should i start collecting 45's?

[goldenryan]

are there good deals to be found at garage sales and ebay?
i think there are too many beatles collectors out there so i'm more interested in doors, and hendrix . i like the all thing 60's style i guess.

[Mikey]

45's aren't doing very good as collectibles

[cjefferys]

I've always wanted to get an old jukebox and then hunt for 45's of songs and bands I like. That would be fun.

[toys2cool]

they're pretty cheap at flea markets and thrift shops

[Bill]

Right now, and right very much now because vinyl seems to be bouncing back. I'm stealing some nice late 80's early 90's stuff for about what it cost back then.
Best Buy has already committed to eight linear feet, which doesn't doesn't sound like much, but if they're interested there's a reason.

[jimbutsu]

I echo Bill- Vinyl is coming back, as a niche at the very least. I just need a couple grand to buy a cleaning machine for my records and I'd be all set!

[The Toyroom]

If vinyl is coming back I better get a new player! I'm the only one in the household though who appreciates the pops and cracks of a 45....

[cjefferys]

There's been a vinyl niche for quite some time now, and it's definitely increasing. Best Buy making space for the format is proof of this. One thing I now see is some bands releasing an album on vinyl that also includes a code for downloading the album in mp3 format. For one price, you get a great sounding record for your turntable, plus mp3s for your ipod. Nice idea.

The one thing is that vinyl really appeals mainly to audiophiles. Most people don't listen to music the way they used to. These days, only a small percent of people sit down just to enjoy music with headphones, etc. (it seems like people used to do this more often in the "old days". I know I did). Today, most people use music mainly in the background while driving, walking, exercising, working, etc. Vinyl is obviously not practical for that, and this is one reason why inferior sounding, but highly portable, mp3s became so popular.

[kryptosmaster]

Here's one to make you feel old.
About 15 years ago I was at a friends house and they had a teenage daughter at the time (probably born late 70's, early 80's). A song came on the tv or radio or something and the girl commented that she liked the song. I said, "I have the 45". She said, "What's a 45?"

I always bought singles. Wasn't much into albums and I always tried to get the early releases of the 45s since they usually had picture sleeves or limited editions like colored vinyl or a poster or something. I still have quite a few like that as well as a stack of 45s that would probably be 4-6 feet tall if stacked on top of each other.
I play them occasionally but really need to get a new belt for my good turntable.
Rich

[Cosmicman]

Send me your address. I got five thousand worthless 45s coming your way!

[megoat]

45's aren't doing very good as collectibles

Um, I'm not quite sure what you mean. There are 45's that sell for $1000+ EVERYDAY on eBay.

If you are after common 45's then yeah, many can be had for a dollar or two--especially in sub par condition. But if you are into rare soul or rare punk or rare funk or rare rockabilly etc. etc. expect to spend BIG $$$$. Like all collectibles it's all about taste and rarity. Common stuff goes cheap, rare stuff goes big.

And this whole "vinyl is coming back" idea is kinda weak. IT NEVER WENT AWAY. I, for one, never stopped buying records, and record collecting, like any collector's field, has it's ups and downs.

And most collectors that are deep in the game DO NOT LIKE SNAPS AND POPS. Condition is key, like in most collectibles. That'd be like Mego collectors saying they like missing parts, frayed capes and paint rubs.

But to answer your question--if you are after classic rock 45's then you will find a VERY affordable hobby. Most popular/classic songs were sold in the MILLIONS so the supply BY FAR outweighs the demand. It terms of record collecting, collecting the HITS is very easy. It's like getting into MEGO and only going after Spiderman and the Hulk. Pretty easy.

The tough pulls in record collecting are rarities--small labels and regional groups that pressed records in runs of only a few hundred....

[Joe90]

I've recently had discussions with my High School age students about vinyl vs digital. Many swear that vinyl sounds better. Being the teacher, I've got them to express why they feel that way. Interesting answers: some are perceptive, others are clueless. One of the boys has an older brother who is a sound engineer and he explained it to his brother that music was like a pretty girl sitting in a room; vinyl was soft, indirect lighting that made her look shadowy and mysterious, while digital was like a 500 watt halogen, showing off every imperfection.

Personally, I believe that the warp in the record creates a subsonic pulse that although we can't consciously hear, we still respond to, like babies in the womb. That's why people often describe vinyl as being "more organic" sounding than digital. What could sound more organic than a steady pulse?

[megoat]

Vinyl sounds great because their is an ACOUSTIC sound to the music. There is a physical representation of the music--the needle is picking up vibrations from the needle passing thru the wax.

Play a record. Turn the volume ALL THE WAY DOWN. You can still hear the record being played ACOUSTICALLY as the needle moves thru the grooves. The stylus just amplifies this thru your speakers.

IT'S A GREAT SOUND!

[cjefferys]

I've wanted to get some Misfits singles for years. Those bastids are expensive!

[livnxxxl]

are there good deals to be found at garage sales and ebay?

I tend to think so. I am really no collector of records although I have been known to pick some up here and there. Every now and then I see some really great deals on boxes of records.