There are almost as many philosophies about record collecting as there are collectors. But here are some of the various permutations:

Always The Best - Some people say if you are going to do it, go all the way. Not just any copy will do. Find the crispest, minty-est original pressing you can find and can afford. And hold it if/until you find a better copy. And if you do, buy that one and sell your lesser copy (or keep both and have one for display and one for play. An heir and a spare.)

Finite Physical Size - You know where you are going to keep your records, and there’s only room for 500, 1000, 2000… whatever it is. Once you hit that number, it’s one-in-one-out. What do you purge: records which are fairly common/easily re-purchased if needed? Or artists/genres that no longer spark joy? Or eenie-meenie-miney-moe?

Finite Mental Capacity - Some people only want to keep around things they absolutely love and adore. Not a favorite? Get rid of it. Love a band’s first three albums but nothing after that? Well then, keep only have their first three albums and don’t bother with anything else. Rest assured knowing that anything anybody pulls off the shelf is 100% something that reflects your tastes and desires.

The French Press (AKA Not A Snob) - Somebody who wants a shelf or two of records around that reflect their tastes… it doesn’t matter if they are first pressings or if they are in perfect condition. They enjoy the sound, the feel, the tactile nature of the process. They know what they want, but do not wish to hand over large chunks of their time to make it happen. Ie., they are not going to commit to pour-over, but they’re not going to Starbucks either. Happy to browse the New Arrivals bin or the flea market and see what pops up.

Catch And Release - For these collectors, it’s all about the hunt and the bragging rights. They tend to keep their collections “manageable” in size. They buy something, love it for a few months or a few years, and then unload it so they go acquire the next rarity. These folks love to call themselves owners of “there are only 6 of these records known to be in existence” type of gems… Very much Indiana Jones types. They prefer to trade and swap records with other collectors of a similar ilk. They tend to view most collectors as hanging out at the yard sale while they are curating at the museum.

The Librarian & The DJ - They want all the sounds / all the genres / all the records. That 12” with the extended mix, the compilation put together in another territory that has unreleased tracks, all the different versions of the different Duran Duran albums with the different mixes and track listings in different territories. Sometimes completists, sometimes just folks that want to build a reference library of sounds, sometimes DJs who want to be able to play whatever set a client may need - you never know. Perhaps even a bit hoarder-y, but usually in a charming way.

Which one are you?