[dumaisaudio]

I'm curious if others have a criteria to when they sell off records in their collection. If you haven't listened to it in a year? Two years? Never?

I probably have around 1,000 records (which I know by some standards isn't much at all), and started to think about how I have many I haven't listened to in over a year or more. I've got a finite amount of shelf space, so I'm basically maxed out and I don't want to add more. It's probably also a life thing too, just thinking about what stuff I have and if I really need it all.

[freshoj]

My biggest motivations for purging are a) I want more money to buy different records and b) I want my collection to always be 'all killer and no filler' and c) I also have finite space which I think is ideal.

the 'all killer' criteria evolves over the years as my collecting focus changes (i no longer want any release on label X or I no longer want every album by band Y, etc).

for the finite space thing, I have room for around 1000 records in my primary shelf and after collecting for 20+ years, I think that seems like about the right amount for me (given the restrictions on listening time). I do occasionally fantasize about cutting it down to 200 or something like that - talk about all killer! this fantasy also usually involves me moving to live in Europe as a young bachelor (and I am an old married man).

[bpwlogan]

I sold a little bit 15 years or so ago. I've sold almost nothing since then. I really need to have a sale especially on the numerous doubles that I've accumulated. I would say 1000 records is a perfect amount. Go any further in this you'll need to rent a storage locker, and that's another big pain in itself.

[monsterworship]

Over the years I have found that my problem with purging is that eventually I will buy back everything that I sold previously, so it is best to keep everything

I am actually being more selective about new records that I buy, but I am less selective about used records since I dig weekly and I can get 3-5 used records for the cost of 1 new one.

I have about 3k LPs, 600 7"s, 300 cassettes, 500 CDs but I have been hoarding since around 1989.

[dumaisaudio]

I've definitely become more selective recently. I finally stopped buying everything Death Waltz released, and buy only select titles from the other soundtrack labels now. For new stuff, it has to be something I know I'll spin a lot or a band I really want to support.

I can understand the part about selling stuff and regretting it. I sold a bunch of black metal CD's and a few records about 7 or 8 years ago, and now do regret selling some of that stuff, and have been lucky enough to be able to get some of it back a good cost.

I've got a 2x4 Expedit, plus another Ikea shelf that equivalent to a 1x4 row of an Expedit. I'm probably going to try to purge around 100 if I can. Then the question is how to sell them, as sometimes they can sit around on eBay or Discogs for a while, and taking them to a local shop guarantees I'll get half of their value.

[lowbrow38]

I used to radically purge my record collection every ten years. I had a huge collection of HC/punk records which I sold at the end of the 80's (something I could regret when I see some prices on Discogs, for Misfits early singles or Dischord debut catalog), shifted to metal and industrial, sold a big part of this collection in the end of the 90's, and then again in 2010-2012. Since then I regularly purge my collection mainly to make some money to buy more records (or to expand my art collection). All in all, i've sold thousands of vinyls but still have LPs and Eps by the hundreds and CDs by the thousands. The virus is still deeply incrusted in my body and still rules my wallet........

[hncreature]

Years ago I dumped my 90's garage singles collection of well over 500+ because I didn't really listen to 7"s that much...or at all...I'd rather listen to more songs on an Lp than flip...flip...flip - Like mosterworship said I did go back and pick up some I did let go...not all but some good and pricey ones - When I moved from San Diego to Klamath Falls Oregon I did a record show and dumped well over 500 Lps based on what was I really listening to - I weeded out lots of 90's garage and comps...lots of 80s/90s hardcore mostly bands that sounded like other bands or after all the years really didn't resonate with my listening tastes - I went through all my genres and kept what I felt was the best...meant the most to me at the time...friend's bands - In that time since being in Klamath Falls I've had to get more record shelves in that short period of time than I have in many many years so I guess that also falls under what jmctodo said and the moving some on to buy more - I'm sure it will be a never ending cycle...

[thenuthouse]

I have about 1600 LPs and go through them about once every 6 months to cull stuff I bought in a dollar bin frenzy or something like that. Sometimes, things that sounded good for one listen aren't anything I want to play over and over.

[sleeptowin]

I have about 2500 lps, been collecting since I was 13 (im now 38!..)
my collection is always growing/ shrinking. sometimes I get into a new genre or sub genre and I need everything, then over time that everything becomes just the important bits, the rest gets sold off to fund new purchases.
ive given to charity a lot as well, though charity shops don't stock as much vinyl as they used to.

I limit my collection to a 2x4 and a 4x4 ikea expedit, though im in the process of upgrading to a 5x5 (one extra square!). once that's full, then I need to prune the collection and find something else to buy.

I still have records from when I was 13, I have brand new releases still in shrink.. I just love records

[pyrexia]

I'm actually struggling with this right now. I go through a purge every few years, but it tends to be pretty minor. Right now I am looking at my Kallas/Expedit (2 4x4, 3 2x4) shelves and am wondering where to trim.

7"s and CDs tend to be easy, as I rarely listen, but LPs are rough. I have been using the "all killer" for older bands like Yes or Rush, but there is a lot of nostalgia in there for punk, hardcore, and metal.

[Hatter313]

I've become more selective, but like @monsterworship, i dig pretty frequently and will often get a huge haul of used LPs which i am less selective of simply because the costs are generally lower. there are also bands that i want to be a completist on, so apart from my soundtrack collecting, there's a whole host of early punk, garage rock, and goth bands that I want full discographies of. i'm also a book a and film collector, so i just keep putting up more shelving. haha