In the inconspicuous courtyards of the old Arbat there is a real amber room for vinyl music lovers. The store is simply and clearly called VinylMarket and is located in the basement of a residential building. In this basement, the owners were able to create a bright and spacious room with 15 thousand records. No matter how valuable the record is, you can listen to everything on the spot. Mostly here you can find classic rock records from the 60s and 70s, the catalog of which is presented here in almost its entirety. There are also new records, but they are not the overwhelming majority. In addition to classic rock, the sophisticated music lover will be surprised to discover a whole corner of New Wave style records here. And then he turns 180 degrees and sees a corner with Russian rock records. And then he will understand that he cannot leave here empty-handed, since the prices are very reasonable.

What I found there:

To be honest, I have never seen the original Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures – on sale in Moscow before. I also haven’t seen that almost the entire discography of the first editions of The Beatles and The Doors was located on the wall. First press of The Velvet Underground – saw it, but not at such a ridiculous price. Lately everyone wants Kino records, of which there are as many as 16 in VinylMarket. A whole box of records from Vertigo, where the first Black Sabbath presses sit quietly and inconspicuously. These seem to be very valuable records (don’t breathe on them, don’t touch them!), but no, here they are – take them and listen!

After 5 copies of Sex Pistols – Nevermind The Bollocks, I lost count of what I carried to the checkout.

Photo - DIG →

DIG is a small store located between the Kitay-Gorod and Taganskaya metro stations. It was opened 6 years ago and has changed its location more than once. Today it is located on Staraya Basmannaya.

A DIY (Do It Yourself) style store, that’s probably why it’s called that. The selection at first glance may seem modest, but this should not confuse you for the reason that there is not much space in this store, and therefore the entire assortment is not laid out. The sellers are the coolest and most famous people in narrow circles: Petya Shinawatra and Vanya Smekalin. If you wander there, you can safely ask them about everything that interests you. You may not find the first edition of some Led Zeppelin, but you can easily find underground ones that are not sold anywhere else. In addition, all our releases of the so-called “new Russian wave” will definitely end up there, if not on vinyl, then on cassette. Rock classics are also present. There is a lot of Soviet and Russian vinyl on display, there is a section of discounted records, and you can also bring your records here to wash them from dirt and dust for only 50 rubles.

What I found there:

One day I went there for a seven-inch The Exploited. At that time Vanya was washing a Dead Kennedys Halloween record (great thing!). The irony is that on the day we met, Halloween was celebrated. I also bought a rare thing from Vanya - the Pink Floyd record “It’s a pity that you’re not here.” That's right: this is a pirate released by the great Soviet vinyl maker Andrei Tropillo. And The Clash's debut album turned out to be a very pleasant find.

3.Vinyl-Time

Address: Tulskaya metro station, Kholodilny lane, 2
Monday-Friday 12:00-20:00
Saturday 12:00-17:00
Sunday 12:00-17:00

Photo - Yandex →

This is a small store near the Tulskaya metro station. Despite its size, the most interesting specimens of all musical genres are collected here. Vinyl from the 70s and 80s, I haven’t seen any modern reissues there. The seller is a charismatic middle-aged music lover who will not refuse to talk to you about specific copies and will allow you to listen to whatever you want. And in this store you will find many first editions of your favorite albums and other interesting things. Next to the turntable, where you can listen to rare records, there is a shelf with CDs - there are also a lot of rare things there.

My mind was struck by the original album of The Doors Strange Days. This means that this record was released in 1967, during Jim Morisson's lifetime. Incredible energy emanates from it, as does the Black Sabbath Paranoid record, also a first edition, which sits next to it. But the coolest discovery was an incredibly ancient Ella Fitzgerald record, which I asked him to let me listen to: it was something with something.

Photo -

Go ahead. If underground and old records don’t interest you, then let’s go to Maroseyka Street. An almost inconspicuous store, but sometimes incredible things happen there. The store mainly sells modern vinyl and reissues, but does have a few older records. The latest releases will be waiting for you here, so if you want to buy the album that came out yesterday on vinyl, this is your place. Large selection of CDs, even more than vinyl. They also sell badges, books, comics and many other interesting goodies. After you've looked at the pristine sealed records, you can drink coffee and snack on a bun: there is a cafe in the store.

In general, this is an ordinary store with records that were released no earlier than five to ten years ago. I wouldn’t tell you about it if it weren’t for this incident: one day I was looking for a record that was quite rare for Moscow and was already desperate to find it. Seeing Iggy Pop looking at me from the cover of the Raw Power record from the window, I thought I might as well come in. Absolutely without any hope, I decided to ask the seller if they had what I had been looking for for weeks:

– Tell me, do you have Tool vinyl?
- There are a couple.
– What kind of album? – I asked with undisguised excitement.
“Lateralus,” they answered me.

This is the treasured album that I'm tired of looking for.

The only thing I was now interested in was whether this store accepted bank cards. Our dialogue with the seller has ended, but I no longer ignore this store and do not recommend it to you. Its small size does not indicate the paucity of assortment.

5. New Art

Address: metro Trubnaya, Butyrskaya st., 5
Monday-Friday 10:00-21:00
Saturday-Sunday 11:00-21:00

Photo - New Art →

It's like World of Cinema, but bigger. In general, both of these stores belong to the same Stuffology website. This store has the same selection as its smaller brother, but instead of just one Swans record, you'll find four. Sometimes you come across old editions for reasonable prices. In addition, in the premises of this store sits a nice tattooed guy who sells his records separately from the store, and his selection is much more interesting than that of his landlords, forgive my arrogance. And this store now houses the rock store “Uncle Bory’s”. A kind of tower-teremok, not low, not high - everyone stays together.

I don’t know why, but in this store, in addition to all sorts of experimental groups and Robert Plant’s solo albums, there was an amazing selection of metal. My friend bought an old Slayer Seasons In The Abyss record, which I, for one, really love. I also came across David Bowie's Earthling record there. At one time, critics tore this album to smithereens, and therefore it was not released in large numbers. And he was in this store. I have no idea what it did there, but it didn’t sit there for a long time, and someone managed to buy it before me. However, I’m all about store goods, and the tattooed guy was selling no less cool things. For example, the first edition of Rock'n Roll High School Ramones in cellophane. This means that no one had ever listened to this record, and it was waiting for me. Eh, it’s a pity that I didn’t have any money.

Photo - Maximum Vinyl →

But this is another DIY-style store - a union of Moscow DJ Ilya Kot and Dmitry Spirin from the group Cockroaches!. But in fact, this store has more agents, and they travel to foreign festivals, communicate with vinyl sellers there and bargain with them. The more you take from the record seller, the greater the discount, and you don’t have to pay for delivery, because the guys literally carry records from abroad on their own backs. It may be difficult, but the prices in the store will pleasantly surprise you. And don’t be scared by the fact that everyone in this store looks like punks. You will buy from them Ozzy, and David Bowie, and The Cure, and The Doors, and Ghost, and everything else. The choice is huge! The guys often go to festivals and concerts, so look for them in clubs and other concert venues!

What I found there:

What's not there! For example, the concert of The Exploited, where I met Ilya, ended for me with the fact that I left the club with the Motorhead Ace Of Spades record. What made me most happy was the discovery of the debut solo album of my beloved Glenn Danzig. In general, this find alone is enough for me to recommend this store, but there is another story that connects me with it. One day I had to buy Tom Waits' album Rain Dogs. To my surprise, I discovered that not a single store “for serious people” sells this record. Actually none of the ones I'm telling you about today. There are plenty of other albums everywhere, but there are none about “rain dogs.” Again, without enthusiasm, I went to the Maximum Vinyl website and unexpectedly saw that they were selling this album in two copies. Not anywhere, but the punks had it, wow! Since then I have been very friends with Ilya.

Photo - Bunch of Questions →

Well, we got to the oldest store. I first came here as a schoolboy, when I wasn’t particularly interested in vinyl, but not so long ago I found myself here again and already asked to show me the records. I was taken to a room where all the records were on shelves. There were so many of them that it was pointless to look for anything, although now all this vinyl seems to be in the hall. In any case, look at the catalog online. There are also a lot of CDs and DVDs, many departments, old rock music in one room, classics in another. All vinyl is in one place and arranged alphabetically. There are modern records, there are past editions. A cult place - come see it.

What I found there:

Back in my school years, I definitely remember seeing discs there by Les Paul and Django Reinhardt, two guitar virtuosos. And there was a huge amount of punk rock: all the punk bands that I know today, I first saw on discs in Transylvania. But I bought vinyl there recently, and it was the last record of the same David Bowie. A gorgeous thing: there’s a pentagram on the cover, the album is designed in black, all the songs are about the Fall and other rabble, and the performer himself died shortly after the album’s release. And the name is BLACKSTAR! Natural black metal! I can say with confidence that I bought this record at the best price at which I could buy it in Moscow.

Photo - In contact with →

Actually, it's not really a vinyl store, it's more of a bookshop. However, there is also a music department with vinyl records, and there are some very interesting items in it, so we won’t ignore it. This is not even one store, it’s a network of stores, so it’s easier to look for the items you’re interested in in the catalog on the website. Mostly here you can find modern reissues of old albums or recently released releases. There are few records printed before the fall of the Berlin Wall, but some can be found.

There is a decent collection of Russian performers here, Aquarium, for example. Vinyls of such bands as Picnic, Chaif, Agatha Christie are also present in the Republic. There are very interesting things, including the Georgian group Mgzavrebi. But still, this store is aimed more at young people than at the older generation, so there are few Jethro Tull records here, but Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian are a cart and a small cart. However, such masters that everyone likes are presented without exception. I'm talking about Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave and David Bowie, where would we be without him. Without Bowie records, any store is doomed to failed sales; Bowie guards vinyl stores like a pantheistic god. Ha ha!

What I found there:

I was extremely pleased to discover the Dresden Dolls album No, Virginia, featuring a charming woman named Amanda Palmer. The thing is rare for our region, so it can be said to be a valuable find. From “Republic” I once took away a record of the same Dead Kennedys In God We Trust Inc. in a joyful and cheerful mood. I still listen to this album with pleasure, and it was sold for some ridiculous money.

Photo - tilbagevise →

If you've looked through all the above stores and haven't found anything interesting, rest assured, Sound Barrier will amaze you. This small, inconspicuous store is located in the courtyard of Stalinist houses in the Leninsky Prospekt area, and has the largest selection of vinyl in Moscow. What about Moscow! In Russia, for sure, and perhaps the range of records in this store is one of the widest in Europe. It's no joke - 150 thousand records in one place! Visiting guests often gasped at just one glance at the assortment.

There is so much vinyl that it doesn’t stay on the shelves; it is tied with rubber bands so as not to fall on your head. You'll have a hard time moving around this store because vinyl is everywhere. He's everywhere. Absolutely everything is collected here. Gramophone records, originals by Louis Armstrong, first editions of The Beatles, autographed records. All the cult groups that fill the T-shirts of the current so-called generation Y are here in such huge numbers that there is no point in listing individual performers. You can come here at any time and in 99% of cases you will find what you have been looking for.

And if you don’t find it, they will order you the record of your dreams, but this is a rare case. It happens that in the middle of this warehouse of records there are no seemingly ordinary things (Rain Dogs, Lateralus, Earthling for example). But you will see at least one record from your favorite band here, no matter what the group is. A huge number of bootlegs and first presses, our publications, foreign ones, and so on. In short, if you are asked to take someone to a vinyl record store in order to be sure to find something valuable for their ear, take them to the Sound Barrier - you can’t go wrong!

What I found there:

Everything that I couldn’t find in previous stores. But to make you understand how cool this store is, I will tell you a story. A couple of guests from abroad came to this store in search of a record by the group Sepsis. They, of course, found it there, and not satisfied with this, began to study the assortment further. The study went on for several hours and ended with the discovery of an album that they never expected to find in snowy Russia. It was the rare Achim Reichel & Machines Echo double album, which they had been searching all over the world for several years and could not find anywhere. Not on websites on the Internet, not in Japan, not in Europe, not in America, NOWHERE! And they found it in Russia! Can you imagine how this discovery broke their pattern?

Photo - Look At Me →

No I am not joking. Feel free to search for records on Avito, because this is a private sale and you can get a good deal here. Go to the website, select your city, then select the “Hobbies and Recreation” category and the “collectibles” subcategory. Now all you have to do is click on the word “records”, and you can search for what you want.

Keep in mind that you may not always be able to find a record in these categories because the seller may not assign a category to their item. Often, sellers simply advertise that they have a large number of records for sale, and it is better to call them to check availability, because it is simply unrealistic to advertise for every record. The easiest way, of course, is to buy a Soviet record on Avito, because in our country there is an abundance of this stuff. There are also collectors who sell their valuable records, which are not even available in the Sound Barrier. It’s easy to find Andrey Tropilo’s records (popularly “AnTrops”) on Avito. They are valuable because Tropillo had to use his ingenuity in order to release the record and not receive a lawsuit from the copyright holder. His resourcefulness knew no bounds: all titles and proper nouns were translated into Russian, and the design included such changes that it could no longer be called a copy. That’s who came up with the Lead Airship and the group Weird (that’s how The Cure was translated) with the album “Three Unreal Boys”.

Just look at what AnTrop created - you will laugh for a long time, especially when you find out where the production and recording took place - namely in the premises of the Lutheran Church of St. Petersburg. Abroad, these records cost 50 euros, but here they cost 300 rubles.

What I found there:

Again, a Dead Kennedys record for mere pennies, sealed in cellophane. Or, for example, one day I urgently needed to buy a Black Sabbath record - thanks to Avito, I brought Master Of Reality home that same day. I bought and vinyl Studzhiz “House of Kaif” from a nice employee of the Tretyakov Gallery who was chewing on a toothpick. Then I came across Lou Reed and John Cale's album Songs for Drella. A brand new Tom Waits record, Swordfishtrombones, was also found there.

And all these are AnTropes (except for Dead Kennedys), which in themselves are a historical rarity. They cost me no more than 500 rubles each, I’m saying this just in case. On Avito I also came across a color edition of the Mastodon Leviathan album at a very nice price, which was signed by guitarist Bill Keliher. Moreover, this album is as difficult to obtain even without an autograph as Lateralus and Earthling.

By the way, here I found another Tool album – Undertow on two vinyls. A nice young woman sold it to me, gave me the same album on disk and also gave me a discount because the side of one of the records was scratched in some way unknown to her. But all this cannot be compared with the time when I arranged a meeting with the person from whom I wanted to buy the debut album of The Velvet Underground. I haven’t had the record for a long time, but I’m still friends with the seller.

Photo - Bag →

This is another site, but this time an online auction. Here, sometimes you will need to place your bet on time. And if you are cunning and placed a bid 1 second before the end of the auction, then the auction will last another 15 minutes, and so on after each subsequent bid, so be patient. Some lots can be bought without bidding, some no one bids on, so go for it. Thousands and thousands of records, disks, cassettes, coins, stamps, photographs and other valuables are collected here. This is simply a paradise for collectors of all stripes, where you can find the most incredible things.

What I found there:

With great pleasure I bought the debut album of Dire Straits here for an amount that would easily cost me a meal at McDonald's. With even greater pleasure, I found here the first English edition of Disentegration The Cure, also for a mere penny for a record that was new in condition.

But all these beautiful things cannot compare with my main trophy. As I usually do (without enthusiasm), I once typed the following combination of words into a search engine: Diamanda Galas & John Paul Jones – Sporting Life. This album was pressed on vinyl in England in 1994 in a single edition, because the whole world at that time switched to CD. And none of the stores I mentioned above had this record, and there shouldn’t have been. I already thought that I was looking for a black cat in a dark room where there was none, since this record was firmly entrenched in the collections of audiophiles of all stripes, and in Russia there was absolutely no point in looking for it.

However, the site stubbornly proved to me that one copy of this demonic album is located in Tver. This record was not cheap, but I could not allow this album to fall into the hands of a fat speculator who was beaten for his troubles in the Soviet Union, and passed by the one who should have it in his collection. It’s good that I have friends living in Tver, since I would not have survived the transportation of this record by Russian Post.

Photo - →

And this is the last and most reliable option. This is a site for music collectors and features every edition of every record ever released. Detailed descriptions for each record, photographs of the sleeve, inner sleeve, apple, matrix, nuances of the editions - it’s all here. People who create an account on Discogs put their records up for sale, some even with autographs and other pleasant surprises. There are, scary to say, more than twenty million records on sale.

There is really one thing: you will have to fork out for shipping, and it sometimes costs more than the record itself, so don’t be surprised. However, there is a way out of this situation: you just need to open the search filter and select Russia as the location of the record you are looking for: this way you will either find a seller in your city or save significantly on delivery. And if Russia doesn’t have the required copy, well, what can you do! You'll have to order from overseas, and a filter will also help you here, because delivery from the USA is much more expensive than delivery from Europe. But I also want to say this: not all collectors want to part with their records. For example, foreigners from the “Sound Barrier” searched Discogs for 4 years and did not find what they found with us. Although I'm sure this was an isolated incident.

What I found there:

The number of records cannot be described. The prices are sometimes very reasonable, so it can be a shame not to take it. I can't boast of finding any rare items here, although at least I was able to purchase Morphine and BADBADNOTGOOD records. Many people like these groups, but their records are completely absent in Moscow. I had to order from abroad, there was no other choice. Well, I was also able to buy Patti Smith’s wonderful Easter record here. It was inexpensive and found quickly, and I saved a lot of time and nerves.

Photo - Vinylium →

“20 million records – well, much more!” - you think. But you understand that all our desires are limited by our imagination. But not all of your favorite albums were released on vinyl, no matter how much you might like it. What to do when you want to have a record that doesn't exist in nature? Record it yourself!

Many have already asked this question and discovered that you can only record vinyl in batches of a hundred pieces, and it will also cost about a hundred pieces, and no one will write one record for you. But the magicians from St. Petersburg were able to get modern equipment for cutting records and make any records in any edition. You send them the songs you want to have on your record, send them the sleeve and apple design, discuss the details and boom! You have an exclusive! Only you will need to prove that you are making vinyl for personal use, and if you order 20+ records, you will have to provide permission from the author of the music. It won't be very expensive to make one record, but it won't be very cheap either.

What I found there:

I will not say. It's a secret.

As you can see, you have many options. From my stories, you probably realized that luck can smile on you quite unexpectedly. Don't stop searching and you will certainly find what you were looking for!

Do you have a couple of old records stashed away that you'd like to sell? There are plenty of collectors out there who would be willing to buy a stack of old records that you've treasured over the years. Well, few records are worth a lot of money, so read this article carefully - you may be just steps away from getting a decent reward for them!

Steps

Search and sell records

Go through your music library - attics, basements and closets. You might be able to make some money this way and free up valuable space in your home for other purposes. The following may be valuable: LP Long Play, LP from long-playing - long-playing 25 and 30 cm discs, play at 33 1/3 rpm), 78s (several fragile discs, play at 78 rpm on each side) and 45s (17 - centimeter discs, play at 45 rpm).



Set aside any records you want to get rid of and get ready to benefit from your past.



Study supply and demand. How rare is the recording? If millions of such records were initially sold, it is likely that the buyer would be more willing to buy it from a music store with good storage conditions or from someone else. Scarcity is what matters! There must be a demand for this recording for the following reasons: the particular artist (for example, a great talented musician who died young and did not make many recordings), the label on which it was recorded (in the original recording, as opposed to a “reissue”), or an unusual feature of the record (for example, a V-disc, a wartime recording, clippings taken from radio broadcasts, an original picture, or a 10-inch LP). The “out-of-print” record (no longer produced) is also considered to be in short supply; there are fewer such offers on the market. So-called “bootlegs” (recordings made illegally from live concerts or broadcasts) are also valuable to collectors.



Check the recording status. If the record is in mint or mint condition, the record will have the highest value. A recording in "Very Good" condition should show no distortion or degradation in sound quality. "Good" means that there may be some defects, but it is tolerable. “Acceptable” means that the record can play, but will produce noise and distract from the listening experience, reducing the value of the recording. Records with scratches on the surface are worth little or nothing. Some sellers have their own evaluation criteria.



Think about the content of the post. Generally speaking, interest in music is much higher than in the field of humorous recordings, and the cost of music records, as a result, will also be higher. Some types of music records sell for very high prices. The greatest market and monetary value tends to be jazz records, old Broadway originals, and movie soundtracks. In addition, early rhythm and blues recordings are considered collectible. Among classical recordings, orchestral performances are considered the most valuable, followed by instrumental, chamber music and concertos, solo vocal and operatic arias, and finally complete opera. For some collectors, the type of recording is important - mono or stereo, which, accordingly, affects the final cost of the record. See tips below.



Find the right buyer for your treasure. Records are purchased by collectors, mail-ordered by dealers, used by record stores, and by ordinary people (sometimes out of nostalgia or love for the artist; in addition, some music lovers believe that the sound of a high-quality vinyl recording is better than that of a CD or other media ). For truly rare records, the best prices may come from dealers who know the market like the back of their hand and what they can resell them for. Collectors are emotional, sometimes reaching the point of fanaticism in order to complete their collection. They can pay a lot for a special piece. Getting a rare recording by a popular artist for an affordable price, including only the cost price without any markup from resellers, is a rarity.



Research the market first. Careful observations, along with knowledge of the recording industry and its artists, are necessary to determine the value of a particular recording. Once (and if) you determine that the record is truly rare, you will be better able to determine its value. To gain a deeper understanding of pricing, read the tips below.



1. Recently, rock records from the “early vintage” era have begun to be in demand on the market, especially from deceased cult figures such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. In addition, there is now a lively trade among collectors of 45s, especially 1950s R&B and early rock. Of great interest are rare and unusual recordings (on matters of foreign policy, etc.), compositions by Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Also of considerable interest are the recordings that are sold with posters of the performers.

Vinyl records were once a great, high-quality way to listen to your favorite tunes. The rush to find this or that record reached all imaginable limits; people were willing to stand in lines overnight or wash floors just to get the vinyl.

True, cassettes soon replaced vinyl, and then they filled the whole world and the popularity of “layers” subsided. However, the passion for vinyl records
remained and grew into something more, turning into collecting unique works. The most interesting personalities on the Internet for collecting vinyl records are presented below:

largest collection of vinyl records in the world

№ 1
It took Paul Moonheney more than 50 years to accumulate the largest collection of vinyl records in the world. The collection contains about 3 million vinyl records (EP, LP, 45-rev and 78-rpm) and the value of this collection is approximately estimated at $50 million. The extensive vinyl that Paul Mountheini has collected contains over 5 generations of music. 17% of his collection can be found in electronic format, and the other 83 can only be purchased from him. However, the dominance of the digital format forced the collector to sell his “life’s work” on the online auction site eBay.

writer Haruki Murakami and his famous jazz listening room

№ 2
The famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami often describes jazz compositions in his novels, and all for good reason, because he also
is the owner of a delightful collection of 40 thousand
records .

Grigory Kachurin

Grigory Kachurin in his three-room apartment collected a huge collection of records, gramophones and gramophones. It all started with his father, who after 1945 began collecting specimens that interested him. Basically, the collection consists of very valuable items from the post-war period, but Grigory continued his father’s work and regularly adds to his collection. Particularly noteworthy are records with Stalin’s voice, as well as Khrushchev’s personal collection of Ukrainian songs, which Grigory inherited from Nikita Sergeevich’s relatives. Collector Kachurin has more than 25 thousand records, 80 gramophones and gramophones.
№ 4
The next contender for a large vinyl record collection is
owner of the recording studio Evgeny Nemtsov. Personal
It is replenished mainly with classical works, but you can also find pop and jazz music. Evgeniy Nemtsov is the owner near
20 thousand copies of vinyl records.

№5
Famous Moscow collector of sound recordings Valery Dmitrievich Safoshkin,
During his short life, he collected a unique collection of gramophone records, which belongs to various musical genres of the world, Soviet and Russian pop music. The collection of gramophone records alone contains more than 17 thousand pieces, among them there are rare, the only copies in. Valery Dmitrievich's collection is registered with the International Association of Musical Collections. Safoshkin keeps valuable antique sound-reproducing mechanisms, for example, the disk of the inventor Edison, gramophones, phonograph rollers, gramophones (there is a gramophone that belonged to F.I. Chaliapin).

№ 6
Yuri Borisovich Perepelkin from the city of St. Petersburg collected a collection of gramophone records with the voices of famous opera singers of the world. In the Perepelkin collection 16 thousand recordings of opera singers, as well as unique photographic materials from the lives of artists, their personal diaries and memoirs, which were specially written at the request of the collector. Yuri Borisovich has many unique works, for example, a rare recording of the soprano wife of the artist Vrubel, who was believed to have never recorded her voice.

№ 7
Alessandro Benedetti began collecting his collection of colored and unusual discs in 1981. Currently, the complete collection of vinyl records includes about 8 thousand discs, among which only about 1.2 thousand are color ones. In 2003, Alessandro's collection was listed in the Guinness Book of Records, and in 2009, he, together with Italian producer Giorgio Morodera and collector Peter Bastain, with the help of the Tashen publishing house and Colors magazine, released the book Extraordinary Records, which is dedicated to the strangest and most unusual vinyl records in the world.

I hope the article was interesting and helped someone. Please leave comments below so I can get back to you.

Don't be afraid of me and join me

In the 21st century, technology is developing so rapidly that generations of all kinds of gadgets replace each other without staying long in our memory. True, there are also “the last of the Mohicans,” those who cannot imagine their life without paper books and gramophone records. Eilon Paz talks about real “vinylophiles” in the photo project “Dust & Grooves”.

Eilon Paz worked on the creation of the photo cycle for six years. During this time, she visited not only various cities in America, but also outside the country to find vinyl collectors. As it turns out, there are many such passionate music lovers. Eilon Paz photographed them against the backdrop of high racks of records, the number of which breaks all possible records. The author of the project is sure that these people are doing a great job: they collect rarities and ensure their safety.

All collected photographs were published in a separate illustrated publication of 416 pages. The book is called Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting. The photographs capture the everyday life of collectors: in one studio, records are sorted alphabetically, in another, records are sorted by cover color and arranged like a rainbow.

Eilon Paz speaks fondly of those she met during the project: “They collect things, musical artifacts, and over time it becomes not just a habit, but a real passion that changes the lives of these people.” The photographer adds that each of the records becomes a “marker” of a certain stage in the life of collectors: looking at one, they remember their youth, looking at the second - preferences and tastes. Gradually, a fascinating story is emerging about the path that each of these amazing music lovers had to go through.

The digital era in which we live takes us further and further from the time when the music, photography and film industries were based on analog equipment with its toggle switches, levers, magnetic tapes and light bulbs. Most of the “junk”, which previously took up a lot of space, has now become unnecessary - its task is successfully performed by programs.

Of course, there are still fans of the old school who reject the gifts of modernity and take photos or shoot the same films not digitally. The music industry has a similar picture - most professionals use analog synthesizers, amplifiers, gadgets, etc. because they produce a more spacious and warm sound.

Regarding audio formats, CD has sunk into the abyss, having flaunted its glory for several decades. It became obvious that the real king of all sound was and remains vinyl. Its advantages lie in ease of replication, better recording quality (some consider this fact controversial) and in the very mystery of the listening ritual. Currently, sales of vinyl records are growing in the West, and experts predict that this trend will soon reach Moscow.

the site talked to Russian record collectors, DJs and musicians, who talked about their vinyl passion, “loss of musical virginity,” recent acquisitions, and also gave advice to novice collectors.

RZhB

“Roma Khleb, better known as RZhB. Record collector, music lover and percussionist. Born in Taiga into a family of bears. That’s all,” he writes about himself.

In fact, RZHB is a strange record detective and musician who creates new "collages" from old records. Roma is one of the few collectors of unusual music in Russia, not limited by genres. He finds very interesting records everywhere - from children's music to Pakistani soundtracks from the 70s. RZHB wrote about the latest ones.

Past

At home there was and is always a meticulously arranged dump of sci-fi and horror toys, percussion, some souvenirs from travel and books. But this is normal, without pathologies...as it seems to me. After all, we are all a little crazy here. And me, and even you. The main thing is not to start accumulating dirty panties and cats in old age, giving them a separate room, as happens, right?

I didn’t have such a direct “realization” that I was a collector, as if some kind of spring had loosened inside me - no. It just happened that way. Someone gave me a lot of Soviet music, which I listened to and sampled on a Soviet player, but that doesn’t count. In the early 2000s, my friend Former Slim donated several Polish jazz records from his father’s collection, which had been collecting dust in the basement for a long time - that’s where it all began, one might say. And when I bought my first, truly expensive in every sense, record, I had already “lost my virginity” and went crazy.

The first vinyl was some benefit performance by Petrosyan or 2 Unlimited, to which we danced before classes in elementary school, enjoying the first Mars, Stimorol and Chinese noodles. I don’t remember exactly. The first record I bought was 2H Company, they also sent us LSD wafers in it, so the purchase has a history. Unfortunately, the “bonus” was not from the publishers, so love didn’t work out for us. And the most expensive one cost me 200 euros, but it was a conscious step. This record, no less than anything else, changed musical preferences and the perception of music in general, becoming a trigger. And I have this album in all existing editions, except for the disc - my individual fetish. I won't say the name. Since then I haven’t made expensive purchases, but periodically I pay +/- a hundred for rare records that I especially like. The longer you collect, the cheaper it is to find. But it's a secret.

And my first player was a Soviet one. I don’t even remember the name anymore. Right now I have the simplest Numark, but I don't like it at all. The key to the problem here is that I am not rich and the very idea of ​​spending even 15-20 thousand rubles on one vertak makes me feel small slippery green paws on my neck. With this money you can travel or buy a lot of good records. Until I get rich or lose my mind, I won’t become an audiophile, unfortunately.

Roma Bread. Photo: Courtesy of the musician

At one time I had wonderful experience working as a sound designer in a horror theater. The guys narrated the script, described the general atmosphere, shamelessly pointing their fingers at the places where specific sounds were supposed to come from, and I then designed it all. There were recordings of the “house choir” as part of this project, and recordings of the sounds of squeaks, grinding sounds and similar eerie audio images. It was a great time, but alas. Nowadays I sample less and less, preferring to work with musicians, and I am returning more and more deeply to the roots - cinematic and library music of the 70s. But the lack of instruments and experience in playing them forces me to search and sample what sounds in my head.

My specific selection of music is lame, because the main criterion, besides “like or dislike,” is unusualness. The kaleidoscope of genres immediately crumbles into hundreds of fragments. It was almost always like this - I like to be surprised. And it doesn’t matter what. Music in this sense has a special charm - there is almost no “black” and “white” here, in the sense of a clear division by genre. No, of course, if you are Mr. Zanudov, then your criteria are different.

But I see everything as a kind of stylistic mixture, and this is always more interesting. That's why I hunt for everything - from krautrock to soundtracks from Indian horror films. I'm not much of a salesman, I don't have any business sense. Although I could earn some interest by helping to look for rare items for those who do not have the time or desire for this, but who needs it?

Roma Bread. Photo: Courtesy of the musician

Secrets

The layers have a single rule - most often the price only increases over the years, and in what progression is another question. Everything here is individual, and many factors need to be taken into account: rarity, unusualness, design, history of reissues.

Andrey Chagin. Photo: Yulia Chernova

“There are about 6 thousand records in my collection, plus 2-3 thousand “forty-fives”. I became interested in it when I first put the needle on a record. I was captivated by the sound of vinyl and its aesthetics. The collection contains mainly funk, soul, house, techno, afro, reggae, dub, hip hop, new wave, progressive rock, ambient, classical music, and so on. I don’t listen to hardcore or metal, despite all the vinyl I have, I don’t consider myself a collector of rare and expensive records. I don't chase the price, I only buy what I like and within my capabilities.

My wife and I have a store where we sell exclusive material from three American labels Stones Throw, PPU and iL. I am expanding my personal collection through auctions. The price, as a rule, depends on the circulation and the artist himself. But, even if the performer is mediocre, the price may rise due to the small circulation. Previously, there were few vinyl record stores, and there was no Internet at all. On Novy Arbat (then Kalininsky Prospekt - this is 1994) there was a store that is now located opposite my house - “Sound Barrier”. But in any case, I often buy records on the Internet - Discogs, Ebay, Groove collector, Music stack.

Latest vinyls: Chute Libre, The Atomic Crocus - Ombilic Contact, Love Root - Funky Emotion."

Igor DJ ELN, founder and drummer of Soul Surfers

“I’ve never counted how many records I have. Happy people don’t count layers! Strength lies not in quantity, but in the quality of the selection. I started collecting vinyl since childhood. Once at a summer camp at a disco I heard a song with scratches and began to find out what it was sounds - I realized that they were made by DJs on records. I went to a neighbor, got a player, tried it - it seemed that I realized that I wanted to become a DJ, and DJing and collecting records are inseparable from each other - so it seemed to me then.

From my grandfather's collection I got cool records, both from "democrats" and Soviet musicians. But I bought the first vinyl myself, on sale. The very first record was “Ensemble “Melody” - “Popular Mosaic”, bought for 100 rubles. At that time I had not yet “cut” the prices, but now I understand that it was possible to get it for 50 rubles. During this time I managed to chase for many rarities, but I have never bought records that cost more than $200, although in my collection there are copies much more expensive. The market for Soviet records has changed a lot now - many people are looking for records “with a groove” and all sorts of oddities, which is why Soviet records have increased in price, especially. in the capitals. And on the world market, funk and soul are becoming cheaper (but there are exceptions), and psychedelic rock is becoming more expensive.

I have bought and continue to buy vinyl at dealerships, in thrift stores, and from men who sell it professionally. On the Internet too, it already existed then, and a lot of interesting things were on sale at low prices. Now it’s the Internet and stores.”

Photo: Courtesy of Eduard Sharov

Eduard DJ ED, recording artist

I don’t know the exact number of my records and haven’t thought of counting them...about 3 thousand. I bought my first record in the early 80s. I was interested in vinyl for its form, content and original design. This is the only medium that combines everything conceived by the musicians - from the original cover and photographs of the performers to the smallest details of the recording. In my youth, I collected coins, stamps, photographs and magazines of foreign musicians. And, of course, recordings on magnetic tapes.

I had several players: the first was Vega, then Estonia and JVC. In the nineties he acquired Technics. When purchasing an old or new player, you should pay attention to its serviceability, appearance, type of drive, condition of the tonearm and the connecting connector for the stylus cartridge. Also check the availability of wires and their quality, the condition of the pitch and other details. If an old needle is included, it is better to replace it.

My collection includes Funk, Soul, Jazz, R"n"B (50"s - 60"s), Latin Boogaloo, Popcorn and other genres, mainly on 45"s. In the 90s and early 2000s I purchased records from Specialized thrift stores. I still go to such places, but less often - I often go to flea markets, I see young people digging through old records. Personally, I rarely managed to find anything useful in these places, for the most part it’s just that. there were books and photo albums. I was chasing many records, and not necessarily expensive ones. I’m still chasing one, but its cost is getting higher and higher every time.

In order to discover a new track and artist, you need to spend an insanely long time and research a large amount of material. All this applies only to Internet digging. I rarely sell records, but I'm seriously considering doing it now. By the way, statistics on the rise and fall of record prices can be viewed on popsike.com.

In my opinion, the vinyl market has changed for the better. New stores with a good assortment are appearing. Modern labels take a responsible approach to the design of their publications, adhering to and focusing on how it was done in the heyday of vinyl. When you hold in your hands a double album with a fold-out sleeve, mesmerizing in its beauty and released in a limited edition, you understand that vinyl is a work of art.

Latest records: Cymande - Promised Heights (LP), King Curtis - Sweet Soul (LP), Larry Hall - Rebel Heart (45).

Dmitry Kokoulin