LP collection management...what do you guys do?

Yes, I agree Tvad, my only point was that if you complain about the nature of posts, maybe offer a suggestion or solution. So, your point is well taken and it extended mine. :-)

Jsujo, I have always been generally loathe to part with LP's I've acquired. It's one reason why I now have most of the many LP's I bought over about 35 years when new, first pressings. Some of these I didn't play much but have since reacquired a taste for them, making me glad that I kept them. Others, I always liked, and some I've grown away from.

I have always been a listener, as opposed to a collector of trophies, like some collectors tend to be. "Smoke 'em if you got 'em", to borrow a phrase. As such, I have come to the conclusion that if I don't play some LP's much and don't have plans to play them much, they really should be in the hands of someone who will enjoy them. As such, I have sold a number of very fine LP's here on Audiogon and elsewhere and subsquently used every dime of the proceeds to buy other LP's which receive frequent play. I have had a twang or two of regret over some I've sold, but it is outweighed by the enjoyment of the replacements.

For instance, I used to have a TON of MFSL's but found that, in MANY cases, other pressing were sonically superior and so sold quite a number of those. I think the only real solution for YOU is to part or not to part with those LP's that you find enjoyable, or not. If you are into any of the records as a financial investment of some sort, that is a different story.

Wow, you must have posted while I was writing. Seems like we are in at least partial agreement.

I agree with the idea of selling what doesn't get played. LPs rarely fetch published "collector" prices (along with other so-called collectibles), so the concept of selling a valuable collection for profit doesn't often prove true.

While I don't buy LPs, I do buy plenty of CDs, and I often turn around and sell them immediately if I kow I won't be listening to them much.

I actually gave my 2 cents as headcoat@hotmail, I've since joined the group. You see 10 out of 12 responses talk about databases, kinda sad. But look! now it's on topic.

MD: I regret the fact that my thread appeared so off the mark. That was not my intent. Perhaps that is a defect of having a music collection that has reached the point where I do not always recall exactly what I own or when that was last played. Couple that with daily life stuff; for me, I needed more than just recall to manage my collection. Now that I use a mgt. system that can collate , isolate/merge , etc. I have printed and computer information ,as well as, the ability to draw from industry databases that provides me with abundent options to assist with making decisions on weither to keep,discard or sell certian LPs/Cds. Since my musical tastes/tectnologies range from Edison cylinders thru to DVDs from rare 1884-09 red/blk. cylinders of irish folk songs to rare 78s of forty's swing,jazz and early rock to thousands of Lps and Cds I feel very confortable making my decisions as if it were asset management. And if you know anything about value ($$$$) you should recognize that early,mint, edision cylinders with playback machines are the "holy grail" of collecting. Music collecting and playback equipment are a foundation of my lifestyle.Cheers- Charlie