, or it's just a track I want, and it's not something I'll want to play on the big HiFi...

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

My CD collection stands at 4689 discs, made up of 2552 purchases. There are a few recent discs waiting to be added to my Excel file.

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

Yes. When I moved house a couple of years ago, my financial adviser secured a 'best deal' for me whereby my CD collection, as the only item of 'significant' value was specifically mentioned in the policy. When quoting me the price over the phone, he rather sheepishly told me that the company would need an inventory of all my discs... by the time he'd finished telling me about it, I'd emailed him a copy of the Excel file!!

Incidentally, since moving in, the most expensive piece of furniture I bought was to house said CD collection!