Best Ways to Organize a Classical Record LP Collection ?

My two cents on this - really the only reason to organize by label would be if you consider yourself more of a collector, or if you are more interested in the sonics of a recording than the performance.  

As a professional musician, the concept of organizing by label is a little bizarre, as I am first and foremost interested in the performance.  I organize by composer, then by genre, then chronologically within each genre.  I do keep multi-composer albums separate, and those are organized by Orchestral, Choral, Chamber Music, etc.  Soloist albums are organized by instrument, and alphabetical by soloist.   

If you are a big time collector, though, then organizing by label would make perfect sense, as you could just file it by the catalog number.  You also don't have to put near as much thought into it if you go that route.  

Man ct, it's gonna take you years to listen to them all! A nice problem to have. I was getting so many promos and other free albums when I was a Tower buyer that I couldn't listen to them all before the next batch came in (weekly). I finally now am able to listen to those unheard albums in my remaining years, hearing new music on a daily basis. So much music, so little time! I have resorted to prioritizing; surely I need to hear the Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart (substitute your own taste here) pieces that I have yet to before that of other, lesser (to me) composers. And then there's the new Pop (Rock 'n' Roll, Bluegrass, Singer/Songwriter) and improved reissues of old favorites (The Beach Boys, The Band) and previously unissued historical material (Dylan) to keep up with. I just feel blessed to have been born (this time ;-) when recordings exist. How fortunate we are!

Pryso
Ct, my perspective is different since I’m not greatly knowledgeable about classical music plus my collection is much smaller than what many others seem to own.

Hi Pryso I was exposed to classical through playing the trombone - Grade school, Jr High and High School. I think this is also where my strong bias for bass comes from. But if those teachers found out I could not name classical works today if my life depended on it, they would give me a detention for a month. Love listening to it but don’t ask me who and what except for the really popular works. Opera really gets to me. I start singing - well more like howling. I don’t speak or understand Italian or German. Marriage Tip - let your wife catch you in one of these moments. She will get confused, maybe a little worried. You will gain leverage.

Learsfool
My two cents on this - really the only reason to organize by label would be if you consider yourself more of a collector, or if you are more interested in the sonics of a recording than the performance.

Yes I agree with that. By bringing these records in whether I like it or not - I have become a sort of collector. I will never get to them all.
One thing for sure. Buy vinyl off of collectors. They were never played. Music Lover lps will probably be worn out and noisy.

Learsfool
As a professional musician, the concept of organizing by label is a little bizarre, as I am first and foremost interested in the performance.

True Story

I was discussing these works. Click on this link and you hear the sample tracks.

http://ultraanaloguerecordings.com/wpsite/sample-tracks/

with a musician and an audiophile. Both of them who happen to post here on AudioGon. I won’t say who they are - :^)
And they don’t know this part either or probably don’t remember their comments to me through email.

Cds were sent to both.
The "Audiophile" loved the music and the sonics.
The "musician" thought their performances were just ok, no other comments were given on the sonics.

almarg - If and when you find London/Decca recordings engineered by Kenneth Wilkinson, however, who retired from Decca in 1980, consider them to have an excellent chance of being sonic masterpieces.

Thanks Al - I will be on the lookout for this. I have found some EMI Japanese recordings and other lps I have pulled that look really unique some really old - 1940 ! Most of the pressing are from England, Germany, Holland. The ones from Canada seem to be from Montreal. Some US, French pressings, other countries as well.

a couple I like

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RUGGIERO-RICCI-LP-Paganini-Violin-Co-2-Decca-Gold-LabeL-DL-710106-NM-SHRINK-...

http://classicrecords.co.uk/product/emi-asd-3255-haydn-cello-concertos-in-d-c-rostropovich-asmf/

Bdp24 - Man ct, it’s gonna take you years to listen to them all!

yeah I already had enough music to last more than my life time and I knew what it was, and sort of knew....where it was located. kind of a ridiculous chaos right now. Just high level sorting just to see what is what - I have been pulling 7 -10 lps a day at random and listening to them. If really good and I like I put them aside. Doing searches on Ikea Expedite’s ....
Found 5 or 6 copies of 1812 Overture so far. These lps are like trying to find a good clean copy of Supertramp’s Even in the Quietest Moments LP. Hard to find a quiet one - played too many times. Fun lp  

Nice problem to have, CT.

I have two special sections for 45RPM, audiophile / favourite recordings, 100 or so that I don't want to lose track of, everything else is roughly chronological, with blocks for baroque trumpet, etc.

terry9
Nice problem to have...

Hi terry9

I guess it depends on your viewpoint.

Some reading this thread would think I have lost my mind - especially those who are all digital. They would probably pay someone to take these away. btw - if you are like this and have good records pls contact me :^)

Then there is the music professional who provides music lessons to students and is not an audiophile. He / she 'could maybe" also see these records as a royal PITA. fwiw - I have listened to my fraternal twins daughter on a 1957 Heintzman, and her brother on an acoustic guitar for about 12 ? years. No two performances by either of them were ever the same.

Myself, these records right now, are keeping me from preparing my tax documents for the accountant. And I am expecting a good refund. 

Some of these records although in great shape and worth quite a bit from internet searches, sound like the music is coming from cans. Regardless of label they are being placed aside for investment or to offer for sale later. I have no use for them. Maybe ebm being the collector would be interested ?
  
The ones that get my endorphins flowing are put in another row - regardless of label. I will not let a record that looks in good shape go without listening to it first myself.

For some reason this light fixture in this one room shows up markings on records really well and helps me determine if they are worthy for cleaning.
I have bought used records that looked mint and when seen through this light, well..... its like the mirrors in your house. You know there is one that shows you good, and then that other one that make you look really really bad.