Somewhat related:<p>While record shopping in Hong Kong I managed to get over to Kowloon to a tiny walk-up record store that had 1000s of used LPs stacked in boxes. The store was so crowded no more than 4 people could be in it at one time and searching LPs involved having the owner do feats of acrobatics to shuffle boxes around. Most of it was junk, but he did have some gems if you told him what you were looking for.<p>After buying a few inches worth I talked to the owner a bit: He had, by his estimate, 200k LPs, most of which were off site in storage. He had moved to Kowloon from the mainland without a dollar to his name and lived on the street. When CDs hit the scene (I'm guessing mid-80s to early 90s) the status-conscious HK residents started literally dumping their LP collections out on the curb. Decidedly forward-looking for a homeless guy, the owner started collecting them in one pile on whatever street he occupied. He slept under the same plastic tarp that protected his collection from the rain for 20 years.<p>When the vinyl resurgence hit he did a fairly brisk business, was able to buy some property and a Harley. He met the president of Harley Davidson while he was in HK -- something that got him visibly excited when he talked about it. Pretty cool guy.
Anybody else into collecting/digitizing large volumes of vinyl from all sorts of strange countries? If so let's talk, my Soulseek username is "freitas62".<p><a href="https://gist.github.com/anonymous/12240984d874d428ef51" rel="nofollow">https://gist.github.com/anonymous/12240984d874d428ef51</a>
My grandfather used to service and collect money from juke boxes, they used 45s in his day. When the song went out of rotation it usually ended up in the trash, however he kept a large number of them. Put them all in similar size boxes so that they stood upright. The interesting part to me was that collectors wanted these not for the songs but for the sleeves.<p>Vinyl is interesting and for older folks it can take you back to your childhood. I am long past my days of listening to equipment, I want my music as clean as I can get
Interesting story, but I wonder if there really is any value in preserving all this stuff? When I read about the efforts to save disappearing websites, I wonder the same thing. Isn't there some value in letting things just disappear, like dead trees rotting in the woods? I used to joke about a paid service that would come to your house and take all your old photos and movies, and throw them out for you...
I've spent time in both Pittsburgh and Brazil and it brings a tear to my eye to see someone so passionate about music and so much logistical interconnection happening between those two places, it's like a thunderbolt through my former years.
To each his own, but I find this an exercise in futility.
After having 3 collections stolen / destroyed, I will never buy physical CDs or DVDs or vinyl ever again. I don't see the point.
But if it makes him happy, why not.