[Volzom Zofbie]

A psychological diagnosis of the ‘sickness’ known more commonly as record collecting.



Music writer Simon Reynolds suggested that music collecting can wander off track into destructive behaviour – obsessiveness, completism, and consumer fetishism – often combined with an “idiot savant” level of data accumulation. He thinks of it as a “particularly ‘masculine’ sickness… related to the impulse to control, contain, master what actually masters, ravishes, disorganizes you.” Or, he says, perhaps record collecting should be seen as a “perverse consumerism” that literally “eats up your life.”

Read more HERE

[monsterworship]

My local landmark record store, found a crazy rare 78, of which they traded to R Crumb (the illustrator shown) for an original drawing of them to be used on their store shirt.

[deafmetal]

@VZ - I was just reading this article yesterday, good recommendation. I also love the R. Crumb artwork.

[DISCOSUCKS...]

Interesting piece - I think the bit at the bottom is pretty spot on, regarding most of the collecting I hear about on this forum :

In fact, Belk’s research indicates that collectors are often more careful about their consumer activities than are non-collectors, adjusting to limitations in time, money, and effort by being self-aware and conscious in their purchasing decisions.

[deafmetal]

@disco - Agreed, I felt it was a good ending paragraph for the article. Obviously, some of the negative tone will put most of us on the defensive, but it's worthwhile to think about these things. Although I spend a good deal of my income on vinyl, I do find myself acutely aware of my budget and expenses, and find myself not purchasing a lot of "things I don't really need".