I need help with obsessive album collecting
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Forum Name: General Music Discussions
Forum Description: Discuss and create polls about all types of music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135204
Printed Date: July 19 2025 at 17:16
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Topic: I need help with obsessive album collecting
Posted By: Gnik Nosmirc
Subject: I need help with obsessive album collecting
Date Posted: July 08 2025 at 14:26
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It's been three months since I have subscribed to Spotify and since I have decided to make a huge library of prog and jazz. And ever since I've been both very happy and depressed. Sure, it's cool to see your library growing and shining. But it's also a pain to be constantly thinking about, to add more albums than you can listen to, to overthink whether this album fits or not, whether I am really interested in a specific band that I have just added, whether this album cover is too ugly for my library despite the album being good. I have OCD, and it is both a blessing and a curse. I don't know what to do at this point. Deleting my library and throw away all the work I've done? Have you guys dealt with this kind of addiction and obsessive behavior? How do you deal with it? ------------- Jazz Rock / Fusion · Canterbury · Psych / Space Rock · Krautrock · Prog Electronic · RIO / Avant-Prog · Post Rock |
Replies:
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: July 08 2025 at 14:51
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^You're talking about Spotify-playlists, right? I obsessive about many thing related to music. I have to make sure it doesn't take over my life every once in a while. But Spotify-lists aren't among them:) Still, in my opinion as I must have something like 400 lists on my Itunes*. Lists have their use. Easier to locate stuff, when I don't exactly know what or who or who I want to listen to. My point is: The longer the list, the less you will use it. Make them smaller and curate them with more cate than just throwing everything onto two lists. Five-six hours each maybe, is better. As with your addiction, I can't help you. Maybe buy physical copies wnenever you can afford some. That will help you concentrate on one album at the time. *yeah, still use it as there's a 140 days days long relatively finely taken care and and curated collection on it (=all of my ripped CD's and many LP's. And I like mp3's for practial reasons + I feel that the collection belongs to me - and not that awful Swedish guy). |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: July 08 2025 at 15:46
| I am somewhat obsessional about buying cds at thrft stores; sometimes I go day after day and buy 7 or 8 cds (or sometimes a few lps) each day and it is getting excessive, and I realize that every new arrival I listen to pushes music I already have into the background; I want to listen to all I have so I am putting a lid on new arrivals....that way I can take the time to listen to what I already have in more detail, which is what i yearn to do, deep down.... |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 08 2025 at 16:46
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At a point, maybe years from now, you'll realize maybe 90% of what you potentially obsess over ~ and I know what being obsessed with new and/or old prog is ~ is simply not worth your time and effort. That new symphonic fusion out of Slovenia ? Probably not worth it. The rare,vintage psych/protoprog from Botswana? Screw it. If it's worth your attention you'll find out eventually and you can get it then. Besides, a good listen on Youtube goes a long way-- many times something will seem temping and after ten minutes listening online I'll be satisfied that it ain't for me. Besides, a smaller high-quality collection is always better than a big "comprehensive" one. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 03:26
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A friend of mine has obsessively been collecting all of The Beatles singles, and he told me he only needs one to complete his collection. I think he needs Help. 
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 04:44
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Hi, I can't say I was ever a "collector" or had to have this and that. There were a few things, though that were important for me, and Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Vangelis (for example) were never an issue for me to get their next one. But in general, they were the only ones that I followed non stop. After that, it was Ange, Banco, Amon Duul 2 ... and the rest was wide open. I would think/suggest that you may want to stop ... STOP ... and listen first, and let the ear tell you what to get next, and stop worrying about lists or obsessing about anything. And I would not EVER even consider the playlists that were created by some AI idiot making sure that their "product" gets more attention than anything else, which will in due time confuse you senseless. Those lists are not there "for you" ... they are there for THEM! The Overlords ... (hehehe) I like to think that I know why I'm getting this or that ... and not just because of a suggestion ... which often does not work for me ... I do better finding things on my own. ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 04:46
Thrift stores as you call them, or charity shops as we tend to call them in the UK can be useful sources for physical media such as vinyl, CD, DVD, Blu-ray etc, but I like to be very picky and choosy, preferring to go for stuff that I actually want for my collections. Some of the largest charities (such as Oxfam) also have online stores, which as a collector of obscure or arty movies on Blu-ray I find very handy. ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |
presdoug wrote:Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 05:27
You can use a website like AwesomeProg (or RYM, if you prefer) to build your collection as something independent of a particular streaming service. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 05:32
Agreed! Recently I saw someone in the Facebook Dream Theater group who claimed to own 10,000+ vinyl releases, many of them in mint condition. That's about $200k+ spent, an entire room, and more music than one could possibly listen to in a lifetime. Less is definitely more when it comes to music collection. Even if you have that many albums, there is a much smaller subset of releases that you actually listen to on a regular basis, which could be seen as your actual collection. The rest is just "fluff" which you keep for whatever reason which has nothing to do with enjoying the music. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 06:35
In the process at thrift stores, I still am picky and (mostly) pick up things that I know I will definitely want to listen to; it is usually classical music that I get there, and I have been listening and collecting it for about 40 years and have my "fingers in a lot of pies"....unfortunately, there is rarely any prog at these stores that I can purchase...but there are so many classical areas I collect and avidly listen to that I find relevant things quite easily, but I have to stop as I want to have the time to listen to it all, and too much of anything is still too much.... |
Posted By: Valdez
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 07:26
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I own about 5000 LPs of rock, pop, jazz, and prog. I hauled them from Pasadena Ca. When I moved to Washington state in boxes. I continue to buy used records in the many thrift shops in and around Washington. I have a 12x12 booth in a consignment store near my home where I sell records and my daughter sells vintage clothing. It is very profitable. So my suggestion to you is to keep buying … and start selling. ------------- https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 08:27
Hi, I better not let you take a look at my collection and what I have left ... but then, I'm not sure that Ralph Lundsten or Albert Von Deyen would interest your noodles much!  ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 10:53
Agreed, finding prog albums in charity shops is akin to finding rocking horse poop. ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |
Posted By: Valdez
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 10:59
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No shortage of broken rocking horses though. ------------- https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 11:21
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Pah! ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 11:42
| Nowadays my collection is very small. Used to be about 1500 cds and vinyls 15 years ago. No need for it anymore, I have a Spotify subscription and buy 1-3 releases each month on Bandcamp or from the artists directly. I still have about 200 vinyls and 400 CDs which I keep ”optimizing”. Latest purchase: The new Igorrr release due in September, as a colored vinyl. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 13:54
Washington is a beautiful state, do you like it? Are you glad you moved or do you ever get homesick ? ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Valdez
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 17:50
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I was 50 years in and around Pasadena, and when I go back to visit it’s just seems a mess and I can’t wait to get back to walla walla lol. I love it here. 17 years now. But 17 years ago home prices here were very cheap… Seattle wine startups and the wine business in general have knocked the prices of homes up quite a bit. Glad I moved when I did (2007 before the Wine rush) Add: I get homesick only for old friends and some family) ------------- https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 17:55
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As SoCal goes Pasadena is lovely with all the trees and nice neighborhoods, my grandma lived on San Pasqual St. until she passed. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 19:01
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I've become far more selective over the past couple decades. Once you reach a certain amount of CDs and records, the need to purchase more is lessened. I only get things that I really enjoy or haven't yet added to my collection from the early and mid-20th century. All physical product, no Spotify. The issue is compounded with me as I also have an expansive library of books. I'll let my kids sort it out once I kick the bucket. That should be hilarious.  ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Valdez
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 20:56
------------- https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine |
Posted By: Mikich
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 21:01
| I still buy CDs. When possible, I order from the artist website so that they make a sale and get some money. Also, the album sales can apparently be a factor when they decide where to play when they tour. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: July 09 2025 at 21:51
| While I haven't bought any cds in a few months (just taking a break I guess) I totally relate. I'm not sure how many cds I have but probably somewhere between 3k and 5k. The weird thing is I have a lot of stuff I want, some stuff I don't want but there's still a lot of stuff I want that I don't yet have (with regards to not just prog but other genres too). Such is the problem with being an obsessive music fan. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 03:51
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I thought there was a limit to how many albums you could add to your library? Maybe that's only the free version. The only problem I have with it is that I sometimes add interesting looking albums so I can listen to them at a later date, then I forget and come across them months later and have no idea why I added them. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 05:58
^ At AwesomeProg you can mark releases for exploration, and you can also add a text note to each one  ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 09:10
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So, yeah, collecting's Achilles' heel tends to be storage and having so much that you don't know what you have and end up buying it again. Since I've been buying more and more downloads (mostly because the band doesn't have physical product), I've finally started seeing the usefulness of not having everything in physical format - it saves space and in most cases costs less. So, I'm in the planning stages of ripping my CD collection (ca. 2200+ albums) with the idea of boxing up the cheaper, less collectible CDs (probably will use Discogs to get an idea of value). This will allow my shelving to always have room for the more collectible ones. I built my own shelving and I've calculated that it should store about 3200 CDs. Some of it has been temporarily hijacked in recent weeks by some baseball cards (another storage project I need to figure out). I'm also doing a book weeding project. I used to have about 1500 books, but that is now half that size as I've replaced those I got rid of with PDF versions (it helps to have access to e-book collections at an academic library). I've found switching to PDF from physical to be a natural evolution since my job has involved computers since the 1990s. I do sometimes take my laptop to bed to read. Sounds weird, but works for me. Anyway, I'm guilty of having a collection where many things may never get listened to again due to the size of the collection. For some reason, it doesn't bother me. With billions of people on the planet and it being so much easier to produce your own music without a record company's involvement, we were bound to become overwhelmed by art. The Prog Archives database has almost 13,000 bands and artists and over 90,000 albums, EPs, singles, etc. All we can ever hope for is that we scratch the surface of such a database and hope we find something that means something to us. I believe there are over 2 million artists on Bandcamp. Good luck with that one! ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 10:22
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When collecting turns into hoarding then that's potentially an issue - I collect a lot of stuff, music & movies mostly, but from time to time I weed out stuff that I know I will never want to listen to / watch again... and pass it on to dealers or charity shops for others to enjoy. ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 10:24
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A collection also needs to be well organised so you can pinpoint anything easily, and know what you've already got. For example my music is stored alphabetically by artist, and then by original release date. ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 15:52
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^ Yeah an easily overlooked aspect, same with movies & series. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: July 11 2025 at 16:02
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My DVD/Blu-ray collection is split into loose genres e.g. arthouse, mainstream, family, superheroes, vampire themed, etc etc, and then simply alphabetcally by title. My music DVD's/Blu-rays and box sets are in a separate storage cupboard. ------------- "Christ, where would rock & roll be without feedback?" - D. Gimour |