What makes a record collection "great"?

Dear Badboss429: I own thousands of LPs and from this point of view i can't say it is a great collection but I own around 300-350 LPs ( the other " thousands " are all full of " dust ". ) that when I hear any one I really enjoy the music.
These 300-350 ( maybe a little more ) are the ones that I usualy hear and from this point of view my LPs library is a great one.

When I hear/listen to these " great collection " LPs the only subject that exist is the music: no hardware, no VTA changes each side, no AZ changes, no ..., no..., etc, even no volume changes. These records are the ones that really " move " me.
In this " great collection " are different kind/genre of music and different kind of recordings: vintage, re-issues, audiophile ones, etc, etc.
These collection is " my music " is what I like and certainly is a great colletion only for me and no one else.

Till today in that collection are the Lp's that I want to have and till today I'm not looking for something special for that collection.
Of course that I don't know every recording out there and certainly there are several LPs that if I hear it ( for the first time ) some time will belong to my " great collection ".

+++++ " but no one has ever complimented me on having a great collection. " +++++

Badboss429 IMHO you don't need it. The best compliment about is the one that comes from your self!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Who Cares? I buy music I like and I listen to it with no concern of anyone's opinion but mine. It's my sandbox, my rules.

Good question.
But like the others, it's what moves you that matters. Sometimes that same LP will have a profound effect on a friend, or young audiophile to-be.
I have about 1200 LPs.
There are a few gems which really do it for me and I tend to play certain records for a specific mood.
Classical: maybe my favorite Mozart Quartet, or Bach LP.
Jazz: could be Herb Ellis and Joe Pass on guitars. Or Coltrane, Miles.
Swing and dance: Bob Wills
Rock: Stones, Los Lobos, The Clash
But there are many others which lead me to and from the few which remain in circulation.

A great record is one that moves YOU.
The more records you have that move YOU the greater the collection.

I like Jwong thoughts about a great collection in book terms. I do not own many 1st pressings except those that I bought back in the day. Not sure my collection would classify as great. But it has a slant on music that is tailored to my taste and so as others has said that makes it great to me. Along with my USA pressings, i do have a handful of english, german and Japanese pressing that do sound very good as well as a small group of mofi/nautilus records. But what makes it special to me is the fact that i listen to them. I have a friend that has a collection of several hundred with many being 1st pressings or rarities. He has not owned a table in 15 years. (yeah such a crime). But his collection is worth far more money than mine because of his selections based on rarity and cover condition vs a musical theme. Whos collection is greatest. Mine of course:^)